Online Poker Sites For Us Players
Poker Bonuses and/or Promotions for New Players: most sites offer bonuses to players, but those bonuses aren’t created equal. The better the bonus, the better the site did in these rankings.
- The first online poker sites opened their doors to US players in the late 90s. Although federal law at the time did not specifically criminalize online poker, there were concerns that the Federal Wire Act could be applied to the operators of poker sites. As a result, all the major poker sites of the time operated from outside the US.
- Bonus Package: 100% Poker Welcome Bonus Recommended Bonus: 100% up to $1,000 Bonus Code: NEWBOL Last Checked: March 2021 Compatible on: Mobiles, laptops, desktops BetOnline Poker is one of the highest-ranking card rooms for US players for a number of reasons, among which is the fact that the site offers some of the highest clearance rates for credit and debit cards as depositing methods.
If you are based in the USA, and you’ve given thought to playing poker online, then you’ll have been met with a brick wall. Unless you happen to reside in a handful of US states, it’s likely that you will have been told that playing poker online the USA is a no-go.
That’s not entirely true, though. There may be a brick wall blocking your path, but that doesn’t mean that this is the only way to get to your destination.
In fact, many hundreds of thousands of Americans find a way to play poker online each year.
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The Big Question: Can I Play Online Poker in the USA?
Contents
- US Poker Laws, Rules and Regulations
Online poker wasn’t always taboo in the USA. In fact, it wasn’t until the passing of the UIGEA in 2006 put paid to the US online gambling industry that poker was effectively illegal. Sure, the Federal Wire Act prohibited bank transfers for gambling enterprises, but by and large, all forms of gambling in the country weren’t declared off-limits until 2006.
Even with those gambling laws, players in the USA continued to gamble at online poker sites. In 2011, though, with the Black Friday Scandal linked to PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and other leading poker rooms (which were found guilty of money laundering, amongst other charges) places to play online poker in the USA have been somewhat limited.
It is a tricky spot to be in, but where does that put your average US online poker today?
US Poker Laws, Rules and Regulations
Fortunately, the US Government decided to dial down the heat on online betting a notch a couple of years ago. They effectively gave each US state the right to decide its own online gambling laws (within reason) and this something that several US states have jumped on.
For instance, players based in New Jersey, and Nevada should have relatively few issues playing poker online, as it is legal in those states – under certain circumstances.
These poker sites have far less traffic than your major international poker domains because there is a smaller pool of players playing there. However, these are fully regulated and legal US poker sites, so, if you’re based in
New Jersey or Nevada (or another state where gambling online is considered legal) this is the ideal way to go.
Of course, not every state has legalised gambling online (most haven’t) so bona fide regulated online poker rooms aren’t going to happen for most Americans. You could always decide to play at an offshore poker room, though.
An offshore poker room ideal for American online poker players can best be described as:
- A poker room which is based outside of the USA
- One which openly accepts US players
- Offers the US dollar currency and the English language
- Will also offer US support and customer service (often toll-free)
- Provides American players with payment methods ideal for them
Offshore poker rooms may not be 100% legal in the USA, but in many cases, they are considered regulated and legal sites outside of the country. You are still going to want to do your background checking on an offshore poker room, though, and the first thing you’re going to want to do is to make sure that it is licensed.
Obviously, when compared to UK poker laws, and those in operation in most EU countries, the US poker laws are unduly harsh on players. UK players are, by and large, allowed to play at virtually any poker site (including offshore rooms) with an ample number of UK licensed poker sites out there, too, since online poker is legal in the country.
US Poker Licence Authorities
Firstly, there is no such thing as a “poker license”. What you actually have are gambling licenses. In theory, any major gambling jurisdiction outside of the USA which issues licenses is effectively an offshore casino. Some of the larger offshore licensing jurisdictions include the UK Gambling Commission, Malta and Gibraltar. However, the problem with these licensing jurisdictions is that they know that US players are prohibited, so they seldom offer them to offshore sites focusing on players from the USA.
The licensing jurisdictions of Costa Rica, Panama and Curacao are far less picky. For that reason, many of the poker sites which accept US players tend to be licensed out of these jurisdictions. Make no mistake about it, they are not as well regulated as the European ones, but they are still (by and large) safe and secure places to play poker online.
Not all poker licenses are delivered via offshore licensing jurisdictions. In fact, Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware and other US states which have decided to permit online gambling in some way, shape or form have also decided to issue their own gambling licenses. To that end, it is not uncommon to find poker rooms in those states licensed by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission or Nevada Gaming Control Board. These, as you can imagine, are totally regulated and represent the safest places to play poker online for US players.
US Tax Policy
Generally, US states have imposed taxes for any gambling games, even though they vary from one state to the other. Keeping records of all transactions should help you immensely.
Popular Poker Games in the USA
Even though the rules regarding US online poker gaming are much harsher than elsewhere in the world, those US players who do decide to gamble online won’t be any worse off in terms of games.
The licensing and regulated US poker rooms out of New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware have the usual array of games, such as:
- Texas Hold ‘em
- Omaha
- Stud and Draw Poker
If you venture out to offshore poker rooms, you will find an even larger selection of poker variants, although these may be unfamiliar to many US poker players.
The online poker rooms in Nevada do tend to offer tournaments which act as satellites to the WSOP (World Series of Poker) competition. Similarly, a handful of Nevada and Delaware poker sites may also be able to provide you with access to these competitions if you win satellites. However, offshore poker rooms seldom offer this. There are plenty of other Sit & Go tournaments, for you to play, though.
It is more challenging for US players to be able to play live dealer and mobile games than their European counterparts. Most US poker rooms are offshore sites, and thus these seldom offer live dealer software, or mobile gameplay.
However, those poker which are licensed in US states should be able to offer you both live dealer and mobile games without too much hassle.
Have a look at Online Poker America’s US section where you can find listing of poker rooms that you might not find it here.
Online Poker US Promos and Bonuses
There should be no issues in terms of collecting bonuses and promotions when playing at US poker sites. The legal ones tend to offer their own bonuses and promos, and admittedly, these are worth far less in value than at offshore poker sites, but there are still welcome bonuses, rake backs, deposit deals and tournaments for you to enjoy. Keep in mind that if you claim a bonus from an offshore poker room when playing poker in the USA, the bonuses are likely to be vast in size, have considerable wagering requirements, and require a promotional bonus code for you to claim them.
Depositing/Withdrawing Options Available To US Players
Players in the US will experience difficulty deposit and withdrawing at US poker sites. That is unavoidable. Whilst the Federal Wire Act issue no longer ties the hands of banks and payment methods to permit players to deposit at US poker rooms, few major banking providers are prepared to dive into a market which is still, by and large, illegal in most US states.
US players can deposit using credit cards, and a handful of wire transfer options, but e-wallets aren’t really on the cards right now. Withdrawals can be a bit of nightmare, too. Many US poker sites charge hefty fees for withdrawals, and the wire transfer/cheque options just aren’t good enough for speedy withdrawals. However, this is again a problem that players at New Jersey, Nevada or Delaware licensed poker rooms aren’t going to have, There are also some sites offering bitcoins, a popular cryptocurrency which also helps players get round depoist/withdrawal issues.
The Future of Online Poker in the USA
When the walls regarding online gambling came down at a federal level, there was light at the end of the tunnel. To date, Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have fully legalised online poker rooms which are licensed out of their states, and a handful of other states (particularly on the Eastern seaboard) are considering similar laws.
One of the main reasons they might do this is the tax. There is a significant amount of revenue to be raised from gambling at poker rooms. Operators must be license fees to the state’s gambling commission, the poker rooms and operators must also pay tax on revenue, and then there is the issue of taxable player winnings. This is a considerable cash cow, and many states are not going to want to miss out on a slice of the pie.
