Online Poker Sites Accepting USA

Poker for US Citizens

Devoted to tracking what US poker sites whom are staying open or closing to the United States in addition to breaking news coverage solely about the US. This page has gotten over 20,000,000 hits over the four years since the UIGEA passed due to unbiased, accurate information and the popularity of poker largely because of the 2003 ESPN poker broadcast of the WSOP.

(click here for updates) Updated September 8, 7:19pm

I. Our Favored List of US Accepted Poker Sites

Players Only – Has the best/easiest deposit and withdraw success rate right now. Site that only allows US players and has very large credit card rate acceptance. Players refused from MO and WA.

Sportsbook Poker – Good poker room to play at because of Punters not knowing how to play poker. Currently uses Western Union, credit cards and moneygram as main deposit options for players in the US.

Absolute Poker – Uses Echecks called Quickdeposit, western union, bank wire, checks by mail, ewalletxpress, VISA and moneygram. Has “no download” version for Mac and Linux players.

Full Tilt Poker – Uses Echecks (quick deposit), C2pay, usemywallet, credit cards (including Amex) and Cash Transfer as deposit options. We received an email from them on 9/5/06 saying that they will not stop supporting American players. Has poker for macs.

II. Notable Casinos Still Taking Americans

Rushmore Casino – Uses Amex, Visa, Diners, JCB, primapin, usemywallet, and clicktopay, for US funding.

Rome Casino – A Topgame US accepted casino known for high depositing and quick withdraws for players in the US.

Pure Vegas Casino – High deposit and withdraw rate for US players including catering to higher limit players.

CherryRed Casino – Pretty much any US citizen wanting to deposit and play will have no problems. This casino group leads the industry in easy deposits and withdrawing from the United States, rare these days.

CoolCat Casino – Tailored for the US player looking to deposit and get plenty of free bonuses and coupons.

Slots Oasis – Hands down the highest deposit rate for US players for a slot site.

………. Here is the list of more US accepted online casinos we recommend.

III. E-wallet Stances on US Market

Updated June 18, 2010 – Compatiblepoker is not affiliated with these companies. Check local laws before gambling online or using any poker deposit option below.

