Silver Lining
Putting aside the shattered financial lives and potential prison stays, it turned out that Black Friday actually had a positive impact on poker’s bigger picture.
Last December, for reasons that still aren’t entirely clear, the DOJ reversed its interpretation of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Act. Under the new view, everything but sports betting was cleared for takeoff on the American facing Internet.
That move set off a firestorm of activity as cash starved state governments scrambled to legalize online poker. Nevada is currently leading the pack and nearly every day brings news of some new partnership between a gaming company and a software provider. While Nevada is leading the race, they’re by no means alone on the track. States like California, Iowa, and New Jersey are all considering some form of legal online poker.