US Gambling Laws Relating to Online Bingo and Casino Games

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in November 2002, that the Federal Wire Act prohibits electronic transmissions of information for sports betting moving accross state lines, but in its judgement confirmed a lower court ruling the Wire Act does not prohibit gambling on games of chance.

There are, however, individual states which have outlawed gambling of any kind. Currently, these consist of the following 11 states: Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Washington, Nevada, Indiana, South Dakota, New York and New Jersey.

In September 2006, the US House of Representatives and Senate passed a bill amending the "Safe Port Act" which stipulates transactions from banks or similar institutions to online gambling sites are illegal. In addition to this amendament a bill relating to banking issues was also passed.

On the 26th April, 2007 the Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act (IGREA) was brought into force, allowing the licensing of internet gambling facilities by the Director of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

On June 7th, 2007 introduced was the Skill Game Protection Act, which if passed could legalize internet poker, bridge, chess, and other games of skill.

In summary, the law as it relates to online bingo is that it is not currently illegal to play online bingo except in the individual states listed above. however, it is illigal for financial institutions and service providers to accept payments for the purposes of online gambling. This legislation does not make it illegal for you to fund an online gambling account or to wager online, and only affects US based banks and financial institutions. However, this means that as a US citizen your bank will block you from making deposits to any bingo sites located in the US or outside.

Those bingo sites which are operating in the US must use alternative solutions for payment options. Bingo is a game of chance and not a game of skill and therefore, not affected by the proposed introduction of the Skill Game Protection Act.