One of the Few Remaining US Poker Sites

Since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, Americans have had problems knowing where they can play poker online– and how they can do it, given the United States government’s ban on banks funding internet gambling accounts and on businesses (even those that are not American businesses, which many international lawyers consider the US trying to legislate outside of their jurisdiction) accepting funds from US citizens. This was compounded with United States v. PokerStars et al. and United States v. Scheinberg et al., rulings that have become the cause of what is widely referred to as “Black Friday” among the poker community. These new court cases press both criminal and civil charges against what were previously the three largest internet poker sites (and their administration) catering to Americans– Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker.

Several sites still accept American players, and one of them in particular– Lock Poker, famous for the hefty Lock Poker bonus players get when signing up– is known for being an incredibly efficient when it comes to transferring money into and out of player accounts. To sign up with Lock Poker and begin playing, all you need is to head to the Lock Poker website (lockpoker.com) and download the software, which is available for PC, Linux, or Mac. You can use a Lock Poker bonus code to score a bigger Lock Poker bonus, but the standard bonus is 150% matching on up to $750 of money that you deposit into your account. That means that if you deposit 750 dollars, Lock Poker will give you $1125, just for playing. Many players have built their bankrolls on bonus money offered by online poker sites. In addition to the Lock Poker bonus money, they also have the highest credit card acceptance rate, and they allow players to pay by echeck.

Another contender for the business of online poker players from the United States is Carbon Poker, a site well known for its freerolls, which unlike those on many other sites, are actually free, although some require action points, the reward currency of Carbon Poker). Carbon Poker accepts a large number of payment options, including credit card payments, PIC-club (ideal for American Express cardholders), a slew of e-wallet options, and wire payments. Carbon Poker reports a 24-hour turnaround to get money into and out of your account with them; sometimes, they’re hassled by the US governmental regulations, but the staff seems to know good ways to deal with these problems. The join bonus matches up to $600 at 100% for your first deposit, so it’s not as good as the Lock Poker bonus, but it’s still a decent incentive.

There are still options for poker players from the United States, although the face of online poker (and international business) is constantly evolving. For the time being, you can grab a Lock Poker bonus code or gear up for the free new player entry into Carbon Poker’s tournaments, as both of these sites have been around long enough to know how to keep players happy.