Internet Gambling Laws: U.S., U.K. And the World

Legal minds turned to Internet gambling laws as a specialty when the industry went beyond growth and exploded into the public mind. "The law surrounding Internet gambling in the United States has been murky, to say the least," according to Lawrence G. Walters, one of the attorneys working with www.gameattorneys.com. 
In contrast, Internet gambling laws in the U.K. have made the lives of providers and players a bit easier. The passage of the Gambling Act of 2005 has basically legalized and regulated online play in the U.K.

With the objectives of keeping gambling from promoting "crime or disorder" the U.K. act attempts to keep gambling fair, in addition to protecting younger citizens and others who may be victimized by gambling operation. Unlike the United States, which still clings to the 1961 Wire Wager Act, the U.K. significantly relaxed regulations that are decades old. A gambling commission was established to enforce the code and license operators.

A Whole Other Country

According to Walters and many other observers of the Internet gambling laws scene, the United States Department of Justice continues to view all gambling on the Internet as illegal under the Wire Act. But there are details in the federal law that defy attempts to throw a blanket over all online gambling.

The Wire Wager Act forms the basis for federal action on Internet gambling laws in the United States. The law was meant to complement and support laws in the various states, focusing primarily on "being engaged in the business of betting or wagering" using wire communication to place bets or wagers on sporting events or similar contests. The law also comments on receiving money or credit that results from such a wager. The keys are "business," "money or credit" and "wire communication facility."

But as many attorneys and proponents of fair Internet gambling laws emphasize, the federal law does not specifically address other forms of gambling. This has left the law open to interpretation when it comes to online casinos specifically and using the World Wide Web to play online games.

October 13, 2006 is a crucial date in the controversy surrounding the legalization of gambling. For anyone wishing to understand Internet gambling laws, the federal law passed on that day is essential knowledge. President George W. Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which is intended to limit some "financial transactions" used for online gambling.

But even if current federal gambling laws can clearly define something as simple as a legal gambling age, the newer UIGEA has not settled all the dust raised around the issue of online gambling. Attorneys such as Walters (and many others) have pointed out that the UIGEA seems to refer only to financial transactions and wagers that are illegal where the wager or transaction is made. Some wagers may be legal while others may not be legal. It's as simple as that.

The UIGEA had some effect on Internet gambling, in that many successful companies got out of the business, at least in the United States. In fact, with the passage of the law in 2006, most U.S. online players found they could not play at an online casino or poker room, for a short time. Many of the gambling providers found ways to establish offices and servers outside of the U.S. so that could invite United States players back in.

Break Time

It's now time to stop, take a deep breath and turn to Internet gambling laws in the various states. Some have passed their own rules and regulations (before and after UIGEA). In a few states, companies cannot operate an online gambling business. In other states it is illegal for an individual to place a bet using the Web marked poker. Some legal experts argue that these individual-state rules are unconstitutional since commerce across state lines should only be regulated by federal law, not state law. Commercial online gambling businesses don't operate in the United States, however. If you want to visit their "home offices" you may have to travel to Malta, Gibraltar or Curacoa.


The 2005 U.K. law generally allows remote sites such as these. The rules are not so relaxed in the U.S. However, a recent appellate court ruling in the U.S. states that, in at least one case, an Web-based gambling site did not violate states laws. Most legal minds urge gamblers and others interested in the issue to stay tuned.

Some have given their attention to finding benefits of legalized gambling, noting that this huge industry might be a key to economic recovery in the United States. At the heart of their argument are examples such as established lotteries run by various states, in addition to the government revenues that flow in to state coffers from riverboats and land-based casinos marked card tricks.


Part of this effort rests on the shoulders of more than 100 legal representatives working for common sense in Internet gambling laws. This hoard of attorneys has the task of trying to keep the World Wide Web/Internet free from government intervention.

Bob Ciaffone is considered one of the experts on the subject of gambling and poker in general, and on the transition to online gambling. He suggests that any regulation of Web-based gambling should reduce competition from outside the U.S., so that the citizens of the U.S. would benefit in legal gambling states. His detailed plan would parallel the U.K. situation since that country passed its 2005 rules. Ciaffone also strongly urges U.S. lawmakers to keep Internet gambling laws separate from the 40-year-old Wire Act, which was passed to control illegal gambling over the telephone.