The US has tried (and failed) to blockade offshore poker rooms but to no avail. VPNs, proxies and other means of accessing offshore poker sites have proven popular. In a losing battle, if you can’t beat them, joining them seems to be the next logical step. Of course, we’re a long way from seeing online poker legalised in most US states, and there is unlikely to ever be a federal law which permits gambling at online poker rooms. Gradually, though, the wheels of change are turning.
My Final Thoughts
Yes, playing online poker in the US is a challenge, but it is not an impossible one. Provided they are either living in one of the 3 states to offer licensed poker rooms, or they venture out to an offshore poker room, US players shouldn’t have too much difficult finding games and playing poker online. There are countries who have it better, but there are many which make it far more difficult for their nationals to play poker online.
FAQs On US Online Poker You May Like To Know
The UIGEA was a bill passed way back in 2006 that is called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. This was a questionable bill passed by President Bush and it leaves the law to be interpreted by online poker players. It’s amazing that it took five years for the government to shut down the major United States poker sites after passing this bill. Online poker in the United States has been crushed since Black Friday, but when it rebounds it will do so in a big way.
Absolutely. Whilst online poker as a gambling game is technically illegal in 47 out of the 50 states (this number may be changing), playing for free online is totally legal, and it doesn’t constitute gambling. There are numerous sites which can help you out in this department, too.
There are 9 states in total which are drafting bills or have voted on them. These are Mississippi, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Hawaii, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California and New Hampshire.
Nothing will happen. The US does hunt down operators who offer their services to US players (and does only a so-so job at that) but there are no punishments in store for players betting illegally at poker sites. You may have a spot of trouble when it comes to your winnings, though. If you win a lot and don’t declare it as taxable income, that can cause you problems.
In theory, yes. There are somethings worth mentioning here, though. If you make a flying visit to a casino resort in Nevada, you can play poker online, but only at the casino resort’s webpage, and only whilst on the premises. Once you leave, this becomes impossible. If you are going to be visiting Las Vegas, though, why play poker online when there are perfectly good poker tables downstairs for you to enjoy?
You can’t sign up to a standard Nevada or New Jersey poker room just by flying over the border for a night. You need to be able to prove that you reside in the state long-term. So, this is a bit of a yes and no answer, really.
Are you looking for the best US legal online poker sites or a real money poker app? If the answer is yes, then you came to the right place. This is one of our many online poker reviews where you can find more about the best online poker options.
Without further ado, keep reading to discover how to play the best online poker for money and how to form an online poker strategy. So, let’s get started!
Contents
Best Legal Online Poker Sites
- WSOP
- PartyPoker
- PokerStars
- Pala Poker
- 888poker
- Global Poker
Is online poker legal? It's not always the same as legal online casinos and legal online sportsbooks. All new players who decide to explore the vast universe of real money poker sites should know that federally, online poker sites are illegal. However, on the individual level, online poker is legal in some of the states.
Some websites such as Global Poker (which is a sweepstakes poker site) are allowed in 49 out of 50 US states. Only Washington does not allow it. At the moment of writing our online poker reviews, only four states offer legal online poker websites in the United States. These are the following: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware.
For more information about some of the available sites, make sure to consult our Global Poker review.
US Legal Online Poker: State by State
Is online poker legal in your state? If the answer is no, keep in mind that the situation can change pretty quickly. Unsurprisingly, Nevada was the leader of regulated online poker. Once the ice was broken, the domino-effect followed.
One by one, many states tried or are still trying to pass the legislation. As you can see, some of them even succeeded. The last one to recently pass online poker is West Virginia, and we expect more legal US poker sites to be launched in the future.
When it comes to future predictions, we believe that chances are pretty good for some of the states to overcome all the legal obstacles and finally launch real money poker sites so their residents become able to play legal online poker.
Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, New York are some of the states that’ll probably make some innovations when it comes to the possibilities of playing poker online. These are the states that have active supporters of online poker in the state senate.