• 900Pay – Used only at casinos like Pure Vegas Casino but expect to possibly see as an option for poker in 2010.
• Add-funds – April 2, 07 – No US poker sites use this anymore.  Was once used at Absolutepoker.
• AllAccessvisa.com - Feb 04, 09 – Being accepted again at Pokerstars.com
• American Express – August, 14 – Update: Currently disabled for poker. Available at Absolutepoker.com A casino to use Amex is Rushmorecasino.com which has a 90% success rate if you’re into casino games.
• ATMonline – Jan. 23, 07 – They have frozen US funds.
• Cash Transfer Express - Used primarily at Pokerstars.com.  Same thing as Moneygram which is US accepted.
• Central Coin Jan. 18, 07 – Central Coin is not taking US gambling deposits.
• Citadel Commerce – Jan. 17, 07 – Not accepting US gambling sites anymore
• Credit Cards - May 16, 08 – Most all major US credit cards being accepted at Sportsbook poker but it’s a hit or miss option for most people.
• Click2pay Feb. 1, 07 – Doesn’t accept new US customers
• Diners – Not used by any poker sites but used at Cherryredcasino
• eChecks – August 1 , 2009 – Go down temporarily but pretty much work at most very large poker rooms like Pokerstars.com
• EcoCard – July 30, 07 – Stopped US deposits on August 24 , 2007 . Will be replaced by Quicktender/usemywallet which is US accepted and offered on demand at Cake Poker
• Epassporte – April 11, 08 – After almost two years of accepting US poker sites deposits after the UIGEA passed they have officially stopped accepting US gambling deposits.
• eWalletXpress -  Feb 13, 07 – Their policies are to still accept US deposits without being affected by the Neteller incident. Used at Absolutepoker.com
• Ezipay – Not taking US residents
• Fastchecks – see echecks above
• Firepay – Stopped US transactions immediately after UIGEA signed.
• Fonelinx – Aug. 26, 07 – A pre-paid teleco ewallet introduced by Carbon poker.
• Gatorpay (Ultra-prepaid) – No longer in use by FTP
• ImmediateDeposit – Mar. 19, 07 – Pre-paid teleco company launched by Carbon poker but seems to have shut down.
• Instadebit – Jan. 18, 07 Left the US online poker market.
• Instant Checks April 1, 07 – Being offered to US players at Full Tilt Poker. Same as Fastchecks, echecks or Quickdeposit, they are all the same thing.
• JCB – No poker sites use this but it’s used at Cherryredcasino
• Makeadeposit – Mar. 13, 07 – Phone card company which shut down.
• Mastercard – Feb 3, ‘10 – Mastercard closes loophole so that gamblers can’t use this option to deposit. Fix is expected soon.
• Merchant Banks – Any Merchant Banks that operate with gaming sites will be closed by RBS and Barclays. This is for the UK.
• Moneybookers – Oct. 25, 06 – They suspended US gamblers from making transactions.
• Moneygram – April 4, 07 – US accepted. Being accepted at Absolutepoker.com for all players
• MyCitadel – Jan. 17, 07 – Stopped all gambling transactions for US residents after Neteller closed to US gamblers.
• MoneygramMypayLinq – Added by Bodog.com (for poker, sports, and casino) in August of 2010.
• MyWebATM – May 19, 07 – Was first introduced by Full Tilt but they have since stopped accepting US deposits.
• Neteller – Jan. 18, 07 – Completely left the US market. Biggest loss for US poker player deposit methods.
• Netspend – May 29, 2010 – Netspend leaves the US market
• Nexum – Jan. 18, 07 – They have dropped US players
• Nucharge – A pre-paid teleco company that was used at Bodog but has since ceased.
• Payspark – Jan 26, 07 – Payspark (Ezipay) is not taking US customers any longer.
• Paypal – They stopped taking gambling transactions many years ago.
• Paytru / Prepaid Visa - Dec. 7, 07 – Stopped being used as an option on December 14th, 2007 by Pokerstars.
• Pic-Club – Aug 17, 07 (picclub.com) Updated – Oct. 15, 2009 – Said their services follow UIGEA guidelines and allow US players to make deposits. Used primarily by PokerHost.com
• Pindebit – June 18, ‘10Previous used by Carbon poker but not anymore.
• Primapin Feb 27, 08 – A prepaid phone card type deposit option being used at various US poker sites & casinos but primarily at Doylesroom.com and Rushmorecasino
• Quicktender – Aug. 9, 07 – Replaced Ecocard and is recognized by a “Usemywallet” logo and accepted worldwide. Mostly ex-Ecocard customers will get invites to use this but Cake Poker is sending out invitations to new players as well.  For casinos it is used widely such as at Silver Oak Casino.
• Togglecard – April 18, 09 – No longer in use
• Usemywallet – Aug 9, 07 – See quicktender above.
• Ultraprepaid – Prepaid type inhouse phone card only used once you register at Fulltiltpoker.com . Used for withdraws and deposits filled by visa or echeck.
• UsemyBank – They are a Canadian company and don’t accept US transactions
• Visa Gift Cards – July 28, 07 – Blocks all gaming transactions
• Visa – Most widely accepted at Sportsbook poker
• Virtualpin – Prepaid phone card deposit option in use by Bodog.com
• Western Union – WU is warning customers that their services are not to be used for gambling although but most online poker sites have them as a US option.
• Wire/ Cash Transfer – Accepted at most sites.

IV. Other Poker Sites Accepting Americans

Updated June 6, 2010 – If you don’t see the site on this list they do not accept US players or are not a popular enough poker site to list.

