American Online Poker Real Money
For example, they just launched an online app, bonus offers and low limit “buy-ins.” They even offer a live experience in Aruba where the World Series of Poker will be holding 10 different events with prizes up to $250,000. Play texas hold em poker and many other popular poker games on this dynamic site. Laws around online gambling can be confusing at the best of times, especially for real money online poker in the USA. Our team at Online Poker America compiles this data and maintains an up to date list of legal US online poker states so you have all the core information you need to play safely, securely and most importantly with confidence.
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.
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.
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!
Our primary goal is to keep you up to date with the latest online poker rooms from around the world.
We are well aware that most of you enjoy playing online poker or are very interested in finding a suitable online poker room where you can participate in real money play.
Therefore, we felt it essential that we focus on a comprehensive guide towards the best real money poker websites, and what is needed for consideration before registering and depositing with any particular online poker room.
Deciding where to spend your hard-earned money and time, when it comes to online poker, is an extremely important decision to make, regardless if you are an experienced player or completely new to the world of online poker. Choosing an online poker room to suit your unique playing style can be quite a daunting task if you are not aware of what to look for in an online poker room that accepts real money wagers.
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Contents
- Frequently Asked Real Money Poker Questions
Promotions & Bonuses at Real-Money Poker Sites
Online poker rooms cater to a wide range of online poker players. Some players are experienced players that frequently play at their favourite online poker room, while others are new to the online poker community. Both are equally important to poker rooms wishing to retain and increase their overall number of online players. To this end, most sites employ unique strategies to attract a wide range of online players, with the majority being focused towards various promotions and deposit bonuses.
Promotional packages are available at almost every online poker room, and this has seen many abandon land-based casinos to join the poker community online. It has become a standard expectation that a successful site will include multiple promotions/incentives to ensure they attract a wide range of online players. The most popular forms of bonuses include deposit bonus that will apply a bonus based on the amount deposited and released in pre-set amounts as you contribute to the rake or tournament buy-ins.
You also find that many online poker rooms will have a Bad Beat jackpot that will award both the winner of a bad beat hand and loser with a percentage of the jackpot. For instance, one player holding four of a kind aces, and being beat by a Royal Flush.
In addition, you find a handful of specialised, time-limited promotions that are related to specific tournaments, while on-going promos are weekly, daily, or monthly geared. This can include a re-load bonus on a particular day of the week or additional bonuses for achieving a specific hand. Lastly, players are also drawn to online poker rooms that offer a unique VIP program, allowing players to accumulate rake points that can be used to enter freerolls, Sit & Go’s, satellite tournaments, or be exchanged for cash.
Game Selection for Real-Money Poker Sites
The game selection offered at real-money online poker sites will also play a huge deciding factor when choosing an online poker room. The primary purpose of an online poker room is quality entertainment, and to achieve this, they need to provide a range of poker variants to ensure players find what they are looking for.
The main poker variants include Texas Hold’em, Razz, 7 Card Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo, and 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo. Each of these poker variants will have its own distinctive gameplay qualities and will provide enough entertainment and variety to ensure players keep coming back for more. Apart from the most popular poker variants listed above, you find some offering unique poker games such as mixed poker games or even Chinese Open Face poker. A popular mixed poker variant includes HORSE (an acronym for Texas Hold’em), Omaha, 7 Card Stud, Razz, and 8 or Better.
Before you register with one of our recommended online poker rooms, it is recommended to determine which poker variant you are most interested in. Then the best step is to review each online poker room to understand how busy the tables are during peak hours, how many tables are available for a specific table limit, and if there are any tournaments or freerolls offered for that variation of poker.
Customer Support & Security at Real-Money Poker Sites
Online Gambling Poker Real Money
The level of security at real money online poker sites is a paramount part of its success. With the latest advances in technology, online poker sites have managed to retain a level of reliability and trustworthiness. The top online poker rooms utilise the latest SSL encryption technology to protect both player an operator from third-party interference. SSL Encryption also protects your financial information as well as your personal information. Additional security measures employed by our recommended online poker sites include frequent audits that test that the software is fair and secure.
