Tao of Poker

Is it a Crime to Play Online?

Is it a Crime to Play Online? is an article written by I. Nelson Rose.

Here's a bit: "Federal law is clear. The federal government’s interest in gambling is pretty much limited to organized crime. Federal statutes are written with phrases like, "Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering..." or "Whoever conducts, finances, manages, supervises, directs, or owns all or part of an illegal gambling business..."

A regular player cannot get into trouble with the federal government even if the gambling operation is blatantly illegal, unless he does something to help the business. Prosecutors have charged players with being part of the gambling business when they helped operators collect debts from other players. But the very few times the federal Department of Justice has gone after regular players, judges have thrown the cases out."