Online Poker for Real Money

Choosing a Reputable Real Money Poker Site

Before you deposit any money, it can pay to carry out some quick checks to make sure you are playing at a reputable poker site. The good news is that online poker is very clean on the whole, with only the occasional rogue outfit.

Players based outside the US have the choice of many of the biggest and best known brands. These grew to be the giants of the real money online poker world by being reputable. As well as licenses in trusted jurisdictions like Malta and Gibraltar, several brands including 888 and Bwin.Party are listed on the London Stock Exchange.

US players have a less clear situation. Poker sites which offer real money games to the US are based outside of the country – mostly under the jurisdiction of Caribbean island nations. You’ll find many brands with a long track record and good reputation for solid service. Having said that it can be reassuring to do your own checks, here is what I recommend:

First, make sure that a site has an operating license. For US sites these can come from jurisdictions including Antigua, Curacao (Netherlands Antilles), Costa Rica or Panama. For worldwide sites, they are Malta, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Alderney and others. You should be able to find license information linked from your site’s homepage.

Second, make sure that your site has been tested for deal fairness. There are several 3rd party auditors which carry out impartial tests of millions of hands. Reputable sites link to their certificates at sites including eCogra, TST or iGaming Labs.

Finally, make sure there are no major payment scandals by searching online. Anything major should be flagged on poker forums or blogs.

Your best bet for finding a reputable poker site is to stick with the recommendations right here at internetpoker.com!

Depositing and Withdrawing from Real Money Poker Sites

Once you have chosen a site and verified that it is reputable, the next step is to get your money safely in (and your winnings safely out).

If you are US based, then the banking system will not knowingly allow a gambling transactions. Credit cards will work for deposits, by making international cash purchases. Sometimes your card transactions will be blocked – which means looking for an alternative payment method.

Prepaid Visa cards will work (they’ll need to be brands which work internationally). Other options include Western Union or MoneyGram. To use these systems, you’ll wire cash to a named individual who collects it on behalf of the poker room. Bitcoin is also a popular deposit method, with most of the bigger offshore brands now welcoming this.

Withdrawing to credit cards from US real money poker sites is not possible. The most popular withdrawal method is a paper check (banks will process these). It is also possible to withdraw via a person-to-person transfer, and with Bitcoin.

If you are based outside of the US, then there are many more deposit methods available to you. Popular eWallets including PayPal, Skrill and Neteller can be used – as well as local bank transfers and debit cards. Canadian players can use Interac for poker deposits, though will often find credit cards are declined.

Is Real Money Poker Legal?

Around the world there are a patchwork of regional and local laws when it comes to real money poker. The geo with the most misinformation on this is the US. Many people incorrectly believe that the 2006 federal UIGEA banned online poker.

In fact, this act only restricted the financial transactions between banks and poker sites. It does not cover players at all. No US player has ever been indicted for playing real money poker online.

State laws are generally ambiguous, with most of the statutes written long before the internet was conceived. Some states, for example Utah, do restrict real money online poker (and other forms of gambling).

If you reside in New Jersey, Delaware or Nevada, you can enjoy real money poker at state regulated poker rooms.