Yes, it is legal! Rubl.com games are no different from usual traditional skill games, chess and golf tournaments or other skill-based games that have been played for cash or prizes in the offline world for hundreds of years - we've just taken them online.
Recently The House approved HR 4411, the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006". HR 4411 is an attempt to stop internet gambling by regulating the financial transactions that fund what already constitutes unlawful internet gambling. It provides that no one engaged in the "business of betting or wagering" may knowingly accept certain financial transactions, including checks, electronic fund transfers, and credit card debt, in connection with "unlawful Internet gambling".
What is the difference between Rubl.com games and the mentioned "Internet gambling"? The outcome of all Rubl.com games is based predominantly upon the players' skill, not chance. This is in sharp contrast to lotteries or bingo games typically found in casinos, where every player ultimately faces the same random odds. Even with games where chance has some role in the outcome of the contest, such as solitaire, Rubl.com has engineered all its games such that the outcome is predominantly based on the player's skill. For example, Rubl.com levels the playing field by providing each player within the tournament with an equally difficult hand of cards, so the winner is ultimately determined by how quickly and skillfully each player approaches the game. While every Rubl.com solitaire hand is potentially solvable if a player plays their cards right, a player ultimately wins a tournament by outscoring their opponent, whether or not they solve their hand.
The word "gambling" is generally used to discuss an activity that may run afoul of applicable criminal laws. The word "gaming" is usually reserved for those instances where the activity has been specifically legalized by applicable laws or where the activity is exempted from the criminal laws. Thus, playing a casino-style game at a for-profit website online in the United States is referred to as gambling, since no state has yet finalized any law specifically authorizing a for-profit website operator to offer any casino games. Although the distinctions between skill-based games and games of chance are clear, there are a few states within the U.S. that have not yet permitted skill-based games to be played for cash or prizes. For those states, Rubl.com games can be played, but only on a free basis without cash or prize offerings.
Rubl.com fee-based tournaments do not constitute gambling because they involve skill, as opposed to chance, and are designed as interactive online entertainment for adults. Participation is restricted to individuals of legal age in their respective jurisdiction. Players must also meet criteria for location eligibility in order to participate.