Online Gambling Bets on Return to US

Until a year ago, the U.S. Justice Department considered online gambling illegal, but PokerStars, arguing against that interpretation of the law, kept taking bets until the government filed a civil action against it. Now, the legal landscape has taken a surprising shift, and states like Nevada and New Jersey have passed laws allowing some forms of online gambling.

PokerStars, which reached a $731 million settlement with the government but admitted no wrongdoing, wants back in. To some extent, analysts say, the PokerStars homecoming bid reflects the difficulties many states will face as they open their doors to a long-banned business, itself a groundbreaking development. A good number of PokerStars' online competitors have had their own legal issues, or operate in countries that don't license online casinos. "There aren't pure companies," said Clive Hawkswood, the chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association, a trade group for online gambling.