Nevada moved quickly to pass online poker legislation allowing its states residents and travelers to virtually shuffle up and deal after the United States Department of Justice made a flip-flop decision in late 2011. But it has taken more than a year to develop the infrastructure of what has now finally, and officially, become the first launching of legal online poker in the United States in some time. If you are in Nevada, you can skip the smoky live casino, and instead power up your smartphone or mobile PC to enjoy some online poker.

That means no driving to the casino, fighting the crowds, or hoping for a seat at your favorite table to enjoy some Texas Hold ‘Em or your favorite poker game. And more importantly to the state of Nevada, it means that Silver State residents will be spending their money at state-owned businesses instead of shipping that cash abroad. The historical site is run by Ultimate Gaming, and can at this time only accept wagers from players in Nevada. However, Nevada passed the first piece of legislation to allow for interstate online poker compacts, so as other states like New Jersey and Delaware launch their online gambling operations, the reach of the US online poker arm will be extended.

We have come a long way in the United States since Black Friday of 2011 saw the three largest online poker operators in the United States shut down. That meant that US citizens had to either travel to a physical casino or log into an offshore site to enjoy some online poker. Make no mistake about the importance of Tuesday’s launch of legalized online poker in Nevada, which will no doubt push New Jersey and Delaware to offer some type of online gambling product sooner rather than later.

Ultimate Gaming CEO Tobin Prior said that this day will be looked back upon as “Trusting Tuesday” in the US online poker community, and stated that, “Players won’t have to worry if their money is safe.” If you happen to be one of the millions of people who enjoyed the online poker craze in the 2000s, the website will look very familiar to you. UltimatePoker.com is wisely not trying to reinvent the wheel, and rather just wants to get it rolling again. However, gone is the simple checking a box to ensure that you are 18 or older.

There is a lengthy verification process and account setup which involves proof of your Social Security number as well as a Nevada address. And you must now be 21 or older to play online poker in Nevada. There are roughly two dozen other companies preparing their Nevada online poker sites, and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval agreed with Ultimate Gaming chairman Tom Breitling when he said that this is an opportunity to “show the world how to properly run online poker.” The bottom line is, online poker is officially back in the United States, and that’s a good thing. For USA players not residing in Nevada, you still have access to some fantastic USA friendly online poker action.