Offshore Poker is the practice of playing poker online from a site located outside the United States. These sites are commonly referred to as offshore poker in Massachusetts, as they do not fall under US regulations. Offshore poker is legal in some states, like Delaware, which legalized the online game in 2013. Pennsylvania has passed similar legislation, and West Virginia is considering legislation that would allow online poker in 2021.
Offshore poker is legal in some states
Online poker is legal in most US states, but not in all of them. The Federal Wire Act allows states to regulate poker sites. Only one state – Washington – explicitly prohibits offshore poker. Most of the rest are in a gray area. Most conservative states focus on operators that accept US players.
UIGEA regulations took effect in 2009, but didn’t take effect until January. At that time, several sites pulled out of the US market, including Party Poker, which was the largest online poker site. Fortunately, the new law didn’t target individual poker players, but instead aimed at offshore sites, payment processors, and banks.
Delaware legalized online poker in 2013
The state of Delaware has legalized online poker. Three racinos have indicated that they are in the process of opening up new online gambling sites, but regulations are still in the works. Once they are finished, players will be able to play online poker and other table games, including parlay betting on NFL games. As a member of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, Delaware poker sites will share player pools with New Jersey and Nevada. This will give Delaware poker players access to better cash games and bigger tournaments.
Players in Delaware can play a variety of poker games, including pot-limit Omaha, No Limit Hold’em, and Omaha Hi/Lo. They can also participate in multi-table tournaments. There are currently at least two dozen guaranteed No-limit Texas Hold’em tournaments.
Pennsylvania legalized online poker in 2019
PA has legalized online poker since January 1st, 2019. Players from PA can deposit and withdraw money at any of the legal online poker sites. This allows for fast and convenient payments. Several payment methods are available, including credit card and debit card deposits. Players can also make withdrawals using their bank accounts. The most widely accepted methods are Visa and MasterCard.
Currently, there are a few restrictions for operating online poker sites in Pennsylvania. However, operators can offer a variety of poker games. For example, they can offer cash games, tournaments, sit & go tournaments, fast-fold poker, and Home Games. Pennsylvania also allows players to host private games and invite their friends to join.
West Virginia is considering similar legislation in 2021
In 2017, state delegate Shawn Fluharty introduced legislation to legalize online poker in the Mountain State. This bill would allow online poker operators to offer services to residents of West Virginia. It would also require them to collect information about customers so that they can confirm their location and identity. This would help prevent fraud and ensure that customers are within the state.
As a result of these efforts, many companies have expressed interest in opening an online poker site in the state. MGM Resorts International has ties to the state, including a sports betting agreement with The Greenbrier. Its BetMGM brand could also foster the growth of an online poker site. And 888 Holdings, the parent company of 888 Poker and the WSOP, has also indicated its intention to launch an online poker platform in WV. The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act provides a legal foundation for online poker in the state, establishing licensing standards for operators and responsible gambling standards.