Legitimate Online Poker Sites

• Most Legit Online Poker Sites
• Are There Any Legitimate Online Poker Sites
• Online Poker Scams
• Best Legal Online Poker Sites
• Online Poker Sites Scams
• Us Legal Online Poker Sites

A 14-year insider to USA online poker sites dispels the BS in 8,240+ words. The ultimate guide to real-money legal and legit online options for Americans. Where to Play Online Poker in California. We have handpicked a range of online poker sites where we just know everyone living in California is going to be able to access and play a very large and diverse range of online Poker games, with this in mind please have a good look through the following collection of legal California online Poker sites and checkout the size of their new player sign up. Poker forums are widespread online, and by searching for customer complaints and recommendations, one can begin to understand if a site offers a legitimate online poker experience or not. Also, if an Internet poker room is very transparent with its fair gaming, responsible gaming and security attitudes, and offers an extensive FAQ section. Online poker is currently regulated on a state-by-state basis in the United States. The 2012 federal court ruling opened the door for legal online poker and, not surprisingly, Nevada was the first state to walk through it. In 2013, Ultimate Poker became the first site to deal a hand of legal online poker in Nevada.

It would be unfair to say scamming, or other forms of cheating are commonplace in online poker markets. But it would also be untrue to say they are rare. As we continue on this topic you might also want to take a look at my write-up about the safety of online poker as well. As poker looks for its rebound, collusion will always be the biggest problem but in some cases you can take action. See below for more on collusion.

Online poker and other forms of online gambling in the United States and across the world are still rather young, especially compared to older forms of gambling. The history of Internet poker started back in 1998 with Planet Poker. Planet Poker was the first real-money cardroom[A] and took their first clients on Jan 1^st, 1998, dealing a game of $3–$6 limit Texas Hold'em to a few select customers. The site continued growing from there.

The industry truly took off during the period of 2003 to 2006, which is known as the 'Poker Boom'[B]. In these years, the number of online poker players grew exponentially, repeatedly doubling, year after year. However, due to the passage of the UIGEA[C] later that year and the US government's crackdown on Internet gambling, the industry's growth has been stifled.

While the brick-and-mortar casino industry has been around for at least 50 years in the United States and even longer in other countries, online poker still remains in its discovery phase.

Even in the now-regulated online poker markets of New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada, there have been lots of hiccups for both regulators and players. The offshore world is ahead of them in many aspects, but not in terms of regulatory oversight.

What is Collusion and Does it Happen

This is the most common form of cheating by players. Since using sleight of hand, bottom dealing, stacking the deck or marking cards isn't possible in online poker – wannabe cheaters must resort to colluding.

In online poker, collusion is when two or more players are working together with a clandestine but common strategy. This can be as simple as two players soft-playing each other, which if they're playing heads-up, has little effect on others players. It is essentially two friends 'checking down' a pot in a live game. This form of collusion is generally harmless.

However, more advanced forms of players can cost unsuspecting players a lot of money. Professional-level cheats, even in online poker markets, have taken unsuspecting players for tens of thousands of dollars.

Their tactics can go from trapping players with raises and re-raises, which forces them to fold or rethink their hand, to losing to each other so as to not arise suspicion. Heck, players can even talk to each other through an instant messaging service, like Facebook Chat or Skype. Bovada created an ‘anonymous' pattern and while I believe they are the best site for safety concerns, it won't stop collusion. A lot of the inside knowledge is shared at poker training sites that are legit (our top list).

They can also disguise themselves by using different IP address or creating multiple accounts and playing under different aliases, which is known as 'multi-accounting'. This allows players to play multiple hands and go undetected.

Do You Suspect Collusion?

Collusion at online poker websites isn't exactly commonplace, but the threat of being colluded against, especially in middle- to high-stakes games, is very real. How sites and networks handle collusion or how proactive they are at spotting it varies wildly, depending on the poker room.

Ideally, each room would have a security team that is heavily dedicated to stopping collusion on all fronts. Players who engage in collusion at the higher levels can be extremely sophisticated and organized. For this reason, it's vital for operators to be vigilant against collusion and thoroughly investigate claims made by players.

If you're playing and suspect collusion, immediately email or call support. Email any available hand histories where you suspect collusion is taking place as well. It should also go without saying that you should stop playing against those opponents. There's no need to berate the suspects in the chat – just report the incident to support. Texas holdem poker hands probability.

It may be worth posting on a public forum to warn others of the suspected collusion and to publicly post the correspondence with the poker room's management and security. Additionally, posting hand histories so that others can review them is another common option.

However, you should remember that many players are quick to blame their losses on collusion when they're getting beat by a particular opponent(s). In the vast majority of cases, collusion isn't the reason why you're losing. In most cases, you're likely losing to said players because they're simply better than you. Nonetheless, if you detect strange patterns in play against certain opponents, there may be a reason for concern, and you should report it.

What Are Regulated vs. Unregulated Poker Sites

Once you report suspected collusion to poker room management, it's up to them to decide how far to go with their investigation. As described above, it would be great if each room vigorously investigated incidents of collusion, but that is just not the case.

In regulated and legal markets, like those in most of Western Europe and now in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada, these claims are almost always taken seriously. There are stringent gaming commission requirements in these jurisdictions, and the poker sites have to answer to regulators.

Nevada and New Jersey have stiff penalties for collusion[D], which is, of course, a form of cheating. Nevada has taken all of their brick-and-mortar gaming laws and applied them online, which means players caught cheating could face a category B felony in the state for their first offense. This could amount to 1–6 years in prison (and/or $10,000 in fines) and additional restitution to the casino.

In regulated markets, instances of collusion will almost always be dealt with appropriately. Once management has completed their investigation, those who are guilty of collusion will usually be barred from the site permanently, and their funds will be confiscated and distributed to player(s) who were victims of their scam.

In theory, this is how it should also work in unregulated markets. However, while some sites will do their due diligence when it comes to investing claims of collusion, many unregulated rooms don't take the matter too seriously. Or they pretend that they do, only paying lip service to players but in reality doing little to stop collusion or investigate claims of cheating.

Though most of these sites are licensed in their home countries, many of these seals or regulatory bodies are mere formalities. While they occasionally revoke the licenses of serial offenders, for the most part, they have little or no knowledge of a site's finances or day-to-day operations.

Collusion is much more likely to occur in offshore markets, for this reason. The oversight just isn't there, and many sites don't investigate claims adequately.

For instance, still one of the largest US-facing sites, Merge Gaming (Carbon Poker) had a cheating scam back in 2012. The evidence was undeniable. There was chip dumping and collusion going on, but Merge investigated the matter in only 12 hours and determined there was no wrongdoing.

After revisiting the matter and the 2+2 Forum providing more proof, Merge reopened their investigation. The room never made an official announcement, but the cheating stopped, and the accounts in question were never seen again. It's unclear whether Merge banned the accounts and confiscated the funds or whether the cheaters simply stopped when discovered. The victims of the cheaters never did receive compensation for being cheated, which would be the only fair outcome if Merge indeed banned the players and seized their funds. Judging by their investigation into the matter, it's tough to have much confidence in their security team when it comes to stopping collusion and investigating issues that players bring to their attention.

Other US-facing unregulated and offshore sites have faced similar allegations of collusion. This isn't to say there's collusion going on unchecked at all unregulated sites. Some are better than others. Overall though, sites in regulated poker markets do a much better job catching collision and other forms of cheating.

Checks Bouncing or Nothing Coming from Poker Websites

Not being paid when you request a withdrawal from an online gambling site is a situation many players have experienced. Like our example of collusion, there is a stark difference between regulated and unregulated markets.

For instance, during the 'Black Friday' debacle in 2011, Full Tilt Poker went insolvent after the US Department of Justice's seizures and indictments. PokerStars came to an agreement with the DOJ[E] to bail out Full Tilt Poker's players and payout balances over a year later, but US customers still had to wait over 2.5 years to have their funds returned to them.

And they were lucky. Absolute Poker and UltimateBet (Cereus Poker Network) players are currently out hundreds of millions after Black Friday, and there's almost no hope of being repaid.

Of course, the vast majority of players who play at unregulated or offshore online poker rooms don't end up in this situation. Casino online subtitrat robert de niro. But the cold reality is that there is little players can do in a dispute with an unregulated poker operator. Other than shaming them on poker forums and emailing and calling their support staff relentlessly to get paid – players are mostly helpless. There have been forum posts for years about suing sites that wronged players and run off with bankrolls or went insolvent, but I've yet to hear of one of these lawsuits proceeding, let alone succeeding.

Even in regulated climates, it can take a long time to get restitution from a site that goes bust or runs off with player funds, but at least players have legal protections and a court system to work within.

If you're playing in a state that has online gambling regulated on the intrastate level, (Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey), you can be absolutely sure that you will be paid. From a legal perspective, state-regulated online poker in the United States is no different than playing at a traditional brick-and-mortar casino.

If a site fails to pay players or doesn't meet the specific regulatory standards mandated by government – they will lose their license.

In Conclusion

Getting scammed or cheated in online poker isn't commonplace. Even in unregulated offshore markets, the vast majority of players are not being taken advantage of and are paid within the appropriate time-frame when they request a withdrawal.

In regulated markets, the security in terms of collusion and the allotment of player funds is much better. Currently, that can only be done in the three states listed above. Legislation has been introduced in dozens of other states, and these numbers are expected to grow as the years go by.

For now, playing at unlicensed sites is the only option for most Americans, and it's still a viable one. The best way to not get scammed or ripped off is to keep up with recent news and be aware of your opponents' and their play patterns.

Author:Joseph Falchetti (twitter)
(C) Copyright PokerWebsites.com, 2018

References and Citations

If you are a veteran player, then you know how hard it is to find a reputable all-in-one gambling site that caters to US residents. This is one of the reasons BetOnline is highly ranked in the gambling industry.

