Legal Online Poker for Real Money in USA and Worldwide Players
Unlike real money casino games, online poker has an element of skill. If you are better than your opponents, you can make money over the long term. Of course, you’ll need to find an online poker site which is legal in your location.
This detailed guide gives you all the information you’ll need to make an informed choice.
There is information on regulated state poker rooms for US players, sweepstakes poker sites (also for US & Canadian poker players) and the big international poker sites below.
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Playing Online Poker for Real Money
There have been significant shifts in the world of online poker since it started almost 20 years ago. Most significant has been the shift in game preferences. Poker started with fixed limit betting, with no-limit hold’em now dominating. There have been booms and busts, with the big poker brandsleaving the US, some after the legal changes in 2006, others after 2011. Some sites have recently returned to regulated states providing US players with the opportunity to play real money poker in USA. Globally, real money online poker remains as popular as ever.
Real money poker sites offer four distinct formats online.
- Cash Games: This is the traditional poker format where the chips in front of you have a real monetary value.
- Tournaments: This format gives each player a stack of chips for a fixed buy-in. Prizes are awarded for the player that last longest (with most for the winner). To ensure the action is fast enough, betting levels increase as the tournament progresses.
- Sit N Goes: Small tournaments, often just a single table, with 2 or 3 places paid. Sit N Goes with random prize pools and 3 players (known as lottery Sit N Goes) are a popular sub-format.
- Fast Fold Poker: This system takes you to a new hand the moment you fold. It works by placing players into pools. Fast Fold poker can be used for either tournaments or cash games.
These broad categories only scratch the surface of the diversity of online poker games. The game formats (Pot Limit Omaha and PLO8 are popular), table sizes, bet sizes and buy-ins have wide-ranges. Interesting variants like rebuys, turbo games, knockout tournaments and satellites to live eventsmake things more diverse still.
If you are new to real money internet poker, you can deposit a small amount and play at the micro-stakes. With cash game buy-ins starting at $2 for a full stack and tournaments starting at less than this, there is plenty of opportunity to get familiar with the games without a big outlay. At the other end of the spectrum, you can sit with many thousands of dollars in high-stakes poker games.
Not all Online Poker Sites are Created Equal
You’ll find a lot of differences between the sites when playing online poker real money. Some of these will become obvious as you gain experience, while others are apparent right away.
Here are some of the key things to look out for:
How Tough are the Games?
Some poker sites attract a lot of small stakes pros. This type of player sits at 8 or more tables at once, making a small profit at each table. This can be as little as a few dollars per table per hour. The effect on the games overall depends on the ratio of pros (known as ‘grinders’) to recreational players. Look for sites that discourage multi-tabling, with a better mix of amateur and pro players, and you’ll have a better chance of building your bankroll.
How Big is the Player Pool?
Giants like PokerStars, 888Poker, and BetMGM Poker have a big advantage over other international brands. Their size allows them to offer a wider game selection (both variants and buy-in levels). They also get to offer bigger tournament guarantees, which in turn attract more players. Smaller poker sites might only have 1 or 2 tables at your preferred mix of buy-in and game style. In poker, bigger usually means better!
What Bonuses are Available for New Players?
This is a big difference between poker rooms. Most poker bonuses require a deposit. They can be matched to this deposit, or in the form of tokens / tournament entries. You’ll ‘clear’ your bonus by collecting points in real money games based on the buy-in and duration of your play. Look out for poker sites which offer regular incentives and promos for existing players. This will have a larger effect on your bankroll over the long-term than a simple deposit offer.
Other factors which make poker rooms different is the quality of their software, device compatibility and the variety of payment options. All of these are covered in depth below.
Poker Site Software
The software clients used by the major poker sites need to be downloaded onto your PC or Mac. While there are instant-play (browser-based) rooms, they are limited in terms of the game selection and your ability to play multiple games. Only the biggest brands have apps.
There are huge differences between the best and worst online poker software. Some sites look like they are stuck in the early 2000’s – with blocky graphics and game-lobbies which are slow to refresh. Compare these to the best, with resizable tables, avatars and 3D effects, and you’ll never go back!
It is not only the visual aspects of poker rooms which separate their software. You want quick action, the ability to play multiple games at once and advanced features like access to hand-histories and one-click payments too.
Is Online Poker Legal?
In the United States, real money USA poker has a long and tangled history! Prior to 2006, poker was booming. The Federal ‘UIGEA’ bill then made it illegal for the big international brands to offer real money USA games – though it did not criminalize individuals who played them. Different brands, stating that poker was a skill game (and so not ‘gambling’) took over. In 2011 these brands were shut out in an event known as ‘Black Friday’ in the poker community.
While there are offshore sites, lack of oversight makes playing at those sites incredibly risky. These days, there are 5 states with legal online poker sites located within their borders. These are Pennsylvania, Delaware, Nevada, Michigan, and New Jersey. While the states individually license these rooms (in partnership with brick and mortar casinos), NV, NJ, and DE pool players with each other. For example, you could sit in a cash game at a NJ site and play hands with opponents from NV, NJ, and DE. Pennsylvania and Michigan only allow in-state play.