• 7sultanspoker
• Absolute Poker – Now under the Cereus Network
• Aced.com – Went bankrupt but was purchased by Carbon Poker (Merge Network)
• Allinpoker – Out of business
• AmericasCardroom May 2, 07 – Bought out by Bookmaker.com which accepts US players.
• Aceflush Poker – Out of business
• Battlefield Poker – Went out of business
• Bugsysclub – On March 24, 2009 they closed and transferred players to Pokerstars. Sad because Bugsyclub was on eof the last sites to have poker on linux.
• BetedPoker
• BetonUSA
• BetUS Poker – On the Cake Network
• Bodog Poker
• Bookmaker – New site with some sites selling their US players to them (americascardroom, betcris etc.)
• Butcher Poker
• Cake Poker – Blocks Kentucky
• Captain Cook
• Carbon Poker – Skin of poker.com and will continue to accept US players
• Cardspike – Went out of business for defrauding players and affiliates in a scandal with casinoaffiliateprograms.com.
• Crazy Poker
• Century Poker (now Onlypoker) – Took over Golden Palace poker player database when they closed.
• Colosseum Poker
• Doylesroom.com – Opened to US players again on the cakenetwork Jan. 20, 2009
• Duplicatepoker – Closed down
• EuroLinx – Not accepting new US players
• Gamesgrid – Now a casino
• GamingClub Poker
• Gold Chip Network
• GoldenTigerPoker
• GoldenRiviera
• Gutshotpoker – on cake network
• Interchamps – Out of business
• Intertops – 5/31/2009 re-entered the US market
• Ironduke
• Jungle Poker – Under caution warning
• Microgaming Network – They have ceased accepted US players towards the end of 2008. See full Microgaming sites that have changed to the Cakenetwork
• OkUSApoker – Under caution warning
• Onlypoker
• OPT Room
• PitbullPoker – October 1, ‘09 – Owners busted for cheating scandal, poker site closed.
• Playersonly – All states accepted except Missouri & WO.
• Poker.com – Domain was sold. Players and software transferred to Carbonpoker.com on Mergenetwork
• Poker4Ever
• Pokerhost.com
• PokerNordica
• Poker Rewards
• Poker Stars
• Poker Share
• PokerSyndicate – now on Gold Chip Network
• Pokertime
• PokerWorld
• Prima - Network of sites bought by Microgaming. Stopped accepted US on Nov. 10, 2008
• Red Star Poker
• Red Nines – Out of business
• Reefer Poker – Merge network
• Royal Card Club – Out of business
• Royalvegaspoker
• SportsInteraction
• Sportsbook.com Poker – Opened on Nov. 24th, 07 for US players. Doesn’t allow players from Missouri or WO.
• StanleyVippoker.com
• StraightFlush
• Superbook Poker – Part of the sportsbook.com network of poker platforms
• Third Bullet Poker
• Thunderluck Poker
• Tigergamingpoker
• Tradesports
• Trident Poker – Bought by Pokertime
• True Poker
• Tropical Poker – Out of business
• Ultimatebet – Now under the Cereus Network
• United Poker Network
• Virtual City Poker
• Walkerpoker
• Wild Jack Poker
• Wingows Poker – purchased by Walkerpoker
• World Poker Exchange

V. Notable Poker Sites / Brands NOT Open to USA

• 888 / Pacific Poker – Was the first to back out of the USA
• Action Poker Network – Nine.com, Tigergaming etc.
• B2B Skins – (24h poker, Redbet, Betunited etc)
• Betsson Poker - All US accounts cancelled on Oct.31, 06
• Boss Media – (TotalPoker, Virgin Poker, CelebPoker, Pokerheaven, King Solomons Poker PokerSyndicate, etc)
• BetCorp – BetHoldem etc. (There is a hold on US players money and it is awaiting approval by shareholders before ex-Betcorp players can withdraw their gambling funds.)
• Crypto – William Hill, Interpoker, Poker Plex, LittleWoods Poker, etc.
• Empire Holdings (Empire Poker)
• Everest Poker (no new accounts allowed)
• iPoker – (Titan Poker, Poker Ocean, CD Poker, Noble Poker, Prestige Poker, Betfred, Fair Poker, etc.)
• Jetsetpoker
• Kiwi Poker
• Microgaming – Quit accepting US players at the end of 2008.
• Ongame/Bwin -PokerRoom.com, HollywoodPoker and sites like Holdempoker, Europoker, Cherrypoker, Tower Poker, ) stopped taking deposits Oct. 25, 06. On Nov. 6, 06 US players were locked out of real money games. Click here for all ongame sites.
• PartyGaming – (Party Poker, MultiPoker, etc.) Was the second poker room to back out of USA
• Paradise Poker – Stopped real money play on Nov. 13th, 06
• PKR.com
• Planet Poker -(Poker Blue) All real money play stopped on March 31, 07 for all countries. Players transferred to Bodog
• Poker Champs
• Prima Network - Some prima sites are out and some are just accepting Americans from certain states.
• Skill Games Network – Skill Game no longer exists. Sites on the network moved. Mansion Poker (now with Ongame), TonyGPoker (now with iPoker), Gamesgrid (now a casino).
• SunPoker
• Tribeca Sites – Bowmans, Paddypowerpoker, Bluesquarepoker, Victor Chandler, Betus.com etc. consolidated with iPoker Network. Don’t accept US players.
• Wagerlogic – William Hill, Betfair, PokerPlex, Playboycasino, Intercasino, VIP, etc.

VI. 14 States Strongly Affected by Poker / Casino Ban

These are US states that have stronger issues with gambling.