The site has a world-class sportsbook, an excellent casino and a vibrant poker room. The icing on the cake is that it accepts US players from all 50 states. This is a huge deal as most gambling outfits are restricted to US residents. BetOnline is currently the only all-in-one gambling site that accepts US residents from all states. This is no mean feat.

This BetOnline review tells you all you need to know about the site and if it is legit.

Is BetOnline Legit?

Yes, BetOnline is legitimate. It is not a scam because they have stood the test of time, has been online since 2004. And the gambling site is under a strict legal authority.

BetOnline was established in 2001 with its headquarters in Panama. The website is available in English and Spanish. The online gambling platform has a decent reputation in the industry. They had a rocky relationship with their customers due to their lies and bad PR but they have managed to put this behind them and forged a way forward.

In the wake of bad management, they revaluated some parts of their administration and made changes that are beneficial to their customers. They have improved their withdrawal speeds and settled their debts. In recent years, their conduct has been impeccable and we can boldly say it is legit.

BetOnline Sportsbook

For almost two decades, BetOnline Sportsbook has maintained a high standard with an excellent interface and intuitive software. Its number of markets is impressive and it accommodates both recreational sports bettors as well as professionals. The sportsbook covers live betting, financials, and racebook.

Vast betting markets

BetOnline focuses solidly on American betting markets and sports more than most sportsbooks. This is because a large chunk of their customers is US residents. The sportsbook covers the most popular sports in the US as well as action on horses, politics, entertainment and finances. There is a list of available games and races on their main page.

One of the most popular sports in BetOnline is horse racing. For lovers of equestrian sports, the racebook section has an info tab which gives you all the information you need to know. Each listing lets you know how many open races there. When you click on it, it expands to show you the odds, jockeys, races, and horses. You also find out:

• Tips about horse betting, frequently asked questions, terms and lingo used so you understand certain discussions.
• The rules guiding the game and the types of bets you are allowed to make.
• The payoff odds and how much you stand to make if you win.
• Their track limits and the maximum amount you can bet per race.

Other sports they cover include:

• Baseball
• Cricket
• Football
• Darts
• Golf
• Lacrosse
• Softball
• Formula one
• College football
• Basketball
• Rugby
• Soccer
• WNBA
• eSports

Live betting

BetOnline also offers live betting. They have an extensive menu on a simple interface. Their live betting options include lines for soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball and other sports. Every day, they update a long list of games that are available for live betting. They change their offers to coincide with ongoing games and events.

Using their multi-event tab, you can track several ongoing games simultaneously. You can also track upcoming games using the live betting calendar. Their betting limits for live betting is much higher than the average. They vary from $1 to $25,000 depending on the sports. Most of the markets available in BetOnline live betting max out from $1000 to $3000. To increase your wagering amount, you have to contact their player services.

Bonuses and promotions

BetOnline Sportsbook has some generous tournaments and bonuses for their bettors.

• They offer new players a 50% Welcome Bonus where you get a 50% match on your first deposit. It is called the Lifetime Bonus Guarantee. This bonus comes with a 10x rollover and goes up to $2500. To be eligible for their bonus, you have to use the bonus code listed on the site (NFL16) and have a zero balance with no pending rollovers. The bonus applies to all sports.
• They also have 50% Kick-Off Reload Bonus where you get a 50% to reload bonus up to $1000.
• For live bet players, BetOnline offers a live bet free play. This bonus offers you $25 free play. It is more or less like insurance that in case you make a bet and lose, BetOnline will refund you up to $25.
• They also have a $50 bonus for mobile betting that works just like the live bet bonus where you are reimbursed your bet if you lose.
• BetOnline also offers their players a 100% bonus up to 1000 on their first deposit via cryptocurrency. This has a 14x rollover. They also offer a 35% Crypto Reload Bonus up to $1000 on any deposit using cryptocurrencies. This has an 8x rollover. To be eligible for this, you have to use the promo code CRYPTO100.

Secure banking

BetOnline's website is created with SSL encryption which protects your personal information and financial data from cybercriminals. This SSL encryption is the same technology used by financial institutions the world over to ensure the safety of their customers so you can rest easy knowing your data is safe. BetOnline only accepts US dollars, however, to accommodate bettors playing from different parts of the world, they accept multiple cryptocurrencies. They include:

• Bitcoin
• Bitcoin Cash
• DASH
• Litecoin
• Ripple
• Ethereum

Transaction details

BetOnline has high deposit and withdrawal limits. They also offer versatile options for deposit and withdrawals. BetOnline adopted Bitcoin as a deposit and withdrawal method in 2015. Players can deposit as much as $5000 via Bitcoin with 6.5% on deposits and 2% on withdrawals.

After much complaints from their customers, they eliminated the charges. Now, transactions made using cryptocurrency are completely free and withdrawals using Bitcoin can be up to $10,000. Every other method including credit cards, debit cards and e-wallets attract a high fee of 7.5% of the amount. Wire transfer, when used to transfer a large amount of money, attracts at least 3%.

For withdrawals, you can use the same methods you used to make a deposit. If you use cryptocurrency, the process takes a day or two. Cheques typically take a week.

It should be noted that US players cannot use Neteller and Skrill and deposits made using both methods do not qualify for BetOnline bonuses.

Deposit methods

• Visa
• Bank Wire
• MasterCard
• Money Orders
• American Express
• Person2Person
• Discover
• Cashier's Cheque
• Cryptocurrencies

Withdrawal methods

• Visa
• Bank Wire
• MasterCard
• Money Orders
• American Express
• Person2Person
• Discover
• Cashier's Cheque
• Cryptocurrencies

Competitive odds

BetOnline offers American, decimal and fractional odds. Though BetOnline caters to amateurs as well as high-rollers, the bulk of customers are recreational or amateur players. Because of this, BetOnline ensures that they provide a comfortable environment for them. You are more likely to get extra points here than other sportsbooks.

Their odds are highly competitive with an average payout of 96.5%. The payout on football is 93.3%, basketball is 96.7% and tennis is 96.7%. This is one of the highest among American bookmakers.

BetOnline posts its lines much quicker than other sites. They post NFL lines for the next week by the start of the Sunday night game. This is same for other sports. They also offer overnight lines for football, basketball and baseball games (NFL, NBA and MLB).

Limits

BetOnline has one of the largest sportsbooks online with the largest wagering limits for American residents. Whether you are an amateur, middle or high stakes bettors, you are not left out. You can bet as low as $1 and as high as $25,000 on several sides and totals.

Naturally, the more popular a sport is, the higher the betting limit. Therefore, for NFL spreads Thursday to Sunday, BetOnline offers a $25,000 wager limit whereas, for college football in the same time frame, the wager limit is $15,000. Another instance is basketball. NBA caps sides at $10,000 and $5,000 on totals and money lines. On the other hand, college basketball is at $3,000 on point spreads, $1,500 money line and $1,000 totals. Smaller market sports have lower limits which can go as low as $250 with the maximum at $500.

Their night limits are $250 or less which is low. However, they allow players to get money down way before other sites post their odds.

BetOnline Casino

As a full-service online gambling platform, BetOnline has a sportsbook, a poker room and a full casino. BetOnline Casino accepts players from all parts of the world but the majority of their players come from the United States. The casino allows different forms of betting all from the same account. BetOnline Casino offers a live casino, online poker and a Vegas-style casino.

Diverse games

BetOnline Casino offers players a wide selection of over 300 games. They give players more than enough games to keep them entertained no matter how frequently they play. You will find a wide variety of games ranging from slots to jackpot and table games.

Most Legit Online Poker Sites

Slots are one of their best features and they deliver a variety of excellent slot games to players. There are regular slots and 3D slots with unique themes. The casino also features an impressive collection of video poker and table games.

It has 60 slot titles, 17 video poker games, 13 table games and 9 blackjack variations. Their Vegas-styled games include:

• Slots
• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Jackpot
• Roulette
• Specialty games
• Keno
• Video poker

Customer support

The standard of customer service doled out by a casino is enough to let you know if they are authentic or not. Legit online casinos have professional customer support representatives to cater to their customers' needs night or day whereas scam casinos do not make adequate provision for their customers to reach out to them. BetOnline offers 24/7 support services to players.

Players can reach the casino through the following methods:

• Emails
• Fax
• Toll-free phone numbers
• They can also speak to a representative directly through the live chat feature on the website. There are live help tabs on every page. However, the live chat is limited to real money accounts only.

Welcome bonus

BetOnline Casino offers its new players several bonuses when they sign up. Transformers slot machine.

• The first is the Slots Bonus where you get a 100% deposit bonus when you wager any amount from $100 to $5000. This bonus has a 50x rollover requirement.
• There is the Live Dealer Bonus. When you play your first bet in the live dealer casino, you get $25 of free play if you lose.
• There is also the 25% Reload Bonus where players get an extra 25% bonus any time they deposit $25 or more.
• BetOnline Casino has a Rebate Programme where players get a 10% rebate every week they lose $100 or more.
• Players are also eligible for a monthly high-roller bonus and other tournaments. An example is the monthly $15,000 BTC deposit leaderboard challenge.

The bonuses are quite impressive. However, when compared to what is obtainable in other casinos, the playthrough requirement for the slots bonus is a bit on the high side at 50x. All free plays expire after 30 days.

Software

BetOnline did a software upgrade a few years ago. Before then, customers complained about their poor software quality which was accompanied by fuzzy visuals, muffled audio, and mediocre animation.

They did a system upgrade and are currently powered by Betsoft and Rival Gaming. Betsoft is one of the world's fastest developing software providers. Together with rival gaming, they provided 3D games and high-quality graphics for the site. This has led to improvements in game quality and general aesthetics. The software is available for download on PCs and Mac computers.

Are There Any Legitimate Online Poker Sites

License and restrictions

BetOnline is licensed by the regulatory authority of the Panama Gaming Control Board. Though it is not one of the strictest in the industry, it does not mean that BetOnline is not safe. BetOnline's software has been audited by TST and found to be fair. Their certificate and information about the audit are available on Betsoft's official website.

Although BetOnline accepts players from almost every country in the world, it is restricted in the following countries:

• Greece
• Nigeria
• United Kingdom
• South Africa
• Australia
• Malta
• Ghana
• Egypt
• Morocco
• Indonesia
• Montenegro
• Pakistan
• Ukraine
• Serbia
• Panama
• Switzerland
• France
• Kenya
• Macedonia

BetOnline's Shortcomings

This BetOnline review aims to give you an honest opinion about this website including the unsavoury details. BetOnline had some dealings and policies which adversely affected its players and earned it a blacklist on some gambling forums. They include:

Scandalous history

Online Poker Scams

BetOnline can't seem to live down their shady past. It is a permanent dent in their image no matter how hard they try. They started by lying to players that they were on their own network when they were actually on Action Poker network.

There were also other borderline fraudulent activities. An example is confiscating player winnings. They have been relatively above board for the past 4 years. Still, some indiscretions keep popping up which makes it hard for new players to trust them. Most gamblers would rather do business with a gambling establishment with a clean history.

Horrible player reviews

There are several allegations of unfair treatment and withholding of funds by their players. This is most common with poker players. The most common complaint is that when they run up large balances in the poker room, Betonline, freezes their account.

There have been reports of BetOnline confiscating as much as $65,000 of a player's winnings. To justify this absurd behaviour, BetOnline accused them of fraud or even chip dumping. This is nothing short of theft and makes it hard for players to take them seriously.

Hidden charges

BetOnline has hidden fees for their payout methods and they are quite high. You pay fees for every transaction option you choose. They only recently removed the charges on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies after customers revolted.

Slow to implement technological advancements

BetOnline does not have a mobile poker room or a mobile casino. In this day and age, it is a major shortcoming on their part. They, however, have a mobile sportsbook. Also, BetOnline is yet to implement the popular live streaming feature.

Poor customer support

Nevada and New Jersey have stiff penalties for collusion[D], which is, of course, a form of cheating. Nevada has taken all of their brick-and-mortar gaming laws and applied them online, which means players caught cheating could face a category B felony in the state for their first offense. This could amount to 1–6 years in prison (and/or $10,000 in fines) and additional restitution to the casino.

In regulated markets, instances of collusion will almost always be dealt with appropriately. Once management has completed their investigation, those who are guilty of collusion will usually be barred from the site permanently, and their funds will be confiscated and distributed to player(s) who were victims of their scam.

In theory, this is how it should also work in unregulated markets. However, while some sites will do their due diligence when it comes to investing claims of collusion, many unregulated rooms don't take the matter too seriously. Or they pretend that they do, only paying lip service to players but in reality doing little to stop collusion or investigate claims of cheating.

Though most of these sites are licensed in their home countries, many of these seals or regulatory bodies are mere formalities. While they occasionally revoke the licenses of serial offenders, for the most part, they have little or no knowledge of a site's finances or day-to-day operations.

Collusion is much more likely to occur in offshore markets, for this reason. The oversight just isn't there, and many sites don't investigate claims adequately.

For instance, still one of the largest US-facing sites, Merge Gaming (Carbon Poker) had a cheating scam back in 2012. The evidence was undeniable. There was chip dumping and collusion going on, but Merge investigated the matter in only 12 hours and determined there was no wrongdoing.

After revisiting the matter and the 2+2 Forum providing more proof, Merge reopened their investigation. The room never made an official announcement, but the cheating stopped, and the accounts in question were never seen again. It's unclear whether Merge banned the accounts and confiscated the funds or whether the cheaters simply stopped when discovered. The victims of the cheaters never did receive compensation for being cheated, which would be the only fair outcome if Merge indeed banned the players and seized their funds. Judging by their investigation into the matter, it's tough to have much confidence in their security team when it comes to stopping collusion and investigating issues that players bring to their attention.

Other US-facing unregulated and offshore sites have faced similar allegations of collusion. This isn't to say there's collusion going on unchecked at all unregulated sites. Some are better than others. Overall though, sites in regulated poker markets do a much better job catching collision and other forms of cheating.

Checks Bouncing or Nothing Coming from Poker Websites

Not being paid when you request a withdrawal from an online gambling site is a situation many players have experienced. Like our example of collusion, there is a stark difference between regulated and unregulated markets.

For instance, during the 'Black Friday' debacle in 2011, Full Tilt Poker went insolvent after the US Department of Justice's seizures and indictments. PokerStars came to an agreement with the DOJ[E] to bail out Full Tilt Poker's players and payout balances over a year later, but US customers still had to wait over 2.5 years to have their funds returned to them.

