Online poker sites are becoming increasingly popular and more people are playing for real money every day. As many as 15 million people play poker for money online. That’s almost two percent of the world’s adult population. Online poker offers a variety of different options, including cash games, tournaments, holdem, and omaha. Whatever your level of poker experience, you can find a game online. Online poker sites also allow for fast games.

Legal poker sites require verification of address and ID, as well as a back-up method of deposit, such as a credit card. In addition, the sites also require players to provide a backup method of payment, which may be a photo of a credit card blacked out except for the last four digits. Know Your Customer programs help prevent underage gambling and are available at legal poker sites. In addition, self-exclusion is an option. Online poker has come a long way since 2011 when the Department of Justice chased the global giants away. As of this writing, only four states have regulated the online poker industry.

Once you’ve found a good online poker site, you’ll need to download the appropriate software. Poker software requires a small amount of memory and shouldn’t take too long to download, even with an archaic connection. If you think an online poker site is rigged, don’t play there. If you think the site is rigged, withdraw your money and never play there again. You should also be aware that many poker sites make a large amount of money from the rake.

While collusion, superusers, and bots are legitimate concerns, the reality is much different. These issues rarely occur with a statistically significant sample size. Instead, players are the ones committing the cheating. In fact, most of the time, such cases involve a bot or collusion. In any case, these problems are caused by human nature and should not be taken lightly. The fact is, it is impossible to guarantee that your opponent isn’t cheating.

While the UIGEA was passed to prevent US banks from processing payments linked to online gambling, many sites continued to accept US players. These sites worked to work around the banking regulations and online poker remained popular. Ultimately, the UIGEA did little more than restrict access to online poker sites for Americans. It was enough for the industry to grow, though, and a few sites still managed to remain open to American players. And even if your bank doesn’t accept US players, you can still play for free and for real money online.

Regulatory barriers are the biggest hurdles that online poker sites face. Although Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan have already passed legislation approving online poker, these states have not yet been fully regulated. While they aren’t legalized yet, more states are considering it. And as more states pass legislation, the likelihood of regulation will grow. Then, more states will join the online poker world as well. With a few more legal states on board, it will be a much easier process.