Online gambling for real money may have been outlawed in 2006, but a year after the law went into effect, some ASU students are still cashing in.
As an amendment to the Safe Port Act, gambling online for money was prohibited when President Bush signed it into law on Oct. 13, 2006.
But for some ASU students, like journalism sophomore Jonathan Ingram, the mandate has been more of a suggestion.
Ingram said he, like many others still playing for cash, circumvents the law by using an offshore account, meaning the money passes through an account or person not living in the U.S.
"You have to go through a third person now," Ingram said. "I deposit my real money to an account like ePassporte. It's basically like an online banking system."
Ingram said he transfers the money to ePassporte and the company then transfers his funds to the gaming Web site.
According to the ePassporte Web site, an account is a virtual Visa account that may or may not be accompanied by a physical Visa card.
The Web site also explains that account applicants are not subject to a credit check, as is usually the standard with credit cards.
Despite his current circumventing of the law, Ingram said he was initially worried when the Safe Port Act went into effect.
"I freaked out for a little bit, because I thought I was losing a source of income," Ingram said. "But I checked around to see what I could do and there were a lot of places that allowed U.S. players still."
Ingram said he currently plays online poker at Full Tilt roughly 25 hours a week in addition to school and a second job as a valet attendant.
His weekly income from playing online poker is between $1,000 and $1,500, he added.
Accounting junior Sean Cooper said he also plays online for real money despite the law.
"I play at World Poker Exchange — that one's off-shore," Cooper said.
Cooper said he also plays Absolute Poker.
According to the companies' respective Web sites, both are operated outside of the U.S.
World Poker Exchange is based out of Antigua, while Absolute Poker is headquartered in Quebec, Canada.
But not all online poker players who played for money prior to the Safe Port Act continue to do so.
Eric Wallenberg, a kinesiology senior, said when the law went into effect, he completely stopped playing online for cash.
"[I play] not on gambling sites, just on free sites," Wallenberg said. "I play with my friends for money, but not online."
Wallenberg added that he hardly gambles at all anymore, and he usually only plays for money on trips to Las Vegas.
"Basically, [the law] has cut my gambling time significantly," Wallenberg said. "And I guess it's a good thing. I could have lost out on a lot of money, so I guess it's a good thing."
Reach the reporter at brittany.mccall@asu.edu