And they were lucky. Absolute Poker and UltimateBet (Cereus Poker Network) players are currently out hundreds of millions after Black Friday, and there's almost no hope of being repaid.

Of course, the vast majority of players who play at unregulated or offshore online poker rooms don't end up in this situation. Casino online subtitrat robert de niro. But the cold reality is that there is little players can do in a dispute with an unregulated poker operator. Other than shaming them on poker forums and emailing and calling their support staff relentlessly to get paid – players are mostly helpless. There have been forum posts for years about suing sites that wronged players and run off with bankrolls or went insolvent, but I've yet to hear of one of these lawsuits proceeding, let alone succeeding.

Even in regulated climates, it can take a long time to get restitution from a site that goes bust or runs off with player funds, but at least players have legal protections and a court system to work within.

If you're playing in a state that has online gambling regulated on the intrastate level, (Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey), you can be absolutely sure that you will be paid. From a legal perspective, state-regulated online poker in the United States is no different than playing at a traditional brick-and-mortar casino.

If a site fails to pay players or doesn't meet the specific regulatory standards mandated by government – they will lose their license.

In Conclusion

Getting scammed or cheated in online poker isn't commonplace. Even in unregulated offshore markets, the vast majority of players are not being taken advantage of and are paid within the appropriate time-frame when they request a withdrawal.

In regulated markets, the security in terms of collusion and the allotment of player funds is much better. Currently, that can only be done in the three states listed above. Legislation has been introduced in dozens of other states, and these numbers are expected to grow as the years go by.

For now, playing at unlicensed sites is the only option for most Americans, and it's still a viable one. The best way to not get scammed or ripped off is to keep up with recent news and be aware of your opponents' and their play patterns.

Author:Joseph Falchetti (twitter)
(C) Copyright PokerWebsites.com, 2018

References and Citations

If you are a veteran player, then you know how hard it is to find a reputable all-in-one gambling site that caters to US residents. This is one of the reasons BetOnline is highly ranked in the gambling industry.

The site has a world-class sportsbook, an excellent casino and a vibrant poker room. The icing on the cake is that it accepts US players from all 50 states. This is a huge deal as most gambling outfits are restricted to US residents. BetOnline is currently the only all-in-one gambling site that accepts US residents from all states. This is no mean feat.

This BetOnline review tells you all you need to know about the site and if it is legit.

Is BetOnline Legit?

Yes, BetOnline is legitimate. It is not a scam because they have stood the test of time, has been online since 2004. And the gambling site is under a strict legal authority.

BetOnline was established in 2001 with its headquarters in Panama. The website is available in English and Spanish. The online gambling platform has a decent reputation in the industry. They had a rocky relationship with their customers due to their lies and bad PR but they have managed to put this behind them and forged a way forward.

In the wake of bad management, they revaluated some parts of their administration and made changes that are beneficial to their customers. They have improved their withdrawal speeds and settled their debts. In recent years, their conduct has been impeccable and we can boldly say it is legit.

BetOnline Sportsbook

For almost two decades, BetOnline Sportsbook has maintained a high standard with an excellent interface and intuitive software. Its number of markets is impressive and it accommodates both recreational sports bettors as well as professionals. The sportsbook covers live betting, financials, and racebook.

Vast betting markets

BetOnline focuses solidly on American betting markets and sports more than most sportsbooks. This is because a large chunk of their customers is US residents. The sportsbook covers the most popular sports in the US as well as action on horses, politics, entertainment and finances. There is a list of available games and races on their main page.

One of the most popular sports in BetOnline is horse racing. For lovers of equestrian sports, the racebook section has an info tab which gives you all the information you need to know. Each listing lets you know how many open races there. When you click on it, it expands to show you the odds, jockeys, races, and horses. You also find out:

• Tips about horse betting, frequently asked questions, terms and lingo used so you understand certain discussions.
• The rules guiding the game and the types of bets you are allowed to make.
• The payoff odds and how much you stand to make if you win.
• Their track limits and the maximum amount you can bet per race.

Other sports they cover include:

• Baseball
• Cricket
• Football
• Darts
• Golf
• Lacrosse
• Softball
• Formula one
• College football
• Basketball
• Rugby
• Soccer
• WNBA
• eSports

Live betting

BetOnline also offers live betting. They have an extensive menu on a simple interface. Their live betting options include lines for soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball and other sports. Every day, they update a long list of games that are available for live betting. They change their offers to coincide with ongoing games and events.

Using their multi-event tab, you can track several ongoing games simultaneously. You can also track upcoming games using the live betting calendar. Their betting limits for live betting is much higher than the average. They vary from $1 to $25,000 depending on the sports. Most of the markets available in BetOnline live betting max out from $1000 to $3000. To increase your wagering amount, you have to contact their player services.

Bonuses and promotions

BetOnline Sportsbook has some generous tournaments and bonuses for their bettors.

