In 2018, the US government attempted to ban online poker. However, a decision by the Department of Justice (DOJ) overturned that interpretation. Several state governments expressed concern about the decision and fought it. The state of New Jersey spearheaded efforts to make online poker legal and safe in the US. Meanwhile, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission sued the DOJ seeking answers and protection from the federal government. Both sides fear that online poker will hurt interstate lottery sales.
Unlike conventional casinos, online poker websites don’t have large overhead costs like a big venue and hundreds of employees. Because of this, these websites can offer free poker games to those who want to get their feet wet. However, once a beginner learns the rules and strategies, they can move on to low-stakes games. Despite the low cost, online poker websites are still capable of holding poker tournaments without a large financial investment. Winners of these tournaments may receive real-life entry to a poker tournament.
Despite the lack of competition, online poker has a few advantages that make it different from live games. For example, the speed of play allows you to log ten times more hands than you could in live games. This artificially increases the variance of short-term results. Consequently, a player can experience more bad beats compared to a real-life counterpart. The more hands a player logs, the more variance they will experience.
Another benefit of online poker is that it can be played on a mobile device. This means that players can play on their smartphones and tablets. As a result, more people can play the game on their mobile devices. In addition to that, the software used by these online poker sites is often identical, allowing players to play without any issues with compatibility. These networks are generally managed by a third party developer. Despite this, the quality of online poker is guaranteed to be high, as long as it works properly on different mobile platforms.
While it can be hard to tell what is happening on a casino’s servers, online poker operators use geolocation software to track players’ devices. The software can be tampered with, so players need to be careful about what they allow these companies to track. Thankfully, legal online poker apps ask users’ consent before installing geolocation software on their devices. This software is crucial to ensure that players are playing poker in a legal jurisdiction. The software also protects players’ privacy and keeps their location private.
In the United States, online poker is regulated by individual states. In addition to Pennsylvania, Nevada, and West Virginia, several other states are considering online poker legislation. But the fact that online poker is regulated isn’t surprising. It is now illegal to bet outside your state. Nonetheless, many states have enacted regulations regarding the game. The biggest hurdle is getting a license. As long as you’re physically present in the state, you can register for an account at any regulated online poker site and play for real money.