A leading UK-based online operator has decided to BLOCK all residents of the U.S. from accessing its website.

Anyone trying to get to smartlivecasino.com from any of the 50 states now gets a message saying:

• Dear Customer, thank you for showing an interest in Smart Live Casino. Unfortunately, as your I.P. address tracks through the United States, you are currently unable to create an account or gamble on our website. This is in direct reference to the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act 2006. Kind Regards, Smart Live Casino”

Smart Live made their move just hours after UIGEA was ratified as one of the last acts of the George W Bush administration and also follows a dispute over access to gambling websites in Kentucky.

Smart Live’s Matt White said: “We were reluctant to take this step but we’ve had our hand forced.

“We’ve actively declined customers from the US ever since we launched in May 2007 but we decided that in our interests and those of our customers, we needed to take this further step.

White added: “There will be cases where the technology blocks someone who isn’t in the US but if they contact us with proof, we’ll happily add an exception.”

Flurry

The block — which works by using IP addresses, the internet’s “Post Code” — is aimed only at U.S. residents; Smart Live players in Canada should not be affected.

The ratification of UIGEA has caused a flurry of activity in the online gaming industry with many operators taking rapid steps to distance themselves from any US connections.