• They offer new players a 50% Welcome Bonus where you get a 50% match on your first deposit. It is called the Lifetime Bonus Guarantee. This bonus comes with a 10x rollover and goes up to $2500. To be eligible for their bonus, you have to use the bonus code listed on the site (NFL16) and have a zero balance with no pending rollovers. The bonus applies to all sports.
• They also have 50% Kick-Off Reload Bonus where you get a 50% to reload bonus up to $1000.
• For live bet players, BetOnline offers a live bet free play. This bonus offers you $25 free play. It is more or less like insurance that in case you make a bet and lose, BetOnline will refund you up to $25.
• They also have a $50 bonus for mobile betting that works just like the live bet bonus where you are reimbursed your bet if you lose.
• BetOnline also offers their players a 100% bonus up to 1000 on their first deposit via cryptocurrency. This has a 14x rollover. They also offer a 35% Crypto Reload Bonus up to $1000 on any deposit using cryptocurrencies. This has an 8x rollover. To be eligible for this, you have to use the promo code CRYPTO100.

Secure banking

BetOnline's website is created with SSL encryption which protects your personal information and financial data from cybercriminals. This SSL encryption is the same technology used by financial institutions the world over to ensure the safety of their customers so you can rest easy knowing your data is safe. BetOnline only accepts US dollars, however, to accommodate bettors playing from different parts of the world, they accept multiple cryptocurrencies. They include:

• Bitcoin
• Bitcoin Cash
• DASH
• Litecoin
• Ripple
• Ethereum

Transaction details

BetOnline has high deposit and withdrawal limits. They also offer versatile options for deposit and withdrawals. BetOnline adopted Bitcoin as a deposit and withdrawal method in 2015. Players can deposit as much as $5000 via Bitcoin with 6.5% on deposits and 2% on withdrawals.

After much complaints from their customers, they eliminated the charges. Now, transactions made using cryptocurrency are completely free and withdrawals using Bitcoin can be up to $10,000. Every other method including credit cards, debit cards and e-wallets attract a high fee of 7.5% of the amount. Wire transfer, when used to transfer a large amount of money, attracts at least 3%.

For withdrawals, you can use the same methods you used to make a deposit. If you use cryptocurrency, the process takes a day or two. Cheques typically take a week.

It should be noted that US players cannot use Neteller and Skrill and deposits made using both methods do not qualify for BetOnline bonuses.

Deposit methods

• Visa
• Bank Wire
• MasterCard
• Money Orders
• American Express
• Person2Person
• Discover
• Cashier's Cheque
• Cryptocurrencies

Withdrawal methods

• Visa
• Bank Wire
• MasterCard
• Money Orders
• American Express
• Person2Person
• Discover
• Cashier's Cheque
• Cryptocurrencies

Competitive odds

BetOnline offers American, decimal and fractional odds. Though BetOnline caters to amateurs as well as high-rollers, the bulk of customers are recreational or amateur players. Because of this, BetOnline ensures that they provide a comfortable environment for them. You are more likely to get extra points here than other sportsbooks.

Their odds are highly competitive with an average payout of 96.5%. The payout on football is 93.3%, basketball is 96.7% and tennis is 96.7%. This is one of the highest among American bookmakers.

BetOnline posts its lines much quicker than other sites. They post NFL lines for the next week by the start of the Sunday night game. This is same for other sports. They also offer overnight lines for football, basketball and baseball games (NFL, NBA and MLB).

Limits

BetOnline has one of the largest sportsbooks online with the largest wagering limits for American residents. Whether you are an amateur, middle or high stakes bettors, you are not left out. You can bet as low as $1 and as high as $25,000 on several sides and totals.

Naturally, the more popular a sport is, the higher the betting limit. Therefore, for NFL spreads Thursday to Sunday, BetOnline offers a $25,000 wager limit whereas, for college football in the same time frame, the wager limit is $15,000. Another instance is basketball. NBA caps sides at $10,000 and $5,000 on totals and money lines. On the other hand, college basketball is at $3,000 on point spreads, $1,500 money line and $1,000 totals. Smaller market sports have lower limits which can go as low as $250 with the maximum at $500.

Their night limits are $250 or less which is low. However, they allow players to get money down way before other sites post their odds.

BetOnline Casino

As a full-service online gambling platform, BetOnline has a sportsbook, a poker room and a full casino. BetOnline Casino accepts players from all parts of the world but the majority of their players come from the United States. The casino allows different forms of betting all from the same account. BetOnline Casino offers a live casino, online poker and a Vegas-style casino.

Diverse games

BetOnline Casino offers players a wide selection of over 300 games. They give players more than enough games to keep them entertained no matter how frequently they play. You will find a wide variety of games ranging from slots to jackpot and table games.

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Slots are one of their best features and they deliver a variety of excellent slot games to players. There are regular slots and 3D slots with unique themes. The casino also features an impressive collection of video poker and table games.

