Top Rated Brands for US Residents

Each form of online gambling has its own band of dedicated followers, and every game has its advantages and disadvantages. Slots or pokies, for instance, have the advantage of being simple and undemanding to play but rely mainly on luck for success. Online poker, on the other hand, has a high skill component alongside a measure of luck, and this makes it attractive for people who like to compete with others. For the best USA poker online, there are many factors to consider, not least the question of legality. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed to curb or control internet gaming in the USA. As so often with laws, it caused confusion but the current position is that it now depends on individual state decisions.

It is therefore not just a question of the best USA poker sites so much as which state a player resides in, although most states are now passing bills on legalization. Players should check out the current position for their own state before signing up. The following casinos offer some of the best US poker games online. Bovada (banned in NY, MD, WA & UT); BetOnline (accepts all players); Sportsbook (banned in NY, MD, WA, UT, DC, LA & MI); Carbon (banned in NY, MD, WA & UT); and Sportsbetting (accepts all players).

Bovada has some of the best USA poker online, good bonuses, a wide range of games and flexibility in the player's account. They accept Visa, wire transfer, Western Union and MoneyGram. A major attraction is the weekly guaranteed prize of $100,000. BetOnline is big on sports betting but has moved into poker with software for both Macs and PCs. There are regular promotions and they accept payment from the above plus eChecks and money orders. Sportsbook offers great software with fast speeds plus a great sign-up bonus and simple payment systems.

Carbon Poker is also considered some of the best USA poker and also has a generous sign-up bonus plus good loyalty bonuses and a huge range of games like Badugi. These exciting games have made it one of the most popular sites in 2013. One of the rapidly emerging areas is to play mobile games through an app on the mobile phone. Specialized software at casinos has made it possible to bring the recreation of the game experience onto the small screen, and it works on major platforms like Android, Windows, IOS and BlackBerry.

The main way in which the UIGEA legislation operates is to restrict the payment and deposit options at the US banks. Major credit cards (but not American Express) such as Visa and Mastercard (with some difficulties) get around this obstacle, as do Western Union and traditional wire transfers. In addition, the majority of states are moving to remove many of these financial obstacles, not least because of the huge popularity of online gaming and the problems of enforcement. Instead, there will be licensing systems implemented to encourage some of the best practices in the industry.