You have probably caught a few hours of high-stakes poker play on T.V. over the recent past and imagined yourself in a game of your own. Well, you’d be in the mix of millions of other Americans as the game of Texas Hold ‘Em has become the most popular card game played in the country. More and more people learn the rules to the game every day and folks in Maine are no exception to this fact. With the advent of the internet, the amount of tables available to play upon for real money is expansive and we have provided this page to serve as a guide to anyone in the Pine Tree State looking to learn the basics to playing in legal online poker rooms for Maine residents without worry or concern.
Maine stands as one of the most poker-friendly states in the union however, there are still national laws to be aware of before signing up with the first site you find. Federal laws such as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) prohibit any online poker room from operating within the borders of the United States by disallowing any financial transactions over the internet regarding betting. While this law hinders those in the business of gambling or those who facilitate bets for profit, the average player remains unaffected. This means that you can place a bet in any poker game that you want so long as it is with a legal site. The UIGEA prevents local web sites from hosting games but it cannot extend its enforcement to those outside of the country such as Canadian or British poker networks. The loophole is pretty big for any Pine Tree State player to jump through as there are many legal online poker rooms for Maine players.
Read More: Is It Legal To Gamble Online In Maine?
Since any online poker room that is located outside of federal jurisdiction is legal to use, you can imagine that there are many options available scattered across the world. Indeed, there are safe sites operating throughout Europe, the United Kingdom and neighboring Canada, offering safe and secure transactions over impressive card playing networks with serious cash winnings deliverable to any Maine address within days. We will share with you below a couple of our personal favorite Maine poker sites.
BetOnline operates out of Panama City and boasts the fastest growing network in the United States with a larger prize pool than any other site. With over $250,000 wagered every week, players can play any variation of the game through casual sit’n’play games or immense tournaments where the winner takes all. With the utmost in security and the largest selection of deposit and payout methods, players at BetOnline always know that their bankroll is safe.
The unique gaming software at this legal online poker room for Maine residents affords any player in the Pine Tree State to pick the perfect game just right for them. Whether one is looking to pass the time at the bus stop from their mobile device or settling in for a poker binge on the couch, players will have access to winnings from anywhere and at any hour of the day. New members who make their first deposit will their nest egg increased by 200% simply by rattling off an email to freeplay@betonline.ag with ‘POKERNEW’ entered into the subject line. The chips are forever stacked in the player’s favor while playing at BetOnline..
While there are not too many live poker options in the Pine Tree State, there are still options nonetheless. Maine plays host to two state licensed casinos, both of which offer live games of Texas Hold ‘Em. One is the newly formed Oxford Casino in Oxford and the other is the Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway in Bangor. The latter is famed for one of, if not the, longest table of food in America with its ‘Epic Buffet’ keeping serious poker players fueled up with still enough room for chips. Players however will still find more wagering options (although, without the buffet) visiting legal online poker rooms for Maine residents.
There are varying legal ages to gamble in Maine with the state’s lottery and pari-mutuel betting facilities open to those aged 18 or older however, casinos in the Pine Tree State that offer live poker are restricted to those aged 21 years of age or older. Any player in Maine that wishes to find a table at one of our online poker rooms will find they are able to join aged 18 years of age or older.
In short, legal gambling in Maine is a comfortable place for poker players looking to win online or in a live land-based setting. So long as players are of legal age, do not intend to operate their own poker business and only visit online poker rooms that are located outside of the country, they will find themselves to be safely under the rule of law. Whether it is a casual game of Omaha for nickels or an intense Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament for thousands, Pine Tree State residents will find plenty of opportunities for winnings, especially if visiting legal online poker rooms for Maine residents.