About Us

tctproject.com was built for one reason: online poker in the US is fragmented. A handful of states run regulated sites, most players don't live in one of them, and a lot of the traffic — the games, the tournaments, the liquidity — sits with offshore rooms operating outside state-by-state licensing. Sorting the workable options from the risky ones takes more than a quick search, so that's what we spend our time doing.

What We Actually Do

We research and compare offshore and regulated poker sites available to US players, looking at the things that actually change whether a game is worth sitting down at: how many players are online at a given stake, what the rake structure and rakeback actually pay out, how deposits and withdrawals work in practice, and what the welcome offer really requires before a dollar of it is usable. We don't publish invented traffic numbers or made-up payout stats — where a site doesn't disclose something verifiable, we say so rather than guess.

How We Rank the Sites We Cover

Our ranking pulls from a consistent set of factors applied to every operator we cover, including Non GamStop casinos and poker rooms where relevant to a reader's situation:

• Traffic and game selection — cash game and tournament volume across stakes, availability of formats like fast-fold, Spin & Go, and mixed games
• Bonus terms — the size of a welcome offer weighed against its playthrough or clearing requirements and time limits, not just the headline number
• Payment options — deposit and withdrawal methods available to US players, including crypto, and typical cash-out timeframes where operators disclose them
• Software and mobile experience — client stability, HUD/tracking support where permitted, and how usable the iOS/Android apps are
• Trust signals — licensing jurisdiction, how long a site has operated, and how it handles player funds and disputes

Commission from an operator, where we earn it, never buys a higher position on this site. A site with a bigger affiliate payout is not treated any differently in our tables than one that pays us nothing.

How We Cover the Sites on This List

Among the rooms we track, Coinpoker currently sits at the top of our table, largely on the strength of crypto-native play and series like its Battle of Malta online events — worth knowing is that its player pool leans more toward crypto users specifically, which shapes game availability at some stakes. Bovada remains one of the longer-standing offshore options for US players, with a 100% bonus up to $500 on offer, though its software and anonymous-table setup mean HUD users will find fewer tools available than on tracking-friendly sites. Ignition pairs its poker bonus with a casino combo offer and is built around a recreational, softer player pool — the tradeoff is a smaller tournament schedule than sites built primarily around volume.

Further down our table, Americas Card Room and Black Chip Poker both offer deposit bonuses up to $2,000, appealing to grinders who play through volume rather than chase headline promo size, while sites like Stake and BC Poker lean toward crypto and hybrid cash/Gold Coin models that suit a different kind of player entirely. Every write-up in our tables carries at least one limitation alongside the strengths — no operator we cover is presented as flawless.

Money, Bonuses, and What's in the Fine Print

US players typically fund these accounts through cards, ACH bank transfers, e-wallets, prepaid options, or cryptocurrency, depending on the operator. Withdrawal speed and available methods vary a lot by site and by how quickly a player passes identity verification (KYC), which most offshore rooms require before a first cash-out. Welcome bonuses are almost never free cash on deposit — they carry playthrough requirements, often expressed as a multiple of the deposit or bonus amount to be cleared through real-money play within a set window, and they usually apply only to new accounts meeting a minimum deposit. We list the headline offer beside these conditions wherever an operator discloses them, and we don't present a bonus as available with no strings attached.

Licensing, Eligibility, and Why It Matters

Online poker in the US is regulated on a state-by-state basis, and there is no single federal framework covering the whole country. Many of the sites in our tables operate under offshore licensing rather than a US state license, which changes the consumer protections a player can rely on if a dispute arises. We report licensing status where it's publicly disclosed by the operator and don't claim a specific license or regulatory status that hasn't been verified. Age and eligibility rules vary by state — most set the minimum gambling age at 21, though a few allow 18 — and it's the reader's responsibility to confirm the rules and legal status of online poker in their own state before signing up anywhere.

Playing Within Your Limits

Poker is a game of skill mixed with variance, and no amount of skill removes the risk of losing money. We don't present any site on this page as a way to make money or as a reliable source of income, and none of our content is aimed at anyone under the legal gambling age in their state. If gambling stops feeling like entertainment — if you're chasing losses, spending more than you can afford, or gambling to cope with stress — support is available through the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER. Our Responsible Gambling page has more detail on limits, self-exclusion programs, and where to find help.

Affiliate Relationships

Some of the poker sites listed on this site pay us a commission if a reader signs up through a link on our pages. This is how the site stays free to use, and it doesn't influence how a site is scored or where it lands in our tables — the ranking criteria above apply equally regardless of commercial arrangement. Full terms governing use of this site are set out in our Terms and Conditions.

Get in Touch

If you've spotted something out of date, want to flag an issue with a listed operator, or just have a question about how we cover a particular site, our Contact Us page has the details for reaching the team.