Texas Holdem Online Real Money Legal

1. Texas Holdem Online Real Money Legal Fees
2. Texas Holdem Online Real Money Legal Money
3. Texas Holdem Online Real Money Legal Sites
4. Texas Holdem Online Real Money Legal Advice

Although there is no Federal law that says 'playing poker on the Internet for real money is a Federal crime,' the legal environment is still a gray area. Many jurisdictions within the USA have no laws against online poker, but no laws supporting or regulating it either. Free Play Poker at Online Casinos vs. Real Money Texas Holdem. Your second option for playing Texas Hold’em for free online is to utilize the play money options at the real money rooms. These are closer to what “real poker” will be like, but there are still some major differences. There are also some major differences with the social. So far, there are four legal states for real money online poker: Nevada, Delaware, Pennsylvania (where PokerStars launched in 2020 and PartyPoker is expected to follow) and New Jersey. These states require that a brick-and-mortar casino licenses the poker sites.

• by Sean ChaffinDecember 13, 2020
• by Sean ChaffinDecember 17, 2020
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Legal Online Poker Sites in the US

Where is online poker legal in the US?

The following six states have now officially signed legislation to offer legal US online poker:

1. New Jersey
2. Delaware
3. Nevada
4. Pennsylvania
5. West Virginia (Not live yet)
6. Michigan (Not live yet)

Four currently have open and operating legal online poker sites. And there are some differences between each of the regulated online poker states.

• Nevada only permits online poker.
• New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware also spread casino games banked by the house (More about NJ online casino and Pennsylvania online casinos).
• Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania allow the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos to operate online sites. In Delaware, the state lottery is the sole operator.
• Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have entered into an interstate online poker agreement. If you play in those three states you can compete against each other only on WSOP.com.

Where can I play online poker in the US right now?

NJ online poker

New Jersey is currently home to the most online poker sites. Those sites are spread across four distinct networks and operate through three different licensees. Here are your options:

New Jersey online poker sites

• PartyPoker NJ (Borgata Poker, BetMGM Poker)
• Pala Poker

WSOP NJ is the second biggest site after Borgata/partypoker. It used 888 software, but was a standalone room. 888 operated its own platform, but began to share player pools with WSOP.com in January 2015.

PokerStars NJ launched in New Jersey on March 21, 2016.

The site opened at around the same size of WSOP.com and Borgata. Since launch, PokerStars has been the top site in the Garden State for much of its tenure.

In April 2018, New Jersey joined the multi-state compact with Nevada and Delaware. The agreement allows the three states to share their player pools across state lines.

Background

The New Jersey legislature legalized online poker and casino games in the state in December 2012. After some back-and-forth between Gov. Chris Christie and the lawmakers, the governor finally signed the bill into law.

As a result, New Jersey online poker and casino games launched on November 21, 2013. Borgata and its partner Party Poker dominated the New Jersey online poker world at the time after launch.

Pennsylvania online poker

Pennsylvania became the fourth state to legalize and regulate online poker and online casino play in the U.S. when Governor Tom Wolf signed bill H 271 on Oct. 30, 2017.

Online poker was expected to launch by July of 2019. However, that date was pushed back until PokerStars officially launched on Nov. 4, 2019. It was the first online poker site in Pennsylvania.

The site is now fully operational with the excellent software, cash games, and tournaments that players have come to expect. PokerStars has promised much more for players in the state and received a nice reception from many in the state.

There are eight casino or operators attempting to launch online poker in Pennsylvania right now. One of them is MGM Resorts, which applied for a license as a qualified gaming entity through its Borgata property in New Jersey.

Pennsylvania casinos which have both applied for and been approved to offer online poker are:

• Mount Airy Casino (now live through its partnership with PokerStars)
• Harrah’s Philadelphia
• Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
• Parx Casino
• Sands Bethlehem
• SugarHouse Casino
• Valley Forge Casino

Nevada online poker

Nevada was the first state to launch regulated online poker. In December 2011, the Nevada Gaming Control Board adopted regulations pertaining to Nevada online poker sites.

The regulations required affirmation through the Nevada legislature. Nevada lawmakers meet on a biennium. The state passed the regulations governing Nevada online poker in February 2013.

On April 30, 2013, Ultimate Poker launched as the first regulated online poker room in the US. The launch was flawed due to poor software and unproven geolocation services. Ultimate Poker attracted about 300 peak players and the same number of players participated in sit and gos and tournaments.

WSOP.com launched on September 17, 2013. WSOP.com enjoyed massive brand awareness and dominated the market within two months.

Ultimate Poker succumbed to the small intrastate poker player pool in Nevada. It left the Nevada market on November 17, 2014. This leaves onlyWSOP.com and Real Gaming in the Nevada online poker market.

