If you have been wondering if you can play online poker in the US, you are probably in a dilemma due to the many confusing laws surrounding poker sites. Online poker is legal in the US, and no one has ever been prosecuted for participating in this game. Despite the different misleading information regarding this game, you can play poker from most of the states in America.
Before you start playing this game, you should first understand the laws of the state you are in to avoid any problems. Online poker is allowed in states such as Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Nevada. These states were the first to legalize online poker and now offer a lot of casinos providing different poker games. Other states have been following this trend by legalizing online poker. For instance, states such as West Virginia and Michigan currently legalized online poker but are yet to launch sites where people can play this game.
Some of the states in America are also in the process of making online poker legal. In the past, people could not play poker games openly in the US. For instance, in 2006, the internet gaming enforcement act which was passed in the country prohibited US banks from doing any business with online gaming sites. While some of the sites pulled out, others stayed. Some of the major poker sites were then accused of money laundering and bank fraud by the Department of Justice in 2011. This led to the disappearance of online poker in the United States.
The situation changed in 2012 when the federal judge argued that online poker was a skill-based game and not a luck-based one. After that, states such as Nevada started establishing online poker sites and encouraging people to play online poker. Other states started emulating Nevada, leading to the popularity of online poker. When the Supreme Court allowed states in America to regulate sports betting, the states that were skeptical about online poker started embracing it one at a time. The list of states that has made online poker available to its residents in the US keeps on growing each day.
According to the regulations set by most states, you can play this game from online casinos as long as you are within the state. It means that if you access an online poker site in New Jersey and try to play it outside the state, you cannot be allowed. Every licensed casino makes use of geolocation software to confirm your location before allowing you to access poker games.
Though most states allow online poker players to enjoy this game, you should beware of the few that don’t. For instance, the Washington state considers online gambling as a felony offense. Louisiana and Utah do not also permit online poker gambling.
Find out the popular poker games being played online in America
For you to play online poker, it is good to look at some popular games such as No-Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo.