Ultimate Poker Makes American Online Poker History

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Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 | Written by Shane Larson

Today marks a significant milestone in the history of online poker in America thanks to Ultimate Poker, who dealt the first hand of regulated, real-money online poker in the U.S. today.

The hand, dealt at approximately 9am PST, is viewed by many as a pivotal point in the progression of US online poker from unregulated to regulated market.

Observers had expected a launch of real-money online poker in Nevada in summer of 2013, perhaps corresponding with the World Series of Poker. And many assumed that Caesars would be first to launch real-money online poker. But Ultimate Poker upended both of those expectations when the site went live this morning.

“We are proud to be the first company to deliver legal and secure real money online gaming to poker players,” said Tom Breitling, head of Ultimate Poker. “We have worked closely,” Breitling continued, “with state gaming regulators to demonstrate our unique and compelling poker platform that, above all, players know they can trust.”

A statement from Nevada gaming regulators echoed Breitling’s enthusiasm. “I am proud to be a Nevadan today, and to have witnessed the efforts of so many come to fruition. I wish to commend not only Governor Sandoval and the Nevada Legislature for their visions and ability to quickly pass new legislation” said Gaming Control Board head A.G. Burnett.

The launch by Ultimate saved Nevada from a dubious anniversary on the horizon. If real-money online poker had not come to Nevada by July of 2014, it would have meant that the state went a full two years after initially passing online poker regulation without actually launching a room. Ultimate’s launch puts the elapsed time closer to 20 months.

Even with that delay, Nevada remains the only state with an active online poker. Delaware has targeted fall 2013 for their online gambling launch, but it’s not clear if poker will be a part of the initial products offered.

Gaming Commission Chairman Peter Bernhard said Ultimate’s operations will be closely watched and scrutinized by regulators. “The Board and Commission will be gathering pertinent data and comments during field trials, to see whether our State’s concerns are being met as to system security, privacy protection, gaming integrity, location verification, prohibition of underage gaming, play by vulnerable persons, and assistance to law enforcement.”

It’s not clear who will follow Ultimate as the next online poker room to open in Nevada. The consensus appears to be that Caesars remains in a very solid position to launch within the next few weeks. This opinion is buttressed by the fact that Caesars began publicly soliciting beta testers for their online poker software in recent days. But until the company releases a firm timeline (or simply opens for business), it remains unclear exactly when Caesars will join Ultimate as a fully-functioning, regulated online poker site.

Ultimate Poker Q & A

Below are a few answers to questions players are likely to have about Ultimate Poker.

Can anyone play at Ultimate Poker?

Anyone in the United States can make an account, regardless of where you’re located. But only players physically located in the state of Nevada can take part in games. The site uses the position of your mobile device to determine your location, and other methods may supplement this strategy.

What games are available?

Cash games and tournaments are both running at Ultimate Poker.

What devices is Ultimate Poker compatible with?

For right now, desktop online. There are no mobile versions / Mac versions of the Ultimate Poker software. This may “ultimately” change in the months ahead – it appears the company decided launch with a bare-bones version of the software in order to get the product out there as early as possible.

How do I get money on to / off of Ultimate Poker?

Fairly bare-bones options at the moment: Check, bank wire, direct bank transfer. You can also hoof it to a Station Casino (parent company of Ultimate Gaming) and deposit in-person at the casino cashier.