In 2013, online poker was legalized in the United States, and has since flourished as a billion dollar industry. The advent of regulated online poker means more cash game action for operators, which translates into bigger guarantees and more game types to play around the clock.
Currently, there are only three states that have regulated online poker. Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey have all enacted legislation that allows for the operation of online poker. However, Pennsylvania did not pass any such legislation. It is therefore likely that the state will join the other two states in the near future. There is no official time frame for the debut of this new era in US online poker.
PokerStars has taken advantage of this opportunity to create a multistate network. This means that players in multiple states can play against one another, and it also signifies a massive boost in traffic. Some of the benefits of this type of agreement are the following:
– More player pool means more cash game action, a more exciting tournament series, and bigger bonuses. – Smaller operators can be motivated to cheat, or desperate to serve a small market, but reputable online poker sites are aplenty.
– Digital device fingerprinting and other technology has allowed poker sites to recognize players by their devices. One such company, PokerStars, has even been awarded a patent for using such a system.
– Online poker is regulated at the state level, but there is no federal law that regulates this activity. Since the Wire Act does not apply to online poker, it is up to individual states to decide how they want to regulate the game. While states have the ability to make decisions without federal prosecution, they must ensure that online poker operators comply with state laws.
– As for the best of all worlds, some states have passed legislation that makes the game legal. However, others, such as Alaska, have a strong anti-gambling stance. To make online poker work in Alaska, they would need to create a licensing body that would govern the industry and partner with other states to bring in additional revenue.
– The first multi-state poker agreement was signed by Nevada and Delaware. When the legislation was enacted, players from both states could participate in online poker games. However, as of April 2018, Nevada and Delaware now operate with a combined player pool.
– There are dozens of other smaller online poker networks that operate independently. While it may be more difficult to detect these smaller networks, they are nevertheless a good indicator of the larger picture.
– Multi-state online poker in the US is still in its infancy, but the Supreme Court has given us a new era of regulated poker in the U.S. With more states passing legislation and players playing for real money, the industry will likely continue to grow. Until then, you should always play on a reputable jurisdiction site.