Online Poker » Best Poker Sites » US Poker
US Poker Sites & Industry
There are thousands of people every day that participate in playing online poker; US citizens make up a large group of those people.
We've put together a comprehensive guide to playing US poker online. Here you will find news on US poker legal issues, Q&A about the legality of playing online poker in the US, the best US poker sites, and deposit services still available to US players.
The Best US Poker Sites
With the advent of changing laws within the US poker industry, there have been many changes in recent years regarding what poker rooms are still operating for US players. Here you'll find a list of poker sites accepting US players.
| US Poker Site | Rating | Bonus Code | Mac Supported? | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Players Only (Recently blocked US Players |
5/5 Review | Not Required |  |
Bad Beat Jackpot, $500 Welcome Freeroll, Amazing Promotions |
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Bodog (Still accepts US Players) |
5/5 Review | 2360542 | |
Casino and Sportsbook, Mac Friendly, $100k Weekly Tournament |
| Sportsbook Poker (Recently blocked US players) |
5/5 |
Not Required | |
Great option for US players. On the merge network. | |
| Carbon Poker |  |
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| betED Poker | |
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| Bet US Poker | |
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| Bookmaker | |
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| Cake Poker (blocks Kentucky) |
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| DoylesRoom | |
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| Gutshotpoker | |
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| Intertops | |
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| Ironduke | |
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| Onlypoker | |
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| Poker4Ever | |
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| Poker Host | |
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| PokerNordica | |
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| PokerWorld | |
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| Red Star Poker | |
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| Reefer Poker | |
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| SportsInteraction | |
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| Sportsbook.com | |
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| StraightFlush | |
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| Superbook.com | |
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| TigerGaming | |
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| True Poker | |
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| UltimateBet | |
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| Walker Poker | |
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| Aced | |
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| PDC Poker | |
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Recent Poker Sites Shut Down
Recently some online poker sites were shut down by the FBI. You can get the full story about the seized poker sites here.
Gambling Law / Online US Poker Q&A
Q – Is playing online poker in the US legal?
A – Yes. Even with the enactment of UIGEA it is still legal at the federal level for players to participate in online US poker for real money. There are some limitations in a few states where it is illegal to participate in online US poker. Click here to find out more information about poker laws the US.
Q – What does the UIGEA address and limit?
A – The UIGEA law actually limits banking institutions and not players. It has made it illegal for banks in the US to allow methods of depositing and withdrawing money related to gambling transactions. While this may limit options for transferring funds to US poker sites, there are still numerous options for depositing and withdrawing money.
Q – What kinds of sites are banned from operating in the US?
A – In the poker boom, many people became familiar with the online poker site Party Poker. This site no longer operates in the US because it was publicly traded and not private. The operators of Party Poker decided to pull out of the US poker market to protect themselves from any legalization issues. Sites like Poker Stars and Full Tilt are privately owned US poker sites operated from overseas, and therefore consider themselves exempt from any current US legal implications and continue to accept US players.
Q – Why do some US poker sites block certain states?
A – There are not many states in the US currently where it is illegal for a player to participate in online poker. Since laws are mandated on a state level in addition to a federal level, laws involving online US poker may vary from state to state. It is always important and smart to know what your state's laws are before participating on US poker sites. You will find that some US poker rooms will block certain state's residents from registering and playing if they feel it is illegal. For example, many of the best US poker sites block Washington State residents since in this state it is a felony to play online poker.
E-Wallet Services for the US Poker Market
These deposit and withdraw sites for US poker online may be used by many sites; the sites listed in parenthesis use that deposit method as a primary deposit method, even if they also use others as well.
| E-Wallet Services | ||
|---|---|---|
| AllAccessVisa.com | Cash Transfer Express | eChecks |
| Fonelinx | InstantChecks (Full Tilt) | Moneygram |
| MypayLinq (Bodog) | Pic-Club (PokerHost) | Primapin (DoylesRoom) |
| Quicktender (Cake Poker) | Usemywallet (Cake Poker) | Ultraprepaid (Full Tilt) |
| Visa (Sportbook) | Virtualpin (Bodog) | Wire/Cash Transfer |
Latest News for US Poker Market
- Mar 19 – Frank teams up with Campbell on new Internet Gambling Bill
- Mar 09 – Poker Players Alliance responds to NJ governor’s veto
- Mar 06 – Online poker bill falls in NJ moves forward in Iowa
- Feb 28 – California Makes Progress on State Online Poker Bill
- Feb 22 – New US Poker Bill Announced
Legality of US Poker by State
Below are some states where online poker is either illegal, where there are questionable laws regarding online poker, or where it's an unfriendly environment for online gambling and you should keep informed of any potentially changing laws. If your state is not listed here, that means the state is either online poker friendly, or there are no immediate concerns about any laws changing. These instances of state legislation (if any) are not correlated to federal laws about US poker.
- Louisiana – It is illegal to participate in online gambling in this state. If caught playing online poker in this state it could be considered a misdemeanor or even a felony.
- Illinois – The law in this state specifically mentions online poker and specifically forbids anyone in IL from "operating an internet site that permits a person to play a game of chance or skill for money". While there are no measures of enforcement to stop online playing, there is room for enforcement of the law in this state.
- Montana – In this state online gambling is outlawed. Their law states that using the computer, debit or credit cards to assist in the placing of a bet or wager is illegal.
- Washington – Playing online poker in this state is illegal. Under the current law it is a felony to participate in online gambling. Most online poker websites no longer operate in Washington.
Non-Poker friendly states where it's not illegal to play or impossible to enforce if it is, but important to watch any changing laws:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Indiana
- Kentucky (this state has gone after the online poker industry but it is not currently illegal. They have been aggressive enough that Cake Poker has blocked this state from playing on its network.)
- Maryland
- Missouri (Home games and most likely online poker are illegal, but Missouri's laws aren't so strict that they'd be heavily enforced. It would be advised to know the law closely and proceed with caution in this state. There are some online poker sites that have pulled out of operating in this state because of the laws)
- New York
- Tennessee
- Wisconsin
Federal Laws on US Poker
In addition to any laws about online poker you state might have, it will benefit you to be informed about the UIGEA and federal stances on US poker online. You may read about them on page 69 of this pdf of the bill.
