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Online Poker for Players in the US

Clarissa Kane | Published on May 15, 2012

Online Poker for Players in the US
With the spread of online poker rooms and casinos, poker is among the most popular games of cards and more people continue to participate in it each year. Internet poker gives you a casino in your front room and this is available to gamblers from across the world. Over the past 10 years, internet poker in the US (and throughout the world) has considerably grown.

Black Friday, 15th April 2011, is the day when the FBI took control of, and closed down, the internet domains of many large online poker websites in the US. Due to fear, numerous websites have closed their doors to US players to prevent any possible future issues. For people who are lobbying for internet betting regulations, this decision represented a huge blow to the online gaming industry. In spite of Black Friday, US players can still play online poker. There are lots of poker websites which have stayed open to players from the US and provided their players with a secure and safe poker environment.

When the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) laws were passed in 2006, several obstacles were created that permanently altered the US online poker industry. The laws in this act do not mean it is illegal to gamble on the web in the US, but they do mean it is illegal to exchange any funds with the intention of wagering. This ambiguity created significant bewilderment concerning what players from the US are actually permitted to do. Following the closure of several US Online Poker companies, and due to the ambiguity that these laws presented, lots of online casinos and poker rooms shut their doors to US players. Those which did not shut their doors to US players, have set up different payment options so that players from America can safely fund their accounts.

You may believe that, after the UIGEA laws were passed in 2006, the internet poker market in the US would have diminished. Nonetheless, this industry is still fairly successful and big. Even following Black Friday in April of 2011, there were still lots of websites which accepted US players and provided them with a sound and safe environment.

Irrespective of online poker's continued growth, it is still essential to know the laws which might affect you relating to internet gambling. It is best to locate websites which permit players from the US, because these websites will be the safest. Locating US internet poker websites to play in is quite straightforward. Be sure to search for websites which specifically say that they welcome American players. These websites will probably have a bigger range of payment options which are suited to you.

Look for websites which provide you with other facilities which are appealing to the US customer. These include convenient hours, customer service support, and promotions and bonuses geared towards US patrons. Lots of US internet poker websites are simple to find, with design characteristics which mean something to US players, like stars and stripes, or red, white and blue motifs.