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Scott Seiver Earns Second Bracelet in Two Weeks at WSOP

Every poker player who heads to the World Series of Poker each year has the same goal – to win

Jennifer Newell

Phil Ivey Wins Historic Eleventh WSOP Bracelet

It was a normal Thursday evening for most people. In Las Vegas, players filled poker rooms for cash games and

Jennifer Newell

Schulman Also Joins Five-Bracelet Club at 2024 WSOP

Multiple bracelet winners will receive a lot of attention at the World Series of Poker, as per usual. It is

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Legal Online Poker Sites

While there may always be some confusion regarding US law as it applies to the best legal US poker sites, thanks to the bedeviling nature of the topic itself, almost everyone from the United States has a variety of legal ways to play USA online poker.

As for the options for USA poker players, we have listed the following poker rooms as thebest online poker sitesservicing the US market;

• Bovada
• Ignition
• Betonline
• EveryGame

Our top-ranked poker sites are legitimate, safe, secure, and reliable. To gain a better understanding of the state of USA online poker, we have compiled all of the relevant information pertaining to online and live poker laws, the status of the US online poker market as a whole, some happenings around the world that may affect American players, and the potential for the game’s future.

What Does the Future Hold for US Online Poker Players?

The most popular US poker sites may never again see the level of popularity they did during the poker boom in the early and mid-2000s. The combination of a global online poker market, the effect of Chris Moneymaker winning the World Series of Poker Main Event from a discounted online satellite tournament, and a game exploring its potential created the perfect storm. As a result, the growth of the top online poker rooms from 2003 to 2008 was unprecedented.

From the moment the UIGEA passed in the United States in 2006, the future of the Texas Hold ’em game became uncertain. PartyPoker immediately left the US market, and 888poker left soon after. The years that followed saw other operators grow warier of the risks involved. The significant operators that did not go –PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, and UltimateBet–were the focus of the Black Friday indictmentsin 2011.

Backing or staking poker players in the US is considered legal since there are no specific laws or regulations surrounding it. There are no laws questioning the legitimacy of a player supporting another in poker, whether in cash games or tournaments. It’s important for individuals involved in such arrangements to be aware of tax implications and legal considerations related to any income generated through poker activities.

European Countries Regulating Online Poker

At the same time, countries worldwide segregated their markets, ousting international operators in favor of the few that paid licensing fees and taxes to operate legally in those countries. France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal were the most prominent countries to regulate and legalize poker online and gaming in this manner.

In contrast, other countries like Germany and Slovenia continue to struggle with the intricacies and complications of instituting licensing regimes. The United Kingdom regulated its market but allowed licensees to maintain dot-com business simultaneously. Countries in South America, Asia, Europe, and the Americas are in various stages of a similar process.

The Past, Present and Future of Online Poker in the US

The US internet poker market has been trending positively for more than a decade. The 2018 Wire Act decision to overturn the 2011 memo, however, put the brakes on for states wanting to legalize any form of igaming. It wasn’t until thecase settled in 2021that the market cleared to open again. When the US Department of Justice officially declined to appeal the Wire Act case to the US Supreme Court, it reverted the precedent back to the 2011 memo. The Wire Act officially pertained to sports betting only.

Only eight states went into 2023 with legal online poker, state-issued licenses available to poker operators in Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

Despite years of bills and proposals in states likeKentucky, Indiana, New York, Illinois, and even New Hampshire, no other state has joined the online poker movement since late 2023. However, as momentum grows and MSIGA shows the market’s potential, these states and others are likely to reconsider in the coming years.