US Poker Sites

Since October 2006 when the UIGEA was introduced the choice for players looking for a good US Poker Site has become much smaller, but don't despair, the biggest and the best poker sites still accept US players. As a result of the restricted choice the sites that do allow US players have become mega poker sites where you can find a game of poker to suit your bankroll whatever time of day or night - wherever you are in the world. In particular Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker have become the market leaders with tens of thousands of players logged on and playing at any one time.

Below we've listed the best Poker Sites that still accept US players followed by some mini-reviews of our top 5 US Poker Sites. As you can see there's still plenty on offer for US poker players!

US Poker Sites
	Rank     Full Review Restrictions % Percent Up to Time Limit Bonus code Min Deposit Poker Room Website Bonus details 1 PokerStars All states 100% $50 180days click for info on pokerstars codes $10 Website Bonus Info 2 Full Tilt Poker All states 100% $600 120days FTPGOLD $50 Website Bonus Info 3 Bodog Poker All states 110% $500 none Use this link $20 Website Bonus info 4 Doyles Room Suspended* 110% $660 none DP110B $50 Website Bonus info 5 PDC Poker All states 100% $600 30days UPTO600 $25 Website Bonus info

* Doyles Room until recently accepted all US states except: Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Washington, Indiana, Nevada, South Dakota, New Jersey and New York. Doyles Room are currently allowing US players who have already signed up to continue to play and are looking for an alternative platform to join where US players are allowed. Watch this space.

Here's some mini reviews for our top US Poker Sites. In order of preference, these are the sites where we know you'll find a good game and also find good customer support and secure honest payment systems. You can find a full review for each site plus a full explananation of the sign-up bonus by using the links within the mini-reviews :)

1. PokerStars

	Bonus	Traffic	Software	Competition	USA?
	100% up to $50				yes
	Far and away the biggest online poker room today, plenty of choice in poker   variations. Sunday $500k & $1.5 million. Nightly $100k. High and low stakes cash   games action 24/7. MAC version. Highly recommended. See PokerStars review.   Use Pokerstars Marketing Code 'DIRPOKER' and the bonus code 'RF300'    for max sign-up bonus of 100% upto $50.

2. Full Tilt Poker

	Bonus	Traffic	Software	Competition	USA?
	100% up to $600				yes
	Wanna play against the pros? Full Tilt is the place to be. Massive live game   qualifier program. $8+ million guaranteed weekly MTT prizepool. A must for high   stakes players. MAC friendly. Highly recommended. See Full Tilt Poker review.   Use the Full Tilt referral code 'FTPGOLD' for 100% up to $600 plus exclusive   Pokernews Freerolls.

3. Bodog Poker

	Bonus	Traffic	Software	Competition	USA?
	110% up to $500				yes
	$5 million monthly in guaranteed MTT's! Sleek, feature rich graphics. Softest   competition we've seen online. Sunday $100k guaranteed tournament.   Highly recommended for easy games. Click here for full Bodog Poker review.   USE Bodog Referral Number 1658328 for sign-up bonus of 110% up to $500 .

4. Doyle's Room

	Bonus	Traffic	Software	Competition	USA?
	110% up to $660				yes
	Now accepting USA players! Prima Network. $4 Million+ weekly MTT guarantees.   Sunday $175k tournament. Pro bounty tourney - play Doyle Brunson for a chance   to win up to $25k every Weds. Large freeroll schedule. See Doyles Room Review.   Use the Doyles Room promo code 'DP110B' for 110% up to $660.

5. PDC Poker

	Bonus	Traffic	Software	Competition	USA?
	100% up to $600				yes
	Small poker site gaining stength. Feature rich software. Great range of poker   variations. Soft competition. Massive freeroll schedule. Most traffic at low to medium   stakes. Great freerolls!. Recommended. See our full PDC Poker review.   Use PDC Poker Bonus code 'UPTO600' for bonus of 100% up to $600.

Is Playing Online Poker In The US Legal?

When the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) was passed on September 30, 2006 it signified a new dawn for the online poker community. Party Poker, Paradise Poker and several other poker sites stopped accepting US players, and the few that chose to continue their operations were left scrambling to find ways to circumvent the new legislation and several US players stopped playing poker online for fear of legal repercussions. Two years later there is still a lot of confusion surrounding exactly what the UIGEA is, how it affects US poker players, and the general legality of playing poker online in the United States.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act prohibits financial institutions from transferring funds to an online gambling site. The UIGEA does not in any way extend to players, nor does it make online poker an illegal activity.

There was a similar Act passed in 1961 called the Wire Act and it was often referred to in the days leading up to the UIGEA being passed and after. The Wire Act prohibited wagers and bets on sporting events to be made through wire communication (the telephone at the time). The Department of Justice maintains that this act is relevant to online poker but the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals quickly ruled that because the Wire Act only mentioned sports betting and not specifically poker it could not be used to prosecute online poker sites nor its players.

In short there is currently no federal law which prohibits US players from playing poker. With that being said there several states which have state laws in place to make online gambling illegal and this does extend to online poker.

Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Michigan
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Oregon
South Dakota
Washington
Wisconsin 

While these state laws extend to players and can result in a fine and 2 years in prison depending on the state, there hasn't been a single report of an online poker player being prosecuted. These state laws mostly target the site operators.

If the UIGEA and the Wire Act do not make online poker illegal why are so many poker sites not accepting US players?

The future of online poker in the United States is still uncertain, and while only payment processing has been targeted by legislators so far there's no certainty that online poker rooms operators won't be the next target. Large publicly traded companies such as PartyGaming the parent company of Party Poker have shareholders to answer to and a public image to maintain, and felt there was too much risk involved by continuing to cater to US players.

Which deposit and withdrawal options are available to US players?
While the deposit and withdrawal options vary from site to site the most common ones are:

EwalletXpress
Western Union
NuCharge
MyWebATM
Bank Draft

Most financial institutions block deposits funded by US credit cards but still accept prepaid credit cards. You can buy these at your supermarket or western union location. They come in $25/$50/$100 denominations.

The safest option for withdrawals is to request a check by mail.

How does the UIGEA affect my taxable winnings?
Regardless of the unclear laws regarding online poker in the United States, your online poker winnings remain taxable and your losses deductible.

Is there anything I can do to help ensure online poker's survival in the US?
Join the Poker Players Association and write to your lawmaker to voice your opinion about online poker. With nearly a million registered users, Congress can not ignore our voices.

The most important thing to take away from this article is that the UIGEA has no effect for poker players, and you can not be prosecuted for playing poker online. As to whether online poker is legal in the United States, there is no federal law in place which specifically makes playing poker online an illegal activity.