The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a massive increase in traffic to online poker sites. Moreover, it has forced most live gaming venues worldwide to close their doors. In the meantime, many unlicensed gambling sites also closed down. With the sudden lack of entertainment options, many casual players turned to online poker as an alternative. As a result, many operators saw a double or tripled amount of traffic. While the number of online poker players may appear to be minuscule, it is evident that this virus has been spreading quickly and has been causing a surge in traffic to online poker sites.
The laws that govern online poker differ from state to state. For example, if an online poker operator does business in California, it will need to be licensed in that state. Otherwise, it will be operating illegally. In addition, certain regulated operators are only permitted to operate within a few states. Hence, before signing up with an online poker site, it is best to check its legal status. The same goes for operators operating in the United States. Big international poker brands must establish a US company in order to operate legally in the US. This way, they are legally liable for their actions in the country.
The main difference between live and online poker is the speed of play. Online poker can deal with more hands per hour than a live poker game. A single online table can deal with up to 60 hands per hour. This can be even faster in short-handed games. Additionally, multi-table play is also possible in online poker. Hence, online poker is faster and easier. You can play as many hands as you want, without being limited to a single table.
