Us Friendly Poker Sites
- Us Friendly Poker Sites Free Roll Password
- Us Friendly Poker Sites Freeroll Password
- List Of Us Friendly Poker Sites
US Poker Sites with Great Freerolls. Freerolls are a bit tougher to find in 2020, but all the major sites still offer some kind of freeroll. PokerStars still hosts several freerolls throughout the day. Some sites in New Jersey and Nevada have freerolls peppered throughout their schedules. USA Friendly Poker Sites. USA friendly poker sites. These USA friendly poker sites all have been in business for years and have an outstanding reputation for player fairness and speedy payouts. Play at USA friendly poker sites and claim a great bonus when you sign up. All the below poker sites welcome US players and deposits.
Not all poker rooms currently accept US players, but thankfully there's still a handful of reliable places to choose from…
Best US friendly poker sites.
Room | Review | Rating | Traffic | Competition | License | Visit |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ignition Poker | A+ | High | Weak | No License | Visit | |
SwC Poker | A | Low | Weak | No License | Visit | |
Americas Cardroom | A | High | Tricky | Cyprus Gaming Authority | Visit | |
Nitrogen Poker | B | Awful | Weak | Costa Rica | Visit |
These are the best real-money US friendly poker roomsthat I've played at. I think they're the most reliable online poker sites for American players as of December 2020 I haven't listed any poker rooms I don't trust, which is why this might be a shorter list than you find at other websites.
Unregulated and regulated states
Due to some states deciding to regulate online poker over recent years, your options for playing poker online vary depending on which state you live in.
Here's a colorful map to help you out:
Unregulated
These states have the most freedom. From here you are free to play at 'unregulated' rooms, which are currently the biggest and most popular destinations for playing poker online.
Unregulated sounds like a negative word, but in this context these rooms have the freedom to accept players from multiple states, and so therefore have much bigger player pools. Basically, if you live in one of the green states, you are in the best position for playing online poker because you have access to the busiest online poker rooms available.
The biggest rooms in operation are currently:
Note: All of the US-friendly poker rooms I recommend on this site fall in to the unregulated category. I believe they are the best options for playing poker online if you can get to them. I do not believe regulated sites offer anything better in terms of safety.
Regulated
These states have limited choice. They have regulated online poker, which means they offer poker rooms that only accept players from within the same (or sometimes other regulated) states, and therefore have much lower player traffic.
Regulation sounds like a good thing, but really the primary goal for these states is to be able to profit more directly from the running of online poker. As a result you can only play at the regulated sites (usually), and so you have a much more limited choice in where you can play poker online. For example, these are your options in each of the regulated states:
- Delaware (since 2012): WSOP/888
- Nevada (since 2013): WSOP NV
- New Jersey (since 2013): WSOP/888, PokerStars NJ, Party/Borgata/BetMGM
- Pennsylvania (since 2017): PokerStars PA
- West Virgina (since 2019):(none yet)
- Michigan (since 2019):(none yet)
Ideally it would be good if the whole of the US could pool together at some point, but as it stands the small number of individually regulated states means that you end up playing against a much smaller pool of players than you would otherwise be able to.
Unfortunately the biggest US-friendly online poker rooms tend to avoid accepting players from states with active regulated poker rooms.
Other
These states are in a tricky spot. They do not have regulated online poker rooms yet, but for certain reasons some unregulated sites have chosen not to accept players from these states either.
This is usually because these states either have strong laws against playing poker online (e.g. Washington), or because there's some significant gambling organization already operating in the state (e.g. several state licensed casinos in Maryland). Either way, some unregulated sites feel these states are too risky to open up to, or don't want to step on anyone's toes.
Nonetheless, there are still some decent online poker rooms that accept players from these states:
These rooms are bitcoin-only and are much smaller than the biggest rooms, but they're still worth playing at.
Is it legal to play online poker in the US?
