YAHOO! Launches Online Poker Site

While the U.S. government may have done their best to stamp out online gambling within the borders of their own country, it is powerless to prevent American companies from offering real money online gambling to other countries. For this reason, the news that California-based Yahoo! is entering the world of online poker has come as welcome news to gamblers around the world.

It has also served to shake up the world of online gambling, as Yahoo! Is the first of the Internet giants to become involved in the gaming industry. Their site, Yahoo Poker, is a U.K. based portal which offers a cash online poker room powered by BOSS Media software. As might be expected, Americans are barred from playing at the site.

As an ISP, Yahoo! Will have access to a vast number of potential players. It will also have a distinct marketing advantage due to its brand name on the Internet. For these reasons, it will most likely become one of the dominant poker sites in very short order. Both Party Poker and Poker Stars have stated in the past that the real competition will start when one of the online titans decides to set foot into the real money arena. One had to wonder how long it will be before AOL and others throw their hat into the ring (assuming, of course, that the venture is a success) and begin to put the squeeze on online casinos like Bodog?

The poker site is part of an International Poker Network, which is made up of 21 different poker websites. The Yahoo! UK and Ireland Games site also supports real money bingo. And in case you’re wondering, these sites are currently up and running.

It seems as though Yahoo! is taking a responsible approach, as there is a 1000 pound/Euro limit in place for a 10-day period. That means that players will be restricted as to the amount of money they can lose within a specific period of time. This is, of course, designed to help curve compulsive gambling. While I wonder as to its effectiveness, you have to respect the sentiment.

It should also be noted that Yahoo! made their announcement the same day that American politician Barney Frank introduced a bill that would eliminate the restrictions placed on online gambling by the U.S. government. While that piece of legislation is by no means guaranteed to pass, it seems as though Internet gambling outside of America is thriving.

For more articles about online gambling, try the following:

Barney Frank Proposes UIGEA Repeal

Online Petition to Repeal the UIGEA

YAHOO! Launches Online Poker Site