Because Bovada allows for players to play against other players – and because these players can live virtually anywhere in the USA – there is some question as to how the site is allowed to operate without violating the Federal Wire Act. Remember, the US DOJ recently revised its “interpretation” of the Wire Act to include all forms of interstate gambling, not just sports betting.
However, even if the Wire Act’s new interpretation is upheld or codified, it wouldn’t apply to offshore 18+ poker sites like Bovada. Because these games are being hosted overseas and outside of US jurisdiction, they fall outside the purview of the Wire Act and its definitions of “interstate gambling.”