On April 15, 2011, an event occurred that would shake the poker world to its core: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized the domains of the three largest poker sites – PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker -, filed charges of bank fraud, illegal gambling and money laundering, and froze player accounts containing hundreds of millions of dollars.
The immediate impact was devastating: thousands of players suddenly lost access to their accounts and funds, and the entire poker community faced an uncertain future. The shockwaves sent by this unprecedented action still resonate years later – and that day went down in gambling history as Black Friday.
Black Friday & Its Aftershocks in the Poker World
At the beginning of the 2000s, it seemed as if the rise of online poker was unstoppable. The poker boom was triggered by TV deals, including with ESPN, and the success of amateur Chris Moneymaker in the 2003 WSOP Main Event. Playing poker on the home desktop attracted more and more people, including those at SlotMonster Casino. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, were already playing on platforms such as Partypoker, PokerStars or Full Tilt Poker – with buy-ins or just for fun.
This was a thorn in the side of the US authorities, who have a rather conservative attitude towards gambling. To this day, many US states have strict restrictions on gambling. In the virtual world, these mainly related to sports betting until 2006. Online poker, a new phenomenon, was simply not mentioned in the laws.
This changed dramatically on October 13, 2006, when the US Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The UIGEA prohibited online platforms from accepting payments from players who were found to be participating in unlawful internet gambling. The penalty was up to five years in prison.
However, illegal online gambling was not precisely defined in the law. While some providers such as Partypoker, which was then the dominant company on the US market, stopped their services in the USA, other providers took advantage of this legal loophole. This continued until the US Department of Justice decided in April 2011 to bring charges against executives of the then largest providers PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker for bank fraud, money laundering and violation of the UIGEA.
Executives of other companies, such as Daniel Tzvetkoff of the Australian payment service provider Intabill, were also arrested during the investigation and threatened with prison sentences of up to 75 years.
It was a complete shock, in the poker community we call it Black Friday. Those of us who were in the know, of course, knew that the Southern District of New York was investigating payment processors in relation to their relationships with poker sites, but they kept it absolutely under wraps. It happened, it happened fast, and it completely destroyed a thriving industry in the United States.”
– Brian Balsbaugh , poker expert, cnbc.com
This action led to the immediate closure of the three largest and several other poker platforms, a shock to players worldwide and an abrupt collapse of the previously thriving online poker market in the USA. The impact was far-reaching and devastating, with player accounts frozen and a loss of confidence in the safety and legality of online poker – as millions of players lost access to their funds overnight.
In the years that followed, the affected platforms had to deal with legal disputes, fines and attempts to restore their reputation. Of the three poker giants most affected, only PokerStars survived.
For many players, Black Friday was a wake-up call about the risks of online gambling and the importance of having a solid legal basis for their activities. The industry was forced to reorient itself, introduce stricter regulations and find ways to regain players’ trust.
Current Situation: Online Poker in the USA
Black Friday sparked a lot of discussion in the poker world. Was poker a game of chance or a game of skill? How should authorities deal with online gambling? Where were the limits?
Some of these questions remain unanswered to this day. One thing is certain, however: Since Black Friday, the landscape of online poker in the US has changed significantly, with gradual progress towards a regulated environment. One notable example of the changing industry is Partypoker, which is now up for sale – for a reported €175 million.
In the United States, meanwhile, online poker regulation remains a patchwork of state laws —in some states it is still banned entirely. The reasons for the ban range from concerns about gambling addiction and consumer protection to complex legal and regulatory hurdles.
Currently, only six states – Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia – have fully legalized and regulated online poker. In some other states, such as Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts and New York, there are or have been discussions about possible legalization. In special cases, such as Florida, California and Wisconsin, online poker sites can also be accessed thanks to autonomous tribal territories where gambling is legal.
The legalization of online poker in these few states has shown that a regulated environment is not only safer for players, but can also generate significant revenue for state coffers. These positive examples could serve as models for other states considering legalization. However, expanding legalization to more states remains complex, as each state has its own specific conditions and requirements.
The wave of legalization in the area of sports betting in recent years has shown that even in the USA, which traditionally has a very conservative attitude towards gambling, progress is certainly possible – even if this is usually associated with lengthy processes.
European Market Comparison
Unlike the United States, the European online poker market has developed in a slightly different direction since Black Friday. Many European countries have realized that by creating a regulated online poker market, not only can a safe environment be ensured for players, but significant tax revenue can also be generated.
Countries such as the United Kingdom, Malta and Spain have implemented comprehensive legal frameworks that allow online poker operators to operate legally as long as they meet strict licensing requirements and adhere to regulated standards.
This proactive regulatory strategy means that the European online poker market can flourish, with a variety of legal gaming options and a high level of consumer protection. In comparison, the fragmented approach in the US, where online poker has only been legalized in a few states and laws vary from state to state, leads to a certain amount of uncertainty and reluctance among both players and operators.
The different regulatory approaches also have an impact on the industry itself. While in Europe a consistent legal framework ensures growth and innovation, the US industry is struggling with the challenges of a heterogeneous market.
