Is Gg Poker Legal In Us
GGPoker offers the most popular poker variants, including Texas Hold’em and Omaha, alongside unique poker games like fast-fold Rush & Cash and All-In or Fold. From freerolls to high roller tournaments, from Bounty Hunters to Sunday majors and everything in between, we have tournaments to. Furthermore, in 26 of the states, only horse racing betting is a legal form of gambling. As far as online gambling is concerned, this is only allowed in some of the states in an intrastate setup. So, anyone playing poker within Nevada for example, can only play against other players located within that same state.
Gambling in the United States is a very fluid landscape with more than its share of ebb and flow. The parameters change regularly, and now that state-regulated online gambling is allowed, everyone involved is taking a hard look at the laws and policies governing the various elements of the industry.
Those opposed to gambling attempt to use the laws to support their position, while those who support responsible gambling work tenaciously to expand our options within compliance of existing US laws. The complexity of the legal status of gambling in the US in all its various forms can make it difficult to follow and understand specifically what is and is not considered legal betting.
Our objective in adding this information to our LegalBettingOnline.com resource guide is to provide valuable data that empowers players to make highly informed decisions regarding what types of gambling entertainment effectively meet their needs and preferences through legally sanctioned betting opportunities. We are not attorneys and are providing this guide for informational purposes only**.
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act - UIGEA
This is one of the most misunderstood US gambling laws and is surrounded by layers of misinformation and misconception. Many players believe that this law prohibits USA residents from participating in online gambling. This is not true. In fact, the UIGEA law does not address player activity at all nor place any type of restrictions on players themselves. Instead, this law targets banks and financial institutions that knowingly process any transactions related to online gambling.
Our page explaining the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act will provide an accurate and understandable explanation of what this law was created for, what specific aspects of online gambling it governs, and how its implementation affects players in the US.
Professional And Amateur Sports Protection Act – PASPA
Paspa (also known as the Bradley Act) was directed specifically at the sports betting industry and provided regulation concerning US-based sportsbook gambling. It has been the center of controversy in the industry recently, bringing into question the law's range of power and presence. This law essentially makes US-based sports betting illegal in all but 4 states.
However, in May of 2018, through a lawsuit initiated by the state of New Jersey, SCOTUS ruled that PASPA was unconstitutional and the law was struck down. This has dramatically changed the US sports gambling market and has given power back to the states to determine their own will to allow or prohibit sportsbooks from operating within their borders.
Our page explaining the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act discusses the law's intentions, reach, and parameters, as well as how state opposition coupled with state-regulated gambling initiatives challenged the law head-on and won.
Of all of the US federal gambling laws, The Federal Wire Act one probably has the most interesting origins of them all. Who doesn't love a 'good guys vs the mob 'story? The Federal Wire Act is also one of the most debated pieces of gambling-related legislation and has sparked a great deal of controversy after the DOJ determined that the law's restrictions do include US-based online gambling. Since that time, the DOJ has issued two contradicting legal opinions in 2011 and 2019 respectively that have each redefined the application of the Wire Act and its associated prohibitions.
2011 DOJ Formal Legal Opinion on Interpretation of the Wire Act
Interestingly enough, the DOJ issued a formal legal opinion in 2011 concerning the reach of the Wire Act, indicating that the law only applies to sports gambling, and does not prohibit other forms of state-based online gambling. This literally opened the door to individual states having the authority to license and regulated domestic online casinos and poker rooms, among other forms of gambling, without violating the Wire Act. Learn more from our page dedicated to explaining the Federal Wire Act and how it impacts legal online sports betting for American players.
2019 DOJ Formal Legal Opinion Again Redefines the Reach of the Wire Act
The DOJ reversed their 2011 DOJ Opinion Memo on the Wire Act in 2019 to reflect a prohibition against all US-based interstate gambling. Casino, lottery, poker, sports betting, and information companies were given a 90 day period to meet new compliance standards or face violating Federal Law. This means servers, data, payment processors, etc. must be located individually within the state the business is operating gambling services in.
