Until 2011, online poker was effectively prohibited in the US, due to the DOJ’s interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act. However, this has changed as the Office of Legal Counsel has recently reexamined the Wire Act’s scope, largely due to the urging of states such as Illinois and New York. The likelihood of a federal ban of online gambling is decreasing each year. As more states consider implementing legislation, the issue of a nationwide ban of online poker will become less likely.
In order to play online poker, a player must first download a poker software package to their computer. The software program requires a small amount of RAM and should not take long to download, even on an archaic connection. Although no-download games are available at most poker sites, they do not provide as many features as the full-download version. If you want to play no-download games, you can do so at any time.
If you decide to play online poker, you must download poker software to your computer. This software takes up a minimal amount of memory and should not take long to download, even on archaic connections. Most poker sites also offer no-download versions of their games, but they don’t have as many features as the full-download versions. For these reasons, it’s important to choose a site that offers no-download versions. The drawbacks of playing no-download games are minor and will not affect your enjoyment of playing online.
Major online poker sites reformed their marketing strategy and stopped advertising their dot-com sites in American media. This was followed by the creation of “dot-net” sites, which do not offer real-money wagering. They instead market themselves as poker schools and free learning opportunities for newcomers, and do not mention the “This is not a gambling website” in their ads. Now, more states are reviewing their online gaming laws.
Most online poker sites will require you to be 18 years old or the equivalent of the legal age in your country to play. In some countries, however, the number of unlicensed gaming venues has increased dramatically, which has resulted in a large increase in the popularity of online poker. This has forced many casual players to look for alternative means to play poker. Despite the lack of live options in many countries, more than 80% of US residents play online, and the majority of operators are reporting a substantial increase in traffic.
Using online poker software is the best option for players in North America, where 15 million people play for real money. This represents 2.5% of the adult population. Compared to offline poker, playing on an online poker site has several advantages over live play. As well, there are fewer disadvantages to playing on an internet site. The number of games is much greater than in a live game, and players can easily find a game they are familiar with.