U.S. Players

U.S. Players

Is it legal to play poker online?

Since the UIGEA law passed in 2006 people have questioned whether US gambling online is against the law. Well, while UIGEA is intended to restrict US players from playing online, all it it's actually aimed at, is banks, their ability to block payments (e.g. deposits and withdrawals) from gaming & US sites.

So - the answer is - yes, playing poker online is legal - however banks are supposed to prevent transactions to sites taking place, which can make it tricky to deposit. It is important to note that the new legislation will not criminalize individuals for gambling online. Instead, the bill attempts to prevent financial transactions to online gaming sites.

Although some poker sites made the decision not to service the US market, there are still plenty of safe, trusted and legal US online poker sites accepting players from the United States of America.

Laws on internet gambling in different States can affect those who play in those States. Legislators have attempted to prohibit the activity altogether at the federal level, e.g. the Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (H.R. 4411). Currently these states outlaw online gambling: Nevada, Louisiana, Michigan and Illinois. The states of California, Massachusetts, South Dakota, and Utah have legalized certain forms of gambling.

There are states, like Nevada, that prohibit internet gambling so that they can protect the land-based casinos that are in their states. Why? Internet casino sites don’t need to be in the US to operate, so there is no way for the state and government to tax them. The main point to this… they want to keep the money in the US.
So why has there been a change of thought in the US? The gambling industry is growing even during these tough economical times…. It’s all about the bucks!

We recommend using an electronic wallet as it reduces processing fees which in most situations means more money in your account to play.

Processing fees are better explained as the commission the credit card company will deduct to allow you to deposit with your Visa or Visa Electron. These above mentioned fees can be eliminated at a big extent by using an electronic wallet like Neteller which will allow you to transfer funds without the direct use of your credit card at the poker site.

Please note that depositing through an electronic wallet will in many cases allow you to receive a higher poker bonus.

Disclaimer: FreerollTimes is not a legal authority and in no way should the information presented here be regarded as formal legal advice. For more accurate and formal information considering the legality of online gambling, consult the specific laws of the area in which you reside or jurisdiction in which you are playing.