I'm a better poker player than I am a lawyer. So I wouldn't want you to completely trust everything I say on this topic. However, I've been involved with online poker for years, so I'm just going to give you my opinion on playing poker on the the Internet in the US anyway.
Aside from a few states (see below), it appears to be perfectly legal to play online poker for real money in the US. Thousands of American players play online poker for real money every week. No players have ever been arrested.
If online poker is was illegal, the online poker rooms would not be accepting US players. US-facing rooms are vigilant about staying on top of the law. So unless the poker rooms prevents you from creating an account, you are good to go.
It is safe to play online poker in most US states, which is why we have these US friendly poker rooms. If you would like further reassurance from a legal expert in this area, read this article by I. Nelson Rose.
Here's a reassuring quote for you:
You are not going to go to jail for merely playing poker online. It is not a federal crime to make a bet. Half the states do have ancient laws on the books making it a crime, sometimes, to make a bet. But these are never enforced. I have been unable to find anyone who has been charged, let alone convicted, for playing Internet poker.– I. Nelson Rose (Is it safe to play poker online?)
And here's a couple more reassuring quotes from Micheal Bluejay:
No American has ever been arrested, indicted, or prosecuted by the feds for gambling online, because you can't break a non-existent law.– Michael Bluejay (Is online gambling legal in the U.S.?)
Even in states where online gambling is illegal, prosecution is rare and penalties are usually slight.– Michael Bluejay (Penalties for online gambling, state by state)
The UIGEA (2006)
The UIGEA was passed in September 2006. It stands for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, and it was attached to the SAFE Port Act. Official details can be found between 31 USC § 5361 and 31 USC § 5367.
Contrary to what some people believe, this did not make online poker illegal. It simply made it a little more difficult to process transactions to and from online poker rooms and online casinos. It does not make the act of playing poker online for real money illegal, so it's not aimed at you.
Black Friday (2011)
On Friday 15th April 2011, the FBI seized the domains of the top 4 US-facing online poker rooms. This is known in the industry as Black Friday. The 4 main affected sites were:
- UB Poker & Absolute Poker
These poker rooms were indicted for apparent bank fraud offenses, although it definitely appeared to just be an attempt to reduce the number of online poker sites that could cater to US citizens. You can't let that kind of money go untaxed, so best to slow the issue down until the Government can think of a solution for getting a slice of the action.
This did nothing to change the legality of online poker -- it simply resulted in these poker rooms no longer accepting or offering real money play to US poker players. This was the biggest change in online poker for US players since the UIGEA came in to effect in September 2006.
The major US poker sites were kicked out, leaving behind a handful of smaller US-facing rooms to soak up the remaining poker players.
US online poker law by state.
Each state has its own laws when it comes to gambling online. Here's a quick overview on playing online poker in the US by state.
States that have big problems with online poker.
- Washington
These states have explicitly stated that online poker is a felony. Some online poker rooms that accept US players have restricted access to players in these states.
States that have issues with online poker.
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Missouri
- New York
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Wisconsin
These states have issues with online poker and online gambling, but it's a bit of a grey area. It may be the case that there are some sort of laws in place, but they are not heavily enforced. I'm sure that there are many people in these states playing online poker on a regular basis, but there must be some element of risk.
As you may have spotted, I'm not a lawyer, so it's definitely in your best interest to do a bit of research for these particular states. This state by state gambling law summary has a lot of helpful information, so check that out.
States that have regulated online poker.
- Delaware
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
- Michigan
These states are beginning to allow regulated online poker through online gambling companies that have acquired permits.
It's early days though, so it's nothing to get excited about. Expect it to be a while before this regulated state-by-state poker situation gains traction and is a worth getting involved in as a serious poker player.
States that seem okay.
- All the rest
As far as I'm aware, the states in white do not seem to have any problems or issues with online poker. You'd obviously want to do a bit of checking around first to be sure, but unless you find anything blindingly obvious on the Internet you're probably fine.