In essence, Ciaffone writes that the UIGEA attempted to do the right thing, but does it in all the wrong ways. The restrictions have severely handicapped what could be a great revenue source with proper regulation, according to Ciaffone.

Consider a statement on the UIGEA from the most-recognizable poker player in the world, Doyle Brunson. Though is comments apply to his favorite game of poker, they can easily relate to all Internet gambling laws. He said, in essence, that his company received good legal advice that indicates Internet poker is not "expressly" illegal. He encourages U.S. players to learn the laws of their own state.

While this brief summary touches only the high points of a huge and complex subject, there are sources that have already compiled details for the various states.  

How To Catch Cheating Spouse

When we enter into a relationship, we don’t think about a cheating spouse or how we would catch a cheating spouse if we had one!   Instead we look forward to knowing that there is another person in our life.  When we begin a relationship, we know we have someone who will be there when we get home from work, visit our family, and help us through life’s difficult times.  The possibility that our spouse will cheat is rarely considered, much less what to do if cheating occurs.

Unfortunately, due to modern technology and society’s increasing permissiveness, the promises that are made when two people enter into a committed relationship can be easily broken.  There are many ways for a person to cheat on their spouse.  Knowing these will help anyone catch a cheating spouse!  The five most common behaviors of a cheating spouse are:
Cheating spouses begin to appear distant and irritable trick cards.  They care less about some routine issues and are easily upset by others.  They may be feeling the stress that accompanies maintaining deceptive behavior in a relationship.  Angry behavior can be self serving; the cheating spouse may feign being upset so they can indignantly storm out of the house.  They are absent for long periods of time.



Computer time increases without explanation.  The internet has exploded with websites dedicated to helping people meet for coffee, dinner, and just about anything else.  A cheating spouse will spend large blocks of time on the computer, sometimes when the faithful spouse is asleep.  When asked about activity online, the cheating spouse may become evasive or defensive because they don’t want to disclose what they have been doing.  Also, they will delete their website search history to avoid detection.
Phone communication becomes unusual and raises suspicions.  When someone calls, and the faithful spouse answers, the caller hangs up.  In addition to being rude, this could be a wrong number, or it could be someone who only wants to speak to the cheating spouse.  If the cheating spouse does answer the phone, they speak in a whisper or they quickly hang up.  If anyone asks who called or if there was a number on the caller ID, the cheating spouse doesn’t answer the question, or they erase the caller’s phone number immediately after ending the call.

Cheating spouses suddenly develop uncharacteristic interests cheat poker, for example, man who spends Sunday watching sports on television may begin to claim an interest in attending a museum exhibit or participating in an outdoor cultural event.  Conversely, a woman who has continually expressed a lack of interest in sports will unexpectedly have knowledge of a specific sport, or she will be able to discuss the history of a team’s performance in that sport.




Money becomes an issue in unexpected ways.  The faithful spouse sees a credit-card statement listing new vendor names or expenses, a notice detailing a newly revised cell-phone calling plan, or a change in the amount of money being deposited into a joint account.
It’s important to note that the above behaviors need to be looked at objectively and put in context if you suspect a cheating spouse.  For example, if a credit-card statement lists an unfamiliar charge and a spouse is evasive about it, the charge may be for an innocent birthday or holiday gift.  Also, if someone in a relationship begins to develop uncharacteristic interests, it may have been at the request of the spouse.  Keeping behavior in context and not jumping to conclusions results in logical, rational decision making – and it can save relationships.   Once you have observed objectively and put your suspicions into context, if you still are worried about infidelity, consider making notes on behavior and keeping copies of suspicious credit card and phone bills, note telephone messages, email messages, and unfamiliar phone numbers, check on the spouse to see if he/she is where he/she is supposed to be.  If necessary, hire a private detective to see where the spouse goes and with whom he/she is spending time.

Advantages of Poker Game Table

One of the most important pieces of poker equipment when playing a poker game is the poker game table. To fully enjoy a game of cards like poker, the playing surface is required to be soft and smooth.

