This table outlines the risk of facing trouble with U.S. authorities. The risk assessment is based on past actions by the U.S. authorities, rather than just a look on applicable laws.
Risk |
Activity |
Examples of federal action |
| High risk | Accepting sports bets from U.S. residents on a server located within the U.S. | We have not found any examples of anyone doing this, probably because it is so high risk and also so easy to use a server loacted outside the U.S. instead. |
| High risk | Accepting sports bets from U.S. residents over U.S. phone lines. | BetOnSports, 2006
Bodog, 2012 |
| High risk | Accepting sports bets from U.S. residents on a server located outside the U.S. | World Sports Exchange, 2000
Sportingbet, 2006 Bodog, 2012 |
| High risk | Facilitating the transfer of funds between gambling U.S. residents and gambling sites. (Payment processing) | Neteller, 2007
Ahmad Khawaja and Allied Wallet, 2009 eWalletXpress, 2010 Douglas Rennick, 2010 Processors serving PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker and UB, 2011 |
| High risk | Publishing adds for online gambling in major media within the U.S. | Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, The Sporting News, 2003 Esquire, 2005 |
| Medium risk | Accepting money from U.S. players and help them make online wagers | We have found no example of federal prosecution, but the State of New Jersey went after the webmaster for InternationalNetCasino in 2004 |
|
Medium risk |
Accepting non-sports bets (e.g. casino, poker) from U.S. residents on a server located outside the U.S. | PartyGaming, 2008
PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, 2011 After prosecuting these poker rooms, the federal authorities eventually acknowledged that poker bets were not covered by the Wire Act. |
| Medium risk | Publishing adds for online gambling in minor media within the U.S. | We have found no example of federal prosecution. In 2006, IntegrityCasinoGuide.com was shut down by Washington State. |
| Low risk | Buying advertising in a U.S. (major or minor) publication as a casino, poker room, or affiliate | We have found no example of federal prosecution. |
| Low risk | Placing bets yourself online from within the U.S. | We have found no example of federal prosecution.
Prosecution do (rarely) occur on state level, e.g. Jeffrey Trauman in 2003 (North Dakota) and Roland Benavides in 2012 (Oklahoma). |