If practice does, indeed, make perfect, then this week’s ruling by the U.S. Department of Justice has elevated the importance of the free online poker sites.  Up to this point in time, free online poker sites have served as a wonderful recreational experience for players who like to play poker for the essence and enjoyment of the game. 

However, with the new federal judicial interpretation of the Wire Act of 1961, all bets are on!  This regulation has always been interpreted broadly.  It was meant to make sports betting illegal over wires and over intra and interstate communications systems.  When the online casino industry came into existence, legislators used a broad interpretation of the law to include online gambling, including online poker.  Until the change a few days ago in the interpretation of the law, online gambling was considered as an illegal act in the United States.

The new decision by the Department of Justice restricts the Wire Act to sports betting only and does not apply to either casino or online poker gaming.  This means that there may be a new generation of online poker players in the U.S. who will need to develop their poker acumen, and the best place to do it is on free online poker sites.

It is still up-in-the-air as to the pursuit that the various states will make to effect online gambling within their state boundaries.  It has been estimated by the New York Times that Internet poker can haul in an estimated $100 billion annually in the U.S., and this could have been the motivating factor in the change in the government’s stance on the matter.

So, come one – come all to free online poker sites and hone your craft.  Free online poker playing has already made inroads in the industry, since there is never a charge or fee for service, and you can play poker any time that is convenient for you and from anywhere you can gain access to an Internet connection.

Yes, free online poker has gained an impetus with the new federal ruling, but it’s the citizens of the United States and the Federal Government who could be the ultimate beneficiaries of this ruling.