2024 USA Online Poker Guide
Online poker has captivated many US players, and has evolved into a popular form of gambling entertainment. From grinding it out in daily games to winning qualifiers for seats in the WSOP, USA friendly online poker provides unique opportunities to players who are not within proximity to the big poker rooms in Las Vegas, Reno or Atlantic City. With state regulated online poker beginning to emerge and offshore online poker sites continuing to deliver a powerful, premium gaming experience, online poker has gained a new momentum and some much deserved respect.
This guide was designed to serve as a concise and comprehensive resource for poker players of all skill levels who are seeking legally sanctioned, secure and high quality online poker options for American residents. We take a look at the legalities involved and how to locate a safe and reputable online poker destination that welcomes players from the United States. We also describe what you can expect to find at these sites, including what games they offer, the bonuses and promotions that are available, as well as what types of funding options are listed in their banking suite. We have also developed a similar resource guide for USA online casinos and sportsbooks.
Is Online Poker Legal In The United States?
There are a few different types of legally sanctioned online poker available to US players. Delaware, New Jersey, and Nevada have launched state-regulated online poker rooms for players who are within the physical boundaries of those states. NJ and DE both decided that it would be mutually beneficial to share the customer base and came up with an interstate gambling pact that allows their customers access to online poker rooms in both states. As of this writing, these three states make up all of the active state licensed online poker options currently operating within the US. Several other states are in the process of passing legislation to legalize online poker within their boundaries, so we expect the market to expand exponentially.
If you don’t live in any of the three states currently offering state licensed poker options, there are still some pretty robust and high quality opportunities for you to legally play poker online as well. There are not any federal gambling laws that prohibit residents from engaging in real money betting at licensed and regulated online poker sites that are located outside of the United States and that uphold legal licensure requirements and regulations specific to their geographic region. These offshore poker sites are outside of the reach of US federal gambling laws. So yes, online poker is legal in the United States in several different formats, along with various other forms of gambling online.
2024 Most Trusted Online Poker Sites For Players In The US
Here you will find our preferred online poker sites for players in the United states. Each of these poker rooms is legitimately licensed, regulated and located outside of the United States, and is operating legally within the industry. They utilize industry leading software solutions that drive their gaming interface, features and performance to deliver a top shelf gaming experience with all the bells and whistles. You’ll find generous promotions and a very active tournament schedule at each of these destinations, as well as a highly secure environment to keep your sensitive data protected.
| Site | Bonus | 5 Star Rating | USA | Play Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $500 | 4.7 | Yes | Play Now |
 | $1,000 | 4.5 | Yes | Play Now |
Which Federal Laws Impact Online Poker Gambling?
There are only two laws that really impact online gambling across the country. The Federal Wire Act and the UIGEA bill. The Federal Wire Act initially was used to prohibit all forms of wired gambling, with strong attempts to include internet gambling in its restrictions. However, the 2011 DOJ Formal Opinion, which sought to clarify the application of the Federal Wire Act, established that the law does not apply to poker or casino games and only applies to US based sportsbook gambling. This means that the Wire Act has no implications concerning online poker games or casino games such as online slots, blackjack or roulette.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act places regulatory oversight on banks and payment processors in the country relevant to their processing of gambling related transactions. Its focus is on those individuals who process the payments of unsanctioned and illegal Internet gambling activities, and does not actually make placing bets in a legitimately licensed online poker room illegal.
Are There Any Online Poker Bonuses Available For American Players?
All the websites that we endorse offer welcome bonuses to new customers. Welcome bonuses typically are structured as a match deposit bonus, meaning that the poker site will match a certain percentage of your initial deposit up to a maximum designated figure. Welcome bonuses and reload bonuses are often disbursed incrementally, so the more you play, the more free money you earn.
One of the more common promos gives you a reprieve from a bad draw. As one example, you might see one of the poker sites offer a “bad beat jackpot” that pays out $100,000 distributed among the table that you’re playing at if your hand of four jacks or higher gets beaten. It is typical for each poker site to offer some type of bad beat promotion.
These online poker rooms also offer reload bonuses, refer-a-friend promotions for you to earn a little extra by spreading the word, VIP packages and rewards programs available. They post leaderboards and host weekly tournament promotions that change throughout the year. Look out for the monthly “Freerolls” and poker tournaments that might end up winning you a seat at this year’s World Series of Poker. Our team has scoured the brands that we recommend to determine that their wagering requirements are sensible and attainable for the common player.
How Do I Deposit and Withdraw Funds At Online Poker Sites?
