While over 35 states have legal sports betting, only 8 currently have regulated online poker sites for people to enjoy. This guide will showcase where you can legally play poker online in the US, tips on choosing the best site for your needs, a guide on how to get started, and much more.

Only 8 US states currently have legal online poker. While lawmakers in other potentially massive markets like New York regularly consider legalization, the following states are the only ones with live platforms up and running:

  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Michigan
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • West Virginia

US Poker Networks

With some of the states with legal sports betting being relatively small, they often band together to form a poker network. This means they share the traffic, with users playing against people from other states.

The main legal poker networks in the US currently are WSOP, BetMGM, PokerStars, and 888poker.

A total of 43 US states and Washington, D.C. currently don’t have legal poker available. We’ll update our list as soon as lawmakers allow the activity in other regions. People in the following states often turn to offshore poker sites to play their favorite games remotely:

How to Select a Good Poker Site

With a good selection of poker sites on the market for US players, it can be a difficult process narrowing down the options. Our expert team has many years of experience reviewing the best poker sites, so you don’t have to. Here are some of the main things they look out for when doing so:

  • Possesses a Legit License: The first step is making sure the poker site is safe to use. We look to see if it has a license from a reputable regulator, as this ensures everything is up to the necessary player protection standards.
  • Read Player Reviews: To get a good insight into what we can expect with a poker site, we take into account the reviews of real-life players through Trustpilot and similar platforms. We also search social media and poker forums to see if people have any concerns.
  • Game Variety: Then we want to make sure the range of poker gameplay options are satisfactory, looking out for the most popular poker variants like No Limit Texas Hold’em and Omaha Stud Poker.
  • Selection of Formats: Not everyone wants to always play cash games, so we look at the selection of tournaments and sit’n gos. This includes assessing the guaranteed prize pools, the formats of these tournaments, and more.
  • Traffic Levels: One of the most important aspects of a poker site is the traffic levels. Strong traffic means you will have sufficient players to play your favorite games and not have to wait ages for tables to fill.
  • Rake: We want to always check the rake rate the operator takes and if it offers any rakeback incentives.
  • User Experience: Having a user-friendly platform and playing software is also important. We also consider the payment options and the withdrawal speed to ensure payments are swift and easy.

Playing cash games the whole time can get a bit stale, which is why the top US poker sites offer a variety of formats for you to enjoy. Here’s a look at some of the most popular options:

  • Cash Games: The staple of any poker site is the cash games. The top platforms will have plenty of variants to play, as well as different table limits to cater for all needs. Traffic levels are vital for strong cash games.
  • Tournaments: Many leading poker sites will have tournaments running regularly. Some can be massive satellite tournaments that can earn you a spot at the WSOP. Others will be small fields with prizes depending on the number of entries.
  • Sit’n Gos: These are a type of mini-tournament that sees you often taking on the people at your table and no more, with fixed prizes available to the top finishers.
  • Freerolls: Poker freerolls are a great way for beginners to learn the ropes without putting real money on the line. Poker sites sometimes cover your entry fees, so you can play poker for free.

How We Rate and Review US Online Poker Sites

To make sure we do a thorough job of reviewing the leading poker websites, our experts get hands-on and sign up for an account, add funds, and start playing. This allows us to get a proper feel for how the platform works. Here’s an insight into some of our main steps:

  1. Go to the Website or Download the App

    The first step is to get an initial overview of the poker platform, which means visiting the website or downloading the app. First impressions matter, so we look at the aesthetics, navigation system, and loading speeds.

  2. Create an Account

    Then we go ahead and sign up for a new account, taking note of how long this process takes and what are the necessary steps. This includes going through any KYC checks if that’s a requirement.

  3. Add Funds

    Depositing money to our new account is a must, so we select a popular payment method to see how easy and fast the payments can be. Then we’ll have real money in our account to start playing.

  4. Assess the Game Lobby

    We then take a look at the layout of the game lobby, testing the user experience by analyzing how easy it is to see the different options, including the number of people in specific tables, the limits, tournament entry fees, prizes, and so on.

  5. Begin Playing

    Once we take a look around, we’re ready to start playing a variety of cash games and tournaments to see how good the software is and assess the traffic levels.

  6. Withdraw Money

    After playing for a while, we’ll go ahead and withdraw our funds to make sure the payment speeds are what the operator promised.

How to Sign Up to an Online Poker Site

If you’ve decided on what site you wish to sign up for, you only have to follow a few steps and you’ll be playing poker online for real money. Here’s a quick walkthrough of the sign-up process with our preferred poker site CoinPoker:

Step 1: Download the App

How to sign up to coinpoker

When using CoinPoker on desktop or mobile, you’ll need to download the app. The download link is found on the website and the process takes less than a minute. The website clearly defines the system requirements for all types of devices.

Step 2: Create an Account

The registration form at CoinPoker

CoinPoker requires typical information like your full name, home address, and date of birth to play, as well as decide on a password and agree to the site’s terms and conditions.

Step 3: Add Funds

coinpoker

Go to the banking section and choose your preferred deposit method. CoinPoker is a cryptocurrency poker site, so you’ll have a variety of cryptos to choose from. Once you select an option, you copy the destination wallet address and send the funds to it. Make sure to take into account the welcome bonus, which has a $20 minimum deposit requirement.

Step 4: Start Playing

coinpoker mobile app

Now that you’ve got real funds in your account, you can start exploring the game lobby and choose something that catches your eye. Simply click on the table and decide what seat you want to play on, and the action begins.

Playing Online Poker Responsibly

While millions of people enjoy playing online poker and treat it as a fun pursuit, a small percentage of people run into problems controlling themselves. This can lead to people chasing losses and playing with money they can’t afford to lose.

Most leading poker sites offer account restriction tools that can help you limit your session. These can include loss limits, deposit limits, and self-exclusion. There are also plenty of helpful support organizations for anyone who is struggling, which you can learn more about on our responsible gambling page.

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