It has 60 slot titles, 17 video poker games, 13 table games and 9 blackjack variations. Their Vegas-styled games include:

• Slots
• Baccarat
• Blackjack
• Jackpot
• Roulette
• Specialty games
• Keno
• Video poker

Customer support

The standard of customer service doled out by a casino is enough to let you know if they are authentic or not. Legit online casinos have professional customer support representatives to cater to their customers' needs night or day whereas scam casinos do not make adequate provision for their customers to reach out to them. BetOnline offers 24/7 support services to players.

Players can reach the casino through the following methods:

• Emails
• Fax
• Toll-free phone numbers
• They can also speak to a representative directly through the live chat feature on the website. There are live help tabs on every page. However, the live chat is limited to real money accounts only.

Welcome bonus

BetOnline Casino offers its new players several bonuses when they sign up. Transformers slot machine.

• The first is the Slots Bonus where you get a 100% deposit bonus when you wager any amount from $100 to $5000. This bonus has a 50x rollover requirement.
• There is the Live Dealer Bonus. When you play your first bet in the live dealer casino, you get $25 of free play if you lose.
• There is also the 25% Reload Bonus where players get an extra 25% bonus any time they deposit $25 or more.
• BetOnline Casino has a Rebate Programme where players get a 10% rebate every week they lose $100 or more.
• Players are also eligible for a monthly high-roller bonus and other tournaments. An example is the monthly $15,000 BTC deposit leaderboard challenge.

The bonuses are quite impressive. However, when compared to what is obtainable in other casinos, the playthrough requirement for the slots bonus is a bit on the high side at 50x. All free plays expire after 30 days.

Software

BetOnline did a software upgrade a few years ago. Before then, customers complained about their poor software quality which was accompanied by fuzzy visuals, muffled audio, and mediocre animation.

They did a system upgrade and are currently powered by Betsoft and Rival Gaming. Betsoft is one of the world's fastest developing software providers. Together with rival gaming, they provided 3D games and high-quality graphics for the site. This has led to improvements in game quality and general aesthetics. The software is available for download on PCs and Mac computers.

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License and restrictions

BetOnline is licensed by the regulatory authority of the Panama Gaming Control Board. Though it is not one of the strictest in the industry, it does not mean that BetOnline is not safe. BetOnline's software has been audited by TST and found to be fair. Their certificate and information about the audit are available on Betsoft's official website.

Although BetOnline accepts players from almost every country in the world, it is restricted in the following countries:

• Greece
• Nigeria
• United Kingdom
• South Africa
• Australia
• Malta
• Ghana
• Egypt
• Morocco
• Indonesia
• Montenegro
• Pakistan
• Ukraine
• Serbia
• Panama
• Switzerland
• France
• Kenya
• Macedonia

BetOnline's Shortcomings

This BetOnline review aims to give you an honest opinion about this website including the unsavoury details. BetOnline had some dealings and policies which adversely affected its players and earned it a blacklist on some gambling forums. They include:

Scandalous history

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BetOnline can't seem to live down their shady past. It is a permanent dent in their image no matter how hard they try. They started by lying to players that they were on their own network when they were actually on Action Poker network.

There were also other borderline fraudulent activities. An example is confiscating player winnings. They have been relatively above board for the past 4 years. Still, some indiscretions keep popping up which makes it hard for new players to trust them. Most gamblers would rather do business with a gambling establishment with a clean history.

Horrible player reviews

There are several allegations of unfair treatment and withholding of funds by their players. This is most common with poker players. The most common complaint is that when they run up large balances in the poker room, Betonline, freezes their account.

There have been reports of BetOnline confiscating as much as $65,000 of a player's winnings. To justify this absurd behaviour, BetOnline accused them of fraud or even chip dumping. This is nothing short of theft and makes it hard for players to take them seriously.

Hidden charges

BetOnline has hidden fees for their payout methods and they are quite high. You pay fees for every transaction option you choose. They only recently removed the charges on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies after customers revolted.

Slow to implement technological advancements

BetOnline does not have a mobile poker room or a mobile casino. In this day and age, it is a major shortcoming on their part. They, however, have a mobile sportsbook. Also, BetOnline is yet to implement the popular live streaming feature.

Poor customer support

There have been numerous complaints about how discourteous and unhelpful BetOnline customer representatives are. Their response times for both live chat and email is quite slow. Also, only real-money customers who have made a deposit have access to their live support. This is not right.

Security issues

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Apart from their unprofessional conduct, it was also revealed during a live chat session that BetOnline customer agents know every player's passwords. This is a breach of confidentiality and points to poor security.

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Players' passwords ought to be encrypted and not be at the disposal of BetOnline customer agents. Nothing stops the customer reps from logging into a player's account with a VPN and taking their money.

Also, some players discovered that they can play using multiple accounts on the same internet connection. This is a security glitch as two accounts should not be able to play using the same internet connection.

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Their sordid past aside, BetOnline is a legit gambling platform. They are continuously working to redeem their image and do better which is commendable. For that reason, we can say that they are worth a trial. Also, for all their transgressions, they are only the multi-gambling platform that accepts players from all 50 US states. This counts for a lot.