Depositing Options
Many people wrongly believe that depositing into a US friendly online poker room is difficult, and this is simply untrue with literally thousands of players making deposits and enjoying real money online poker every single day. There are also those that believe playing online poker with real money is in some way illegal, and again they are incorrect. There are laws against banks and financial institutions relating to online poker, however these do not in the slightest concern residents of the US playing online poker. There has never been a single person in the United States that has been charged with even a misdemeanor for playing poker online, and nor will there ever be, in fact several states now regulate online poker themselves and offer their very own online poker sites.
The Best Methods of Depositing for US Residents
By far and away the best method of depositing into a US online poker room is by major credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard, and the most common and widely accepted of those is Visa. Visa is safe and secure and funds appear instantly into your poker account. Depositing by Visa is so simple and once you are registered at your room of choice then simply head to the cashier and click on the Visa option. Just like making any other transaction online with your Visa card you simply enter the card details and submit.
Most poker rooms will also accept pre-paid Visa and Visa gift cards too, and these can be purchased in many outlets in the US such as gas stations, grocery stores and Walmart's. They work in exactly the same way as a regular Visa card, with the only thing you need to make sure of is that the card is OK for international purchases...most will be, but it's worth checking. You will find that other cards are also accepted in some rooms and cards such as American Express and Diners Club may also be an option.
Other Methods of Depositing
There are other methods of course and each online poker room may differ slightly in their depositing options. Most rooms will offer what's called Person to Person and this will mean Western Union and again this is a popular method, especially now that you may complete the transaction online. All you need to do is contact your room of choice to provide you with the details of where to send the cash. Bank wire is also used by some players, especially when making larger deposits, and with most banks now offering a great online banking service it's fast and simple to do this from home. Although each room will differ, Visa will be offered and this is the fastest, most convenient and most popular method.