For even more information on the current laws in each individual state (and general thoughts on the risks in each one), have a look at my friend's site: pokerlaws.org/united-states/. He writes more about it than I do, and is also a lot more American than I am.
Why aren't all poker rooms US friendly?
In short, it's easier for some rooms to operate by not accepting any US players at all. The UIGEA has made processing deposits and withdrawals trickier, so some rooms prefer to stick with non-US players to make their life easier.
Poker companies have limited resources, so some have decided to focus on developing their product and servicing players rather than constantly dealing with difficult payment processing. Other's are happy to put up with the effort. Different poker rooms, different plans and ideas.
There are a lot of poker players outside the US, so some have just decided to focus their attention on other markets.
Best US poker deposit methods.
Although deposit and withdrawal options are slightly limited for US players, it is still easy to add funds and withdraw money from your online poker account. Some of the more popular deposit options for US players include:
- Bitcoin - This is the most utterly restriction-free way to send money across the Internet. You just have to be prepared to put up with the volatility of a fledgling currency. Having said that, I think it's amazing.
- Credit Card - The success rate of this method varies greatly from room to room. It's hit and miss, but worth a shot. VISA cards have the highest success rate.
Different poker rooms will have different deposit and withdrawal methods on offer for you, so don't expect to find the exact same methods everywhere. The poker room will let you know your options in the cashier, so your best bet is to just sign up and see what they've got. They'll usually highlight options for US players.
Note: Don't be surprised to have to pay fees for these methods, and higher ones than players outside of the US might be paying. They're not terriby large, but they're noticeable. If you make a deposit/withdrawal without paying a fee, consider it a bonus.
Other useful links.
As I say, I'm not a lawyer (not yet anyway), so I don't have all the answers. Here are a few helpful pages with more in-depth information:
Go back to the Texas Hold'em rooms.
Enjoying online poker while residing in the U.S is not as difficult as one might think. Most online poker sites will turn down any registration from the United States, but there are still several leading poker sites that do indeed accept U.S registrations to this day.
And, contrary to widespread belief, most of them are also operating legally within a regulated and licensed environment. The purpose of this article is to offer you all the information you need to have a safe and secure online poker experience while playing from the U.S.
To start things off; you will need to find a legit online poker site that is both trustworthy and reliable.
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Contents
- U.S Legislation and Online Poker
- Frequently Asked Questions
With so many online poker sites available on the World Wide Web, it can be quite a challenging task to separate the good from the bad by yourself. That’s exactly why we decided to publish this article at Top10pokerwebsites to assist you in making a more educated decision before registering with an online poker room.
We’ve tested each online poker room extensively, completed in-depth research into the numerous options available, and compared how each of them performed in a variety of key areas. Only the top performers have managed to make it onto our list, and these don’t just accept customers from the U.S, they generously welcome them with open arms.
Read our comprehensive online reviews surrounding the best U.S facing online poker rooms right here at Top10pokerwebsites. You will find everything from the history of the online poker room to its current reputation. We also go into great detail regarding the poker network, the software used on the site, and the overall graphics you can expect once your account has been registered.
Furthermore, we take an in-depth look at the current welcome package and the on-going promotions on offer and include the wagering requirements tied to each of the spectacular offers. We then dive into the list of deposit and withdrawal options available at each online poker establishment and provide the processing times on each payment method to assist you in choosing the right method for your deposit and withdrawal needs.
Lastly, we give you an honest and unbiased review surrounding the security measures in place at each online poker room and the level of customer service you can expect when dealing with a problem on your account.
U.S Legislation and Online Poker
Online poker in the United States has never been illegal and will probably never be either. While outsiders, and possibly some insiders, will declare that enjoying online poker in the United States is a crime, the reality is that it’s not. Even though it’s virtually impossible for online operators to provide online poker games to U.S players due to certain legal restrictions, online players were never breaking the law by playing at a virtual felt.
