Many people falsely believe online poker is illegal in the U.S. It is completely legal to play online poker in the U.S. The reason why most think that playing online poker for real money is illegal is that the poker sites have such strict laws to obey by in the U.S, that they rather register their company off-shore where the law is more loose.
There are plenty of legal US poker sites out, and available for you to play real money poker. This law was designed to forbid payment processors, particularly banks, to service any online gambling sites that provide games of chance, rather than forbid online poker in itself, and private citizens are in no way affected by this law.
USA-based online poker players also have an interesting legal real money option in Global Poker. They previously support PayPal and claim to be legal in 49 U.S. States because of.

Is Real Money Online Poker Legal In Us
Is Real Money Online Poker Legal In Usa 2020
Is Poker Online For Real Money Legal In Usa

Sweepstakes Legal Online Poker - Play Poker Free No Matter Which State You’re In As said before, Global Poker, a sweepstakes legal online poker site, can be accessed in all US states except for the state of Washington. This legal online poker platform was launched in 2106, and since then, many players use its services.

Most American poker players want to be able to enjoy a friendly online poker game from the comfort of their own home without having to worry about any legal ramifications for doing so. The legalities surrounding online poker for United States residents is nothing short of confusing. And the fact that the legal landscape continues to change all the time doesn't make it any easier for players to make heads or tails out of the current laws that affect the gambling climate.

The good news is this is the exact reason why we've created Legal Betting Online. We understand the challenges players face and have worked very hard to come up with an easy-to-follow and useful guide that can help players understand the current situation for legal online poker in the US.

While we are not lawyers and strongly recommend each player to seek out the advice of a professional attorney for specific questions regarding gambling laws, we can offer some insight as to what is currently going on with legal online poker in America and how it affects USA players.

To sum it up, there are no gambling laws on the books that make playing online poker for real money illegal in the United States. The only exception to this is Washington state, which explicitly makes online gambling of any kind unlawful (albeit WA gambling laws seem totally unenforced and unenforceable).

Current Legal Status Of Playing Online Poker In The United States

The current legal status for playing real money online poker in the United States continues to evolve every year. So far, Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania have launched state-regulated online poker gambling options to their residents and visitors. And we expect more states to come on board in the coming years (including Michigan and Connecticut, both of which have online poker pending launch). The only problem is that you need to be physically present in these states in order to play at any of their state-regulated poker sites.

So what about all the other states who haven't yet legalized online poker? The good news is that if you live in a region where state-run poker has not been legalized, (which includes the vast majority of Americans), you still have viable options by playing at a legitimate online poker room that is operating legally offshore. There are no federal gambling laws prohibiting Americans from playing poker online through a legitimate poker site based outside of the United States.

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Bovada Poker#1 Rated Legal Online Poker Site For Americans

Bovada Poker has long been the gold standard for online poker players in the United States. With multiple deposit options, withdrawal methods, and bonus options it is not hard to see why they have become one of the most trusted sites among American players.

Bovada's poker room can be played online from any type of electronic device connected to the internet. The downloadable poker suite makes signing in and playing faster for frequent players but you are not limited to the downloadable application. One account will also give you access to Bovada's online casino, sportsbook, and racebook.

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We have listed the most reputable online poker rooms which support US players and international gamblers on this page, and only those sites operating legally within their respective jurisdictions are included here. The following online poker sites are each authorized to offer legitimate online real-money poker and offer other legal online gambling options such as online casino games, sports betting, horse racing and more.

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As for state-licensed online poker, legal options are available in the following states:

Delaware
Nevada
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
West Virginia (pending launch)
Michigan (pending launch)
Connecticut (pending launch)

However, you have to be physically present within one of those states to participate. Legal offshore poker rooms (such as the ones you see on this page) are available to players in any US state. Keep in mind that Washington state does have laws in place to curtail online gambling, though it has yet to enforce these laws in any way.

How Do I Know If Playing Poker Is Legal In My State?

Poker gambling laws vary from state to state. Some states offer state-regulated online and/or offline poker. Multiple other gambling states offer licensed and regulated brick-and-mortar poker rooms but have not established a state-based online poker platform yet.

Currently, several states are having discussions about the legalization of online poker on a state level. It is up to you to verify whether or not the state in which you live regulates any type of poker gambling opportunities.

If you don't have access to state-regulated poker games, no worries – You can legally access one of the reputable offshore poker sites that accept US players recommended on this page. The only state that make it 'iffy' to engage in offshore poker gambling is Washington, which prohibits all forms of online gambling regardless of the specific market.

Are There Any US Federal Laws That I Need To Worry About When Seeking Internet Poker Gambling Opportunities?

It is always best to be aware of any federal statutes that govern poker gambling in the US. One example would be the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act). This law regulates how online gambling transactions can be processed. It caused a few problems initially, but the dust has now settled, and most reputable online poker rooms have learned to work within the confines of this law while still providing real-money online poker to US players.

The UIGEA does not prohibit US poker players from enjoying legally authorized online poker that is based outside of the United States. The law is directed at payment processors and does not affect players directly.

The Federal Wire Act prohibits state-regulated gambling businesses from accepting bets across state lines and does not prohibit players from playing real-money poker games at online poker sites operating offshore.

Those are the primary federal gambling laws in the USA. The RAWA (Restoration of America’s Wire Act) may attempt to expand the reach of the Federal Wire Act to include casino and poker gambling in the future, but for now, only sports betting is specifically prohibited by that law.

Current Legal Status Of Playing Online Poker In The United States

Bovada Poker#1 Rated Legal Online Poker Site For Americans

How Do I Know If Playing Poker Is Legal In My State?

Are There Any US Federal Laws That I Need To Worry About When Seeking Internet Poker Gambling Opportunities?

Common Misconception About The UIGEA Law And How It Affects Playing Online Poker In The US<

Is Real Money Online Poker Legal In Usa