The simple answer is that almost all online gaming laws focus on the providers rather than the players. The answer is complicated, especially to poker players living in the United States.
I currently recommend Global Poker or Bovada Poker for American players and 888 Poker for those in the rest of the world.
I think that having profitable games, easy deposits, high traffic, and quick consistent payouts are the most important factors when grading an online poker site. What is considered to be the best online poker site will vary depending on what's most important to each player. I currently trust around a dozen poker sites for real-money play based on their history, payout consistency, and my personal review of each one. There have been online poker sites offering real-money play since the late 1990's, with many coming and going since then. ✅ Are there any poker sites for real money?