Moving money to and from your online poker account can be done in various ways but ultimately this comes down to what online poker provider you choose. There are three main ways to do it through the sites that we recommend, and a few variants of each those mediums. Firstly, all major credit cards and debit cards are accepted for deposits, however American players are not able to have payouts made to their cards due to UIGEA regulations.
Money Transfers take the most amount of time but are consistent and widely used. Normally, for person-to-person wire transfers, you will need to get in contact with support at the poker site’s banking suite who will proceed to give you the name and address of where to send the money to. Check by courier is also an option for players making withdrawals from their online poker accounts.
The most consistent, reliable, and speedy method to receive payouts and deposit funds is probably one of the various forms of digital currency. Decentralized digital currency is growing in every facet of the internet but particularly in online gambling. Bitcoin got its start as a gambling currency so there’s no surprise that it’s still experiencing growth in that sector. There are other online currencies available depending on your online poker destination of choice. Each of these methods come with a particular batch of terms and conditions specific to the website you’re using. Please read the details for payout times and fees associated before making any decisions.
What Is The Difference Between State Regulated Online Poker Sites and Licensed Offshore Poker Rooms Accepting US Players?
The licensed offshore poker rooms have had a lot more time invested and experience with the online gambling market. That doesn’t mean that the state-regulated sites are totally unwieldy, they just deal with a smaller customer base and run into fewer problems. The offshore sites that have been working this market for years tend to have better promotions, larger poker rooms, and more experience troubleshooting the typical problems that arise in the industry. Since they are entirely web based – they also have a lower overhead and can be more generous with offerings and promotions.
Because of the low customer base, state-regulated poker rooms run into issues maintaining tables at certain stakes. The interstate gambling pact mentioned above mitigates this to a certain extent. NJ and DE are the first ones to regulate online poker but they won’t be the last. it will only be a matter of time before the customer base increases and those rooms get better.
What Is The Legal Gambling Age At Online Poker Sites In May 2024?
The minimum legal gambling age for the state-regulated online poker rooms located in Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey is 21. For offshore gambling websites, the minimum age requirements range from 18-21 depending on where they are located. Different countries and regulating bodies have different legal requirements for minimal age requirements. We recommend that you check the terms and conditions of the website that you choose and we strongly urge everyone to comply with all age regulations, legal parameters, and business practices listed.
What Kinds Of Poker Games Can I Play Online?
Most online poker sites require players to download their software in order to play poker. The downloads are ultra fast, and offer a high quality, smooth gaming experience. Some of the most popular games you will find at our featured online poker rooms include Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha H/L, 7 Card Stud, 32 Card Draw and Americana, among others. The user interface for the poker room software includes customizable features, advanced player tools, and the ability to play multiple hands at multiple tables simultaneously.
Nearly all brands will also offer a feature that supports speed play where you can engage in extra fast poker gaming that allows you to play many more hands per hour than traditional online poker allows. Grinders and professional poker players who actually make a living from playing poker prefer the speed rounds for maximum game play potential which translates into maximum payout potential.
All of our featured poker rooms also provide a robust tournament schedule. For example, these sites offer bounty tournaments, sit-and-go tournaments, GL tournaments and no-limit tournaments for those who want to risk big to win big. Many of these tournaments deliver prize packages that include a seat in prominent live events such as the WSOP in Las Vegas or other big tournaments.
Can I Play Online Poker From My Mobile Phone?
Mobile poker is one of the strongest factors in the growing online poker community world-wide. All of the sites that we mention here have fully optimized sites for mobile devices and offer smart phone apps for Android, Windows and iOS. Texas Hold’Em is specifically well suited for mobile play but with more and more people joining the online movement, more options are becoming available as this technology becomes more mainstream.
Are Online Poker Rooms Really Safe In 2024?
All the US Friendly online poker rooms that we link to from this site are properly regulated and function within legal jurisdictions in their home countries. We only recommend sites that have established a reputation for financial stability and customer service superiority. They all have well documented Random Number Generator compliance certificates that are verified by a third-party agency along with SSL data encryption and tech teams that are on call 24-hours a day in case of digital emergency. Each poker site listed in this guide utilizes state of the art, industry leading gaming software to ensure a reliable, secure and high quality performance that is enjoyable, safe and glitch free.
Can I Play For Free At Online Poker Rooms?
Of course, the free play mode is a great way to get used to a new poker interface and test the game performance, features and functionality offered. It also an extremely efficient way to test out a new betting strategy or learn a new card game without risking anything!