Online poker legal updates

This ensures that no third parties can access any of the information that you share with the operator. So, you can always rest assured that being looked after when playing online poker with site licensed by the PGCB.

So, you can use credit cards, debit cards and e-wallets to make your deposits and withdrawals. You may even have access to widely recognized services such as PayPal, making it easier for you to fund your account and withdraw money into your bank account without having to worry about whether or not your money is in good hands. This provides you with access to more exciting games and much larger prize pools. Players at legal online poker sites in Pennsylvania also benefit from some great perks.

Ensure that you stay up to date with your chosen online room by checking the Promotions page regularly. Follow them on Facebook and sign up to their newsletter so you never miss out on the change to take advantage of the many promos that are on offer at PA poker sites. Online poker has had a long and complicated past in the United States. The game has seen its ups and downs with regards to legality, and we are beginning to see the country open up to regulated online poker and casino games.

The first online poker site launched in , as Planet Poker made it possible for players to compete in games using their computers. This led the way for other popular operators like Party Poker and PokerStars to enter the market. The sites enjoyed a few years of success until the UIGEA Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act was passed in , and deemed that online poker and casino operators could not legally offer their services to players, but there were a few companies that stuck around.

In , the federal government cracked down on the sites that remained, with Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and Absolute Poker taking the brunt of the blame. This complicated matters even further and resulted in several more offshore operators entering the market. That year, Delaware and Nevada launched legal online poker websites and New Jersey followed suit in Five years later, Pennsylvania joined in and leads us where we are today.

There are currently a handful of states hoping to legalize online poker and make it possible for player to enjoy gambling from their mobile devices and laptops.

While many states across America are holding out hope for the regulation of online poker, Pennsylvania has already reached this milestone. Local residents are fortunate to access to reliable and safe online poker rooms where they can play in exciting cash games and tournaments for the chance to win big and hone their skills.

The following will discuss the history of attempts to bring online poker to the US state of Pennsylvania. Included in the article will be discussions of previous attempts to legalize online gambling in Pennsylvania, a summary of the reasons that most of the bills failed, and why the measure finally succeeded with House Bill in October , which made Pennsylvania the fourth state to permit online gambling, after Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware.

The existing legislation also allows provision for these four online gambling states to join player pools, which will greatly increase the number of poker games that can be hosted. Pennsylvania already has the second-largest gambling economy in the United States, even though gambling has only been legal there since For these reasons, it is clear that now is seen as a good time by many for Pennsylvania to have expanded its options for gambling, while Pennsylvania is still seen as a big gambling state.

This new law has now doubled the number of United States residents who will have access to gambling online. Now that four states offer online gambling to 25 million people, and six states offer lottery tickets to 50 million people, the chances of a federal ban on online gambling is looking more and more remote. This is because HB provided a long list of changes to Pennsylvania law. Some of these are:. Meanwhile, three particular clauses in the bill pertain to Category 3 casinos, which are full-service hotels that feature a restricted number of slot machines and table games.

It set up a gaming commission and started issuing licenses to online casino sites. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission helped the number of online gambling websites around the world go from a handful to hundreds. In , a Canadian entrepreneur launched the first-ever online poker site. By , the US Senate realized online gambling was widespread across the US and sought to do something about it. The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act was introduced, but it did not pass. Over the next few years, sites introduced more sophisticated online poker software , and new sites launched around the world, offering cash games and tournaments.

At the time, the DOJ disagreed , claiming online gambling was illegal, However, the industry kept growing as players clamored for an opportunity to play poker online for real money. A Tennessee accountant aptly named Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker Main Event after getting into the tournament through an online satellite. Millions of Americans thought they could be next.

Poker was suddenly everywhere on TV, as the advent of hole-card cameras made live games more watchable than ever. Most shows were branded, and the commercial breaks were filled with spots for offshore online poker sites. The productions sold the game to the American TV-watching public and they bought it.

Then, in , Congress took another shot at taming the wild beast. Several sites still accepted US players and found ways around the banking issues. Online poker continued to grow until April 15, On that day, three of the largest online poker operators in the world were indicted on various illegal gambling and money laundering charges, including violating UIGEA.

Access to the sites from the US was shut down, and the massive US online poker market was effectively closed. In response to questions regarding the legality of online lottery sales in December , the DOJ released a legal opinion that the Federal Wire Act only applies to sports betting. Several states took this to mean they could consider licensing and regulating online poker and casino sites if they wanted.

Delaware was the first state to do it, approving both online poker and online casino legislation in In February , Nevada became the second state to pass online gambling legislation, authorizing the issue of online poker licenses. A week later , New Jersey became the third state to legalize online gambling and made plans to issue licenses for online poker and online casino sites.

Legal and regulated online poker sites went live in Delaware and New Jersey in November However, over the past few years, Old Dominion has begun to relax its stance on legal gambling. Daily Fantasy Sports and online sports betting are now legal, and the first land-based casinos which will feature sportsbooks, too will open within a few years.

For online poker, Virginia players will have to wait a little longer. However, now Virginians have legalized sports betting, and casino games will be available at a land-based casino in a handful of cities once they are built.

With brick and mortar casinos on the horizon, that means online casino gaming could follow. And with live casinos able to offer a poker room, Virginia could in theory expand its gambling law to include online poker too. In , there are no plans to legalize online poker in Virginia. For now, you will have to content yourself with playing in West Virginia or visiting a sweepstakes poker room, which are legal because real money is not required to play. A sweepstakes poker website uses a special model where you use virtual coins to play games.

Despite being the hub of horse racing in the U. Efforts to expand sports gambling in the United States are picking up right where they left off last year. Indiana State Senator Jon Ford has introduced a bill to legalize both online poker and online casino games in the Hoosier State. Featured Poker Legislation. By Earl Burton - October 31st One of the realities of the online poker world is that some countries have legislated that their citizens can only play on sites that cater to their country.

Poker Legislation. By Dan Katz - September 28th Need a license to get in the game The Netherlands is cleaning its online gambling house, ready to start fresh in October. Online Poker Poker Legislation. By Dan Katz - July 27th Because of the ease and speed of deposits, some jurisdictions place legal limits on how much one can deposit on an online gambling site in a day, week, or month.

By Earl Burton - May 30th The ability of states to pass regulations regarding online gaming, especially online poker, have been in existence since By Dan Katz - May 24th State and tribes amended their compacts It appears that online casino and sports betting are closer to becoming a reality in Connecticut.

By Earl Burton - May 23rd After more debate than was originally thought, legislators in the state of Florida have ratified the compact between the state and the Seminole Indian tribe of the state. By Earl Burton - May 16th In what would be the largest expansion of gaming in the state in over a decade, the Florida legislature will debate changes to their laws on gaming in the state.

By Earl Burton - May 14th After extensive debate, Germany is looking to increase the taxes on internet gaming, in particular slots and poker. By Earl Burton - April 25th After five years of debate over the subject, the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida have come to an agreement over gambling rights in the Sunshine State.

Editorial Poker Legislation. By Earl Burton - April 4th In a decision rendered by the Oregon Court of Appeals, Portland poker rooms that are operating outside of traditional Indian casinos may soon become a thing of the past. By Earl Burton - March 28th Just when you think a case is over, it comes roaring back to life. By Dan Katz - February 22nd Bill constructed to launch sites quickly Illinois State Representatives Robert Rita and Jonathan Carroll introduced a bill on Friday that would legalize online gambling, including online poker, in the state.