Over the last five years, the U.S. has cracked down on many illegal foreign-run online poker sites that have allowed Americans to gamble online for real money.
Even though the sites were not based in the states, the U.S. Federal government has made it abundantly clear that if a website allows U.S. residents to play poker for cash, it’s illegal and will be shut down.
Owner and CEO or Pure Play, Jason B. Kellerman, insists that his operation is an exception: “What we’re doing is legal. We’re not a gambling site. We’re a subscription-based poker site.”
“Under the law,” Kellerman continues in an interview with the San Francisco Examiner, “Pure Play is not considered gambling but a type of ‘sweepstakes.’ That’s because people can join for free by sending the company a sign-up postcard. Legally, what we do is no different from what McDonald’s does with its Monopoly contest, where you collect game pieces to win cash prizes.”
Kellerman says their business model differs from most online poker sites. Gamers pay $25 per month to become a Pure Play member. Then members play in as many online poker tournaments as they’d like for free and win cash prizes.
Even though there is a free option available, Kellerman says that customers are willing to pay the monthly fee for sake of convenient, ad-free play.
To attest to that fact, Pure Play has registered more than 10 million players since its inception in 2005.
Pure Play tournaments dispense roughly $100,000 to victors each month. The site also has other casino games available, but with no cash payouts.
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