The reversal on the DOJ's position on the Wire Act will not dramatically impact those states that have already begun licensing and regulating online gambling within their borders, but it will impact those states that have entered into interstate gambling compacts and already share player pools across state lines. We would not be surprised to see lawsuits against the decision from those states, gambling operators and the software and technology companies providing services in the industry.
In 2014, senators Lindsey Graham of SC and Jason Chaffetz of Utah reintroduced legislation to congress that would restore the wire act. If implemented, RAWA would essentially rewrite and extend the Federal Wire Act of 1961 to make all types of gambling illegal, even if it were already legal on the state level. Marco Rubio of Florida has also recently joined the party and supports RAWA.
What do these 3 senators have in common? They are thought to be in bed with Sheldon Adelson, a multi-billionaire gambling tycoon who operates brick and mortar casinos all over the world. Learn more by reading our page explaining RAWA - Restoration Of Americans Wire Act.
The Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978, or IHRA, is the law that governs the horse betting industry’s off-track betting locations (OTBs) and interstate betting options in the US. This law, though enacted in 1978, also defines the rules and regulations of simulcast betting on an interstate basis, which was logically extended to domestic online betting with the advent of widespread Internet access in the late 1990s and 2000s.
Though the IHRA makes interstate horse betting legal at the federal level, individual states have the final say as to whether or not they wish to legalize horse racing or offer their residents access to interstate betting. To date, 41 out of 50 US states participate in interstate horseplaying under the auspices of the IHRA, with several other states considering legalizing the industry within their borders.
That said, the Interstate Horse Racing Act does not bar the use of overseas or international racebooks. US residents in most states (excepting WA and CT) can legally use offshore racebooks to bet on the ponies. Best of all, these books offer much greater access to international races, featuring tracks from the US, Canada, Mexico, England, Ireland, the Middle East, Japan, and Australia, among others.
The brick and mortar land-based and floating casinos and poker rooms that are found in various states through the US are all governed by state gambling laws. Each state determines its own laws concerning what type of casino, poker, pari-mutuel, bingo, lottery, and other gambling they will allow within their state borders.
US Federal gambling laws primarily target US-based online gambling and sports betting. The DOJ has determined that each state can also determine their own destiny concerning legal online poker and legal online casino gambling.
It depends on where you are placing your bets. There are no federal laws that prohibit US residents from participating at online casinos, poker sites, bingo sites and legal online sportsbooks that are licensed, regulated and located outside of the United States.
If you restrict your online gambling to these types of legally sanctioned gambling sites, then you will not be breaking the law. We do recommend however that you consider expert input regarding which sites are approved by professionals as providing a safe, high quality and rewarding online gambling experience.
One of the key elements that we examine during our review process is the security profile of each website. We don't provide our approval for gambling websites that simply meet licensing requirements or the lowest industry standards.
We require that a sophisticated security profile is in place that is comparable to world-class financial institutions. We want to see advanced encryption technology, firewall, and antivirus protection and fraud prevention systems, equipped with a technically trained staff to monitor these systems. These are tall requirements, and only those brands which can meet them are considered for inclusion in our guide.
If you limit your gambling entertainment to websites approved by professionals, then you can be certain that the security and level of protection you are looking for is in place. This is a trait of those sites that are legally licensed and subject to genuine regulatory oversight. Those sites operating outside of legal parameters don't typically take the time to invest in this type of security.
Because the vast majority of all US friendly gambling sites are located offshore, they must be located in a jurisdiction that already offers legal online gambling. They must also be regulated by a governing body under strict oversight. We have a detailed article explaining what a gaming commission is and which jurisdictions are the most reputable in the industry.
Additional Gambling Laws By Country
**We do not hold legal degrees or training and provide this information based on personal experience and research, not as experts in interpreting the law. If you seek professional legal advice or services, we recommend you contact an attorney familiar with gambling laws.