On March 24, 2015, a liquidity sharing agreement between Delaware and Nevada went live. New Jersey joined the compact in April 2018. So, players from three states can now sit at the same table.

Technically, there is a second active poker site in Nevada. Real Gaming, backed by South Point Casino, launched in February 2014. However, the site never has gained more than 1 percent of the market at any time. Currently, its influence in the market is small enough that WSOP more or less enjoys a monopoly in the market.

Nevada online poker sites

Delaware online poker

Delaware was the second state to legalize and regulate online gambling. It was legalized through the state legislature in June 2013. Online casino games went live on October 31, 2013. The Delaware online poker network opened on November 8, 2013.

Delaware offers online poker and casino games through its state lottery. Interactive gaming is marketed through its three video lottery racinos.

888supplies the platform all three sites. The online poker room shares liquidity between all sites. Delaware and Nevada started sharing online poker player pools on March 24, 2015. New Jersey joined the pool in April 2018.

Delaware online poker sites

• Doverdowns.com
• Delawarepark.com
• Harringtonraceway.com

West Virginia online poker and casino

West Virginia joined the online gambling party on March 27, 2019. Gov. Jim Justice allowed H 2934, the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, to become law without his signature.

The law allows the five land-based casinos to apply for interactive licenses. Each license initially costs $250,000 and must be renewed for $100,000 every five years. Casinos will pay 15 percent of revenue in taxes.

The five properties which will develop online casino sites in West Virginia are:

• The Casino Club at Greenbrier Resort
• Hollywood Casino Charles Town
• Mardi Gras Casino
• The Mountaineer Hotel, Casino & Resort
• Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack

Legalization is terrific news, but active online gambling in West Virginia is still somewhat in the future. The state’s officials will have to create a set of regulations. The best estimate from various sources is that the first online casino with online poker in West Virginia won’t appear until 2020.

Can I play at a legal online poker site while not in that state?

No. Legal online poker sites use geolocation software to ensure that players are located in the state at the time of action.

This takes into account the IP address of the player, location of a related cell phone, and nearby wireless access points. It is impossible to play at legal online poker sites when located outside state lines.

You do not have to be a resident of that state to play online poker there, however. If you visit any legal US online poker state you can download and create an account from your home state, claim any no deposit poker bonus, make any additional deposits and then play online poker when you arrive as long as you are within state borders.

Why should I choose legal poker sites?

One of the biggest advantages to playing online poker at regulated US sites is that all player funds are just as safe as they would be at a licensed real money online casino in any of those states.

The very same gaming regulations that apply to live and online casinos are also valid for regulated US online poker sites. All deposits are held in separate accounts from cash used for operations.

There are also ample deposit and withdrawal methods that are safe and secure. Legal poker sites in the US accept deposits by:

• Visa
• MasterCard
• Electronic checks
• Neteller
• Skrill
• PayNearMe (7-Eleven)
• Cash at associated casinos in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, etc

How do I withdraw from legal poker sites in the United States?

Legal poker sites pay winnings by:

• Electronic check
• Check by mail
• Bank wire
• Neteller
• Skrill
• PayPal
• Cash at associated casinos in Atlantic City,Las Vegas, etc

Regulated online poker sites also undergo rigorous checks to ensure that games are fair and secure.

When will online poker be legal in my state?

The situation regarding online poker bills is always changing. There are several states that are considering legal online poker currently. They are:

• Connecticut
  • S 17 would legalize online gambling and sports betting
• Kentucky
  • H 175 would legalize online poker, sports betting, and daily fantasy sports
• New York
  • A 4924 would certify online poker as a game of skill under New York law
• Tennessee
  • SJR 165 would legalize all forms of online gambling
• Virginia
  • HB 2321 seeks to study online gambling expansion of all types

Two more states, Illinois and Massachusetts, are also interested in online poker.

History of legal online poker in the US

Legal US online poker sites debuted on April 30, 2013.

Ultimate Poker was the site that made history. Nevada was the first state to host fully legal online poker. Texas Hold ’em was the only game spread at Ultimate Poker during its first six months in business.

WSOP.com joined the Nevada online poker market on Sept. 17, 2013. The World Series of Poker’s online site brought the first games of Omaha, Omaha High/Low, Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud High/Low to Nevada.

WSOP.com now controls 99 percent of the Nevada market. This near-monopoly was caused by the shuttering of Ultimate Poker in November 2014.

Delaware online poker was the second state to launch. There is one network powered by 888. The state’s three racinos – Delaware Park, Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway – are skins on the Delaware poker network. Nevada and Delaware began pooling poker players in April 2015.

WSOP.com and 888 were the sites responsible for creating the first legal interstate online poker pool.

