Is there really an online US poker site where you can play for money? The answer is “yes” and “no.” Online US poker sites are not located in the United States (at least not yet), but there are online poker rooms located in other countries that gratefully accept US players, Many of these sites have a majority of U.S. players or cater exclusively to those from America.
Until the US Congress passes an online poker bill or individual states do and those new laws are implemented, offshore US sites will be the only choice for online players living in America. The most popular sites that take US players are Carbon Poker, Black Chip Poker, Lock Poker and Bovada Poker. If you are looking for reviews of these poker rooms, www.pokersites.us is your best option. Check out their unbiased US poker site reviews.
What can you expect from these sites and what are the risks, if any, of playing at them? All four of these sites are safe and secure, offer fine service and have software that plays smoothly and offers various features. The methods for making deposits at online poker sites are limited with the easiest being to wire money to your account using Western Union.
Remember that playing at these online sites is not illegal. What is illegal in the US, and this is the reason why banking is tricky, is the transferring of money from the country to an offshore poker or gambling site. According to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, it is unlawful for gambling businesses to knowingly take deposits in connection with the participation of another person in a bet or wager that involves the use of the Internet and that is unlawful under any federal or state law.
Although all US credit, debit and gift card deposits have been stopped, Western Union deposits are still processed. This is because the money sent via this wire transfer service is sent to a named individual in the country in which the poker room is located. The money is then put into the sender’s account and verified by them. The transfer, which is done at a local Western Union outlet, happens in minutes.
Although there are numerous online poker bills before the US Congress, no action has been taken. Perhaps the most promising bill surfaced about a week ago. The potential poker law has been created by Senate majority leader from Nevada Harry Reid and the Senate minority whip from Arizona John Kyl. The law, of which little is known at this point, is being touted to both Republicans and Democrats.
Before joining any online poker site do your homework. Research the site’s games, including types of poker games offered; how many daily tournaments, sin-n’-gos and cash games are on-hand and stakes, buy-ins and fees. Take time to review the software, policies regarding deposits and withdrawals and customer service, security and trustworthiness. Compare VIP programs, special promotions and deposit bonuses.
Although the number of poker rooms accepting US players is much smaller than it was prior to Black Friday when the US Justice Department closed down Full Tilt Poker, Poker Stars and Absolute Poker, there are still quality choices. That’s good news for US poker players who love to play online.