At a time when the online poker world is up in arms regarding the recent 'Unlawful Gambling Enforcement Act', one site in particular has kept their head and decided to rise above the mass hysteria that the bill appears to have produced.
In response to the new legislation, PokerStars released the following statement:
"As you are probably aware, the United States Congress recently enacted the Safe Port Act which contains provisions relating to Internet gambling.
PokerStars has received extensive expert advice from within and outside the U.S. which concluded that these provisions do not alter the U.S. legal situation with respect to online poker. Furthermore it is important to emphasize that the Act does not in any way prohibit you from playing online poker.
Therefore, our business continues as before - open to players worldwide including the US. You may play on our site as you did prior to the Act.
PokerStars believes that poker is a game of skill enjoyed by millions of players and we remain committed to providing you a safe and fun environment in which to play. We value your loyalty to PokerStars, and look forward to continuing to serve you with the best online poker experience, as we have for the past five years, six billion hands, and 40 million tournaments."
So, with companies such as William Hill and 888 opting to block out their US custom, it appears as though the Big Guns in the US, most notably PokerStars and Full Tilt, are treating it as 'business as usual'. Only time will tell if this is a sensible move...
Meanwhile, in other news, online payment operators, Neteller, have also confirmed their continuation in the US market with executive vice president, Bruce Elliott, commenting, "I don't think we have a problem."