US poker players marked a depressing anniversary this week, as nine years has now passed since poker Armageddon Black Friday.
Black Friday occurred Friday, April 15, 2011 when a booming online poker industry was dealt a crippling blow. It has never fully recovered.
Nine years later, the promise of regulated US poker sites has been fulfilled in just four states. Meanwhile a select few overseas poker sites continue to service this niche.
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In 2011, online poker was booming across the United States and across the world. Millions of poker players took to the virtual tables of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. In one government swipe, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) ended it all.
Why mark Black Friday anniversary?
The DOJ seized the domains of the top US poker sites and locked out players and locked up player funds. All had .com domains (hosted in the US), which gave the DOJ access to seize them. Shortly thereafter, overseas operators began using domain extensions from Antigua (.ag), the European Union (.eu) and others.
Lawmaker enacted the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIEGA) a few years earlier and ended the game for most US online poker players. The UIEGA made it illegal for online poker sites to process deposits and payments, effectively putting them out of business.
Nine years later, New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware and Pennsylvania have launched online poker, but with nowhere near the numbers seen before Black Friday. Michigan is primed to finally offer online poker in 2021. But even interstate player sharing compacts (deals to share players and liquidity between states) haven’t come close to the thousands of players that used to play.
What options are available for US poker players?
There are still a few online poker rooms that cater to the wide American market.
Three include Ignition Poker, Bovada Poker and BetOnline Poker. If you’re not in one of the four regulated states (or in Michigan which has legalized poker but has yet to launch) your only option for online poker is Ignition, Bovada or BetOnline.
All three are safe, reputable and licensed online poker rooms. They offer numerous poker variations, tournaments, promotions and contests. The current COVID-19 epidemic increased the need for online poker for anyone that makes their living on the felt at brick and mortar casinos.
Online poker rooms represent the only places to go for real money, real stakes poker. Ignition, Bovada and BetOnline have all seem a bump in players because of the pandemic, but they’re still playing catchup on the numbers seen before Black Friday.
Maybe the current situation will finally open the eyes of lawmakers and the long arduous wait to return to the glory days will be over. In the meantime, US poker players mark the solemn Black Friday anniversary #9 this week.