Online casinos scams are rampant especially since some of the more prominent establishments have chosen to pull out of the U.S. market even though there is no specific law stating it is illegal to gamble on line. The only law which has been passed in the states made it illegal for banking istitutions to knowingly allow gambling transactions on line unless it is for the horse races or state lotteries. They were given a pass on this law likely due to the fact that both have a lot of pull with Washington. In the case of the horses, they contributed to the Senator's who pushed the UIGEA (unlawful internet gambling enforcement act) through on the last day of the session while riding on a homeland security bill which was sure to pass. It was enough along with a few arrests of casino owners who were taken into custody while changing planes in the states to push many reputable online casinos out of the picture which of course made room for some very unscrupulous gaming sites to move in. This resulted in only making matters worse for players if that was ever truly the concern of senators who were behind the UIGEA. It is hard to tell what exactly was their reasoning behind pushing the law unless of course it was about the money they weren't getting to tax but so far they have stood on just about everything else from money laundering to supporting terrorist activities to playing the moral card but that latter only puts those who play it in a hypocrytical light because of the exceptions allowing horse betting and lotteries. There are still however plenty of reputable online casinos available for players in the states although that number is greatly decreased if you live in one of the eleven states which Microgaming powered casinos are not allowed to serve. This a policy adopted by the parent software company who provide the games to many of the best online casinos in the world. Certainly these casinos also have the best reputation of all online gaming and as such, to lose their entire network takes a lot away from the percentage of quality choices for those living in one of these eleven states: Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, New York, New Jersey and Wisconsin. Although those living in one of the eleven banned states are most likely to fall victim to unscrupulous online casinos and the scams they run, they are certainly not the only ones at risk. Look for online casinos listed at trusted gambling guides and casino portals for your best chance at avoiding trouble because you add an extra entity into the recipe that has more clout with the casino than anybody else, providing this is a reputable casino portal which cares about its readers and where they send them. Make sure that gambling guide has contact information that is working so you can contact them if you have trouble as they will have much more clout with the casino than any one player due to the fact they represent so many players both present and future.