Who doesn’t dream of locking horns with some of the poker industry’s most well-known pros?
At GGPoker, people can play with an impressive roster of ambassadors such as Daniel Negreanu, Kitty Kuo, Bryn Kenney, Felipe Ramos and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier.
GGPoker is Asia’s biggest online poker network so it boasts huge guarantees and promotions. GGPoker.com is also visually pleasing and has some really interesting features that other online poker competitors do not, such as all-in insurance, PokerCraft and tournament staking.
Note: GGPoker isn’t open to American players yet, but if you’re elsewhere in the world you can check out all it has on offer. Sign up for a first-time account through USPoker to claim our new player GGPoker bonus plus access instant rewards and more challenges/missions to build your new bankroll.
GGPoker bonus code for 2020
Poker Site: | GGPoker |
---|---|
Bonus Code: | None - Use This Link |
Deposit Bonus: | Up to $100 in cash & free tickets with $20 deposit |
Available To: | Not available in the US at this time |
Last Verified: | December 2020 |
GGPoker deposit bonus – Up to $100 in cash & free tickets or Up to $600 deposit match
As a new, first-time poker player at GGPoker, you can get either:
- Up to $100 in cash & free tickets with minimum deposit of just $20
- Up to $600 at 100% deposit match
How to Claim your GGPoker bonus
Follow these steps to claim your GGPoker welcome bonus:
- First, download and install the GGPoker client.
- Select a unique GGPoker player ID.
- Select the welcome bonus that is in the drop-down section for bonuses when you make your first real money deposit.
For $100 in cash & free tickets:
- $40 in free tickets given over first 6 days, no strings attached!
- Up to $45 in cash bonuses for meeting daily hand targets
- Hit all 6 daily targets and get $15 GGMasters satellite ticket
When you login to GGPoker, navigate to ‘My Page’ (you can click ‘My Promo’ in the bottom right of the client and there will be an option to toggle over to ‘My Page’), and you will see your tickets listed there.
For up to $600 match bonus:
- Min. deposit of $10
- Bonus released in $5 increments per $20 in rake/fees
- 90 days to claim full bonus
GGPoker Honeymoon missions worth $300
GGPoker differs from other online poker rooms by offering this lucrative honeymoon period that lasts for 30 days. In essence, you get daily opportunities to participate in various missions, challenges and even get instant rewards on certain days.
In total, this honeymoon phase is worth $300 at GGPoker.com. Finally, when you take part and successfully complete the various missions and challenges, you can earn either:
- Tournament dollars
- Entries to freerolls
- Instant cash in your player account
Gg Poker Site
Simply choose “Start Honeymoon” located directly on the GGPoker honeymoon page and complete at least one challenge or mission a day.
The honeymoon period begins three days after your initial GGPoker login. There is no penalty for not participating, either; the rewards just expire.
Here is the relevant itinerary along with listed rewards:
- Complete three successful missions and receive one spin and a Gold $1 ticket.
- Complete five successful missions and receive $2.50.
- Complete seven successful missions and receive one spin and a Gold $5 ticket.
- Complete 15 successful missions and receive T$12.50 (tournament dollars).
- Complete 20 successful missions and receive $20.00.
- Complete 25 successful missions and receive T$110 (tournament dollars).
- Complete 30 successful missions and receive $150.
For example, honeymoon missions may include challenges like either showing hole cards after successfully winning a poker hand at hold ’em or playing at least 50 Omaha hands in a given day.
GGPoker Download
The GGPoker app is available for desktop or mobile users. Download and installation of GGPoker is quick and easy.
How to install the GGPoker desktop app
Get ready to play at GGPoker in three fast steps:
- Click on “Play Poker Now” on the GGPoker website. This automatically begins the download, and you are prompted to choose the location in which to save the GGPoker file. Once the download finishes, the GGPoker installation process immediately begins. Select your preferred language and then “Install.” Then, open the GGPoker application when the installation completes.
