December 1 - Patience is certainly a virtue and it also may prove to be very, very rewarding if and when the online poker industry in the United States becomes regulated by the government.
A number of groups have been patiently waiting in the wings for the ban on the online poker industry to lift, all the while playing it by the rules and not doing anything to irk the government.
When the time comes for the government to issue licenses, these will be the first companies to receive permission and - with their customer bases of eager poker fans firmly in place - stand to make a fortune.
A classic example is that of Zynga software group, founded in 2007, that provides applications for social games across popular platforms such as Facebook.
Zynga's free to play Texas Hold 'em game is the top game application on Facebook, with a staggering 12 million active users enjoying this game each month.
The fact that the software is free-to-play means that the Zynga is acting within the boundaries of current US legislation.
However, when the ban on real money poker is lifted, the group will be able to market real money products to its entire customer base.
Zynga signed a lucrative deal with the World Series of Poker earlier on this year that would essentially leverage poker fan bases in the world of social networking.
Another company who has made a smart strategic move is Party Poker, which finally settled with the Department of Justice over previous charges of illegal gaming activity in the United States prior to the UIGEA.
Party Gaming is a prime position to apply for - and receive - a license from the US authorities to operate an online gambling brand when the time is right.
