This created an opportunity for bitcoin gambling operators like Nitrogen Sports, FortuneJack and SealsWithClubs because these sites did NOT use the traditional banking system so they were not contravening the new legislation.
While a few offshore poker rooms like Americas Cardroom and BetOnline still accept real-money players from the US, most of the major poker rooms have now exited the US market as a result. Only a few short years ago sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were enormously popular in the US until new legislation was introduced that made it illegal to use the US banking system for gambling purposes. While the US Federal government has not made gambling illegal, it does prohibit banks and credit card companies from facilitating gambling related transactions.
This is an interesting question given the complicated legal status of gambling in the U.S. Today The Merkle published an article titled 'Is Bitcoin Gambling Legal in the United States?'.
