Like former MLB pitcher Steve Howe, who never let anything as trivial as multiple lifetime bans from baseball keep him from playing in the major leagues, online poker popularity is once again on a meteoric and phoenix-like rise. Approximately 5 years ago the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was signed into law in the United States, effectively ending the successful and popular run of online poker in the US in most people’s eyes. But ever since that landmark ruling, online poker play has existed in the United States. And despite US lawmakers efforts to prosecute, harass and harangue payment processors and online poker site operators, online poker seems to be back in a big way in the United States, and picking up steam.

PokerSites.com is an independent online poker reviewer, and they announced recently that while US traffic literally dropped off the face of a cliff after the Black Friday shut down in April of 2011 of the largest online poker websites accepting United States players, a steady increase has been seen in online poker play from US players the past six months. That is no doubt thanks to the about-face the United States Department of Justice pulled in December of 2011 just two days before Christmas, delivering a very nice present indeed to online poker players in the US. That is when they decided to allow each individual state to dictate their own online poker policy.

Robert Stern is the Communications Director at PokerSites.com, and he said in a recent interview that, “We (PokerSites.com) are seeing more and more people” playing online poker in the United States since that important DOJ decision last year, and even more since Nevada and Delaware have passed online poker legislation. An estimated $4 billion a year is being spent by US-based players gambling online, as they access sites which have moved their base of operations outside of US borders to comply with federal law. Obviously, that massive income could stay right here in the United States, and that is a financial pie that states like Delaware and Nevada hope to get a slice of sooner than later.

Worldwide, Internet gambling accounted for approximately $33 billion in revenue in 2011. Many estimates show that social gaming at popular online destinations like Facebook, accessed from tablet PCs and smartphones, could generate approximately $100 billion in revenue over the next 5 to 6 years. Many companies wisely offer free poker play options on Facebook and other social networking destinations, and are poised to make the switch to real money play as soon as that eventuality arises in the US.

Obviously, no mention of billions of dollars of revenue misses the eyes, ears or salivating mouths of legislators and lawmakers anxious to access that revenue, and that money is sorely needed in a down economy in the US. With PokerStars agreeing to buy out Full Tilt Poker and make $731 million in consumer compensation, a three-way deal which was completed with the US Department of Justice recently, one of the last and largest high profile prosecutions has been settled. And online poker players in America would much rather play at online poker sites owned by companies located right here in the United States. Profits would stay here at home, and regulation and safety could be regulated, policed and guaranteed. With Nevada and Delaware already on board for legalized online poker play, New Jersey right around the corner in passing similar legislation, and California, Washington and Iowa only a vote or two away from being able to offer online poker as well, it looks like Internet poker is back in a big way in America.