Free US Poker

UIGEA depositing restrictions

The UIGEA Bill has greatly affected player depositing capabilities in the US. Players are no longer able to transfer funds directly from their bank accounts into their online poker accounts. The UIGEA Bill strictly prohibits financial institutions across the US from depositing funds into poker sites. The government argues that this habit has contributed to the money laundering activities which have become very rampant in America. Previously, it was very easy for players to key in their bank account details into poker sites and have their money transferred into their accounts. They could also visit the bank and transfer the funds personally. That is not the case now as most financial institutions prefer not to indulge in such activities which are now deemed illegal.

Poker sites fight back

Many poker sites are however coming up with ways of accepting funds from US citizens without necessarily breaking the law. There are some unscrupulous poker rooms and financial institutions out there which are also offering the transfer services outside the scope of the law. It’s advisable that players not indulge in this behaviour because it will ultimately end up doing them more harm than good. It is well stated in the constitution that financial institutions are not at liberty to dispense funds into online poker accounts. On the other hand, players around the world should also be very keen before depositing money into any poker site.

Stay on the right side of the law

Be keen in ensuring that you have met the legal requirements of your host country and also in ensuring that you completely understand the legal requirements of the other country. For example, if travelling to America, you should be well aware of the UIGEA Bill before going ahead to play poker online. One may decide to deposit funds into their online poker account from their personal bank account and end up on the wrong side of the law. This is because not all financial institutions follow the UIGEA Bill and some will go an ahead to transfer the money to a person’s online poker account without the individual actually knowing that it is illegal. Later on, audit processes may end up exposing the transactions and this may end up entrapping the individual in legal battles whereas he/she innocently was not aware. But the law is not in a position to understand that. It more often than not will translate it as a collusion between the financial institution and the individual. Be careful therefore before depositing money into a poker site and be considerate of the host country legal requirements.

This information can easily be collected from review sites and forums in the internet. Also, one can talk to friends or read what particular poker sites demand before depositing money. It is not always or even often that a country will completely bar its citizens from participating in gambling activities over the internet. The mode of cash transfer and certain other modalities may however be different and these are the ones to watch out for. They may end up placing one on the wrong side of the law.

Poker Site Depositing Options

Poker rooms have devised new methods of receiving payments from US citizens in a bid to go around the UIGEA Bill restrictions. The most common methods being adapted include use of Moneygram, Western union, debit and credit cards, cash deposits, use of ewallets and checking account deposits. Moneygram is a method which involves sending money in the form of a letter. It’s very convenient and fast and allows for very high amounts at a time.

Western Unions has also become common for many poker players. The financial institution however has its limitations. Due to its high reputation and reliance, it opts to keep on the side of the country’s wishes and in the case of the US, it does have its own exceptions and does not necessarily allow deposits into poker sites’ accounts.

Credit and Debit

The most preferred method of payment for most US citizens is through debit cards and credit cards. In a way this does violate the UIGEA Bill, but no financial institution has been indicted in relation to this and thus the use of debit cards and credit cards has become very common. One advantage of using any one of these two methods for players is that the money is actually transferred immediately and they can begin playing their game immediately. Acceptance of debit cards and credit cards has gained a lot of positive reception among poker playing US citizens.

Cash deposits

Cash deposits have also become very common. The main problem with this system is that most poker sites are situated away from the US and thus it becomes a hustle to have money deposited through cash. Poker rooms are trying to open up shop in US states which could be used as deposit points. This way US citizens can just walk up to these booths, deposit their money through a cashier and go on to play their game as the money is directly deposited into their online poker account. Some poker rooms are getting into collaboration with US casinos and gambling houses whereby Americans can go and deposit their cash to these institutions under the poker room in which they intend to have their money transferred. This is of course being done by giving commissions to these casinos from the poker rooms.

EWallets and E-Money

Ewallets have become very common in present day e-commerce. Some other examples of e-money include e-gold, moneybookers, paypal etc. They are endless and have created an ease in transfer of money over the internet. The problem with e-money is that some of those websites are actually used to collect information about people which is later used in ordinary and synthetic identity theft. Some also end up vanishing once they have served the public for some time and want to close down shop. It is difficult to trace them because they end up giving fake residence addresses and fake owner information. Ewallets have however become popular and websites such as Bodog accept them. Checking account deposits which include the use of checks to deposit funds into online poker sites has also become a common phenomenon between poker sites and players.