When you look at the U.S legislation, online poker encountered several problems when the U.S government decided to implement the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) that formed part of the SAFE Port Act. Online poker was thriving before politicians decided to disrupt the online poker community by making it impossible for U.S poker players to deposit. Mainstream advertisements, generous giveaways, and big money tournaments ensured millions of online players enjoyed the virtual edition of poker. However, after the U.S online poker legislation transformed into a ‘grey area’, the total number of players and operators have dropped significantly in the United States.
Fortunately, that dark grey cloud is starting to disappear and things in the United States are beginning to look a lot brighter. To get a better understanding of U.S legislation and online poker, let’s look at the main factors, starting with the implementation of the UIGEA to the changes that are currently taking shape in the United States when it comes to poker regulation.
What is the UIGEA?
In 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act was passed, outlawing the processing of funds between U.S citizens and online poker establishments. This made it almost impossible for online poker players to play online. Although the bill excluded wagers between tribal gaming operators and fantasy sports betting, it essentially rendered the entire online poker economy of the U.S obsolete.
After this U.S legislation piece came into effect, the online poker community took a serious nosedive as most online poker operator’s in the North American market had to pull out. In fact, not only did the poker economy in the U.S suffer but the overall industry too. However, even though online operators were facing legal repercussions, there were no online poker players that were being prosecuted. Therefore, although the UIGEA made it impossible for poker sites to process gaming funds, players were not being arrested if they played online. This made it possible for a handful of operators to remain active in the United States.
Black Friday
Even though the online poker sites that remained active in the U.S were technically banned from hosting real money poker games due to the U.S poker legislation, the online operators continued to argue that they weren’t actually doing anything wrong. This defence managed to keep them safe from the DOJ’s firing line for a couple of years. However, in 2011, three major online poker sites, including Absolute Poker, Full Tilt Poker, and PokerStars were shut down.
This momentous day in the history of online poker is now referred to as Black Friday which sent the online poker community into a downward spiral. With online players from the U.S facing lengthy delays before they could get their funds, the poker industry suffered its second significant slump. In fact, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars had to pay a hefty fine to the DOJ to remain operational, and have a chance at re-entering the U.S market in the future.
Absolute Poker, at the time, was, unfortunately, unable to meet the demands of the DOJ and went into liquation with Full Tilt Poker also struggling. Luckily, PokerStars managed to build an enormous fortune and not only paid the DOJ, but also managed to cover Full Tilt Poker’s fine as well. This gave the Rational Group, a parent company to PokerStars, take full control of Full Tilt Poker.
Online Poker in the U.S: Then and Now
Prior to the UIGEA and Black Friday dealing powerful blows to the online gaming industry, online poker was an impressive enterprise. Investors, operators, and players all enjoyed several years of prosperity. The most notable aspect, prior to the U.S legislation of online poker, was how easy the games were as poker is a mainstream game and considered a national pastime with casual players being common.
Unfortunately, the U.S legislation caused professional players to stay and the fish to swim away. This developed a significant rise in the way online poker is being played, and therefore made it much harder for inexperienced players to be profitable.
However, as time goes by, the U.S climate has gradually started to change for the better. Although you could play online poker at a couple of dark corners of the internet over the last few years, there seems to be some much-needed light at the end of the tunnel. Online poker is still far from being a regulated industry when it comes to the U.S legislation. However, things are starting to look a lot more positive when compared to how they once were.
Online poker in the U.S initially sat with regulation at a federal level, but it has recently been taking shape on a state-by-state basis, allowing U.S players to gain access to the virtual game once again. Despite this being a less effective route of regulating online poker, most online operators are quickly seizing the opportunity by forming partnerships with land-based casinos to re-enter the U.S market.
A New Era
Only three U.S states currently offer regulated online poker, including Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. However, as these markets grow, more governors are starting to exhibit an interest in regulating online poker. U.S states such as Iowa, California, and New York are all looking at the endless benefits of regulated online poker in 2017.
