Despite constitutional protections, why is online poker still disallowed in the US while sports betting is legal? Are political or tax reasons behind this discrepancy, and is reform underway?
Hey FelixThunder56, this is a really interesting topic! I’ve seen it discussed before in a couple of threads, and my take on it is that the history and the way each game evolved in the eyes of lawmakers really play a role. You see, sports betting has long been linked to traditional, live events, which means it’s much easier to set it up within an existing regulatory framework, especially after the Supreme Court decision a few years back that opened up state-based legalization.
Online poker, on the other hand, got tangled in older federal laws like the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Lawmakers and regulators haven’t quite caught up with how digital technologies can be integrated safely into poker games online. Plus, there’s a whole mix of concerns about things like the influence of organized crime, tax revenue issues, and the challenges of ensuring fairness and security in an online environment.
I think there’s talk now and then about changing these regulations, as with many gambling-related laws, but reforming them is a slow process. Changing one law can lead to unintended consequences, so legislators are treading carefully. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation - regulators need the proper technological and legal frameworks before they can confidently allow online poker without unintended side effects.
Hope this helps clear things up a bit! 
hey felix, imho online pokr still gets left behnd coz its tech/reg challenges and old laws. sports betting had the live event push to ease govt approval. maybe it’ll catch up later
i have observed that one of the main factors complicating online pokerr legalization is the inherent difficulty of maintaining consistent regulatory oversight in a purely digital environment. while sports betting aligns more naturally with observable real-life events, online pokerr demands sophisticated monitoring to detect fraud, collusion, and other risks. this creates hurdles in applying existing laws designed for analog systems. although some states are exploring reforms and trial programs, the overall process remains painstaking due to the need for updated technical and legal frameworks, causing regulatory changes to progress much slower than expected.