New Jersey online poker came next on Nov. 21, 2013. There are currently three poker networks in New Jersey. One hosts Borgata and partypoker, the other has WSOP.com and 888 on it, and the third is made up solely of PokerStars NJ. All networks are about equal in overall size at any given point in time.

There were three additional poker platforms in New Jersey when the state launched regulated poker sites. 888 was originally a standalone site before it merged player pools with WSOP.com. Ultimate Poker was unable to gain more than 3 percent of the market share.

The Ultimate Poker site was shuttered on Oct. 5, 2014. The associated UCasino was also closed at that time. Betfair failed to attract any players and closed its poker site on Dec. 1, 2014. Betfair still operates an online casino in New Jersey.

After a long legislative battle, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill into law that legalized and regulated online gambling in the state of Pennsylvania on Oct. 30, 2017, making it the fourth state to legalize online gaming. The bill legalized online poker, online casino table games, online slots and daily fantasy sports.

It also allowed for a number of other gambling expansions such as online lottery, tablet gambling in airports, video gambling terminals at truck stops and 10 satellite casinos. Players were officially able to play online poker in PA in 2019.

Why isn’t there a federal online poker bill?

There have been many attempts to pass an online poker bill at the federal level.

• 2009 – Rep. Barney Frank first proposes regulated online poker.
• 2011 – Frank and Rep. Joe Barton attempt to get Congress to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
• 2012 – Sen. Harry Reid and Sen. Jon Kyl combine to propose a poker-only bill, known in the poker community as Reid/Kyl. The bill dies when Congress adjourns.

Nowadays, the federal government is more likely to focus its attention on sports betting. Unfortunately, online poker and gambling just doesn’t rate for many constituencies as key issues.

There does seem to be a movement towards greater states’ rights, however. The dismissal of PASPA in May 2018 allowed sports betting to proceed at each state legislature’s discretion.

A recent reversal of Department of Justice opinion on the Wire Act may also end up being a net positive for online gambling advocates. The DOJ seems to have been swayed by anti-gambling lobbyists funded by Las Vegas Sands owner Sheldon Adelson.

Neither the states nor the media are amused by the appearance of corruption and impropriety. As a result, online gambling might become a medium for states to argue a greater issue, and thus, rise in prominence.

What is the UIGEA?

UIGEA is an acronym for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. It passed Congress in September 2006 and was signed into law by President Bush two weeks later.

The UIGEA made it illegal for banks to process payments for unlawful gambling sites. It did not define what that was. Most publicly-traded sites immediately left the US market after the UIGEA was enacted.

These included Party Poker, iPoker, Microgaming Poker Network, Ongame, and 888. All of these examples returned to the US market when states started to regulate online poker.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday was the day the US online poker community describes April 15, 2011.

On that date, PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker were charged with gambling crimes by the US Department of Justice in the Southern District of New York.

Unfortunately, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker did not have enough cash on hand to pay players. PokerStars paid all customers within weeks. Strange as it may seem, it was PokerStars that eventually made all Full Tilt Poker players whole after coming to an agreement with federal authorities.

Will the federal government ban online poker?

Federal law allows states to legalize and regulate online poker. This is specifically exempted from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. A September 2011 Department of Justice opinion confirmed this and explicitly gives states the right to permit intrastate gaming.

There was an attempt in Congress to reverse this legal opinion. The effort was spearheaded by Sheldon Adelson, founder and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, the parent company of Venetian in Las Vegas.

Adelson’s lobbyists submitted the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA). The bill failed in 2016 and does not appear to have much support in this Congress. Libertarian groups, states’ rights activists, governors, state lotteries and most of the gaming industry have come out in opposition to RAWA.

Since then, Adelson and company have been working through other channels to head off online casino and online poker play. It is extremely likely that the group effected some degree of influence over the Department of Justice’s January 2019 opinion to reinterpret the Wire Act.

In that opinion, the DOJ essentially reversed its prior position on the statute to say that the law actually pertains to all gambling, not just sports betting. Needless to say, there were many parties in opposition to this opinion.

So far, the opinion has not found much success in court. A June 2019 ruling from a New Hampshire federal court dismissed the opinion from affecting that state’s lottery commission and an associated vendor. Only time will tell if the precedent will ripple out to other interested and/or affected parties.

Texas Holdem is the most popular variation of poker that you can find. Real money Texas Holdem online has been a pastime for people for many years. You probably are used to playing Texas Holdem for money with friends, but the good news is you can play online at real money poker sites as well.

If you’re looking to jump straight into the US Texas Holdem online world, don’t let us stop you. Below you will find all of our top online poker sites for offer great real money Holdem games.

We take pride in our recommendations. The reason these poker sites are here is because we genuinely believe these are the best real money Texas Holdem sites you will find on the internet today.

If you want to learn more about online Texas Holdem or our casino review process, continue to read on!

