Players Choosing Offshore or Licensed USA Poker Sites
You have found that you have an itch you cannot scratch. You want to play Texas Hold ’em online in the US and win some money at the same time. In fact, Texas Hold ’em is one of the most popular poker games in the US and the world, so it is easy to understand why you want to play too.
But there is an issue. The state you live in does not allow for online poker or gambling. So what do you do?
Give up and just play 52-card pickup by yourself?
You could try playing at an offshore online poker or casino and bypass all of this nonsense. But overall, is this really the best thing to do?
No License? That Is A No Go
If the offshore poker site you want to play at does not have a license or some form of being legitimate, do not even waste your time. These licenses do not fully offer you any protection as a player, but they show positive signs of the poker site doing their part to stay in the scene and continue to provide a service to their customers.
As with US poker sites, the ones with licenses have to maintain these at a very high cost. If they want to stay in business, they need to go through these regulations.
When they have a license, it simply states they are legal to operate and have the right to be open in whatever state they are in. So if there is not a license, then it is not worth another click on their site.
Common Issues With Gambling Offshore
One major problem that happens quite often to offshore sportsbooks or poker sites is that when you are using them, and they decide to shut down, they have taken your money. Now, it does not just happen in two days of being created online.
These have to have enough business going for them to look presentable, and then something happens.
You need to be able to realize blaring signs and ones that also make an operator look shady. Indeed, you are sending your money overseas to possibly not get it back, so you want to make sure you have a reputable poker site.
Payment Processes
Offshore poker sites have an issue right off the bat, getting payments to process. Since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has its hands in things, banks and other financial options cannot just jump into offshore markets.
These transactions are closely monitored, and thus, it takes a great deal of time before you can get your funds to clear. With that being said, you are sitting around doing nothing without knowing if your money is going to clear or not.
You could use alternative payment methods, but this is another issue in itself. Some sites may want you to use something like Bitcoin, but that is another deal because the value of that changes often.
Getting Your Money
Say you have made it through and can play some Texas Hold ’em at an offshore website. You end up winning quite a large sum and want to cash out. Then, you are hit with a few setbacks.
Some offshore sites have very limited ways of getting the money back to you. You already had issues posting them to deposit, and of course, you have more issues to get money back to you.
You need to also be sure that they do not have a high limit to withdrawals. Some offshore sites make you have at least $1,000 or something like that to take your money out. On top of that, they might even charge you a fee to withdraw.
Conclusion
If you are still on the fence about choosing an offshore poker site or cannot get access to one in the US because of the state you live in, it is completely understandable. The best piece of advice is to stay patient with whatever you decide to choose.
Check out your options to the fullest extent and do not go with your first one. Make a list of reputable offshore poker sites if that is the way you want to go.
You have seen the cons, but some offshore poker sites have been around for a while, so there are some good ones out there.
You can also try contacting a neighboring state’s online poker site to see if they allow players from bordering states to play. This way, you can still have access and be with peace of mind when playing at a US poker site.
