Online poker back: Legal site to launch in Vegas
Online poker is back: Nation's first legal, real-money site launches in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A Las Vegas-based social gambling company says it will launch the first legal, real-money poker website in the United States.
Ultimate Gaming will only accept wagers from players in Nevada for now, but the site likely represents the shape of things to come for gamblers across the country.
Never fully legal, Internet poker has been banned in the United States since 2011.
More recently, the federal government softened its stance on Internet betting and three states — New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada— have legalized some form of online wagering.
With Tuesday's launch, Nevada wins the race to bring Texas Hold 'em back to the Internet.
Ultimate Gaming executives say they hope to prove online poker can be done well, and encourage other states to tap into the market.