What’s more, regulated real money poker sites in neighboring states can only have a positive effect on public opinion. Additionally, within the borders of the aforementioned states, you can find a considerable number of land-based casinos.
Many of them come with the best online poker rooms where you can play various variants of poker, including the most popular one - Texas Hold’em. In other words, these poker offline options make it easier to launch legal poker sites and eventually start to offer legal online poker.
States Where Legal Online Poker Seems Like a Distant Dream
From this point of view, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah are just some of the states where we can see a certain legislative hostility towards online gambling. Therefore, we don’t believe that we won’t be able to play Texas Hold’em online there for quite some time.
Sweepstakes Legal Online Poker - Play Poker Free No Matter Which State You’re In
As said before, Global Poker, a sweepstakes legal online poker site, can be accessed in all US states except for the state of Washington. This legal online poker platform was launched in 2106, and since then, many players use its services. The virtual currency gaming business model is what makes it unique.
Instead of playing for real money, players play poker free, using gold coins or sweeps cash. That’s why Global Poker often appears when players search for “play poker free” or “play poker online, free”.
To understand how sweepstakes poker works, let’s start with some poker basics and make sure to understand sweeps poker terminology clearly. There’s a difference between gold coins and sweeps cash, and there’s a reason for which “play poker online, free” is actually a bit of a misnomer here.
Gold Coins are the name for the virtual currency in Global Poker, and they are equivalent to what regular legal online poker sites usually call “play money”. In other words, you can’t cash them out, but you can use them to play Texas Hold’em online or participate in some of the available tournaments with other players. On the other hand, “$weeps cash” is a promotional, virtual currency that can be cashed out through PayPal.
To sum up, you can buy gold coins that don’t have any monetary value and can’t be cashed out. “$weeps cash” is obtained as free of charge once you buy Gold Coins. Because of this virtual currency online poker model, Global Poker is not quite considered an online gambling activity. Therefore, it’s allowed in almost all of the US.
Where Can I Play Legal Online Poker in the US?
Pennsylvania is the last state where online poker had become legal when PokerStars was launched there at the end of 2019. Right now that’s also the only available option to play online poker for money in Pennsylvania.
If we don’t count Global Poker, which can be accessed in 49 states, all the other legal online poker sites come with pretty restricted access. For example, Pala Poker and PartyPoker are only available in the state of New Jersey.
However, they are not the only NJ poker sites one can access. WSOP, America's top legal online poker site, is available in the Garden State, and it’s also accessible to all Nevada online poker fans as well. Likewise, PokerStars NJ, available both independently and within the FOX Bet app
Claim the WSOP promo code in New Jersey and Nevada to get a $1,000 signup bonus!Where Can I Play Poker Live?
Most of the land-based casinos across different states include special poker rooms where you can play live poker. Playing Texas Hold’em online is definitely the most popular option. After all, poker is an American thing, so it’s no wonder to see it available in the vast majority of mortar and bricks casinos.
In fact, instead of listing all the states where you can sit back, relax and try out your luck with live poker, it’s better to list all those where you can’t play poker online. It’ll be easier to remember this list:
- Alaska
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- New Hampshire
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
We must add that in Texas, private poker clubs aren’t forbidden. As long as no house makes a profit from the game, poker can be played in private places for fun.
US Online Poker Basics
When talking about the current status of legal US poker sites, there are two especially important laws that you should be aware of. Let’s take a look at these two federal laws that govern online poker in the country.
The Wire Act
The first one is the Interstate Wire Act of 1961, often called the Federal Wire Act. As you can see, it passed long before online poker or even the internet existed. However, it prohibits certain types of betting businesses to operate via wired communications.
In 2011, the US Department of Justice concluded that the scope of the act was limited to sporting events. Therefore, states, where online poker is now regulated, found that the bill didn’t apply to online poker nor other forms of gambling.
However, in 2019, the US Department of Justice reversed its opinion. The new opinion concludes that the Wire Act applies to all types of online gambling.
