i played for about 3 years, both for fun and real money. over that time i would say i broke even, or was down a little. I really enjoyed it so i am not to concerned with having lost a fews pounds here and there. My major concern was the amount of time i spent sat in front of the computer. with some of the large tournemants i was sat playing for 10-15v hours with maybe 2-3 breaks in play. I would say it is a lot of fun, but becareful not to lose sight of other things.
i play it for a living. it is still huge and will continue to grow.
it is still legal in the usa, just transactions between US banks and gaming sites is illegal.......