- When the GGPoker lobby appears, choose “Sign Up” and provide all the relevant information required to make a new player account.
- Once your account is verified, you can then log on to the GGPoker client.
How to download the GGPoker mobile app
On mobile devices, the GGPoker poker app is available for Android and iOS.
Android
- Go to the GGPoker website on your Android mobile device.
- Select “Download Now,” which has the green Android icon.
- Click “OK” to override the window with the security message about your GGPoker download. GGPoker is a trustworthy source with thousands of users.
- Some Android mobile devices require you to enable the “installation of apps from other sources” in order to continue with download and installation.
iOS
● On an Apple mobile device, go to GGPoker’s website.
● Click on “Download Now,” which appears in red.
● Finally, a window will pop up that you should email [email protected] for the most up-to-date link for iOS device downloads.
GGPoker online review
GGPoker Quick Review
Traffic - 90
Depth of Game Library - 92
Software - 83
Customer Support - 85
Promotional Value - 91
Summary
GGPoker is Asia's most popular online poker room. It is also growing in popularity around the globe, and offers plenty to keep poker players coming back for more. This includes large player pools, huge guarantee tournaments, and plenty of fun features and promotions. Despite some growing problems, we recommend giving GGPoker a try. You might even end up playing on the same table as some of the site's celebrated poker pros.
Register your new player account at GGPoker.com
Please make sure to have the following information ready and available to make your new player account in order to wager for real money at GGPoker.com:
- Full Name
- Current residential address
- Date of birth
- A copy of government issued ID, for example a passport
- Most current email and mobile number
GGPoker strictly enforces its age limit requirements. The age limit really depends on the country of residence and can range anywhere from 18 to 25 years old. Make especially sure to check out your country’s age requirement.
GGPoker Fish Buffet rewards and rakeback program
GGPoker is home to an extensive level-based player rewards program or cashback program. You can earn prizes like cash and even rakeback up to 100% for being a loyal GGPoker player.
What’s more, you don’t need to sign up for anything. As a new GGPoker player, when you start wagering for real money through playing poker, you earn Fish Buffet Points (FPs). Any raked hands played in cash games or tournament entry fees qualify you to earn FPs. Everyone starts at the lowest level, called the Plankton, before moving up.
The Fish Buffet is currently made up of seven statuses and a total of 24 levels. Each time you unlock a level, a wheel appears for your chance to spin and gain various rewards.
Keep in mind that should you not meet the minimum FPs during the time limit, you do move down in levels and your accumulated FPs now expire. Yet you do not lose all the accumulated FPs, GGPoker.com awards 10% cashback of any expiring FPs.
Plankton status
- level: Earn 500 FPs within 24 hours for a prize range of $0.50-$1.50 along with an estimated 15% cashback.
Shrimp status
- 0 level: Earn 1,000 FPs within 24 hours for a prize range of $1-$3 along with an estimated 20% cashback.
Goldfish status
- Bronze level: Earn 1,500 FPs within 24 hours for a prize range of $1.50-$6 along with an estimated 22% cashback.
- Silver level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 24% cashback.
- Gold level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 28% cashback.
Crab status
Gg Poker Download
- Bronze level: Earn 5,000 FPs within 72 hours for a prize range of $5-$25 along with an estimated 28% cashback.
- Silver level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 30% cashback.
- Gold level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 32% cashback.
Octopus status
- Bronze level: Earn 15,000 FPs within 72 hours for a prize range of $15-$90 along with an estimated 32% cashback.
- Silver level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 33% cashback.
- Gold level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 34% cashback.
- Platinum level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 35% cashback.
- Diamond level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 36% cashback.
Whale status
- Bronze level: Earn 40,000 FPs within 15 days for a prize range of $40-$320 along with an estimated 40% cashback.
- Silver level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 41% cashback.
- Gold level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 42% cashback.
- Platinum level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 43% cashback.
- Diamond level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 44% cashback.
Shark status
- Bronze level: Earn 100,000 FPs within 30 days for a prize range of $100-$1,000 along with an estimated 45% cashback.
- Silver level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 46% cashback.
- Gold level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 47% cashback.
- Platinum level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 48% cashback.
- Diamond level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 49% cashback.
- Black level: Along with the listed benefits above earn an estimated 50% cashback.
Poker games available at GGPoker
GGPoker sticks to the most popular forms of poker, which are hold ’em and Omaha. So, if you are searching for some of the lesser known variants of poker, try another online poker room.
We really enjoy that GGPoker differentiates itself with flashy features and graphics. Should you reach a coveted final table at GGPoker.com, choose where you sit and the order is based on your chip stack or run your poker hand all-in for a grand total of three times.
GGPoker Hold ’em
You can pretty much find various hold ’em cash tables running all hours of the day even during off-peak hours. In fact, this speaks volumes about GGPoker and how large the player pool really is. During peak hours, you can often find tables running at the highest stakes offered.
Available stakes at GGPoker.com for hold ’em cash games run from $0.05/$0.10 up to $25/$50. There are six-max tables only, so don’t look for full-ring games. Any hand that is 2.5 big blinds or above is subject to a 5% rake.
GGPoker Omaha
For Omaha games, it is true that this poker variant is slightly less popular than hold ’em, so you will see fewer tables running overall. Available stakes run the same as hold ’em, but rake is slightly different. Any hand that is 2.5 big blinds or above is only subject to a 3% rake.
GGPoker Tournaments
There is an absolute multitude of regular tournaments that run the gamut from low stakes to nosebleed stakes. Truly, it is no wonder that the industry’s most well-known pros play on GGPoker.
GGPoker Sunday tournaments
Below, take a look at these amazing facts about GGPoker.com and Sunday tournaments:
- A grand total of 174 tournaments that boast $2 million in overall guarantees.
- GGMasters, the can’t-miss Sunday poker tournament with a $500K guarantee.
- An incredible variety of tournaments, from high roller events to bounties, turbos, freezeouts and more.
- Speaking of high rollers, play in not just one, but four tournaments for a $5K buy-in each along with three $1K tournaments.
- Take part in 300 satellites so you don’t have to pay the full buy-in.
High roller events
GGPoker.com boasts that the highest tournament buy-ins and guarantees happen right here. With high roller buy-ins starting at $200 and up to $5,000 on a regular basis, there is something for everyone who wants to play nosebleed stakes. On Sundays, look for the regular tournament guarantees to double from the weekday guarantees.
T$ Builder events
These tournaments only pay out from the prize pool in tournament dollars, which means you can’t cash these out. However, you can use them to enter other tournaments. The major draw of T$ Builders is that GGPoker does not take a rake or entry fee. Buy-ins range from $1, $2, $4 or $8 every 30 minutes throughout the day.
Chinese zodiac events
Daily CNY tournaments run as a special series on GGPoker. The tournament format is eight-max and no limit hold ’em. Enter with your USD account, and it automatically converts to CNY. Chinese zodiac events offer you a chance to win unique avatars or prizes.
Phoenix rebuy events
These events are GGPoker’s version of rebuy events.
- Choose to single rebuy before late registration finishes.
- Double rebuy and get 3x the initial starting stack after the late registration finishes but only until the rebuy ends.
- Choose to double-buy and add on for 6x the amount of the initial starting stack only right at the conclusion of the rebuy period.
Omaholic
GGPoker also offers daily Omaha tournaments. The buy-ins range from $1 to $22.
Other GGPoker games
Try your hand at these other types of cash games or sit-n-gos (SNG).
All-in or Fold
Start off with only eight big blinds and participate in these hyper turbo tournaments. Take your pick between either hold ’em or Omaha. For each all-in, you get a chance to win instant cash prizes due to the All-In or Fold jackpot.
