PokerStars & Full Tilt Poker No US Players

Full Tilt & Pokerstars No US Players FAQ

We are also aware that US poker players have many questions regarding the current situation. Therefore, we have done our best to provide you with the answers to the most common questions US players might have regarding playing at Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, Absolute Poker and UB (which have also blocked US players).

Why did the FBI seize PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker?

Allegedly, the sites were using some rather underhand tactics to process payments and to hide the fact that US players were playing for real money. This has still yet to be proven, but if it is it could constitute money laundering. The US Department of Justice then agreed to a deal with PokerStars and Full Tilt to shut down poker to US players in exchange for their domain names being returned (e.g. PokerStars.com & FullTiltPoker.com), to help US players learn more about future cashing out their remaining balance.

What about player cashier balances in Full Tilt and PokerStars?

Both online poker sites have issued statements assuring US players that the balances contained in their sites are safe. The US government has also made it clear that it is not after the money in the accounts held by USA players. In fact, the government has expressly stated that, although US players should be blocked from playing at Full Tilt and PokerStars, their real money balances should be returned.

I am a US player. Can I withdraw my real money balance from Full Tilt Poker or PokerStars?

While the sites and the government have both stated that they don’t want to block withdrawals, US banks have stopped processing transactions by the poker sites. This leaves US players in something of a catch 22 situation – and it is likely to be some time before this is resolved so poker players are going to have to be a little patient.

Can US players make deposits at Full Tilt and PokerStars?

No. US players can't add money into their account. You won’t be allowed to play for real money and you will also be blocked from withdrawing it. So it makes no sense for US online poker players to make any deposits at these poker sites.

Can USA players still play online poker for real money?

Yes, there are still numerous legal online poker sites that accept US players and allow them to play for real money. Check out the US poker sites page or the sites listed in our top list above for some of the best.

Doesn’t the UIGEA make it illegal for US players to play online poker?

No. The short answer is that playing US online poker is legal. What the UIGEA does is stop banks and financial institutions in the USA from processing payments for online gambling activities. There are still other payment methods you can use to go around this and the USA poker sites listed above offer these deposit options. The allegations against Full Tilt and PokerStars are that they forced or tricked banks into processing these payments in defiance of the UIGEA.

What kind of deposit methods can I use to play at other online poker sites that accept US players?

eWallets such as QuickTender and UseMyWallet are both good options when making deposits. USA credit card transactions are much harder because of the restrictions that banks are under as a result of the UIGEA. However many online poker sites on the above list accept US credit cards such as Visa.

Does this mean the death of online poker in the US?

Unlikely. Online poker in the USA is currently going through the equivalent of a nasty illness, but the prognosis is positive. There is going to be a period in which online poker in the USA feels miserable – it will simply want to climb under the blankets and stay there. But then it’s going to get better and get back on its feet again. How soon will that happen? We can’t say. However, consider that during the height of the prohibition era there were estimated to have been nearly 100,000 “speakeasy clubs” in New York City alone. When the people want something, it’s very hard to keep it down and US players really want online poker. One thing is for certain – there is a lot of votes tied up in this issue and that is going to make the politicians take a long hard look before doing anything rash.