Advantages of Online Poker

Online poker is the fastest-growing industry worldwide, and the DOJ’s interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act effectively prohibited it in the US until 2011. But that ban has been weakened by the efforts of Illinois, New Jersey, and other states to increase transparency and enforcement of gambling laws. The likelihood of a federal online poker ban is decreasing every year, according to the latest federal government statistics. In the meantime, players can take advantage of the variety of options available to them.

Online poker is available to people in every country, but many countries don’t allow players to play on foreign sites. The United States has a long tradition of online gambling. The first sites opened their doors to American residents in the late 1990s. After Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 win, the unregulated market grew. During the following decade, however, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) halted the growth of a number of sites in the U.S. but left PokerStars and other sites open to U.S. players.

Another advantage of online poker is that the table limits are much lower than at a traditional casino. The marginal cost to open a table at an online site is extremely low, meaning that a player can play for as little as a penny. As a result, online poker sites offer low deposit limits as a means of encouraging newcomers to join their games. In addition, some of these sites offer special holiday themed bonuses. If you play enough online poker, you can even win big.