The main reason why U.S states are starting to regulate online poker is the power they enact with their own unique laws. Although the UIGEA is still in place, it will essentially be ruled out once a state passes a bill allowing online gambling in their respective state. For this reason, the likelihood of more states allowing regulated online poker looks promising, giving players access to online poker in the next few months.
In addition, the U.S legislation of online poker is moving towards online gaming at an intrastate level. This allows regulated states to essentially share their players that can link the entire country, and bring a rush of liquidity to the United States. Obviously, international connectivity is still years away. However, if regulators can assist in creating a stable online poker community across America, then a re-entry into the global market will undoubtedly follow.
Us Friendly Poker Sites Free Roll Password
How about US Online Casinos?
If you are from USA and looking for casino sites to play live dealer blackjack or any casino games have a look at CasinoUSA.com which we highly recommend.
Licensing Jurisdictions
When you do want to start playing poker online it will be dependent on just which US State you are living in or visiting in regards to just which licensing jurisdiction will be overseeing and regulating the poker sites you can legally play at.
Currently there are three US States that have embraced fully online gambling, and as such there are two different licensing jurisdictions that vet each poker site and then issue gaming license to poker sites based n three of those US States.
With that in mind please do pay carefully attention to the following section of this US online poker player guide, and always make sure you only ever play at poker rooms and poker sites that are displaying the logo and gambling licenses of the respective gaming commission or licensing authorities mentioned below depending on which US State you are in and wish to play online poker from.
Failing to follow our advice could see you playing at a poker site that has no safeguards in place in regards to you seeking help and assistance if you do every experience any problems playing at an online poker site.
New Jersey Casino Control Commission – If you live in new Jersey or the neighbouring US State of Delaware then you are going to find that you can legally play at any online poker site that has been granted a full gambling license.
Those sites will therefore be run and operated to the very highest of industry standards and you will be assured that every single poker game or online poker tournament you take part in is offering 100% fair and random games, and you will of course have no troubles getting pad your winnings speedily too.
Nevada Gaming Control Board – If you are living within the State boundaries of Nevada then you will be pleased to learn that there are now numerous online poker sites that have all applied for and have been granted a full online gambling license.
That is of course the very same gaming control board that licenses, regulates and oversees the running of all licensed gambling venues and casinos throughout Nevada and as such all sites that have obtained and have been granted one of their licenses is very highly regulated.
Costa Rica – If you live in any other US State other than the three mentioned above then you will be more than welcome to sign up to any online poker site that hold a Costa Rica license to operate.
There will be quite a number of different poker sites offering you all manner of poker games and poker tournaments licensed and regulated in Costa Rica and as such you will have no difficulties finding such a poker site online. However, do make sure you take a look at our range of approved poker sites licensed in Costa Rica as we have picked all of them out based on their track records.
Curaçao eGaming – One final online gambling licensing jurisdiction that has issued licenses to quite a number of online poker sites that are available to play in most US States is Curaçao, and those sites will allow you to fund your poker site accounts using US Dollars and will also allow you to play in any of their poker games or poker tournaments using US Dollars too.
You’ll be guided on how to access poker games in the United States, as well as the different game variants available. Whether you’re a Texas Hold ‘em fan or enjoy the challenge of H.O.R.S.E poker, there is a site out there for you.
Read on for to find the best US online poker room that checks all your boxes for the ultimate gaming site.
Frequently Asked Questions
This final part of our guide to licensed and legal US online poker site is dedicated to getting you the answers to a range of different questions that we do know many poker players will be seeking, if they have not yet experienced the delights of playing poker online.
All of the questions listed below are answered fully, and as such do have a good read through all of them as you are bound to find those answers of interest. Also do consider taking a look at our individual US poker site reviews as you will find a plethora of additional information in regards to what each of those sites has to offer you too.
