BY TOM SOMACH

Online poker room Doyle’s Room (www.doylesroom.com) is returning to the United States.

Most of the states, that is.

The Costa Rica-based website, which banned all U.S. customers from playing for real money in February, has announced a reversal in policy and will now allow some, but not all, Americans to play for real dough.

According to a company spokesman, U.S. customers residing in 38 of the 50 states will now be allowed to play for real money at Doyle’s Room, beginning immediately.

However, U.S. customers in a dozen particular states will not be allowed to play at the site for real money, the spokesman said.

Doyle’s Room banned U.S. customers in February, shortly after the U.S. government passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), a Federal law which made it illegal for U.S. companies to process payments to and from online gambling sites.

UIGEA had made it difficult for U.S. customers to fund online wagering accounts, but now, with new payment options in other countries available, Doyle’s Room has lifted its self-imposed ban, the spokesman said.

However, in deference to individual State laws throughout the U.S. that specifically prohibit online gambling, Doyle’s Room is now only going to do real-money business with players in certain states, the spokesman said.

So who’s in and who’s out, statewise?

Americans who reside in Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin are still out of luck–they won’t be allowed to play for real bucks.

Those in any of the other states will, however, be allowed.

Why those particular states?

In some cases, the answers seem obvious.

With Las Vegas and Atlantic City the biggest casino markets in the nation, it’s no suprise Nevada and New Jersey want to protect their casinos–and the poker rooms in them–and do by having laws against any other types of gambling, including online.

Michigan, New York, South Dakota and some of the other states listed also have casinos, Indian-run or otherwise, and similarly protect their interests.

But on the other hand, California, which has legal cardrooms for poker as well as Indian casinos, does not ban online gambling, and therefore is on the Doyle’s Room “approved list.”

Doyle’s Room is fronted by 10-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet-winner Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson.

Septugenarian Brunson is not involved in the day-to-day operation of the website, he merely lends his name and image to the site for a fee.

He also occasionally plays on the site, as a promotional gimmick to draw customers.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)