It was a big year for online poker in the United States; however we have to wonder if the industry will continue to move forward in 2015.
There have been steady attempts for federal legislation since the enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 but with no results.
In 2014, news was flooded with stories of Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson and his fight for a federal ban on online gambling. He made a last ditch effort to get his bills approved before the end of the legislative session.
In review, Adelson got Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) to back the Restoration of America's Wire Act (RAWA) in March 2014. The American Gaming Association (AGA) stopped supporting online gambling as the interest decreased among its members. We saw legalization in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware and partnerships with Indian Tribes for online cardrooms in California despite Adelson's stance.
New Jersey missed its $120 million revenue projection bringing in just $27 million mainly from poker. Ultimate Poker was the first operator to launch in the market and has already withdrawn from Nevada and New Jersey. Part of the reason for the slow start was believed to be due to the lack of cooperation from credit card companies. All online gambling transactions were restriction at one time and now they are legal in certain states which likely caused some chaos among credit card issuers.
Adelson failed to secure a ban on online gambling in 2014 but his crusade did result in several groups speaking up and voicing their opinions. This year will definitely see Adelson come back even stronger so all we can do is wait and see what's to come.
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