I’ve lived in the US and played at US online poker sites for real money since 2004, I experienced the chaos of the passage of the UIGEA in 2006 and watched as online poker sites left the US market. During that time I played at all US friendly poker sites and watched as payment processors came and went. For the most part I was able to use my Visa card, especially at sites that are now closed.  Today players still have many choices in where to play online poker games and tournaments for real money from the USA, but numerous issues still make the process overly complex and emerging regulation in what appears to be a state by state basis has a large part of the industry in a holding pattern waiting for the day when legal poker sites open the door to US residents.  

If you just want to signup and play right now, any of the sites listed below will suit you just fine.  Simply click and make a new account, you will be on your way.  Our rating process and a general overview of the industry is available for further reading on the rest of the page.  Good luck at the tables!

US online poker in 2012 is a still evolving landscape, several states are in the process of licensing and regulating poker websites, and several bills attempting to license and regulate US online poker rooms are pending in both the house and senate. As soon as one dies, another seems to emerge.  I make every effort to keep this page one of the best updated in the industry, but keep in mind I’m not a lawyer. I don’t claim to be a legal expert especially since US online poker is largely a states rights issue, and frankly it’s hard to keep up with what is legal and what isn’t anymore.

One thing I know is that playing poker online isn’t illegal, except in states like Washington where it’s actually a felony.  No players have been prosecuted that I know of, and I really doubt the federal government has any interest in punishing players, with so much big money to be made going after the companies themselves (that said, if you are a winner, do report this on your taxes!).  To be completely safe, be sure to consider any local jurisdictions that apply to you before playing poker online for real money in the United States. I update this page often with current events and issues applicable to real money players based in the United States.

Internet Poker In The United States Is Complicated

Bookmark this page for live updated information about online poker websites and their stance on accepting players and deposits from the USA, and current information about US poker site payment processors, ease of deposit and withdrawal at US online poker sites, and recommended US poker websites to deposit at.

• Honest Ratings And Reviews – each online poker site listed on my website is reviewed extensively by traffic, game selection, ease of deposit, bonus and promotions, and length of cashouts.  I won’t get it right every time, but I do make every effort to insure I’m only listing safe and reputable places to play at.  We welcome any feedback you have on this matter, contact us anytime.
• How To Fund Accounts And Accepted Deposit Methods – current deposit options at US online poker sites are honestly pretty limited, credit and debit cards are hit or miss, but all sites will have options in place for you to get funds into your account one way or another.  We suggest contacting support for help, and it’s worth noting that if you play at one site at a regular basis, more options tend to become available to you as they cater to those they see as most valuable.  US players don’t have many ewallet options available, so peer to peer cash transfer services are becoming extremely popular.  There are some fees involved.  Expect a lot more detailed information on deposit options soon as I find this a very important issue.
• Withdrawing Options At US Online Poker Sites – withdrawals and payouts are where most US online poker sites continue to fail players, largely due to complicated processing issues due to the conusing legal framework that is currently in place – we keep track of cashout times at most poker sites and recommend the fastest payout time US poker websites. Right now the fastest withdrawal poker sites are going to vary month to month depending on volume – usually several weeks for paper checks, less for (rare) instant echeck cashouts, and overnight cash transfer cashouts with cash transfer services that are similar to Western Union and Moneygram (def the fastest right now).  Everyone involved with US internet poker is struggling in this department, plan for 4-8 weeks for cashouts, so keep that in mind and plan ahead.
• US Online Poker Sites That Offer Rakeback – almost every single poker site that accepts US players allows rakeback, the ones that don’t will have a VIP program that is essentially a rakeback equivalent.
• Incentives And Promotions That Cater To US Players – bonus codes are not required to claim the best poker bonus, in most cases the codes are used as nothing more than a way to track the marketing campaigns of online poker sites. Most company ran poker websites shove codes down your throat and even flat out lie that using their code will provide some type of extra promotion. In most cases, you simply don’t need one – except when verifying tracking for rakeback. In any event I still list current US poker site bonus codes so my visitors can feel comfortable using my codes instead of a company ran website.
• Online Poker Networks Accepting US Players – US poker networks with skins include Merge, Revolution, Winning Poker Network, and the Bodog Network (operating here as Bovada). The US market is still reeling by the situation known as “Black Friday” which led to the closing and exodus of major poker rooms such as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker which both own their own network software, but there is a lot of value to be had in playing at the smaller network skins and sites in order to earn deposit bonuses and rakeback.
• Current Federal And State By State Legislation Status – a number of bills are circulating on the federal level as well as in certain states who are all actively considering regulation of US online poker. This is a trending topic and I will be needing to rely on some organizations actively tracking these bills for current up to date information, I will update with more issue on this soon.

State By State US Poker Information:

I’m working on an effective way to follow the situation on a state level, as I strongly think that is where we are headed.  Nevada has legalized internet poker and is in the process of licensing popular Vegas casinos and other companies in the private sector, but players are still ring fenced within that state.  Delaware has gone the route of attaching web based poker to it’s lottery system, so it appears the only option will be playing at a government run site, something I’m not a fan of at all – just look at the difference between the US Postal Service (gov sector) and UPS (private sector) – one is run efficiently and profitably, the other is bankrupt and in major debt.  Can you guess which one?  I have an open mind and remain committed to doing my part to ensure US players have safe and secure options to play at, however that plays out.  Stay tuned for more info soon.

Disclosure: *This website is for entertainment purposes only – if it is illegal in your jurisdiction to play online poker for real money, please do not do so.  None of the info on this page is to be considered legal advice, consult an attorney before doing anything you are unsure of.