With the popular credit card giant MasterCard no longer processing US payments for online gambling sites, many players in the United States are wondering what the changes mean to them. Can they still gamble online and if so, how do they get their money to their gaming site of choice.
First, the reason for the change. MasterCard is moving ahead of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to comply with the requirements of that legislation which makes it illegal for banks to transfer money directly to online gambling sites. There are lobbyists and others working to overturn the UIGEA and put legislation in place that will allow Americans to continue to enjoy their favorite online gambling sites, but until that is in place, Credit Card companies and banks are going to be cautious about deposits to online gambling sites.
Does the UIGEA make it illegal for an America citizen to gamble online? The answer to that is no, the UIGEA doesn’t actually make it illegal for anyone to play online games. Though the crazy quilt of gambling laws in place around the United States where much of the legislation is enforced by the States, rather than the Federal Government, make it impossible to for me to state that it is legal to gamble. It depends on where you are, what game you play and even then it may not be clear. But generally speaking, no one is chasing after individual gamblers to keep them from spinning a slots reel or tossing a chip in the poker pot.
But the credit card companies now have gamblers from the United States not only seeking out not only gambling sites that will still accept their business but payment options that will let them get their money to those sites.