If you try to play poker on a hard surface, like a table top, you won't be able to pick up the poker cards or poker chips easily, the chips will stick to the table and the playing cards will marked cards crease and bend when picked up. Also the chips and deck of cards will slip across the surface too easily and may fall of the poker table, which is a disaster.
<a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/3882132']);" href="http://www.pokerathome.net.au/home/table">Poker game tables</a> come in many shapes, sizes and surfaces; we will investigate each of these elements of the poker table now.
Poker table shape
Poker tables are most usually round, and seat between 6 and 8 players. This allows all poker players to be able to see the action well and deal the poker cards to each player easily. If you buy an 8 player round poker table, it is more comfortable to only have 6 or 7 players sitting at the table, any more and you could be squashed and elbowed.
Oval poker tables are also quite popular, these are better for when you have a nominated poker dealer who can sit in the middle position and deal the cards to the poker players and control the Texas holdem poker action.
Octagonal tables are more rare, and usually come in the form of a table top that is sat on top of a normal table, and can be stowed away when not used.
<a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/3882132']);" href="http://www.pokerathome.net.au/home/table">Poker Game table</a> can have either permanent fixed legs or foldable legs so you can store the table away neatly when not in use and it takes up less storage space.

Poker table sizes
The most common number of players to sit at a poker table to play a game of poker is between 6 and 8 players, therefore all poker tables are normally made to suit this number of players.
Remember, the larger the size or diameter of the poker table, the more comfortable you will be when playing infrared ink, you don't want to be sitting too close to your poker opponent, as they may see your cards!

Poker table surfaces Felt is the most common form of surface used in the manufacture of poker tables; it is regarded as the industry standard and is used by casinos and professional poker rooms throughout the world.
Poker table felt is relatively inexpensive; come is many great colours like black, blue, red, green etc and can be replaced cheaply once it becomes worn.
Speed cloth (speedcloth) is a new form of poker table surface that is fantastic in situations where there may be drink spillages. This cloth is waterproof, stain proof and also comes in the regular colours available for normal felt tables. The poker cards and poker chips tend to slide allot faster across the playing surface, as the surface is somewhat shinny.  Speed cloth tends to mark more easily than normal felt, but can be cleaned up nicely by a steam clean as it won't suffer from damage from a steam cleaner.
As you can see, there are some varied choices when it comes to choosing your poker table for home poker games or a commercial poker venue. Quality is important as you want your poker table to last a long time and give you many hours of poker game pleasure!

How To Build Your Perfect Man Cave: Get The Clay Poker Chips

Few things are more important when it comes to the continued sanity of the middle-aged American male than a superior, relaxing, bro-filled "Man Cave." After all, even Superman had his fortress of Solitude.
There are some obvious essentials, of course. The first one is the television, and the second is the couch. And the inquiry "Which should be bigger?" is a very serious one. When someone asks you how big your plasma, HD, Blu-Ray, 3-D, whatever Television, you should be able to marked cards answer simply, yet confidently "BIG!"… and then throw your head back and laugh like a James Bond villain.

As for the couch, well, size matters there as well. What you need to keep in mind is that one of the best features of the Man Cave is that it can easily transform from a Fortress of Solitude to a melting pot of Man Love. Especially with the massive TV you're going to put down there, it's important all your beer-drinking, Sports-watching buddies have a place to sit, right?
Folding chairs work can work, but that should only be in an emergency. And these emergencies only occur when your sofa doesn't have enough space! So make sure that couch is as big… and of course, as comfortable… as possible.

Big love seats are nice, but when you got a bunch of dudes hanging out, you're typically not going to have two individuals on one seat. So save the space, and get a couch instead marked card tricks.




But the most important thing to remember: This is YOUR man-cave, which means it should be personal to YOU! If you and your buddies love blackjack, throw in a couple blackjack tables. If you and your buddies like pinball, opt in for a couple pinball machines. If you have a unique but perfectly normal obsession with Denise Richards, than hey, by all means, get a couple cardboard cutouts of her and set them up throughout the cave. We recommend the one from when she was in "Wild Things."
But seriously, the most important thing when putting these finishing touches onto your very own personal Fortress of Solitude is to make every precise detail designed for you. And that means EVERY detail.
A friend of mine had a set of plastic poker chips, but he knew deep-down he wanted a set of clay ones like they have at all the casino poker tables. So he went out and got himself his very own personal set of clay poker chips. Sounds like a tiny difference… but the tiniest difference can surprisingly go a long way. Don't cheap out on your man cave. Get the clay poker chips.

