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Five Things You Should Know Before Playing Regulated Online Poker in the US

Although growth has been slow, the regulated online poker market in the United States is growing and is expected to enjoy new growth over the next five years as states begin seriously looking at online gambling and online sports betting.

Some of you may be thinking about giving regulated online poker a try in the United States. If you plan to do so, there are five things you should know before getting started.

Your Computer Needs a Proper Wi-Fi Connection

First, you need to ensure that your computer is able to be detected properly over Wi-Fi. Regulated online poker sites in the United States verify you via Wi-Fi and if you are trying to connect via hardlined connection or Wi-Fi router, you will not be able to play. Most laptops already have this functionality built in, but some states will be willing to sell or even give you a Wi-Fi dongle if you need help getting a detectable Wi-Fi connection.

You Must Be Physically in the State You Wish to Play In

If you wish to play online poker in NJ, Nevada, Delaware, and soon in Pennsylvania, you will have to physically be located in one of those states in order to play. Wi-Fi verification detects where you’re located and if your IP address does not exist in a range for your state, it will not let you connect.

Using a VPN to mask your location will not work either as the technology easily spots VPNs and again, you have to be able to be located via Wi-Fi in order to be allowed onto the network. Note that some players in border regions of a state may have some difficulty getting verified, and if that happens, contact the support for that state’s online poker site.

If Anyone Else is Playing In Your House or Hotel, You May Not Be Able to Play

On occasion, you may run into problems where you cannot connect and play because someone in your household or hotel is also playing on your preferred online poker site. This happens more often in hotels where people in different rooms are trying to connect to online poker sites.

The Wi-Fi verification service sees multiple people in the same location, and sometimes the same IP, trying to log in and they reject one or both of the players. This is another time you will have to contact support for help. Another option would be to connect to the internet via another internet provider, such as using your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot. That way your IP address doesn’t match the other person in your house or hotel.

You May Need to Visit the Casino to Register or Cash Out

In some cases, you may be required to physically visit the casino associated with your online poker site in order to register or to cash out. Often, this is because there is something that needs to be manually verified or if there is trouble with their online verification system verifying your information.

If you need to go to the casino to verify your information, make sure to take all of the proper identification and information necessary to properly identify you. Should you need to go to the casino to cash out, take two forms of ID, or you may not be able to cash out.

Player Pools Are Still on the Small Side

Since there are only three states that are regulated and offering games in the United States, the overall player pools are still somewhat small. The addition of New Jersey to the interstate network has helped, but there are times you might struggle to find action.

This will change once Pennsylvania gets online and joins the interstate network, but that may still be a couple of years away. At times, action will be adequate, especially during major tournament events and during the summer on WSOP.com due to the World Series of Poker.

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