Legal Poker Sites in the USA

Poker is one of the most popular casino games, and playing the game in legitimate USA poker sites means you’re up for some seriously good bonuses, safe gameplay, and exciting tournaments. As the game attracts millions of players in both online and land-based casinos, there are plenty of online sites that offer PvP poker in the USA, but not all of them are as good or even legal.

In our extensive review, you’ll find all of the details regarding online poker, as well as a list of the best licensed poker sites in the US. Let’s roll.

Top 3 Legal Poker Sites in the USA

Numerous poker sites accept US players, but not all of them are worthy of your time. This is our list of the top three legal poker sites in the US:

BetMGM Poker

BetMGM Poker is where the real Player vs Player Poker shines, as the operator hosts a variety of tournaments, including:

• SPINS Tournaments
• Sit & Go Tournaments
• Daily C-Note Tournaments
• BetMGM Daily Tournaments
• Borgata Poker Open Championship

Out of these, the BetMGM daily tournaments are our favorites, as the buy-ins range between $5 and $535, making it accessible to players with all kinds of budgets. Plus, you can play with cash, Tournament Dollars or Tournament Tickets.

BetMGM doesn’t shy away with its poker offers either, as there are 6 bonuses, including a welcome offer, a cashback grind, different types of online championships, friend referrals, hot tables, and builder power hours.

As a new player, you can get 100% up to $1,000 on your first deposit and $75 no deposit tournament tickets! 

As of now, BetMGM Poker is only available in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey to anyone 21+ or older. If you live in West Virginia, though, you can create a BetMGM Casino account and play 25 poker games, including RNG and live dealer poker.

Borgata Online Poker

Borgata stands as another top licensed online poker operator in the US, offering a variety of PvP poker games and tournaments, including:

• Daily C-Note Tournament
• Hot Tables
• SPINS Tournaments
• Borgata Daily Tournaments

At Borgata, we suggest you give the Daily C-Note Tournament a try, as it’s available every day at 7 PM. You can buy in with cash, Tournament Dollars or Tournament Tickets. The buy-in is set at $100, while the starting chips are $50,000. At the moment, this is a No Limit Hold’em with Re-Entries tournament, but they tend to vary.

You can start your poker rounds with Borgata’s online poker welcome bonus, which is a 100% deposit match up to $1,000 and $75 in Tournament Tickets. You can also expect some cashback offers (though they expire from time to time) and Builder Power Hours.

Borgata Online Poker is available only to players over 21 and residing in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. You can also access Borgata Casino and enjoy 25 poker games, including Double Double Regal Poker and First Person Video Poker.

Caesars Palace Online Casino (WSOP)

Caesars Palace Online Casino gets you access to various video poker and live poker games. Here are some of them:

• Game King Video Poker
• Ultimate X Poker Triple Pay
• First Person Video Poker
• Live Dealer Video Poker

These games have buy-ins starting from $0.10 and going up to $5,000, which is excellent.

However, if you’re looking for an actual PvP Poker, you can check one of Caesars’ products – The World Series of Poker. WSOP is available in Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Your options include WSOP Live Poker and WSOP online poker, such as taking part in the WSOP Online Mega Circuit Event and Big Sunday. Some of the available games include No Limit Texas Hold ’em, Omaha, and Poker Stud.

You can start your WSOP journey with a 100% deposit match up to $1,000 on your first deposit. You can also connect your Caesars Rewards account to WSOP and collect points as you play.

How Does Online Poker Work?

Online poker is difficult to cover fully due to the many variants available, far more than in traditional poker rooms or casinos. Players can enjoy games like Texas Hold’em, Stud, Omaha, Deep Stack, Razz, and others, in various formats such as tournaments, cash games, and Sit and Go’s.

WOnline poker operates much like traditional poker but in a virtual environment. Players log into an online poker site, create an account, and deposit funds. They can then join a variety of poker games or tournaments with players from around the world. The game is managed by software that deals the cards, tracks the betting rounds, and handles the pot. Players use on-screen controls to place bets, fold, or raise, and the software ensures fairness through random number generation (RNG).

The entry fees are generally lower than in land-based casinos, as they start at just $0.10 but can go up to $2,000 per hand/game. These amounts will usually be stated either in the lobby or once you start a game. Unlike poker in land-based casinos, the exit is also slightly different. In tournaments, you can sit out or lose your stack, while in cash games, you can either sit out or simply get up whenever you want.

