UK Takes Bad Beat From Online Poker Act

Online poker has become such a global industry that the decisions of one nation regarding poker have an impact, large or small, on the whole. When the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was passed by the US Congress last week, the impact was large. One of the countries hit the hardest was the United Kingdom, and specifically a few Scottish gambling mavens who manage some of the biggest poker rooms around. Some 75 per cent of their revenue was hit in the books of such companies as PartyGaming, SportingBet and 888.com, counting on the majority of their customers from America. In related business, those companies who depend on advertising and referral revenue from online poker rooms have also had to tighten their belts, unsure about what the future will bring.