The US internet poker market continues to evolve in positive ways. In the first half of 2015, Congressman Joe Barton introduced a semiannual bill, dubbed the Internet Poker Freedom Act, with two cosponsors. Opponents of online poker have led efforts to block its growth in the US, but a recent lawsuit brought by the New Hampshire Lottery Commission ended with a favorable ruling. The case is currently in the appeals process and could go all the way to the US Supreme Court. Whether or not it is successful may take years to decide.
Despite the legality of US online poker, there are still very few options for Americans. As a result, offshore sites have grown in popularity. Only a few states, including Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, have legalized online poker. And with West Virginia and Michigan expected to follow suit, the future of the online poker market is not as bright as it might seem. However, there are a few things to watch for.
In online poker, players can choose to play free or for a modest fee. You can also play for real money by entering satellite tournaments. Online poker is available on a wide variety of devices, including desktops, laptops, phones, and tablets. All you need is an Internet connection to participate in an online poker tournament. And the best part is, you don’t even have to travel to a physical poker tournament. You can play poker on the go.
The safest way to start playing online poker is to sign up for a reputable site. Online poker sites offer bonuses based on frequent player points. To maximize the value of your bonus, you should play as much as you can in the first few weeks to qualify. You can also earn a welcome bonus based on your number of hands played. Just make sure to play as many hands as you can during the first couple of weeks to increase your chances of winning.
When you want to try out online poker for real money, you should download poker software. While this software requires a small amount of memory, it shouldn’t take long to download even on an archaic connection. If you don’t want to download poker software, you can play no download games at any online poker site, but be warned: these games don’t offer the same features as the full-download version. It’s highly recommended that you download the poker software before you play live games.
In addition to Nevada, Kentucky is another state with favorable conditions for online poker. Although it has been among the last states to legalize online poker, the state will likely legalize it as early as 2021. If the legislation is passed, there are several online poker websites in Pennsylvania that will start operating there by 2021. The state’s laws are also conducive to interstate gaming. Despite the challenges associated with online poker, there are many opportunities for legalization.