Online poker rooms and other internet gambling operators will have more time to adjust to the new Wire Act interpretation, as the Department of Justice has announced that it will add another 60 days to the non-prosecution period for the new rules. this new interpretation of the Wire Act could have more impact on online poker than any other facet of the gaming industry.
Poker relies on player liquidity to keep cash games running and build tournament prize pools. Many smaller states struggle to have enough regular traffic to keep players interested in playing, making it hard for their sites to be viable.
That’s why Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey signed on to the Multistate Internet Gaming Agreement, which allowed for players from all three jurisdictions to compete against each other on the virtual felt.
Delaying the implementation of the new rules will at least give all affected parties more time to make sure they are in compliance with the Wire Act, even if the negative impacts of the law will still sting. And there is an open question over whether players from New Jersey and Delaware will be able to participate in this summer’s online World Series of Poker events, which span both sides of the new June 14 deadline for compliance.