Understanding Casino Poker Tables? Blackjack Terminology

When you first begin playing blackjack, and you've never played before, you may start noticing that there are quite a lot of terms being used and you have NO idea what they mean! The blackjack terms are pretty important because not knowing them can? well it can make you look like an idiot okay? And you don?t want that to happen on a casino poker table. 
If need be, get someone to quiz you so you can make sure you get all the terms right! Playing blackjack, but not knowing the terms is somewhat like riding a horse, without the horse juice cards. And if you don't want to be the horses(you know what), you should take these terms into consideration when playing your next game.

5, 6 or 7 Charlie: I've had this quite a few times when playing blackjack. This happens when you have 5, 6 or 7 cards equaling out to be under 21! Very simple!

Bankroll: This is the player?s starting out money, or the money you walk up to the table with. Usually at the table this will refer to the amount the player invests in the game rather than the money the player has.

Break / Broke: This is when a player has something like a 14, then he or she hits and gets an 8 ? You just broke the bank, aka ?the hand?. This means you lost, since the point of blackjack is to get 21 pts! Some people may also know this is a "bust".

Card Shark: As with a similar term "pool shark" this is a person that played it off like they were inexperienced, when really they are an expert marksman and YOU were their mark. Chances are, they whooped ya? hard!

DOA or Double On Anything: This is said when you want to double down on any two first cards you receive.

Face Card: You should know this one and I hope you do because it's an easy one - a face card is a King Queen or Jack.

High Roller: A person that places large bets - this can be down out of intimidation or simply because they can afford to do so.

Hit Me: This is used when you want to get another card from the dealer. You can keep on adding cards or hitting until you reach 21 or the number you want to stop at. In an actual casino while playing at casino poker tables, this is done by tapping your forefinger on the casino poker tables.

Mid Shoe Entry: This is when you join a blackjack game marked card tricks that is already in process. Most casinos will NOT allow a Mid Shoe Entry simply because there is always that chance that the person entering late, may have cheated and brought extra cards with them. If they want to play, they have to wait until the game is over and the dealer reshuffles the card for a new game.

Sweeten A Bet: This is always a big one when watching casino Poker tables on television. It simply means to increase the wager when it's possible to do so. Ultimately you can wager as much as you want to unless there is a cap off, which there usually isn't - not in a casino anyway.

Quarters: This is a confusing term! It should mean quarters, but it doesn't! Instead, it's a $25 chip!

As aforementioned, there are MANY more terms than the ones listed above, probably a good 200 or so. These terms are important to learn to make YOU look like a professional when working the poker chips or when playing at casino poker tables. At home? You can be a little more relaxed in how you play and what you do. But in an actual casino setting you need to know what all of these terms mean. It's especially important if you are ever in a tournament!

Trick Decks Of Playing Cards

Performing card tricks like a magician can be a great way to leave your family and friends completely flabbergasted at your amazing skills as an entertainer. The card tricks that magicians perform for party events or special occasions can use difficult sleight-of-hand or then can use special ‘trick decks' that can be purchased through online magic dealers.


A trick pack of playing cards has been manufactured in a special way that allows the magician to perform card tricks that look amazing but require little in the way of true skill. These special packs of playing cards come in a variety of formats each one serving its own special purpose. This short article will provide you with some information about the various trick packs so that you can decide which one you may want to purchase juice cards.

One variety of trick pack is referred to as a ‘Stripper Deck'. Using this form of specially manufactured pack of playing cards it is very easy to control the location of a selected card after it has been returned to the pack. This control can be performed using a single card or a group of playing cards. The friends can even shuffle the pack after the card has been replaced but the card will still later be under your control to be produced in any manner of magical fashions.
Another trick pack of playing cards for you to consider is known as a ‘Svengali Pack'. This deck of playing cards has been specially manufactured to allow you to display the complete pack in such a way that it will appear quite normal to your family and friends. However, the properties of this deck will enable you to perform tricks that seem like miracles and will match the appearance of those performed by a professional magician.


For yet another type of magic playing cheat poker cards you can purchase a deck referred to as a ‘Forcing Pack'. Using this pack of specially manufactured playing cards you will appear to give your family or friends the free choice of any card in the deck. However, your friends will really only be able to choose the card that you want them to have in the first place. This is a strategy employed by many professional magicians who might perform as a wedding magician, corporate magician, trade show magician or a table top magician.