The Legalisation of Online Poker in the USA

The legalization of online poker in the US is a complicated process, as every state has different bills. The first states that legalized online poker in 2013 were New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.

Even though it’s been more than a decade since, only 5 more states followed, and some of them (like Connecticut and West Virginia) still don’t have online poker sites launched.

On a more positive note, there are several states, like Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, and New York, where regulation is being discussed, but we’ll have to wait to see the results.

On the other hand, in states like California, Oregon, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, and Louisiana, regulation discussions have been open for quite some time, but there haven’t been any movements in terms of legalization.

In Which States Can You Legally Play Online Poker?

As of 2024, online poker is legal in 8 US states:

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

Why You Should Never Play at Offshore Online Poker Sites

The choice for offshore poker sites certainly isn’t lacking, with more sites looking to bypass the security measures and offer their services to US players. While tempting, playing at offshore poker sites is not definitely recommended. Here are the two main reasons against choosing these gambling venues:

1. They are not legal
2. They are not safe

US online poker sites must adhere to stringent know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations; offshore sites don’t.

Not to mention, many sites operate under false licenses or no license at all. Additionally, if the site cheats on players, i.e., offers rigged games or just refuses to pay out, players aren’t protected by US law, so they cannot take legal action.

How to Start Playing Online Poker?

Starting with online poker is simple and shouldn’t take you more than 2 minutes. Here’s how:

1. Pick one of our top 3 recommendations for US poker sites.
2. Alternatively, find a reputable and legal site that accepts US players.
3. Create an account following the casino’s instructions.
4. Head to the bonus section and decide if you want to claim any of the available bonuses.
5. Next, head to the cashier section.
6. Choose your preferred payment method and make your deposit.
7. Find a poker game or tournament you want to take part in.
8. Take a virtual seat at the table, set your betting hands, and start playing!

How We Rate Online Poker Sites

When reviewing online poker sites, we are meticulous in our research and have several criteria by which we rate them. Here is more about our rating process:

Availability and Quality of the Game Types

We always check the site’s game library, particularly its poker selection and whether it offers more options. We also consider the quality of the games as a determining factor, as well as the minimum and maximum chip-ins, to determine whether the games/tournaments are accessible to players with low budgets.

Poker Bonuses

We cannot recommend an online casino without first looking into their promotions page. We always check if the bonuses are available for poker, if they have fair requirements, and the general T&Cs associated with them. We’re talking about wagering requirements, min/max betting limits, validity, and much more.

Reliability

Site reliability and reputability are high on our list of priorities. We ensure that all our recommended operators maintain a reputable online image, hold valid licenses, and undergo regulation and third-party audits. For NJ players, this means the site must be regulated by the NJDGE and possess the proper credentials.

Deposits and Withdrawals

The variety and safety of payment methods and the speed of transactions are other important ranking factors for us. We’re looking for sites that offer several secure payment options, i.e., a mix of bank cards, e-wallets, prepaid cards, mobile payment systems, and bank transfers. Fast and fee-less withdrawals are always a plus.

Player Friendliness

UX can make or break a player’s experience with an online site. We rate sites based on their UI and UX and how easy it is for players to find their way around. We’re talking about the ease of registering an account, how long it takes for the account to be verified, how easy it is to claim a bonus, etc.

Poker Traffic

Tournaments and poker operators with more poker traffic mean more chip-ins, which in turn means a bigger prize pool. That’s why we check the poker traffic on the sites we review by examining them at different times.

Poker Software

The quality and variety of game and tournament providers can significantly affect your player experience. So, we review the available providers before we make our list of top poker sites. This also ensures that the games aren’t rigged, as popular software providers are always tested and certified by gaming commissions and independent fairness laboratories.

Types of Online Poker Games

There are more types of online poker games available than you can find in land-based casinos, which makes these legal poker sites even more appealing. Some of the basic types include:

Texas Hold’em

The most well-known poker variant, where each player is dealt two private cards and must use five shared community cards to make the best possible hand.

Omaha

Similar to Texas Hold’em, but each player receives four private cards and must use exactly two of them, combined with three of the five community cards, to form a hand.

Seven Card Stud

A traditional form of poker where players receive seven cards throughout the hand—three face-down and four face-up—and must make the best five-card combination.