Play Texas Holdem Online for Real Money

If you’re tired of going to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to play real money Holdem tables, maybe it’s time to turn to US online poker sites instead. That’s right, you heard me! We think you should check out the online tables.

If you’re unsure of where you can play, you’ve come to the right place. Arguably the most challenging part of getting started playing real money Texas Holdem is figuring out where you can even play. That’s where we come in.

If you’re unsure of where to play online Texas Holdem poker, we have a list of our top recommendations above. If you’re looking for information about the legality of playing in the United States, stay tuned.

Legal Status of USA Real Money Texas Holdem

We know the legality situation in America is a little messed up right now in terms of online gambling. Real money online Texas Holdem falls under that category, so we feel like we need to address it a little.

Here at BestUSCasinos.org, we’re all about getting United States gamblers matched up with poker sites that are legally accepted in their state. We have a dedicated section to helping you find a legal Texas Holdem online poker site. You can visit that section by following the link below.

The casinos and poker sites recommended here in our state guides will work for any type of casino game you want to play. Whether you’re looking for bingo, or more importantly, Texas Holdem, these sites will have you covered.

US Real Money Texas Holdem Apps

One thing many people look for is a real money app to play Texas Holdem online. Poker apps have many different variations available, and virtually every single one of them offers Texas Holdem.

There are free apps and real money apps available. You can find many more free apps that you can real money ones. If you find a free app that claims you can win money without staking anything, we recommend proceeding with caution.

Texas Holdem Online Real Money Legal Fees

To win real money or even wager it, it would make sense that you have to deposit money, right? Don’t believe everything you see, especially when it comes to apps for money.

If you want to learn more about apps, you can visit the dedicated app section we have on our site by visiting the link below.

Live Dealer Texas Holdem

If you’re familiar with live dealer games, then you’re no stranger to online casinos. Many sites offer real money live dealer Texas Holdem games.

If you’re not familiar with live dealer games, we’ll briefly explain what they are. A live dealer game is playing a game online, such as Texas Holdem poker, but with an actual person dealing you cards. This is done by having the dealer call into the online room with a webcam.

Here’s an example of what that looks like.

Depositing Money at Online Texas Holdem Poker Sites

If you want to play real money Holdem and win, you obviously have to put some money on the line. That’s the thrill of playing Texas Holdem for money, isn’t it?

Texas Holdem Online Real Money Legal Money

Well, to do that, you have to have the proper banking methods set in place to make it happen. Here, we’ll talk about a few of the best online banking methods for playing real money Texas Holdem online.

PayPal

PayPal is a great way to play online Texas Holdem. You can make deposits and withdrawals with ease by using PayPal. You can securely move money around without having to risk any of your important data to potentially be compromised. It’s easy to sign up for PayPal and put money in, so you can get started playing Texas Holdem online for money right now!

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is another very secure way of moving money around online casinos. Arguably, Bitcoin is the safest form of banking with online casinos. However, even though it is more secure, it does come with some drawbacks. Bitcoin, for some people, can be difficult to acquire if you are not super tech-savvy. There are a few different steps required for getting into Bitcoin, but if you can get your hands on some, it’s an excellent way to bank at real money US casinos.

Wrap Up To Playing Holdem Online for Money

We hope you have found this guide to real money Texas Holdem casinos helpful. Our main goal was to help players in the USA find a place to safely play real money Texas Holdem online. Hopefully, you found an online casino that meets all of your needs and where you can play real money Texas Holdem poker. If you still have some unanswered questions please refer to our section below for more information about playing United States Texas Holdem for real money.

Questions About USA Real Money Texas Holdem

Texas Holdem Online Real Money Legal Sites

Here, we hope to cover all of the frequently asked questions you might have about Texas Holdem poker sites. If we don’t have your question covered here, you can contact us with your questions and continue to check back as we will update this regularly.

Texas Holdem Online Real Money Legal Advice

• Is Playing Real Money Texas Holdem in the US Legal?

  As we said earlier, the online gambling situation in the United States as far as legality goes is a little messy; however, that doesn’t mean you can’t play safely. If you want to play real money Texas Holdem in your state, you can use the poker sites above we have recommended. If you want to learn more, please consult with a legal professional in your area.

• You can play real money poker, specifically Texas Holdem, at any of the poker sites we’ve recommended on this page. If you’ve skipped right to this question, read this entire page to learn about our selections and why you can trust them.

• Where Can I Play Real Money Texas Holdem Tournaments?

  Tournaments are another exciting part of playing real money Holdem. Many of the online casinos that we recommend have tournaments that you can buy into. And they also have bonuses that you can use toward your tournament buy-ins.

  If you want to jump into a tournament right now, start at the real money Texas Holdem poker sites that we’ve vetted and ranked.