PLAY iPAD POKER LEGALLY IN THE UNITED STATES

It has been an extremely frustrating few years for poker players in the United States who want to compete in real-money ring games and tournaments on their iPad Air, Samsung Galaxy, Google Nexus, iPhone 5S or Nokia Lumia Windows Phone.  Ever since the U.S. Department of Justice forced Full Tilt and PokerStars to withdraw from the U.S. market, it has not been possible to play real money poker on either iOS or Android devices.  Finally there is light at the end of the tunnel following the release of a brand new mobile poker client from a US facing poker network.

BETONLINE MOBILE POKER

BetOnline is part of the popular Chico Network, which is the third most popular poker network for US-based players.  Their mobile poker software is compatible with any iOS or Android device and offers SNG's, Multi-Table Tournaments and real-money ring games.  Play instantly from your tablet or phone.

IGNITION USA iPAD POKER 

When Bovada decided to remove poker from their website, they moved everything over to Ignition Casino.  At Ignition you can play mobile poker on your PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet.  Texas Hold'em and Omaha cash games are available as well as fast fold poker.  Ignition only accepts US citizens.

NITROGEN POKER - BITCOIN ONLY

Nitrogen Sports have added mobile poker to their already popular bitcoin sportsbooks.  With Nitrogen Sports you register anonymously by just providing a username and password and start playing from anywhere in the world.  US citizens can quickly buy bitcoin at either Circle.com or Coinbase.com.

Do any Android or iPhone poker rooms accept US players?

Even though most online and mobile poker rooms do not welcome players from the United States, a small number of iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Android poker rooms have begun to accept real money gamers from the U.S.  There is no point in searching for real-money apps in the App Store or Google Play, as both Apple and Google have very onerous approval processes when it comes to approving any type of casino, sports betting, casino or poker gambling app.

Can I play bitcoin poker on my iPad in the USA?

Bitcoin gambling has seen huge growth over the past couple of years.  Real money gamblers in the United States who are tired of their countries legal restrictions are increasingly turning to bitcoin poker sites.  These bitcoin poker rooms allow you to join anonymously and play for real money on iPad.   

Is online gambling legal in certain U.S. States?

Yes, online gambling is now legal in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware although heavy restrictions have been placed on the online gambling companies.  The U.S. is losing billions every year in potential taxes so cash strapped states are introducing legislation that will allow them to tax revenue generated through online and mobile gambling.

How does geo-location on iOS phones and tablets restrict real-money gamblers in the US?

New Jersey have granted online gambling licenses to a limited number of poker rooms and casinos.  These companies will only be allowed to operate if they can ensure that their gambling apps will only work inside NJ state borders.  To achieve this they will employ the iOS geolocation facility that can pinpoint the location of any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.  Any of the approved poker or casino apps will not activate if the user moves to another country or state.

Can I use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to play mobile poker in the United States?

Some of you may be aware that it is possible to hide or change the I.P. location of your phone or tablet using a VPN service.  This can be extremely useful if you want to watch Hulu outside the United States or enjoy the BBC iPlayer outside of the United Kingdom.  This same technology can also be used by American citizens who want to play the PokerStars or Full Tilt apps in the USA, however,  we don't recommend it for the following reasons.

  • You cannot be sure that the VPN connection is totally secure.  You will be sending confidential information such as Credit Card details through a third party network which is never advisable.

  • Poker rooms like PokerStars and 888 routinely monitor for players using VPN's and suspend their accounts.  This means if you are playing from inside the United States and you get caught, you could lose all the money in your account.

  • You will find it difficult to withdrawn any winnings.  Even if you are able to download, install and play real money poker apps in the United States, many poker rooms only process withdrawals by via cheque or through bank transfers.  If your address or bank is located in the USA then this will not be possible and you will lose you money.

For these reasons we recommend that poker players in the United States ONLY use the poker apps listed on this page.

How do I play iPad poker when there are no apps listed in the iTunes App Store

It is no secret that Apple keep a very tight grip on which apps get listed in their App Store.  Some countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Australia, Germany, Russia, Spain and France have very progressive laws that permit online gambling.  If you live in one of these countries, you'll have no problems downloading real money casino, bookmaker, lottery and poker apps from the iOS App Store.  Sadly this is not the case in many countries where the legality of online/mobile gambling is more complex.  Thankfully a who new range of web apps are being released that can be played via the web browsers of mobile device regardless of where you live.  There are no geographic restrictions so poker players in any country can how play real-money Texas Hold'em on their phone or tablet.  If you just want to play for fun, you can easily download games like Zynga Poker, Live Texas Hold'em Poker Pro or VIP Poker from the App Store in any country.  There is a more comprehensive guide to these apps here.