As you are no doubt aware, the passing of the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, 2006) in the U.S. has left U.S.-based internet gamblers with a lot fewer options available to them for moving money to and from their favorite casino and poker sites. After all, that's exactly what the Act was intended to do.

Let's take a moment here because what is seemingly a small point is worth taking a serious look at. The truth is the Act changed nothing in terms of the legality of online gaming. Its sole power is to restrict how U.S. citizens are permitted to move their monies to and from internet gaming sites by holding the financial institutions—primarily banks (and therefore the major credit cards) and the larger e-Cash processing outfits—accountable for what their customers are doing with their funds.

Whether this is going to prove effective, practical or even legal in the long run remains to be seen. But for the time being, we have to live with it, largely because many of the gaming operators are opting to "self police" by blocking U.S. players from playing at their sites.

So for now, the problem players will face has two sides to it: Where can I play? How can I get money to and from the sites that will let me play?

For non-U.S. players the answers are usually pretty simple. Very few countries are restricting the online gaming activities of their citizens. Where restrictions do exist, it is usually to prohibit the operation of an online casino from within the country, not the online activities of the country's residents. So most non-U.S. residents are free to go about their internet play as they see fit.

The financial and e-cash companies will happily take their money and allow them to move it to and from the casinos and poker rooms as they like. Simply check the "Real Money Play" page at the casino/poker room for details. Please note that how you declare your gambling revenue is VERY country dependant and you'll need to check your local laws.

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