Is Online Poker Legal in the United States? Contrary to what many think, there is actually no federal law in the United States that strictly prohibits US players playing for real money online or making accounts to do so. However, for individual states where online poker is legal, that’s when things are slightly more complicated. The Poker Players' Alliance is a US-based advocacy group for online poker legality. Their news feed includes articles following the most up-to-date action in various states and federal courts working on legislation for online poker.

Play Poker » Legal Poker » US Poker Sites

The poker players across USA have been asking for quite some time about the legal situation of internet poker in the US. In 2006, George Bush’s administration passed a bill called the UIGEA which made it very hard for players to know if it was okay to play poker online at the USA gambling sites. There is much confusion on the law as there are companies that operate inside and outside the States that accept US players in their poker rooms. In this article, we will try to help you understand the laws related to online poker and clear some of the doubts you may have about playing online poker in the US. Also check out this PlayPokerOnline.com official press release about the US online poker legislative situation.

Is Online Poker Legal In Use Free

Common Asked Questions of Poker Legality in the USA

Below you will find a list of the most frequently asked questions surrounding the legality of online poker within the United States. These cover the laws and regulations that cover US poker sites and aim to give players some clarity on the stance of the Government and regulators within the USA.

Is Online Poker Legal For USA Players?

What people don’t know is that it is not illegal for players in the US to play poker online for money at the poker rooms. The UIGEA law that was passed in 2006 did not target players but rather targeted transactions to and from US poker players to online poker sites. The only issue with the law was that it was harder to find sites that catered to US players and there was difficulty funding accounts.

The good thing about the law for the poker player is that they did not target the player but rather the financial institutions that allowed for the accounts to be funded. Players will not be fined or prosecuted for playing online, it’s the private companies that take the risk.

To be honest, gambling legislation depends on what state you are in. While one state might completely block online poker playing, others like California allow it, and have introduced a bill called SB1485 that legalizes online poker playing for Californians.

Are there Poker Sites that Accept US Players?

After the 2006 UIGEA was signed most of the publicly traded companies that had poker rooms left the USA and stopped taking US players for poker. Examples of this are Ladbrokes, Party Poker and Betfair. On the other hand there were many privately held companies that still continued to take on US players such as Full Tilt, Network, Cake Poker just to name a few.

How to Fund My US Poker Account?

When the UIGEA was passed in 2006 many of the online e-wallets pulled out of the United States, as they were afraid of prosecution. One of the big guys that pulled out was Neteller, which was the biggest online banker for poker sites at that time. The e-wallets were amazing because they were as great as banks and they could allow players to fund their accounts with a plethora of options. Many sites carry e-wallets today and they are the best way to fund an account. Players can fund their accounts in many was such as: wire, check, and credit cards such as MasterCard, Visa and AMEX.

What are some Federal Bills for US Poker Sites?

We have listed three of the bills that are in the works for online poker players as a heads up to you?

Three of the bills currently under review include; Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act, Jim McDermott’s H.R. 2268: Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act of 2009, Robert Menendez’s S.1597 Internet Poker and Game of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act of 2009 and Barney Frank’s H.R. 2267, The Internet Gambling Regulation.

Unfortunately none of these bills will overturn the UIGEA but they will exclude legal sites from the UIGEA, which means that if a site was licensed under a federal license, it will be exempt from the UIGEA.

Will Online Poker Transactions be Legal for Poker Companies?

There is mounting pressure by many groups and lobbyist in the USA right now that are pretty confident that the UIGEA bill will be overturned. We will just have to wait and see what will happen in the next couple of years. Lets just say that people are very confident that it will be over turned eventually.

The above questions are some of the most asked when it comes to online poker playing in the USA. In conclusion it is okay for players in the USA to play poker online with out being afraid of the law. Below we will go into detail about some of the History of online poker playing and the legality of it.

The History of Online Poker Legality

• In 2002, the Federal Wire Act deemed the process of electronic transmissions of information for sports betting sites was prohibited. This act did not end up prohibiting US poker online.
• In March 2003, John Malcolm the Attorney General testified before the Senate to present the problems of online gaming, such as money laundering, as it’s very hard to trace online.
• In 2002 the two biggest search engines Google and Yahoo removed all gambling related advertising from its web sites and Ad Sense programs.
• In late 2004, the online site called Casino City sued the Department of Justice on grounds that the websites business was legal. They had asked for a declaration from the courts saying that they were protected by the first amendment. In 2006 the court dismissed the appeal.
• David Caruthers the CEO of Beton Sports was detained when entering the US when trying to connect to Costa Rica.
• The UIGEA was passed in 2006 backed by the NFL but opposed by banking groups.
• Recently, on July 28th of 2010, a committee passed the H.R. 2267 which would legalize and regulate online poker and other forms of online gambling.

