The face of online poker as we know it in the USA is finally changing. American’s in a few of the first states to see the official legalization of internet gambling are starting to see real change. Nevada broke ground by opening the first ever in America, officially legal online poker site. This event was after Nevada became the first state in the union to officially issue interactive gambling licenses during March of 2013.
Nevada issued licenses to operate US poker sites to 888 Poker via their parent company, 888 Holdings, as well to Treasure Island, a land based casino located on the Las Vegas Strip.
Where to Play Online Poker in the USA
While we wait for 100% legal, regulated, and taxed online poker in the United States however, there are plenty of online poker sites still offering legit play to United States citizens. There are sites like Carbon Poker that operates on the Merge Network where players can use tools like PokerTracker 4, and play against other players just like they always have at a pretty familiar poker site. There is also a site that offers totally anonymous poker play.
At Bovada Poker every player is given a new unique I.D number every single time they sit down at a table, so it’s impossible to accumulate stats on other players, or have your opponents use tools like PokerTracker 4.
In addition to Bovada Poker, there are a handful of other smaller USA USA Poker sites, that’s why we really recommend Bovada Poker:
Mobile Poker Sites for US Players
There actually aren’t any mobile poker sites available at this time. Bovada Poker ran one for a little while, and then it went down for maintenance, and never came back, that’s been several months ago now. With the legal climate in the USA changing in regards to virtual poker games however, it surely won’t be very long before you come to this page and are greeted by a healthy list of mobile poker sites that are available to US residents.
United States Poker Deposits
When the United States banks were forced to involve themselves in the policing of online gambling by disallowing gambling related transactions, several online payment processors, like NETeller who was already in existence, but was forced out of the US Market began to crop up.
The following prepaid options were suggested to us by Sloto Cash Casino, and works at most online poker sites in the United States:
- Account Now
- AAA Prepaid Visa
- Walmart Money Card
- Netspend (referral code: 7391899907 for free $20!)
- All Access Visa Gift Card
- Paypower Prepaid Card
- UPSIDE PREPAID VISA
- Rushcard Prepaid Visa
- Wired Plastic Prepaid Credit Card
- Ready Debit Prepaid Card –
- Bank Freedom Prepaid Visa Card
History of the UIGEA
As most Americans are fully aware by now, the passage of both the UIGEA and the events that occurred on the day that the poker world has dubbed black Friday” drastically changed the poker industry in the United States of America. First Americans were shocked by the mere passage of the UIGEA. There were gambling bills floating around during that time, however, the general consensus was that this was America, and nobody was going to sanction a perfectly non-violent activity that it’s citizen’s wanted to participate in the privacy of their own homes.
A congressman even went so far as to say that playing poker online was immoral. Then there was the politician that told us how poker chips clogged up internet tubes, boy did we (the poker and gambling community) get a laugh out of that idiot. Trouble is, the joke was on us.
No one had even heard of the UIGEA, which stands for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, until it popped up in the middle of the night tacked to the brand spankin’ new Port Securities Act. The President had made that Act his baby following the events at the Pentagon and Trade Center on September 11th. The fear that day struck into the hearts of all Americans and people all over the world shook our entire sense of security, and gave the Government the ability to pass pretty much into law as long as it was in the name of security.
Just to be clear, the UIGEA didn’t make it illegal for Americans to play poker. It changed the law where banks and other United States based financial institutions are involved. United States banks according to the UIGEA are not allowed to execute online gambling related transactions with online poker or other online gambling related entities. Well thank God that law passed, imagine how much safer American’s are using unknown financial entities online to process their gambling transactions.
