by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Apr 21, 2012 | Updated on Apr 21, 2012There is some bad news for residents of Utah who are still looking to play online poker. Earlier this week the Merge Gaming Network announced that they would no longer be accepting new sign-ups from players who reside in Utah. Utah is added to the growing list of states that are no longer allowed to play on the Merge Network which now includes Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Washington and Washington DC. The reason behind this decision has not been expressed by the network yet but it is likely because of a change in Utah state law that is set to take effect on July 1st. Merge is not alone in this decision either, the Cake Network also has ceased services to the state of Utah. Only one month ago, Bovada Poker also announced that it would no longer be able to offer their services to residents in Utah. The legislation that is keeping these networks from continuing their services to the state of Utah is bill HB 108, which is anti-gambling in nature. In fact, the law states that t is against the law for “any person who knowingly transmits, receives, or relays any form of Internet or online gambling into or within this state.” If you already have an account with Merge, Cake, or Bovada you will be able to continue playing as normal. The ban is only for potential players who wish to sign up in the future. This latest ban leaves residents of Utah very few options as far as legal online poker is concerned, but there are still a few options left. As the situation for online poker in the United States becomes bleaker as each day passes, it will be interesting to see what the rest of the year holds for residents of Utah and other states in a similar situation.
