What happened?

In September 2006, the United States congress passed a law that would prohibit foreign gambling corporations from operating in the United States. This legislation is widely considered a flawed and most importantly – according to the World Trade Organization an unlawful act. It is not illegal for any U.S. citizen to gamble at these sites. Instead, the United States forced itself on online payment solutions, most importantly Neteller.

With the American ban of Neteller, Click2Pay and other online wallets, U.S. citizens now have fewer options of depositing and withdrawing funds to poker accounts all over the world. Fortunately, there are many alternative payment methods available many which are nearly identical with Neteller.

Where can I play poker?

This guide will shed some light on the jungle of deposit options, which is in fact far less complicated than you may think. First, we take a look at what some of the largest poker rooms offer. After this, we take a thorough look at what each deposit method requires. Please note that you can sometimes choose less practical methods of depositing, which is why we base this article solely on fast electronic transfers.

Poker Stars
eChecks.

Full Tilt Poker
PaySafe Card, Moneybookers and ePassporte.

Poker.com (and Carbon Poker)
ECO, ePassporte and Moneybookers

Absolute Poker
InstaDebit and ePassporte.

Bodog Poker
Moneybookers.

What are my best options?

Moneybookers and ePassporte are the two most popular deposit methods. Below is a rundown of how these online fund transfer tools work and where you must go to get them.

Moneybookers – Get it now!
This service is very similar to Neteller. You are required to be 18 or older, an owner of a credit/debit card or bank account and a private e-mail address. It operates in all countries and holds approximately 2 million accounts. A registered account enables transfers between Moneybookers, your bank account and your credit/debit card. Poker rooms usually allow large transactions via Moneybookers.

ePassporte – Get it now!
Also very similar to Neteller. You are required to be 18 or older, an owner of a credit/debit card or bank account and a private e-mail address. A registered account enables transfers between ePassporte, your bank account and your credit/debit card. Unfortunately, you can only deposit and withdraw up to $1,000 per day. An ePassporte Visa card can be purchased for a small fee.

eChecks
An eCheck is an electronic check which allows you to make safe, secure and immediate electronic fund transfers (EFT) directly from your bank account to your poker account. eChecks work the same way paper checks do. When you deposit using an eCheck, the amount of your deposit is requested from your bank just like when a paper check you’ve written is deposited. Once the check clears, the funds are transferred from your bank account to the poker account.