Poker online has been a presence throughout the United States for decades, when the first websites appeared as early as the latter part of 1990.
Following Chris Moneymaker’s victory in 2003 during the World Series of Poker and the subsequent “poker boom” that followed the market that was not regulated prospered. But, some setbacks had to occur. To combat the growing popularity of online poker that was not regulated, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in 2006, which forced a variety of websites out of their U.S. market. Several big players, including PokerStars, decided to play the lottery while remaining open for U.S. players. This lasted for a few years, but ultimately, online gambling in the United States was due for another round of reckoning.
On April 15th, 2011, also called Black Friday, the FBI in the course of an investigation in progress, shut down one of the most popular U.S.-facing poker websites and blocked the access of American players. The sites were forced to shut down operations in the U.S. and players had to fight for their accounts reimbursed.
After a few years legal and regulated online poker finally landed in the U.S. in 2013. Edition 2.0 of the market had the states individually regulate online poker sites within their virtual ring-fenced boundaries. As of now, the vast majority of the nation does not have access to legal online poker, however, the prospects are improving.
If you’re in the current market for poker or are planning to enter one shortly, we’ll keep you informed on the latest developments as well as legislative developments as well as general information about playing online.
What states of the U.S. have access to legal online poker?
After the initial excitement which was able to see three states (New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware) allow online gambling within their boundaries in 2013, things have been slow to the poker industry.
In reality, it was only in 2017 that the fourth state, Pennsylvania, chose to regulate the game. In addition, it was not until November of 2019 that firsthand begin being played within The Keystone State. The latest state to be a part of the online poker legal “game” is Michigan. Online poker that is legal and regulated was launched within Michigan in Wolverine state on the 29th of January 2021. West Virginia passed legislation authorizing online poker. However, virtual hands are yet to be dealt with in the state.
Who will be next? With the fact that betting on sports and online casinos (particularly sports betting) is getting more accepted, more countries can begin to move toward regulating online poker. However, as we’ve observed this isn’t always an easy process.
To determine if online poker is legal and controlled in your state, for approval or being debated by legislators, take a look at our map below:
Benefits of playing poker online that are legal
In the days following Black Friday the only online poker within the U.S. was on unregulated illegal offshore websites. These poker rooms on the black market are not without their flaws and don’t provide any protection for players. The licensed, regulated and licensed sites are there to protect you and offer a better overall experience. The main benefits are:
Security of funds
Online poker websites that are legitimate within the U.S. are operated under strict supervision by the state’s designated gambling authority. Therefore, each poker site must prove that they have secure systems in place to keep your money safe and must payout quickly. Licenses are linked to a live brick-and-mortar casino or lottery program. This also ensures that transactions are respected.
On black market websites, there were numerous instances of companies not paying on time or, in certain cases even at all. When the worst happens, there’s no legal recourse or even accountability.
Protection of your identity
Everything on a legal site is legal. You need to verify your identity before you are allowed to play, and so do your opponents. Before you can fund your account and start playing online, the site must verify your identity. Furthermore, online poker rooms employ the same security as casinos to protect your personal information.
If your personal information has been compromised through an offshore website… you’re in for a rough ride.
Responsible gaming practices and fair gaming
The rules and guidelines on legal websites are closely scrutinized and enforced. There are grave consequences for the owner in the event of an infraction. Unregulated sites have the liberty to change their rules, bonuses, or even the result of the game itself.
No authority will enforce fairness on the portion of poker sites that are black market So if an individual is treated unfairly there is nothing that can be done.
The Multi-State Internet Gaming Association
On February 25 in the year 2014 Nevada, as well as Delaware, signed a partnership to share their online gaming liquidity among both states.
After years of negotiation and finalizing technical details, New Jersey was able to join the other states in joining the compact in October. All sharing of liquidity among the three markets became operational on May 1, 2018.
Although the Nevada-Delaware agreement temporarily increased poker activity however it didn’t significantly enhance Nevada’s long-term traffic numbers. It was however extremely beneficial to players from Delaware. Since Delaware is a much smaller market with just one million players having access to outside competition was vital to the effectiveness of online poker in Delaware.
The introduction to New Jersey was a major change. Only WSOP/888-powered sites were able to benefit from the agreement however it swiftly pushed the network higher on in the NJ charts, putting it in the same league as PokerStars NJ. The agreement also allowed the network to begin offering certain tournaments with huge tournament guarantees. They’re but not nearly as frequently as before Black Friday, but a positive step nevertheless.
Pennsylvania joining the compact for liquidity sharing is crucial for PokerStars. Since the company maintained its site in the international market for U.S. players post-UIGEA, it was unable to launch an online website in New Jersey until March of 2016. It is currently barred from operating in Nevada. So, the ability to connect Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey sites will likely increase significantly U.S. revenues.
Pala Poker is also expected to gain a lot from the Pennsylvania union. At present, its New Jersey site is a very distant last in the market, with many believing that it was made available so that to ensure the Pala brand could gain an advantage across other states.
In July of 2020, the multi-state function was to the test as players from Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey were all able to play against each other in the real World Series of Poker bracelets via the official WSOP.com online tournaments. Events such as the 2020 online WSOP offer a glimpse of the future of a single and national-wide online poker market might appear like.
It’s generally those who play the games that profit the most from the shared liquidity. The possibility of adding Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association could change the odds of the black market and make it more profitable.