Years ago, if anyone had told you that you’d be able to use Bitcoin to play online poker, you’d definitely find it a little hard to believe. Well, just over a decade after its birth, Bitcoin is the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation and is a widely accepted form of payment.
More so, with tons of poker and sports gambling sites now accepting cryptocurrency payments as deposits, you may be interested in knowing what kind of game you can play with Bitcoin online. More specifically, how online poker games work, and if you can participate in poker games online using BTC. Let’s find out.
Is Bitcoin acceptable for poker games?
The short answer is ‘yes’. Bitcoin is widely accepted to play poker games online. Bitcoin makes for easy deposits and withdrawals to online poker sites. Because Bitcoin is entirely digital, it takes just seconds to transfer them. Online poker sites will no longer be processing your cashouts and you won’t have to wait for a cheque or wire transfer either.
In fact, Seals With Clubs Poker (SwC), established in 2013 after the Black Friday event was the first online poker room to use Bitcoin exclusively. Since then, poker game sites started leaning towards accepting Bitcoin.
Softswiss – a software development company that offers gaming software and payment processing solutions for online gambling operators – said that among the currencies used in the iGaming industry, Bitcoin remains the biggest shareholder with Ethereum in second place.
Is Bitcoin payment visible for the future of poker?
Given how far online poker games have come with Bitcoin, the future of Bitcoin poker look promising. More people are getting into cryptocurrency with more than 300 million crypto users worldwide, and more than 18,000 businesses accepting cryptocurrency payments globally.
People are keen to understand the framework of cryptocurrencies. Moreover, Bitcoin is the first decentralised cryptocurrency. Thus, gambling establishments are taking advantage of the rise in Bitcoin usage and the ease of access to the Internet which allows users to play more games including poker.
Of course, traditional gambling payments will still remain an option for the biggest gambling sites, however, cryptocurrencies are slowly replacing these conventional methods. The reason for this can be attributed to the fact that online poker players prefer to stay anonymous and untraceable, especially with something as sensitive as gambling.
Top 5 poker sites that accept Bitcoin
There are many poker sites that accept Bitcoin as payment and the competition is growing stiffer. Some of these sites might not be trustworthy or good enough. We’ve compiled the top 5 poker sites that accept Bitcoin to make your gaming easier.
- Betonline, founded in 2001, offers poker alongside sports betting and casino games. They accept Bitcoin Ethereum casino and Litecoin casino accounts. This is great if you want the option of using multiple cryptocurrencies.
- Ignition Poker, launched as recently as 2016, is a dual-poker site that accepts deposits and withdrawals in the form of Bitcoin. Bitcoin deposits get a 125% welcome bonus up to $1,250.
- Launched way back in 2000, Bovada is one of the most-established online poker sites in the industry. With one of the largest poker rooms in the space, it accepts Bitcoin as payment.
- Intertops was launched in 1996 and is not only one of the most trusted poker sites in the online arena, it also boasts some of the largest player traffic. They accept Bitcoins and you can play cash tables, sit and go, or tournaments with huge guaranteed jackpots.
- BitcoinCasino.us is a famous online casino that accepts deposits made through cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. It was founded in 2017 and users can play several poker games including Let It Ride, Oasis Poker and Poker Caribbean.
Requirements to play poker with Bitcoin online
The requirement for playing poker online with Bitcoin is pretty straightforward and anyone can get through it in a jiffy. The most important thing is to have some Bitcoin.
Afterwards, you’ll need to go to an exchange and also set up a Bitcoin wallet. To play Bitcoin poker is as simple as acquiring some Bitcoins and transferring them from your Bitcoin wallet to an online poker site that accepts them as a deposit method. From there you can start playing some poker. Essentially, what you need are:
- Bitcoin
- Network access
- A secure poker site
Ultimately, with instant transfers and little or no transaction fees involved, Bitcoin is highly likely to become invaluable to passionate online poker players.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author should not be considered as financial advice. We do not give advice on financial products.