Within its short life so far, online poker has already had some momentous highs and shocking lows. Let’s take a look at some of the key moments in the early life of poker on the Internet.
1998
The first online poker site, Planet Poker, is launched, with real money Texas Hold’em games available.
2003
Chris Moneymaker becomes the first online qualifier to win the World Series of Poker Main Event. He had qualified for $80 on PokerStars.com, winning his entry into the $10,000 showpiece.
2006
The US Congress passes UIGEA – the Unlawful Internet Enforcement Act – banning financial transactions to online poker sites.
2011
Black Friday – The Department of Justice shuts down the sites of five of the biggest Internet poker sites for money laundering. Many American online players lose their funds and some are still waiting for them to be returned.
2012
There is a huge boom in mobile gaming, which many online poker sites take advantage of. This means players can now play on-the-go for real money on their smartphone and tablet devices.
2013
The world’s largest poker website, PokerStars, deals its 100 billionth hand. States in the US begin to launch their own intra-state online poker sites, with Nevada’s Ultimate Poker the first to emerge.
2014
The first interstate poker compact is signed. This agreement allows online poker players in Nevada to play real money games with players in Delaware.
2015
Anthony Spinella wins the first ever online World Series of Poker bracelet.
2016
A platform migration takes place where Full Tilt Poker is merged into PokerStars, making it even bigger.
2018
Nevada, Delaware, charteweb.com and New Jersey governments agree to allow player pooling. A three-state online poker compact goes live on May 1.