The process of regulation at the state level is continuing. Pennsylvania has launched online poker, with other states expected to follow. Michigan residents can play at PokerStars or BetMGM.
Outside of these states, the options for US real money poker players legally enjoying poker is limited. Sweepstakes poker sites allow you to play for ‘Sweeps Coins’. You get this for free when you purchase ‘gold coins’ – and can cash it out if you win.
Outside of the US, the legal online poker is controlled at a country level. Many countries now license and regulate internet poker rooms. Others take a hands-off approach, relying on international licensing jurisdictions such as Malta or Gibraltar to handle oversight of the rooms.
There is also a ‘grey area’ of low-oversight licensing jurisdictions in the Caribbean and Central America.
Overall, there is no reason for players in most countries (including the USA) to risk playing at an illegal poker site. With the regulated and legal real money sites, you have some recourse in the event of a dispute and are less likely to wake up and find your bankroll gone, should the site close up shop.
US Online Poker Sites
With the legal information above in mind, the choices for USA real money online poker players is limited to regulated sites in PA, MI, NJ, DE and NV – plus Sweepstakes poker rooms elsewhere. Here are the key sites, starting with the 5 active states:
New Jersey Online Poker Rooms
Online poker is legal in New Jersey. NJ residents have the biggest choice of poker rooms. As you will see, each site is a partnership between a brick and mortar casino and a respected international online poker brand.
- PokerStars NJ: This site partners with Resorts Atlantic City and is the single biggest US online poker room.
- WSOP.com: A partnership between 888 Poker and Caesars Resorts
- 888 Poker NJ: A separate room which is also a partnership of 888 and Caesars.
- Party Poker NJ: This is a tie-in with the Borgata casino.
There are other casinos which host poker games – though the traffic to these is so small as to make them irrelevant as serious choices.
Michigan Online Poker Rooms
- PokerStars: Launched in Early 2021, PokerStars offers its flagship product to Michigan residents with best in class game selection, software, and security.
- BetMGM: Launched in March of 2021, BetMGM now accepts players in Michigan. Players can benefit from the large player pool provided by being on the PartyPoker New Jersey network.
Delaware Online Poker Rooms
Online poker is legal in Delaware. DE was the first state to license poker rooms, they share software (provided by 888) with one for each of the 3 Racetracks. Here are the options:
- Delaware Park
- Dover Downs
- Harrington Raceway
While the traffic to these sites alone is not enough to provide much action. They do make up for it by sharing traffic with the WSOP.com brands in both Nevada and New Jersey.
Nevada Online Poker Rooms
Like the other two states, online poker is legal in Nevada. NV took a different route. They regulated online poker, but not casinos. There were two sites to start with, though one (Ultimate Poker) has since closed.
This leaves WSOP.com poker – a partnership between Caesars Entertainment and 888 Poker as the remaining room. This site is now part of the World Series of Poker. You can qualify online for the live events, and even win a bracelet in a special online tournament event as part of the series.
Pennsylvania Online Poker Rooms
Pennsylvania was the fourth state to legalize online poker. Online poker was part of the Mountain State’s massive gambling expansion in October 2017.
However, a steep licensing fee and proposed tax rate delayed the arrival of Pennsylvania’s first app. The launch of the first sites came at the end of 2019.
The following poker sites are live in Pennsylvania:
- PokerStars
- BetMGM Poker
- Borgata Poker
Currently, PokerStars is on its own network while BetMGM and Borgata share players on the Party Poker network. Pennsylvania online poker is set up to only allow play with other players within the state.
Ideally, Pennsylvania will eventually join the multi-state compact in order to pool its players with those in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware. However, shared liquidity is in doubt at this moment due to the Department of Justice‘s recent opinion about the Wire Act.
US Online Poker States Without Sites
There is currently one state that has legalized online poker, but it has not yet launched any poker apps.
West Virginia
West Virginia is the fifth state in the US to legalize online poker. The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act became law on March 27, 2019.
The law will allow the five casinos in the state to apply for and operate online casino and online poker sites. So, the following casinos will be able to pursue online poker 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
The bill specifies that state officials must promulgate regulations sometime in 2020, which has already passed. So, mid to late 2021 is the earliest time that an online poker app in West Virginia could possibly launch.
Worldwide Online Poker Rooms
When you look outside of the United States, the size of the rooms quickly escalates. Here, some huge brands like Bet365, PokerStars and Party Poker compete across multiple countries.
With so many excellent brands with solid reputations and licenses in multiple jurisdictions, there is little need to play at smaller / unknown sites. That is not to say all smaller poker rooms are bad – some have soft games and innovative software. If you do step outside of the better-known sites, some extra due-diligence on ownership, licensing and game fairness should be performed.
Here are some examples of the biggest and best international poker rooms:
- PokerStars.com: This is the biggest site worldwide by a huge margin, getting 10x the traffic of many of their closest rivals. This allows for huge tournament events, high stakes cash games and many poker formats that you won’t find elsewhere.
