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You are correct that these individuals are still 100% beyond the reach of US law. However, the new laws make it clear-accept a wager from a US citizen and you are breaking US law. The law also allows the US government to try these people in absentia-they can be convicted without ever being arrested. This means that from this day forth, there is no question. These people can never step foot in the United States again. They WILL be arrested, and the most likely WILL end up going to jail. There is no more grey area. Most of the sites that closed there doors are also gambling sites, not just poker sites, so it is very clear they are breaking the new law.
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Where in the statute do you read this? From Nelson Rose's analysis:
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 Analyzed
“Unlawful Internet gambling” is defined as betting, receiving or transmitting a bet that is illegal under federal, state or tribal law. The Act says to ignore the intermediary computers and look to the place where the bet is made or received.
This does not completely solve the problem of Internet poker, or even Internet casinos. The Act does not expand the reach of the Wire Act, the main federal statute the DOJ uses against Internet gambling. Although the DOJ has taken the position that the Wire Act covers all forms of gambling, courts have ruled that it is limited to bets on sports events and races. State anti-gambling statutes have similar weaknesses, including the presumption that they do not apply if part of the activity takes place overseas. This new statute requires that the Internet gambling be “unlawful.” But it would often be difficult to find a federal, state or tribal law that clearly made a specific Internet bet illegal.
Seems like there's still a grey area to me.