Why Poker Players Play at Unregulated Online Poker Sites

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Unregulated online poker rooms have been in the news lately and a question we’ve often been asked is why players choose to play at unregulated poker sites. While legal online poker rooms like PokerStars and partypoker are enjoyed by players in many countries, they are inaccessible by many others, including poker players in the United States.

Today, we take a look at why these players choose to play at unregulated online poker rooms. They risk their bankrolls at sites that have a history of problems just for a chance to play their favorite game.

They Don’t Understand the Risks

The most common reason people play at unregulated online poker rooms is that they don’t understand the risks. Some sign up assuming that the site is legitimate and that they will take care of any problems. Others assume that the sites are bound by the laws of their state or country.

Other players may actually understand that the site isn’t regulated but don’t understand the pitfalls that incur. They don’t realize that unregulated sites are much more likely to have problems with payments and are much more likely to close up shop unannounced.

Scam artists rely on misinformation or the uninformed to fuel their scam. While poker players are generally viewed as smarter individuals, there are many out there that are simply uninformed regarding the realities of unregulated online poker.

Some Players Actually Get Paid

One reason some people sign up for unregulated online poker rooms is that they read stories from other players that have been paid by the casino. There are dozens of websites around the internet that allow players to comment on online poker rooms. A few players get paid from the poker room, and suddenly the site is pegged as “legit” because they got paid.

Yes, this happens, and often. Some unregulated poker rooms try to operate legitimately, at least for a time. They pay out as they should to build public trust. It is later that problems can, and often do, arise.

Other times, a lot of players that are receiving these payouts are those that are requesting small amounts. A player getting a $50 or $100 cash out is not the same as someone trying to cash out $5,000. When problems start arising with payments, those with larger amounts are the ones that get stiffed while smaller accounts may receive payments.

Trusted Source “Recommend” The Poker Room

Once an online poker room opens, unregulated or not, you can generally find various sources that will back the site. Unfortunately, many of these recommendations are paid recommendations from the website.

For example, if a trusted poker news site suddenly starts promoting a poker room you’ve never heard of, it is likely they have struck a deal with the poker room. Sometimes this is simply an affiliate deal where they receive a payment when players sign up for the poker room through an affiliate link.

Other times, the source may have received a direct payment to hype the website. For example, poker pros that promote online poker rooms are doing so because they are being paid to do so. They don’t do it out of “love for the game” but rather their love of seeing their bank account grow.

They Only Make a Small Deposit

A lot of poker players will look at an unregulated online poker site and make rationalizations to play at the site. One of the most common is “I know it’s unregulated, so I will just deposit a small amount.” This could be as little as $25 but is generally between $50 and $100.

For many players, $50 isn’t a big deal and they don’t care if they lose it. But what generally happens is that they end up losing that $50 and continue putting up small deposits. That $50 suddenly balloons up to $500 to $1,000 and the player has ended up donating a huge chunk to the casino.

Or let’s assume you deposit $50 and win. How will you feel if you run up $50 to $1,000 and can’t cash it out? Will you feel good that you only put up $50 or will you be pissed because you were screwed out of $1,000?

No Other Viable Option

Living in the United States, the only legal online poker sites are those in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware, and I have to be physically located in those states to play. I have no other alternative for online poker unless I want to play at an unregulated poker room.

This is the case for many people in the United States and in countries where online poker is unregulated. They have no other alternative and they are so desperate to play that they risk their money at unregulated poker rooms.

While we understand your plight, you are still taking a huge risk with your money and will have zero recourse if things go south. Instead, we recommend either playing at a live poker room, or even traveling to a location where you can access legal poker sites.

Legal poker sites protect your funds and their games are certified as authentic. If there is a problem that a poker room will not handle, you have regulatory and legal recourse. Playing at legal poker rooms is really the best option to stay safe while playing online poker.