1. Can I play on a computer and a mobile from the US?
You will find that when you sign up to any of our top rated US player friendly online poker sites then you will be able to play on both their online poker playing platforms and also on any mobile apps or mobile web compatible poker platforms those sites have on offer, if they do offer a mobile poker playing platform that is!
Your online or mobile log in details will work on both platforms and as such that does of course mean you will not have to register again to use the other type of platform!
We have spent a great deal of time picking out and selecting just which poker sites to showcase to all of our US based website visitors and with that in mind you should have no problems what so ever being able to play poker at our featured and approved poker sites!
3. What is the Best US Player Poker Site Depositing Option?
One thing that we are aware of and one thing that you as a player may also be more than aware of is that when you sign up to some online poker sites that cater for US players you will not have the option of picking form a very large range of different depositing options, and as such you may be limited in regards to what banking options you can pick and choose from.
However, it has been found that by using a pre paid debit type card which you can buy form a lot of retail outlets you will have a much greater approval rate and success rate when using such a card to make a deposit, so please do consider using such a deposit option for a hassle free way of playing real money poker online!
We are pleased to let you know that every single one of our featured online poker sites are going to allow you to find your poker site account using a range of different banking options, and one of the main attractions of selecting one of our featured sites is that your deposit you make into your account will be done so in US Dollar.
Some online poker sites will force you to have to make deposits in a different currency other than USD and those sites should always be avoided as there will be lots of charges and extra fees you will have to pay when not only depositing into those poker sites but when you wish to make a withdrawal too!
It will be dependent on just which method you have chosen o get paid your winnings by in regards to just how long you are going o have to wait to get pad out your winnings at any US player friendly online or mobile poker site, so always pick a method that will allow the poker site you have played at and have won at that will allow that site to pay you in the very fastest possible time frames!
6. How Will I Know What Poker Tournaments are Available?
US based online and mobile poker players do have a huge range of different poker tournaments that they can take part in and enter, both mobile and online US player friendly poker sites have plenty of tournaments up and running throughout the day and night.
If you are living in the US and want to find out just when any poker sites poker tournaments are up and running then visit the poker sites websites and take a good look through the poker tournament schedule as that will enlighten you on how every poker tournament has been structured and designed and when it will be going live too.
7. Can I Get Poker Rewards from US Friendly Sites?
Competition is of course very strong between online poker site that offer US players a range of different poker games and poker tournaments and a such you are going to find there are some very high valued sign up bonuses and ongoing bonuses that you are going to be able to claim when you sign up to any poker site online.
However, as part of our selection process for picking out US player friendly poker sites we have made sure that every single poker room and poker site we present to you have its own unique poker rewards scheme in place. As such based on the level of real money poker playing action you give any of our featured US player friendly poker site you will be earning additional comps and bonus credits too.
The licensing commissions and gaming authorities insist that both free play poker games and the real money version of those game much play and pay in the exact same way except when playing for free you will be winning demo mode credits, unless you play in a freeroll poker tournament!
9. Will New Poker Game Variants be on Offer to US Players?
There are not that many brand new poker game variants being launched online or at any mobile poker sites and as such you may not find a large number of brand new poker game variants being offered to you.
Us Friendly Poker Sites Freeroll Password
However, all of our featured and top rated online poker sites will of course give you access to every type of poker game you can think off and you may occasionally find some brand new types of poker games available to you at some of our selected and approved US player friendly online poker sites!
10. Are US Players Going to Get Lots of Poker Bonuses?
One final thing worth knowing is that even if you are living in the US you are going to get access to just as many very high valued poker site bonuses players based in any other country of the world, and all of our featured and approved US player friendly poker sites will be giving you access to both huge and generous new player welcome sign up bonuses and also a range of ongoing bonuses too..
List Of Us Friendly Poker Sites
So look around and do make use of those generous poker bonus offers as soon as you possible can do as they are all there for the taking and you can claim them all with no delays too!