Each tournament entry contributes 50% to the jackpot when you enter these games, which makes for some incredible jackpot amounts. To win the jackpot, you need to make a straight flush in hold ’em with both your hole cards or make a royal flush in Omaha with both your hole cards.
You may take chips from the starting eight big blinds, but you can never buy in for more than the initial eight blinds.
Spin & Gold
Try your luck at these jackpot sit-n-gos. We really like seeing the wheel spin once we enter to see the payout for the winner of the sit-n-go.
These are hyper-turbo, three-handed SnGs, and most jackpots are usually double whatever the initial prize pool is. However, it is possible for the jackpot to hit for 12,000 times your buy-in.
- $1 — theoretical jackpot maximum $12,000
- $5 — theoretical jackpot maximum $60,000
- $20 — theoretical jackpot maximum $240,000
- $50 — theoretical jackpot maximum $600,000
Lastly, get extras such as cash back for participating in Spin & Go challenges. The “Challenge” tab in the top left of the poker client will have the relevant details. There are “Gold Mine Challenges” that you choose to participate in and the idea is that you mine gold from the jackpot.
6+ Short Deck
A cool variation on hold ’em, this removes the 2, 3, 4 and 5 cards from the deck. So the rules are a little different. For example, flushes beat full houses. Also, the lowest possible straight will be A, 6, 7, 8 and 9. There is also a Short Deck jackpot; hit a royal or straight flush, or any four of a kind for a chance to win. You do need to contribute at least 15 antes and use your two given hole cards.
Banking options at GGPoker.com
As far as banking goes at GGPoker, it really depends on what country you live in. In most jurisdictions, the major deposit and withdrawal methods are available. GGPoker definitely tries to be flexible as far as banking by even accepting Bitcoin depending on the country.
Some major banking methods are:
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Major credit cards
- Bitcoin
Please note that there is a minimum deposit amount of $10, and although GGPoker does not charge fees for deposits, your deposit method operator may charge fees. There may even be foreign transaction fees associated with your deposit.
Also, GGPoker charges $1 for withdrawals. Additionally, your account must be verified with GGPoker.com before your withdrawal request gets approved. For most accounts, the withdrawal limits are capped at $15,000, but you may be able to raise that by contacting customer support.
Customer service at GGPoker
Contacting a customer service agent at GGPoker is quick and easy. In fact, the online poker operator offers quite a variety of different methods. However, forget about the traditional method of calling a customer support agent. In addition, live chat is also not an option.
- General support:[email protected]
- Cashier support:[email protected]
- Discord channel for GGPoker
- Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
There is a live help option located near the bottom of GGPoker’s website, but it simply re-directs you to email.
Gg Poker Us Players
FAQ and help pages are extensive and comprehensive. So you should check there first before contacting support.
We had issues when we needed to submit verification for withdrawal. Unfortunately, after multiple requests, we had to resubmit our documents again and again. Finally, and oddly, we needed to provide documents from other online poker rooms where we had previously cashed out.
Yet, despite the customer support issues, we really enjoyed playing at GGPoker, especially because the promotions are big, guarantees even larger and the interface is the most visually attractive for an online poker room.
GGPoker review
Gg Poker Legal In Usa
Some key takeaways from GGPoker is that you simply won’t find a more visually attractive online poker room.
There are two issues that we faced, which were the software freezing and then subsequently crashing, and customer support issues.
The software would sometimes freeze without us noticing in the midst of a longer poker session. Therefore, we would unknowingly miss blinds. In addition, the software would often crash if we had the opportunity to make the final table during seat selection. Something we found that greatly reduces these issues is restarting the poker client on breaks.
Additionally, customer service seems unfriendly at times and a bit strange with asking for more information. Yet, despite all this, we still love and enjoy playing at GGPoker. The fun and unique features plus large tournament guarantees along with being able to play with well-known poker professionals keep us coming back for more.