The UIGEA
The other relevant law is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) from 2006. This law made it illegal for US banks to proceed with transactions for offshore gambling companies. That’s how they were pushed out of the market.
History of US Legal Online Poker
Online casinos started to appear back in 1994. They were usually situated in Antigua or the Isle of Man. However, the vast majority of their users were US-based customers. Two years later, in 1996, online gambling was also brought to the North American market soil.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established just outside Montreal. They started issuing licenses, and pretty soon, it was possible to find hundreds of new online gambling websites.
Once again, two years later and again in Canada, the first-ever poker online website saw the light of day. Planet Poker was the favorite source of fun to thousands of Americans who were spending endless hours playing the first real-money online Texas Hold’em.
Over the next few years, thanks to technological advances, better online poker software was developed, while the number of websites kept increasing. These online poker operators also started to offer various tournaments and cash games and got a solid fan base all over the world.
The Industry Kept Growing & Then It Collapsed
Even though there were different interpretations of the law, especially of the famous Wire Act, the newly developed industry kept growing.
The year 2003 is especially important in the evolution of online poker. Using an account from Tennessee, Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker after participating in the event through an online satellite. In Chris Moneymaker's case, we guess, it's okay to say that name determines destiny.
This online poker strategy was live-streamed on ESPN. Suddenly, the whole nation knew about Chris's story. A good number of Americans were hoping to be the next. All of a sudden, poker was everywhere on TV. Live games were followed carefully, and commercial breaks had one purpose: promoting online poker for money and playing Texas Hold 'em online.
The great number of promoted sites were, in fact, offshore online poker sites. A lot of them disappeared from American browsers after Congress passed the above-mentioned UIGEA in 2006.
However, even though a lot of sites weren't accessible anymore, online poker couldn't be erased that easily. Some of the offshore gambling companies had found a way around the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, but not for long.
In 2011, some of the largest online poker operators, including PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet, were accused of violating UIGEA and money laundering. These websites were definitely excluded from the significant US online poker market, which seemed to come to an end at the time.
Legal Online Poker Sites Rise Again
Also in 2011, the DOJ released a legal opinion that the Federal Wire act exclusively applied only to one form of gambling: sports betting. A few states saw this as a possibility, paving the way to regulated online casinos and legal US poker sites.
Online Poker Sites For Us Players Bitcoin
In 2012, Delaware was the first state that managed to do just that. Then, in December 2013, Nevada followed the example of passing online poker legislation. A week later, the Garden State became the third to legalize online gambling, and plans for NJ poker sites were made.
Best Online Poker Usa
The first-ever regulated US online poker site was launched in Nevada in April 2013. Delaware and NJ poker sites went live that same year, a few months later. In 2017, Pennsylvania became the fourth state to join this group. West Virginia is the fifth state where online poker was regulated in 2019. Probably, more states will try to do the same thing in the near future.
Which State is Next?
Is online poker legal in California or New York? This is one of the frequently asked questions that people search for in the USA. They also search for different terms of poker terminology that sound unfamiliar to them. However, that’s another question that we could discuss on some other occasion.
Let’s get back to our question of legal online poker sites and the possible new markets in the USA. Michigan has made significant efforts to legalize online gambling, particularly online poker, while California, New York, and Massachusetts also seem to be moving in the right direction.
Real Money Poker App: How to Find the Best Poker App
It doesn’t matter if you are a Pennsylvania online poker fan or a regular visitor of NJ poker sites, the good news is that you can play poker whenever you want, anywhere within the borders of one or the other state.
Many of the best online poker websites have launched a dedicated real money poker app that you can easily download and install on your device. The best poker apps are available for both iOS and Android operating systems.
In order to find the best poker app, make sure you visit one of the websites we listed at the beginning of our review.
Also, before you replace your poker offline adventure with the one that can be found on the internet, make sure to read some of the online poker reviews and get to know the poker terminology used by the players worldwide. After a brief introduction to the poker basics, it’s time to create your own online poker strategy and join one of the legal online poker communities!