Another crucial aspect is the degree of customer support that is available. You can forget about both the game selection and security measures if you can’t receive professional customer support to assist you when something goes wrong. Customer support is an extremely important factor to consider when choosing a poker site. If you can’t resolve a problem due to customer support being unprofessional, rude, or unhelpful compared to one that resolves your query within 2 minutes, which online poker room will you choose?
In addition to the above, support should be reachable through several contact channels such as email support, a toll-free phone line, and preferably, live chat. Luckily, our online poker reviews also cover this aspect of each poker room reviewed, thereby providing you with the valuable information about its support team and the contact channels you can reach them through.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Real Money Online Poker Site
The length of time in which an online poker room has been operating is one of the first factors to consider. This speaks volumes about the poker sites legitimacy. There obviously some exclusions to this rule, but for the most part, this is an extremely valid point to keep in mind. Those that are excluded from this rule usually failed to inspire confidence in the online poker community due to their actions. This often relates to the failure to process cashouts or the withholding of winnings. A poker site that has a long list of complaints regarding cash-ins and withholding funds from players are those to avoid, and ones you will not find listed here.
Other aspects to consider when choosing a real money online poker site included software and payment methods. New players will usually have no idea how to navigate through a poker room lobby to find the type of poker they wish to join. It doesn’t matter if the poker site offers more than 20 poker variants if a player is unable to find the game, there’s no point in providing the most games in the online poker community. Therefore, it’s essential that an online poker room makes their poker software easy to navigate through to allow for easy locating of games/tables and limits.
A poker site can excel in every aspect we’ve mentioned thus far, but if you are unable to fund your online poker account, there’s no need to even look at what’s on offer. Therefore, it’s just as important to ensure your choice will allow you to deposit and withdraw your funds with your preferred payment method. There are several payment methods offered at the top online poker sites we list on our site, so generally, this is not a problem. However, what you do need to keep in mind is the additional fees that your preferred payment method may charge each time you make a transaction.
Best Way to Choose a Real Money Online Poker Site for You
The best way to locate the best online poker room accepting real money wagers is by reading our online poker reviews for each of the online poker rooms you are considering. Our online reviews provide insight on every single aspect of the online poker room, ranging from the history of the site to the wide range of payment methods on offer.
Frequently Asked Real Money Poker Questions
Let us finally answer some of the most frequently asked questions that new online poker players may have when they opt to start playing poker online for the very first time. You will also find a lot of frequently asked questions answered on our listed top 10 real money poker sites websites so if any questions you may have are not answered here simply take a look at our listed poker sites websites for the answers will often be found there!
You will not find any type of maximum winning rules attached to the terms and conditions pages of any of our top 10 real money poker sites, you will find that in regards to the no limit poker games then the sky really is the limit in regards to how much you can win during any one single game or any one single online real money poker playing session.
Be aware that some online poker sites will impose maximum cash out rules, and this will see you only being able to withdraw a certain amount of cash each week or each month, however out top rated sites have no such rules in place so you are free to withdraw any amount of cash at any time from your poker account!
The bonuses that you are going to be able to claim as a brand new online poker player choosing to make a deposit at any one site then sitting down to play real money poker online is going to vary greatly depending on just which poker site you opt to play at.
We would suggest that if it is huge poker bonuses that you are looking to claim then you will find those offered at our listed poker sites come with much fairer terms and conditions than other poker sites you will come across online!
Can You Play Online Poker In The Us For Real Money
You will be able to fund your real money online poker site accounts using a variety of deposit options such as credit or debit card, pre paid vouchers’ or pre paid debit cards, you will also be able to use a huge number of different web wallets, and as such you really will have plenty of safe and secure ways to fund your online real money poker site accounts!