US Government Admits Online Poker is Not Illegal

On Wednesday, November 14, 2007, the US House Judiciary Committee held hearings regarding the legality of online poker, focusing specifically on the "Unlawful Internet Gaming and Enforcement Act" (UIGEA). We would expect that impassioned testimony from professional poker player Annie Duke and others would leave online-poker fans with a feeling of optimism. But surprisingly, the most significant statement uttered during the hearings was given by the other side, and it happened quickly and without fanfare. If you blinked, you missed it. The statement is monumental! Of course, it received no coverage in the mainstream press.

The government supplied some witnesses to speak in favor of the current state of affairs and the UIGEA. One such witness was the Honorable Catherine Hanaway, who is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. She spoke against the prospect of amending any of the current gaming law, ridiculous and contradictory though that law may be.

At one point, she was questioned by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.), who asked her point blank if playing online poker, under the current laws of the USA, was illegal, yes or no. Her answer, loud and clear, was NO! Apparently, not many people heard her answer. At least, her answer did not sink in with mainstream news organizations. But I heard it. And the Poker Players Alliance heard it, too. In a PPA press release, they state: "One key outcome of the hearing was the acknowledgment by the Department of Justice witness, the Honorable Catherine Hanaway, that it is not illegal for an individual to place a wager on the Internet. This confirmation ... dispels a common misconception that an Internet poker player may be committing a crime by playing poker online."

Did you hear that? Do you realize the significance of this admission? This is huge!