Many poker players in the US still believe that they cannot legally play online poker at this time because of the 2006 UIGEA gambling act that is ineffectively being enforced. Even though it isn’t technically a regulated activity, there are still millions of US citizens who are playing poker online in some of the largest rooms on the Internet and placing real money bets at online casinos as you read this.
If you are looking for a US-friendly online casino or poker room to check out, try Golden Palace Casino or Golden Palace Poker. This online gambling brand has made a point to offer a wide range of depositing options in order to accommodate most all deposits made by US players.
There are some online gambling operations that have rejected US players and prohibited them from making deposits, placing wagers, creating accounts, and even accessing the home page, and they will continue to do so until the US online gambling saga is resolved.
The best and most popular way, currently, for US gamblers to make deposits online at casinos and poker rooms is via eChecks, which are just like paper checks that you write from your bank account. These are easy and simple and work both ways—for both deposits and withdrawals.
You can also fund accounts via NETeller and Moneybookers, both of which allow deposits via a third-party service. Many online gambling sites encourage this to promote anonymity.
Most online poker rooms do accept credit cards, but there is a lot of red tape and stipulations attached to credit card transactions, specifically when you are trying to take cash out of your online casino or poker account. Only use credit cards at online casinos and card rooms as a last resort when no other option is available to you.
There are about 50 US Senators and Representatives from Congress who support regulation of Internet gambling, and this number keeps growing as politicians are repeatedly being asked to support policy changes where online gambling is concerned. The US government recently launched a website that called for policy change requests from US citizens. Online gambling ranked a number one concern right up there with environmental issues and healthcare interests.
The bottom line may be that the US could stand to benefit substantially by legalization, regulation, and then taxation of online gambling revenue and winnings.