In the United States, online poker is legal. While there are still some issues to resolve, the process is well on its way. In fact, most players anticipate that online poker sites will be operating by 2021. The Poker Alliance is the primary lobbying group for poker in the country, and is a non-profit organization with over 1 million members. The goals of the organization have evolved over the years to accommodate the industry’s needs. Read on to learn more about legal online poker in the US.
First, you need to download poker software, which requires a small amount of computer memory and should not take long to download even with an archaic connection. Then, you can start playing the game. Most poker sites offer a no-download option, but they lack the features of the full download version. For this reason, you should download the software only if you have a decent internet connection. However, online poker is a good way to play when you aren’t ready to download the software.
Currently, only six states allow online poker. However, the industry is still growing and will probably reach a point where online poker is legal in more states. While Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, Delaware, and Pennsylvania have legalized online poker, many more states are on the way. These states are expected to join a multi-state online poker network in the near future. And in the meantime, more states will join the ranks and allow online poker to grow.
Online poker is a lot more cutthroat than live poker. Its fast-paced format enables players to deal with more hands per hour than a live poker game. An average live poker game deals around 25-30 hands per hour, while a 6-max game can deal with up to 75-100 hands per hour. That’s more than three times as much faster compared to the average live poker game. And in a fast-fold game, you can deal with four tables at once, allowing you to see more hands per hour.
As for the age requirements, most US online poker sites accept players who are 18 or older. Some require a verification of age and identity before allowing players to join the site. In addition, players must be at least 18 years old in order to gamble legally. Once they have verified their age, they can then begin playing the games. There are also many US-based online poker sites that offer a variety of deposit options, including e-checks, bank transfers, third-party eWallets, and even cheques in the mail.
In April 2011, the US Department of Justice seized the domain name of two major online poker websites, FullTilt and PokerStars. The DOJ froze the bankrolls of players who played with Full Tilt and PokerStars. Despite these setbacks, these sites have now resumed operations and are open to players in the United States. There is no reason to give up hope, however. As long as players are able to enjoy quality poker gaming options, online poker is here to stay.