This Monday, Americans will celebrate Memorial Day, the honoring of the fallen soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country. As a result, most Americans will have nice, long 3-day weekends and then return to work on June 1 refreshed.

If you are an online poker player in the United States, though, you might be worried that when you get back from the holiday, one of your hobbies will be illegal. That would certainly be a slap in the face to have one of your freedoms taken away the day after Memorial Day.

Luckily, that is not the case. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was passed in 2006, is set to take effect June 1. Many people believe that the law will make online gambling – including online poker – illegal. Luckily, that is not the case. UIGEA does not ban any online gambling, as has been confirmed by a recent Supreme Court ruling. Instead, all it does is allow the federal government to go after financial institutions that are used in transactions related to “illegal online gambling.” UIGEA never defines what types of online gambling are illegal. The most logical conclusion, since there is no federal ban on online gambling, is that it is only illegal if performed within a state that does ban online gambling (as several do).

Therefore, if you are an online poker player, relax. UIGEA can’t do anything to you; it only affects financial institutions. Also, if you want to know whether it is legal to play online poker where you live, check the laws in your particular state. If it’s legal in your state, enjoy the poker!

There are rumors within the online gambling community that Microgaming casinos will pull out of the United States market entirely. The federal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), passed in 2006, is scheduled to take effect June 1. Though the law doesn’t ban online gambling, it does allow the government to go after financial institutions involved in transactions related to “unlawful” internet gambling. The law doesn’t define what types of internet gambling are unlawful, though, and that vagueness worries many online casinos, thinking that it could result in them not getting paid by those financial institutions.

As a result of the upcoming UIGEA implementation, Microgaming had already stopped taking new customers in the United States. Existing U.S. customers could continue to play on their sites, though. With June 1 rapidly approaching, though, the rumor is that Microgaming will pull out of the U.S. entirely, meaning that even the existing customers won’t be able to use their software. The result would be an inability for players in the United States to play at any online casino that uses Microgaming’s software, which includes the popular All Slots Casino, among others.

Many believe that electronic checks, or e-checks, will become the primary deposit method for online casinos, especially those that deal with American customers. Since the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, many financial institutions are weary of getting in trouble with the feds for being used for the transfer of funds from “illegal” online gambling. Their worry hinges in large part on the fact that UIGEA does not either make any gambling illegal or clearly define what types of online gambling are illegal. Since the law is so murky, there is the potential for abuse.

For that reason, Visa and Mastercard have both started blocking all transactions between American customers and online casinos, sports books or any other online gambling sites. Other credit card companies may follow suit and even if they don’t, Visa and Mastercard make up the vast majority of the market (with Discover and American Express a ways behind).

There are, of course, other options for making electronic payments. There are a ton of e-wallet sites out there, but some people don’t like using them and for some, they are difficult or tiresome to use. For that reason, many prefer to use electronic checks. To pay by e-check, players only need to enter their checking account number, routing number and social security number (to confirm their identity) on the website. E-checks are even often used to transfer funds on e-wallet websites, so in those cases a casino that allows e-check payment would be cutting out the middle man.

There are not currently a lot of online casinos that offer payment via e-check, though Lucky Red Casino and Aladdin’s Gold are two that do. In the near future, experts believe that a majority of online casinos that serve American customers will have e-check payment as an option in order to avoid losing business. Some sites even offer incentives, such as bonuses, for paying via e-check, since it is cheaper for the casino than a credit card payment.

Golden Casino has been one of the leaders in online casino fun and innovation for the last 10 years, but their era is coming to an end. According to SlotsGeek.com, effective December 1, 2009 the casino will not be accepting any new customers from the United States. The online casino will continue to let existing members play on their site, regardless of where they are from, and will honor all winnings, so players who win tournaments will not have to worry about whether or not they will get paid. However, anyone from the US who wants to join the casino after December 1 will not be able to do so.

No reason was given for this change in policy, though there is speculation that it has something to do with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The US government has lately taken to seizing funds from banks that are part of an online gambling transaction, despite the fact that there is no federal ban on online gambling and it is only illegal in 4 of the 50 states. Unless it is delayed by Congress, which is the desire by some senators and representatives in both parties, UIGEA will take full effect on December 1.

This change comes as Golden Casino comes under new ownership. Other Vegas Technology online casinos should remain unchanged in regards to their policies with American customers. Members in the House and Senate are attempting to have UIGEA repealed for the second time since its passing in 2006, and many are more optimistic the second time around. Golden Casino shutting its doors to American customers shows that, if it is related to UIGEA at all, the casino is not quite so optimistic.