• Illinois – Misdemeanor offense and possibly more (felony).
• Indiana
• Kentucky – Governor tried to IP ban online poker sites. Didn’t work.
• Louisiana – Felony to gamble online.
• Michigan
• Missouri – Most against online gambling but not a felony
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Washington – FELONY to play online poker for real money in the US
• Wisconsin

VII. New US Gambling Law FAQ

(These are common consensus from experts across the web. Always consult a lawyer before making your own decision.)

1. Is it illegal to play online poker in the United States now?

No, except for a few states. The UIGEA addressed deposit methods and financial institutions (banks) that allow gambling transactions, not the players. A US DOJ official said in a Congressional hearing it was not illegal for US players to play online. The new law makes it illegal for US banks to allow gambling related transactions so the actual legality of online poker has not changed for the player.  While it is clear that online sports betting is definitely a federal crime nobody has been arrested for playing online poker. See state bans above for more details and possible felonies.

2. Is it safe to play online poker in the US?

The following question was answered by the authoritative online gambling legal expert, I. Nelson Rose here. To summarize, he says you are not going to jail for playing poker, it is safe to cash/deposit checks from US poker sites as long as you’re reporting income.  He advises not to keep too much money in ewallets in case of tie-ups.

3. Why did Party Poker and other sites close down and yet some sites are still open to the US?

The sites that closed down when the bill was signed were publicly traded companies. Party Poker closed down to US online poker players to protect themselves from getting sued by their shareholders. Places like PokerStars.com are privately held and they have addressed the law differently and stay open. They believe their sites aren’t classified as “Unlawful” because only sports betting was addressed in the 1961 Wire Act defining “Unlawful gambling” and US courts have ruled in the past that not all online gambling is illegal.

4. So what is the deal now? Is poker banned and what happens next?

People are still playing online poker just fine.  Now that the UIGEA has passed, we are seeing poker sites like the WSOP opening poker rooms online for UK players only.  People like Harrah’s Entertainment will now lobby “for” poker and online casinos, whereas before they were “against” it.  They went from paying lobbyists to help the UIGEA to paying to have legalized internet poker in the US. The final regulations have since been released (view final regulations its a .pdf). Banks now have  to fully comply with the final regulations. Here is the latest article written on how these regulations will impact US poker players. It is titled, “Final UIGEA Regulations; Nothing Changes“. Also here is an older article talking about when the regulations were first proposed. (Gambling Law Professor’s view of the proposed regulations)

5. Why are some states not accepted at certain online casinos and poker rooms?

The reason some operators have excluded certain sites and not the whole US population is because they are interpreting the law differently. The law addresses “Unlawful Internet Gambling.” This means that the casino believes the states that had pre-existing law regarding online gambling are the states affected by this new law. Most sites that banned 13 states have left the US market altogether. The main two states now are Washington and Missouri that are being banned by sites on the Cakenetwork.

6. Why would Neteller, myCitadel, Firepay and other Ewallets Close to US gamblers?

The text book answer is that they are a publicly traded company. But there is much more to it than that. Let’s take Ewallet X (fictitious name) for example. If the US government felt Ewallet X was used for illegal gambling transactions then the US government could simply stop all banks from making transactions with Ewallet X whether it be for gambling or not. Some ewallets aren’t just in the gambling business and can’t afford to lose all their US customers. Epassporte served US customers for almost a year and a half after the ban before the US DOJ scared them into voluntarily leaving the market as you can see here. Also, some ewallets went into contracts with certain gambling portals which allow sports bets to be placed among US citizens. This is against US federal law and is one reason the Neteller co-founders were detained.

VIII. List of Past Poker Site Traffic: Timeline

IX. Archived Hourly Updates

September 8

7:20pm – Apparently Tribal Casinos in 30 US states have signed to offer a legal and regulated online poker experience at their casinos. Read the fine print. You can only play online at the casino. Kind of an oxymoron, going to a casino where you can play live, to instead play online? They will allow interstate online poker where you can play against other players at other brick and mortar Tribal Casinos but I can’t see how this will be at all popular, maybe for those who aren’t familiar with playing from your home and are tentative to play against real people at first…

September 6

1:10pm – Well not much news lately. A lot of talk has turned to “if” regulation happens to “when” regulation happens. I’m still sticking with my educated guess of 5-10 more years before the “when” comes true. Barney Frank was on Jay Leno spreading the word and got to talk about poker legislation which was cool. Other than that, pretty darn slow on the frontline. Hopefully something’s brewing up behind the scenes.

Previous Monthly Updates 2006-2010

Archived Monthly Updates

About this page

THIS PAGE IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE! Any US poker sites or US casino deposit methods are for informational purposes.  Remember to always get help if you feel you’re having problems with online gambling.