That included Lawrence DiCristina, who ran a poker room on Staten Island in New York. As well as taking on the big poker companies, federal authorities had gone after people operating smaller games. The answer turned out to be worth a lot to one man. So how do we decide what makes something a game of chance? Passed in 2006, it banned bank transfers related to betting when the “opportunity to win is predominantly subject to chance.” Although the act has helped curb the spread of poker, it doesn’t cover stock trading or horse racing. The legislative muscle for the shake-up came from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. authorities shut down a number of major poker websites, bringing an end to the “poker boom” that had gripped the country for the previous few years. It may even determine the fate of the once lucrative American poker industry. The debate over whether winning depends on luck or skill is now spreading to other games.
