What poker sites are legal in US,

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Chrisxxx9876

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I currently play on ignition,Global,and Sportsbetting.Wondering way these are legal and others are not.Why is this and are there anymore trustworthy sites I can play on.
 
NWPatriot

NWPatriot

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I may be wrong here, but none of them are "legal". Unless you are in one of the very few states that have legalized poker online.

Some sites "allow" US players and will pay them off. But this does not make them legal. It may be legal from where they are hosted, but that doesn't make it legal where you are.

This is super complicated, and in essence you are playing at your own risk. Most players play under the premise that they know it is illegal, but no-one has been convicted of this crime, so what is the problem. That is a decision each person needs to make, but that doesn't make it legal, it just makes it low risk (???).

Some of the Free sites that allow you to win real cash are legal, because you put nothing at risk to play and win, therefore you are not gambling - you are just playing a game. When a pay for play site has a freeroll, then is that legal?? I could see the argument here. But these folks generally will not cash you out unless you have "validated" your account by making a deposit - now you have crossed a line by putting something at risk, I suppose.

pokerstars will not even give you an account unless you are in one of the legalized states. This should tell you something.

Good luck. If someone know something else, clue me in. This is a fairly important question to get right.
 
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fundiver199

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NWPatriot is right. partypoker left the US market on its own will in 2006, and in 2011 DOJ cracked down on the 3 largest operators, which were Fult Tilt, PokerStars and Ultimate Poker (those with the POTRIPPER superuser scandal). Of these sites only PokerStars survived, and they made a deal with the DOJ, which meant, they had to block people from playing inside the US.

Sites still accepting US players, other than in those few states, where online poker has been regulated, are basically just operating outside the US, so US authorities can not easily reach them.

If online gambling is legal in Cayman Islands for instance, then sites can operate there, and countries, who dont like, that their adult citizens gamble online, have to use diplomacy to try and convince the goverment in Cayman Islands to change its stance on online gambling. Or they could start a war, but that is perhaps just a little bit out of proportion :)

This situation is not just limited to the US market by the way. Right now poker and other forms of gambling is booming in Asia, and a lot of chinese facing sites apparently operate from Philippines, which has already become a diplomatic issue between the two countries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unlawful_Internet_Gambling_Enforcement_Act_of_2006

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Scheinberg
 
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ChuckNola

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You can play on Bet Online as well as the other listed sites.
 
BUSB0Y

BUSB0Y

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The U.S. government is somewhat retarded in its stance towards poker. Andrew Yang for president. #yanggang
 
Becky Eubanks

Becky Eubanks

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The U.S. government is somewhat retarded in its stance towards poker. Andrew Yang for president. #yanggang

If they could figure out how to tax it then they would like it IMO
 
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Chrisxxx9876

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Thanks everyone for the information.It was very helpfull although I have to say I am still a little confused about to whole situation.Be very nice if they would just make it comepletely legal in all states and be done with it.But really appreciate all the info and look forward to learning more on this site.
 
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