Related pages:

As sports betting continues to expand it’s footprint across the United States with legal, online sports betting opportunities, as does the world of legal, online casino and iGaming. Here, we’ll look at a rather rudimentary guide on how to play online poker and win.

How to play iGaming online poker: Starting out

Is Online Poker Legal In User

If you’re just getting your feet wet playing poker online, you’re not alone. Many are dabbling in electronic casino games for the first time.

Texas holdem is widely available online, as well as games like Omaha. The latter doesn’t have nearly the mass appeal or availability, however, so we’ll focus mostly on online Texas holdem.

How to play online poker: Winning

Before we proceed, let’s just clear up a few basics. There are four suits and two colors in a standard 52-card deck. We have two red suits – diamonds and hearts – and two black suits – clubs and spades. Face cards are jacks (J), queens (Q) and kings (K). Aces (A) can be used either as a high or low card, similarly to blackjack.

Play legal, real money casino games online!

Play online in NJ, PA and WV, including poker, roulette and slots at BetMGM. New customer offer: Receive $25 in free house money upon registration and 100 percent deposit match up to $1,000! Terms and conditions apply. Register and start playing online casino games now!

Unlike blackjack, you’re not only playing against the dealer, but also the others at the table. In Texas holdem, you will get five ‘community’ cards dealt, and two ‘hole’ cards. Your two hole cards are not shown to anyone else. You must use at least one of your hole cards to make the best possible hand against everyone else at the table.

There will be a round of betting based upon everyone’s hole cards. The order is determined by the ‘button’, which is a round marker rotating around the table each hand. This signifies who is the ‘dealer’. The next two positions are the ‘small blind’ and ‘big blind’ spots. There is a pre-determined amount required to play the hand.

The big blind pays the entire amount, the small blind plays half, and has the option of matching the big blind to remain in the hand. After the big blind, each player around the table has the option of either ‘calling’, or betting the amount of the big blind, raising or folding. The betting goes all around the table until every player matches the highest bet made in a particular round.

After the hole cards are bet upon, the ‘flop’ is dealt. These are the first three community cards. Another round of betting ensues. Then, a fourth card, or ‘Fourth Street’ or ‘The Turn’, is dealt, and another round of betting, etc. Lastly, a fifth card, or ‘Fifth Street’ or ‘The River’, is dealt, and the final bets are made before a winning hand is determined.

How to play online blackjack: Strategies

Is Online Poker Legal In Usa

There are plenty of different strategies for winning at online poker, but the best advice is to be patient. It might seem rather boring to continually fold hands, and Texas holdem can be a grind at times, but impatience is rarely rewarded, and it’s a good idea to wait for ‘Top 10’ hands. Eventually, you’ll learn about suited connectors (cards of the same suit in numerical succession), or just suited cards in general, which can be good starting hole cards.

In addition, sometimes you will hit a set – or three of a kind – on the flop with cards which aren’t necessarily great hole cards initially. You’ll learn the nuances of the game as you gain more experience. For intermediate or advanced players, this is all common knowledge, but for beginners just learning the game, patience is a virtue.

Is Online Poker Legal In Usa Virginia

While various tables can have players of very different skill levels, and you do not want to play ‘tight’, or too close to the vest, using less risky play initially will mitigate big losses early on and keep your interest as you continue to learn. Eventually, you’ll also learn how to bluff, which by a series of strong wagers, can trick other players into believing your hand is stronger than it might really be.

This is certainly for more advanced players, but down the road you’ll learn you can win a hand even if you have lesser hole cards than your opponent simply by wagering strategy.

As you start out, you’ll need to know the order of winning hands, and memorize this list:

Royal flush (AKQJ10 of the same suit)Straight flush (Five cards in sequence, same suit)Four of a kind (Same card in all four suits)Full house (Three of a kind and a pair)Flush (Five cards of the same suit, sequence not required)Straight (Five cards in sequence, suit doesn’t matter)Three of a kind (Same card in three different suits)Two pairs (two different matching numbers or face cards)One pair (two matching numbers or face cards)High card (If you do not have any matching cards, it’s simply your highest card)

How to play online poker: Play responsibly

Is Online Poker Legal In Us

Again, please be careful initially when setting out. Do not play for more than you can afford to lose, try and limit your alcohol intake and other outside distractions, and simply focus on the game.

In fact, some players like to engage in chatter at the table in person, or via ‘chat’ in a room. Block all of that out and just focus on the cards, especially early on. Remember your basic rules and don’t try and get too cute. If so, you’re going to really enjoy playing poker in the comfort of your own home.

Ready to give online poker a try? Head over to BetMGM to sign up and play.

Is Online Poker Legal In Users

For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com and follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Is Online Poker Legal In Austria

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.