Of course I'm sure that you have all heard of a marked deck of playing cards where the secret marking on the back of a particular card identifies the cards suit and value. These decks have long been associated with crooked gamblers at the card tables of river boats etc. Magicians have been using these types of special packs to perform miraculous magic tricks for many years. Marked packs of playing cards can be purchased from specialist card dealers to be found online.
Whichever type of special pack you eventually decide to employ for performing magic tricks like a true magician be sure to keep the true secret of your apparent miracles to yourself. You will be gaining nothing by exposing the secret to the special workings of the deck and will also loose respect and credibility amongst your friends and family. 

How to Host the Perfect Poker Home Game: More Games = More Gamble

How to Host the Perfect Poker Home Game is a 13-part series on how to run the superlative poker night for all your friends and coworkers.
We’ll cover everything from what game of poker is easiest to play, what hand beats what and even what drinks and food to serve. Follow this guide and people will be reserving their seat at your table weeks in advance marked poker.
In our 11^th article we’ll show you how to break free from the shackles of No-Limit Hold’em. It’s a big, gambley world out there if you know what games to play.
These three games are easy to play and guaranteed to inject some action into your home game if you’re stuck in a Hold’em rut.
As the numbers get higher the gamble quotient goes up. Once you get to number three you might as well just put your stack in the middle blind.
#1 – Pineapple/Crazy Pineapple
Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple are two of the easiest ways to dip your toe in the mixed-game pool. That’s because it’s played almost exactly like Hold’em.
In both the sane and mentally unstable versions of Pineapple each player receives three cards.
The difference is:

• In Pineapple you must discard before making your preflop action
• In Crazy Pineapple you must discard before making your action on the flop

In both games, if you fail to discard by the appropriate time and act with three cards, your hand is dead.
The concept is easy. By giving players an additional card you’re going to see big hands more often, infusing your home game with some much needed action.
Strategy Tip: If the rest of the table is playing Pineapple like it’s Hold’em, tighten up and make a monster before putting your chips in. Because of the extra card you’ll need a bigger hand on average to win than you would in Hold’em.#2 – Pot-Limit Omaha
Pot-Limit Omaha is arguably the game that strikes the best balance between action and poker skill, and it’s easy to learn if you play Hold’em.
The only differences between PLO and Hold’em are:

• Each player gets four hole cards
• You must use EXACTLY TWO of your hole cards, with three community cards, to make a five card hand (If there are four clubs on the board, you still need two clubs in your hand to make a flush)
• The game is played pot-limit, instead of no-limit marked card tricks

In pot-limit games you can only bet and raise a maximum of what’s in the pot. If you’re just opening the betting it’s easy to figure out (just count the pot) but when there’s a raise or two in front of you it gets more complicated.

Trick to calculate how much you can raise: Take the last bet and multiply by three, then add the pot and all other bets. That total is the maximum you can raise to.
Example: There’s $100 in the pot and the big blind has led out for $50 on the flop. Another player has raised to $150 and now you want to raise pot.
Multiply the last bet ($150) by three and add the pot ($100) and all other bets ($50). Raising pot here will mean raising to $600.

Even if you fancy yourself a PLO shark, you should check out our How To Not Suck at PLO series. Seriously, it will help you not to suck at PLO.
#3 – Sviten Special
The Swedish are the only people on Earth sick enough to come up with a game like this.
Developed in the underground card clubs of Stockholm Sviten Special is a split pot game that’s essentially a mix between Five-Card Omaha and Five-Card Draw.
The gameplay is the same as Omaha, except there’s a draw after the flop where you can exchange up to five of your cards.
Betting continues on the turn and river but at showdown the pot is split between the best board hand (Two hole cards and three board cards) and the best Five-Card Draw hand (The five cards in your hand).
One Card Draw Rule
If you choose to exchange only one card, the dealer will turn over the top card of the deck, letting all players see that one card. You have the choice to take that card, or receive the next card in the deck face down.
This is an action game and it’s not for the faint of heart.
Check out our comprehensive Sviten Special Rules and Strategy to get yourself up to speed.
Works Best Shorthanded
Because each player can use up to ten cards during the course of a hand, you may find the deck depleted when playing with five or more players.
There are two easy ways to deal with this.

• Limit the number of cards you can exchange
• Reshuffle the discard pile from previous players’ draws