U.S. poker sites

why is it that some sites are ok for U.S players and others are not?? thought all poker sites were in other countrys . and there are pokersites that allow U.S. players but there are 5-10 states that are not allowed to play on thhe site??

It's all down to the strange anti-gambling laws in the US. Also different states have different laws.

Don't know the answer, but this thread is probably best posted on poker rooms, or maybe general poker...you might get a faster response

Yeah wrong forum, but I will answer

The sites themselves decide if they are to allow US players. After the passage of the UIGEA in the United States to prevent banks from transfering poker and casino winnings, many sites made a decision to disallow US players. Some US poker sites disallow just certain states. They do that based on the states decision to pass laws that specifically ban poker and casino gambling or the states MO on chasing after indivdual sites that allow gambling (ie Kentucky situation).

Some sites like Paradise, Titan, etc. are actually publically traded on the London Stock Exchange. When the UIGEA first passed, there were some sites taking some heat, along with some CEOs getting arrested in the US (remember Neteller and BetOnSports?). So in an effort to protect their share holders (and themselves), many publically traded sites withdrew from the US market.

As for some states not being allowed, as NWF said, each state makes it's own laws, and some of them have outlawed online poker completely.

In addition to what's been said... I think poker sites HQed in the UK are not allowed to accept US players by gov't mandate, not by their own discretion. UK people, correct me if I'm wrong here.

I'd be quite surprised if that's true, but I could be wrong - I often am!

Well, it could be that there are only a few poker sites operating out of the UK, and they all decided to not accept US players. But I don't remember exactly how it was worded. So....you're probably right that I'm probably wrong.