U.S. Poker Sites
Due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, players from the United States have to choose U.S. poker sites. When the bill was passed, many poker rooms decided to ban all U.S. players; and as a result of this, the poker-site options have narrowed a bit.
But it is not illegal to play poker online, except in some local legislations. If you choose a U.S. poker site, you can carry on playing the game you love. Here, we list the best rooms for U.S. players.
Top US Poker Rooms on the Web
| Poker Room |
U.S.  |
Bonus |
Room Reviews |
Get Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sportsbook Poker
|
local | $1000 | Read Review |
|
 UB Poker
|
local | $1100 | Read Review |
|
 PlayersOnly Poker
|
local | $1000 | Read Review |
|
 Bodog Poker
|
local | $550 | Read Review |
|
 Full Tilt Poker
|
local | $600 | Read Review |
|
 PokerStars
|
local | $600 | Read Review |
|
 Absolute Poker
|
local | $500 | Read Review |
|
Poker Rooms that Welcome US Players
Since October 2006 when the US Senate passed a new legislation regarding money transfers to online gambling operators (UIGEA, see below), many poker sites have opted to close their doors to US players. USA poker has never been the same since.
Understandably, the US poker websites and their staff want to avoid the possible legal problems involved in continuing their American business, even though in practice the legal status of the new legislation is far from established yet.
Gambling CEOs Arrested
Two or three gaming CEO:s being arrested by US authorities obviously contributed to making the issue very urgent for all concerned parties.
Nevertheless, some poker sites decided not to step out of the USA online poker market and continue to welcome US poker players in their online premises, such as Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker. PlayersOnly Poker allows US players only. We now call those 'US poker rooms'.
Pure Poker May Go Free
One thing that distinguishes the US poker sites from many of those that chose to withdraw is the fact that these that allow US poker do not offer online casino gaming. Many observers believe that, once the actual interpretation of UIGEA by the legal system is established, online poker will enjoy a different status than pure chance games like online blackjack or online roulette.
Many of the best US poker sites also happen to be the best poker sites all categories, so US players haven't suffered any major loss of quality, even though the quantity of choice has decreased.
Top 10 US Poker Sites
In the top list above, we show you the top 10 US poker rooms at the moment - or as many as we can come up with. That is, the best poker rooms that still welcome US players.
The poker rooms in this top list are all good, solid poker rooms that offer 'poker US'. In our opinion, they are the top online poker sites for US players.
A US poker room offers online poker for US players. But most of them allow non-US players as well. In most US poker rooms you will meet the same mix of Europeans, Asians and players from South America and Africa as at your usual top rated non-US poker site. In consequence, a top poker site for US players might also be a top poker site for the rest of you.
The Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is a measure that has many U.S. online gaming enthusiasts up in arms. Although online gambling would seem to be a free market enterprise, it was actually a Republican Congress that pushed the act through on a bill to protect Port Security.
Fighting the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
When will all poker sites allow US players again? Will it ever happen? At least some people are fighting for this. Spearheading the effort to take down the act is Barney Frank, U.S. representative of Massachusetts’ 4th District. To combat the bill, Representative Franks has introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act.
What is the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act?
Representative Frank’s proposed act is designed to satisfy both the hordes of online gambling fans that populate the U.S. and those who are concerned about the proliferation of unregulated gambling. The act would create a Federal regulatory commission that would be in charge of the licensing of online wagering companies that serviced U.S. players. The regulations would contain measures to fight underage and compulsive gambling as well as fraud and money laundering, the main concerns that opponents of online gambling seem to have.
About Barney Frank
Democrat Barney Frank has served in Congress for over 25 years and is the chairman of the Financial Services Committee. He has also been an assistant to the mayor in Boston and a teacher at Boston area universities. Barney Frank was appalled at the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and has made it one of his state missions to make online poker accessible to United States residents again.