Draw Poker

In this classic variant, players are dealt five cards and have the opportunity to exchange one or more cards in an effort to improve their hand.

Stud Poker

A category of poker where players are dealt a combination of face-up and face-down cards in multiple rounds, such as Seven Card Stud, with no community cards shared between players.

Some less available yet popular variants include Chinese Poker, HORSE Poker, Short Deck, Razz, Badugi, and more.

In addition to traditional poker on poker sites, there are other poker variants where you play against the dealer. These include Video Poker, where players aim to create the best hand from the cards dealt, and RNG poker games, which are entirely virtual with the computer acting as the dealer. Unlike player-versus-player poker on poker sites, these games fall under the category of online casino games. It’s important to understand that the legality and regulation of these online casino games vary from state to state, separate from the regulations governing online poker between players.

If you want to learn more about all different types of poker you can visit our Poker Games page.

Types of Online Poker Tournaments

As someone looking for PvP legal poker sites, you should also know the difference between the poker tournaments:

• Sit & Go Tournaments: These tournaments are great for low-budget players, as most buy-ins start at $1, including the fee. The tournament starts when the table is filled. This prize structure is based on buy-ins, and it offers quick play and a place to develop your poker skills.
• Heads Up Tournaments: This is a tournament where just you and one opponent are involved. You advance to the next game once you win against your opponent. The last standing player is the winner. These are short matches and require a lot of skill, but the prizes are amazing, as you don’t share them but take the whole pot as the winner.
• Multi-Table Tournaments: Multi-table tournaments are not a type of tournament per se but more of a subtype of existing tournaments. For example, Sit & Go tournaments can be multi-table, where there are several tables playing for the same shared prize.
• Qualifiers: Qualifiers are tournaments that let you advance to the next tournaments, i.e., you must pass the qualifying tournament to get to the real deal.

Poker Bonuses

Online casinos that have a special section for poker, like BetMGM Poker, always have online poker bonuses. You can enjoy different types of deals, such as:

• Welcome Offers: These are meant for newly registered players only and can either be no deposit bonuses, deposit matches, or both. You usually get your deposit doubled (100% match) and get some extra tournament tickets.
• Cashback: Some online casino sites offer weekly or monthly poker cashback, which means you get a percentage of your losses back as a betting balance or as more reward points. The percentage and type of cashback bonus vary from one operator to another.
• Builder Power Hours: Casinos like BetMGM and Borgata have BRP offers, which double your BetMGM Reward Points by playing in a specified time and with real money wagers.
• Friend Referrals: You get free bonuses by inviting players to join you. Usually, the bonus is released after your referral makes a deposit. For instance, at BetMGM, you can invite up to 20 friends every month, and you get a $50 bonus for each of them.
• Hot Tables: These are randomly selected tables where extra money is added to the prize pot, which means the rewards are bigger than the player’s chip-ins. There usually are multiple levels of Hot Tables, and you can advance through them by winning.

Security of Online Poker Sites

The legal poker sites that we recommend have passed our rigorous ranking process, which includes checking their security. Our top recommendations have:

• Appropriate US state license
• Secure KYC measures
• Approved payment methods
• Safe payment gateways
• SSL encryption
• Responsible gambling tools

If you pick one of our recommended legal poker sites, you can be sure that you are playing at a safe online site.

Payment Methods at Legal Poker Sites

The payment options at online poker sites vary depending on your chosen operator. In all cases, you’ll find the following payment method types:

• Credit/debit cards: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, or similar.
• E-wallets: Skrill, Neteller, PayPal
• Mobile Payments: Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo 
• Prepaid cards: Play+
• Bank Transfers: Online Banking, VIP Prefered e-Check
• Gift Cards

Every payment method has its own min/max deposit limits, but most start at $10 and go up to $6,000. As far as withdrawals go, the limits usually start at $20. On average, withdrawals are processed within 3 days, but some casinos/payment options may take up to 10 days.

Keep in mind that not all deposit methods are available for withdrawals. What’s more, most casino operators limit you to using the same method for both deposits and withdrawals, which means you may be stuck with a slower withdrawal if you use a payment card for deposit. This is why we recommend using e-wallets or mobile payments for the optimal experience.

Mobile Apps for Legal Poker Sites

Every licensed online casino operator in the US offers native iOS and Android apps. This means that you will for sure find an app in the Play Store and App Store. However, poker sites sometimes bring their own dedicated software that you might also have to download to be able to access the tournaments.

