Welcome to RealMoneyOnlinePoker.org!  Our website was designed to help players find the best places to play poker online for real money.  To do this, we've compiled an in-depth guide to poker sites covering topics like reviews, toplists, deposit methods, games & much more!

Playing Poker Online for Real Money

You've most likely stumbled across our site looking for information on "real money poker" which is one of the main topics covered on this site.  Before you start playing real money online poker there are a few factors that you'll want to consider to ensure you have the best experience possible as a player such as:

  1. Are Players From Your Country Allowed? - Some sites have restrictions on which countries their members can signup from so it's best to check this out beforehand to avoid disappointment.  The biggest restrictions are imposed on United States players as well as members of certain Eastern European countries that may have special conditions imposed on their real money accounts.
  2. Welcome / Sign Up Bonuses - One of the key advantages to playing online is that all sites offer players a sign up bonus as an incentive for joining.  These range from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars depending on the site so you'll want to hunt around to find the best combination of a good bonus coupled with a quality site that offers lots of other ongoing promotions to their members.
  3. Deposit & Withdrawal Methods - To play for real money you'll have to find a suitable deposit method be it credit card, e-wallet, prepaid cards, etc. as this will be the only way you can fund your account and make withdrawals from then poker room.  Most sites list their available methods for players however we've covered the popular options on this site and also in all of our reviews of different rooms.
  4. Deposit Limits - Another factor to consider is what the limits are for depositing and withdrawing which is dependant on both the method and your country of residence.  Generally European players have very liberal limits whereas North American players have a tougher time finding higher maximums.
  5. Software, Games, Reputation - Three very important things to think about before signing up, you'll want to ensure that the site delivers on these key features as they will make or break your playing experience.  For best results, stick to only well known and highly recommended sites from a resource such as ours so you end up with a reputable operator that will pay when you request a cashout.

Overall - Have fun!  Playing online poker for real money is an exhilarating way to pass your time and maybe even earn some good money while doing it.  Just remember that gambling is addictive and you should ensure that you play responsibly by sticking within your limits.  We provide information about obtaining problem gambling help should you need it which is covered in detail within the about section of our website with links and contact details for relevant treatment centres in your local jurisdiction.

History of The Online Poker Industry

From humble beginnings in the late 1990's the online poker industry has matured into a multi-billion dollar industry with millions of customers around the world.  What started as an innovative way to enjoy a past time over the Internet has spawned into one of the largest entertainment industries in the world.  Below we have taken a look at how everything started and highlighted major industry events over the last 15 years.

Timeline What Happened, Where It Happened and How
1996 The Khanawake Gaming Commission is established in the Khanawake Native Territory close to Montreal, Canada.  The Commission will serve as the go-to licensing jurisdiction for online gambling sites and host servers for hundreds of operators.  It officially started licensing gambling sites on July 8th, 1999 and continues to this day.
1998 In January 1998, Planet Poker becomes the first online poker site offering games for real money on the Internet.  The site will continue to operate until March 2007 when the United States passes the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.  Planet Poker is the springboard for dozens of upcoming operators entering the market.
1999 The Khanawake Gaming Commission begins accepting licensees in their jurisdiction serving as a regulatory body for new online poker sites starting operations.  The US tried (and fails) to introduce the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act which would effectively ban online poker rooms and casinos from operating in the US.1
2003 Online poker explodes after an accountant named Chris Moneymaker wins the World Series of Poker netting a cool $2.5 Million dollars.  The win shots him into the spotlight highlighting how an average Joe can win Millions playing poker & the boom begins.
2005 Party Poker is currently the world's largest poker website and goes public with an initial offering which is valued at more than $8 Billion.2  The success of Party Gaming brings a number of new brands into the game including Full Tilt Poker which will later be the 2nd largest poker operator in the world behind PokerStars who overtakes Party after 2006.
2006 President Bush signs the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) which makes it illegal for US banks to process transactions related to online gambling.3  The passing of this legislation also sees a number of operators including Party Gaming pull out of the US market for fear of reprisal from the Justice Department post-legislation.
2007 The founders of popular eWallet site Neteller are arrested on violations of the UIGEA and various other laws.  The company closes to the US market and freezes Millions held in US customers accounts (subsequently returned).  This is the first major arrest and flex of muscle from the US Government on prosecuting payment processors.  The founders plead guilty and pay over $100 Million to settle the case with the US.
2011 The online poker industry receives its next huge shock on April 15th, 2011 (known as Black Friday) when the Southern District of New York Attorney releases an indictment against PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker.  All of the sites domains and funds are seized and arrest warrants are issued against company principles and a number of payment processors involved in operations.  PokerStars reaches an agreement with the USDOJ, Full Tilt Poker nearly goes bankrupt and UB and Absolute Poker vanish by shutting down operators & abandoning their sites.
2012 & Beyond Although the future seems uncertain particularly in the United States for online poker it's widely accepted that most countries will end up regulating the game within their respective regions over the coming years.  With countries like the UK, France and Italy having successfully regulated the game it seems only a matter of time before other nations begin setting up their own framework to allow legalized games.  Currently both the United States and Canada are working on laws towards regulating the market.

Sources From Timeline: