Will Hill stops US play

The implications of murky US legislation concerning online betting has led to a change of focus for one of the big gambling companies.

UK bookmaker and poker operator William Hill has stopped taking poker and casino bets online from US customers.

The decision follows widespread uncertainty in the industry after the arrests on US soil of David Carruthers and Peter Dicks, big cheeses at Betonsports and Sportingbet respectively.

William Hill’s position will stand until the "scope and enforceability" of US state and federal gaming laws becomes clear.

At present it appears a crackdown is in progress, with arrest warrants being raised by authorities in Louisiana, on charges of ‘gambling by computer’, which is illegal in most states and jurisdictions in America under the 1961 Wire Act.

The shift would have been an exceptionally difficult decision to make, given the huge numbers of US players, and their contribution to both existing and potential turnover.

The good news for William Hill is that returns from US action are quite small in relation to their wider business model – however other companies will not be able to as readily absorb the loss of US business.

The impact of this move cannot be overstated and other companies must now be reassessing their options.

It all adds up to uncertain times in the online poker world, and with new sites opening up shop all the time, a tough period of market consolidation may be on the horizon.