If we take WSOP (Caesars Palace product) as an example, you can download WSOP Poker via the App Store for your iPhone and iPad or get it from the Play Store for your Android device.

Legal Poker Sites vs Live Poker

As we already mentioned, there is a difference between online and live poker. Online poker is very convenient because it lets you play from wherever you want (as long as you’re in a state where online poker is legal). This flexibility comes at the cost of the social factor of live poker, which allows players to interact and truly enjoy the physical aspect of the game. Because there are no spatial constraints, online poker sites offer many more poker variants, whereas real-life poker is usually limited to just a few tables.

Online Poker	Live Poker
Available at all times	Only available during certain hours
Run by a computer	Run by a real dealer
No social interaction	Social interaction
Shared prize pots	Shared prize pots
Accessible betting limits	The betting limits might be higher

Poker Strategy and Tips

With so many poker variants available, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy. However, we can offer you some helpful tips and tricks that will put you ahead of the game.

Keep your bankroll in mind

No matter what poker variant you’re playing, this is the most important thing to keep in mind. If you set aside $100 to play poker, you don’t want to spend $10 per round. Instead, space your money out to make it last as long as possible.

Don’t chase losses or wins

It’s not uncommon to hear about players getting several lucky hands in a row only to lose it all by the end of the evening. It’s okay to slightly raise the stakes if you see you’re on a hot streak, but don’t overdo it. Similarly, if Lady Luck doesn’t smile on you, walking away might be a better choice than trying to brute force things.

Make a plan for each game

When encountering a new poker game, it’s important to consider its rules while planning your strategy. For example, Mississippi Stud doesn’t have a dealer to face off against. As such, even weak poker hands are safe to play, as you aren’t at risk of losing. With other titles, you have to take into account that the dealer may have a better hand. Try to find a strategy guide for the game you’re playing whenever possible.

Fold if you’re unsure

As humans, we don’t like to lose, and that’s exactly what folding is. However, at times, folding is the best thing to do. Yes, you can get lucky and turn a bad hand into a great one, but that’s not the right call if you’re trying to play strategically. Because of that, it’s better to fold and only lose a dollar instead of five when the situation isn’t optimal.

Practice makes perfect

Most online poker games can be tried at no cost using demo mode. This lets you experience what a game is like before spending real money on it. We recommend trying a few rounds, testing any strategies with free play, and then switching to real money.

FAQs about Legal Poker Sites

The History of Poker

Poker being so popular among Americans is no surprise. After all, the game did originate in the United States at some point during the 19^th century. It was influenced by various European card games which were popular at the time, such as primero and brag. The game spread across the Mississippi River, evidenced in popular poker variants still referencing Mississippi to this day. Early poker was played with either 52 or 20 cards, with the former eventually winning.

The game saw massive changes over its lifespan. While we take flushes and draws for granted, they weren’t part of the game till sometime before 1850. Community card poker, which is the favored poker variant today, wasn’t even a thing until the 1920s.

Poker’s popularity eventually led to the creation of poker tournaments, where the most skilled players competed for big rewards. The most famous of these is the World Series of Poker, which popularized the game enough to make it a mainstay in many American casinos. This paved the way for the so-called ‘poker boom’ in the 1980s. After the US government legalized casino gaming on Indian lands, players flocked to the newly opened poker rooms.

The first online poker game came out in 1998, and with it came another poker boom. It was at its strongest between 2003 and 2006 when most Americans had easy access to poker sites. However, with the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, many online poker sites closed their doors. Despite this, the popularity of poker has only continued to climb, hence its inclusion in many regulated US online casinos.

Interesting Facts About Poker

• The first poker game was broadcast on national television in 1973 when CBS Sports aired the WSOP tournament on their channel.
• Initially, poker was played with just 20 cards. The 52-card deck we know today came about later as an effort to accommodate more players.
• In 2012, the first $1 million game of poker was played. There were 48 players in the tournament, with the winner taking home over $18 million in winnings.
• Supposedly, the longest-running game of poker lasted more than eight years. It took place in 1881 in the Bird Cage Theatre in Arizona.
• President Richard Nixon was an avid poker fan and allegedly financed his first political campaign with his poker winnings.
• A mathematician at Anderson University in Indiana calculated that the odds of getting a royal flush are a whopping 649,740:1.