- Bet365 Poker: This site is part of the iPoker Network – sharing a common poker back and (and pooling players) with many other sports book brands. Games have a recreational feel, and some tables are exclusive to Bet365 players.
- Party Poker: One of the original poker sites is still going strong, offering a lot of poker events and live tournament qualifiers.
For Canadians, we recommend you read our Canadian poker sites page.
Online Poker FAQ
My first recommendation is to exclude non-regulated sites and those licensed in offshore jurisdictions with little oversight. There is plenty of choice with the regulated rooms around the world and in the regulated states.
Which regulated online poker site you choose depends on several factors. First, you need to make sure there are enough of your favourite type of poker games (cash games, tournaments, game variations and so on). Second, you need to check the games and make sure they are not filled with multi-tabling regulars. Once you find great / beatable games – software, payment options and bonus deals can be compared.
Remember, there is nothing stopping you from playing at multiple online poker sites – and maybe taking advantage of bonuses at all of them. Just don’t create two accounts with the same site!
The most common form of deposit bonus at a real money poker room is a simple match bonus. This works for your first deposit. You’ll find 100% up to $500 is the most common. Bigger poker bonuses, both in terms of percentage and size are also available.
You’ll generally have between 30 and 90 days to ‘clear’ your bonus. To do this you need to collect points via real money play. This can be from the rake (small fee for each pot) in cash games, or for the tournament entry fees displayed on MTT lobbies.
Sites usually pay your bonus in increments. For example, you might get $10 for each 100 points collected. Some sites pay in lump sums instead. This can make getting your bonus money difficult if you don’t have time to collect the points – or lose your money before you hit the target.
There are often extras which come with your deposit bonus. The most common of these is entry into one or more tournaments – giving you a shot at some bigger prize money.
Poker software is largely a matter of personal preference – at least when you compare the biggest and best sites. Some poker rooms have dated / clunky software which lets you play, though with ‘no frills’ attached.
With the big sites, expect animations, tables that can be resized, compatibility with 3rd party tools and often the ability to add a custom avatar or picture. You will also find the best poker sites offer apps and no-download poker software – alongside the download package.
The real difference with poker software is in the details. For example, the ability to switch between a 2-colour and 4-colour deck – or to set options to top up cash game stacks to the 100 big blind maximum automatically will make a big difference.
Many bad players blame poker sites for somehow conspiring against them in a bid to justify their losses. While these players are found at every poker room, there is absolutely zero evidence to back them up.
In fact, legitimate poker sites have a big incentive to keep the games 100% fair. After all, their income is directly proportional to the number of players they can attract. If evidence of unfair games was uncovered, people would simply move somewhere else.
If you hear conspiracy theories about unfair deals, simply look at the numbers. 10’s of billions of hands of online poker have taken place. Monitoring services, personal databases and audits all take place regularly – and no evidence of an unfair deal has ever been found.
A big advantage to sticking with fully legal and regulated poker rooms is that you have a lot of deposit options to choose from. The ‘easiest’ will depend on your location and your willingness to use your credit or debit card.
I am happy to use my cards at legitimate online poker sites. Popular brands welcomed include Visa, MasterCard and Amex.
Internationally you will also find support for Visa Electron and Maestro – with some sites offering Discover and Diners Club too. Using your card is exactly the same as making any purchase online.
If you prefer to keep your bank and the poker rooms separate, then there are plenty of simple solutions. Credit cards are blocked by popular banks – making 3rd party payment systems like InstaDebit a popular option if you’re playing in Canada.
Alternatives include PayPal (at the biggest brands only) or other e-wallets like Neteller and Skrill.
You can make bank transfers, use voucher systems or virtual Visa cards too. Around the world many countries have local payment options, for example POLi in Australia and Sofort in Germany.
If you see a poker site with only a tiny number of deposit options (possibly unknown ones), this could be a red flag. Make sure there are no scandals / payment issues before joining.
Before you can withdraw your profits, a legit poker site will ask you to provide Id documents. This keeps the industry clean (from money laundering) and makes gambling online safer for everyone.
You will be asked to accept the withdrawal to the same method you used for depositing where this is possible. There are alternatives if you paid in money with a one-way system (vouchers, some MasterCard credit cards and so on). These include eWallets, paper checks and local bank transfers.
Size is the biggest difference between poker sites regulated at a State level and the international ones. At the time of writing the biggest real money poker site in the US (the combined WSOP.com NJ and NV rooms) see peaks of cash game traffic at 300 players. Compare this with the biggest international site (PokerStars) which sees peaks of more than 14,000. You can view the traffic stats here.
You’ll find the best US poker sites have partnerships between brick and mortar casinos and big international poker sites. This means that the software is similar to that of the parent sites – though the number of games and guaranteed prize pools for the tournaments is much lower.
As more states legislate, and player pools are joined together, it is possible that a regulated USA poker site will match the bigger international ones in size.
No, as discussed in the section on fairness above there is zero evidence that the deal is rigged over literally millions of hands. If you had any lingering doubts, you can double check the testing services which regularly audit the RNG (random number generator) software of the big sites.