US Poker Legislation- Where can you play poker and which states is poker legal in?
Do
you want to play poker🏵 in the US? PokerNews’ interactive map not only shows you where
you can play legal poker in the US but🏵 also poker legislation for various states.
In
addition, we offer a brief look at the history of online poker legality in🏵 the United
States, from the early days, during the poker boom, and through Black Friday and
beyond.
The online poker landscape🏵 in the US is constantly changing, but here at
PokerNews we aim to keep you atop all the latest developments🏵 so you can have a great
experience at the best online poker sites in the US.
Is online poker legal in🏵 the US in
2024?
Yes, online poker is legal in the United States, albeit only in certain states.
As of early🏵 2024, only six states have legalized online poker – Nevada, Delaware, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan.
The state of🏵 online poker varies
from state to state due to a number of factors including state laws, gaming interests,
and of🏵 course, politics. Below you will get a better understanding of online poker in
the United States and garner a better🏵 understanding of each state’s current stance on
the issue, and in some cases, their chances of offering online poker.
Is live🏵 poker
legal in the US in 2024?
Yes, live poker is legal in the United States in 2024, though
it does🏵 vary from state to state. Some states – such as Hawaii, Utah, and Wyoming –
have long resisted both poker🏵 and other forms of gaming due to factors such as religion
and politics, which have influenced their state laws.
Other states🏵 like Wisconsin,
California, and Florida, just to name a few, are allowed to offer poker via compacts
between state and🏵 tribal gaming interests. Meanwhile, some states have long embraced
poker such as Nevada, New Jersey, and Louisiana.
Most of the time,🏵 poker goes
hand-in-hand with other gaming interests. For example, most states will grant a gaming
license, which in turn will🏵 dictate what games can be offered. If a venue is able to
offer table games, chances are they’re able to🏵 offer live poker if they so
choose.
Upcoming and future poker legislation in the US
Poker legislation in the United
States is🏵 always a hot topic, and that’s because the political winds often shift. For
example, sports betting was banned by law🏵 in most states for decades, but a change in
the interpretation of the Wire Act ultimately changed the landscape. Before🏵 long,
states all across the country were offering both live and online sports-betting
options.
When it comes to online poker, a🏵 lot of legislative efforts have piggybacked
off sports betting, meaning when a state is considering online sports betting gaming
operators🏵 push to tack on other games, including poker.
Live poker is a little
trickier, but that’s not to say legislative attempts🏵 don’t happen. On the contrary,
politicians often introduce bills supporting live poker efforts. Most recently, Texas
lawmaker Gene Wu introduced🏵 a bill seeking to clarify a legal loophole in the Lone Star
state.
What was Black Friday in poker?
If you’ve been🏵 around poker, you’ve probably
heard of Black Friday. What was Black Friday? No, it wasn’t a business-driving sale the
day🏵 after Thanksgiving. For poker players, Black Friday was the day the US government
forever altered the course of online poker.
So,🏵 when was Black Friday? The infamous day
was April 15, 2011.
When was Black Friday?
On Friday, April 15, 2011, poker players
🏵 woke up, logged onto either PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and the Cereus Network
(UltimateBet & Absolute Poker) only to discover🏵 an unexpected message from the United
States District Court for the Southern District of New York locking down the
sites.
Without🏵 warning, the government had come for online poker on a day that would
henceforth be known as Black Friday.
What was🏵 Black Friday?
Black Friday was the day
the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) shut down the three major online poker
🏵 operators by not only shutting down access to the sites but also charging various
individuals with crimes, such as bank🏵 fraud, stemming from the 2006 Unlawful Internet
Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
Why did Black Friday happen?
Without proper
legalization and regulation, online🏵 poker sites operate without much oversight. As a
result, there was no one to hold them accountable when misconduct, such🏵 as the infamous
cheating scandal at UB, victimized players. Plus, there was still a lot of money being
processed despite🏵 the UIGEA, which focused on financial transactions when it came to
illegal gambling transactions.
Black Friday aftermath - What were the🏵 implications of
Black Friday?
Black Friday forever changed the poker landscape. At the time, players
didn’t know what would happen, and🏵 their funds, which ranged from a couple of bucks to
millions of dollars, were locked in limbo. Here’s a look🏵 at the various ways Black
Friday impacted the poker industry as a whole.
Full Tilt Poker and the Cereus Network
(UltimateBet🏵 & Absolute Poker) both went under after it was revealed that they failed
to segregate player funds. In other words,🏵 they didn’t have money to payout players
once the US government allowed them to do so.
On the other hand, PokerStars🏵 did
segregate funds and promptly paid out players. Not only that, they would become heroes
of the poker industry when🏵 they eventually acquired Full Tilt Poker and also made those
players whole.
As a result of Black Friday, the once-booming online🏵 poker market in the
US disappeared overnight. It still hasn’t recovered more than a decade later. Given
online poker companies🏵 were big sponsors of live poker events, poker on TV, etc., the
entire industry suffered a massive blow. The years🏵 of the “Poker Boom” were officially
over.
Black Friday shut down the unregulated online poker market, but it did open the
🏵 door for legal and regulated options. However, it was clear there would be no
nationwide online poker network. Instead, each🏵 state would be responsible for offering
its own legislation.
Prior to Black Friday, tens of millions of Americans played online
poker🏵 on PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. Now, only a fraction of those is able to play
online in limited regulated🏵 markets.
Black Friday gave poker a black eye when it became
known Full Tilt Poker and the Cereus Network (UltimateBet &🏵 Absolute Poker) couldn’t
pay out players. This led to prosecutors likening them to a “Ponzi Scheme,” which
reflected negatively on🏵 poker to the masses.
The complete history of poker legality and
legislation in the US (Timeline)
The history of online poker in🏵 the United States goes
back decades. Here’s a look at some of the most significant points in the history of
🏵 the legality of poker in the US.
The First Online Poker Site
The first online poker
site to offer real money games🏵 was Planet Poker in 1998; in fact, the very first hand
was dealt on January 1! In October 1999, Mike🏵 Caro became the first “online poker
ambassador” by becoming the face of Planet Poker. Not long after, Paradise Poker
debuted🏵 and for a time those two online operators were the only games on the
internet.
PartyPoker Takes the Lead
With the help🏵 of Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton,
PartyPoker launched in 2001 and quickly rose to be the premier online poker🏵 site in the
business thanks to state-of-the-art software and attention to detail. They would remain
the leader in the online🏵 poker industry until 2006 when the UIGEA inspired them to
voluntarily exit the US market.
PokerStars Debuts
In December 2001, PokerStars began
🏵 offering real money gaming. The software and tournament options were well-received by
the poker community, and the site got a🏵 big boost in 2003 when a then-unknown Tennessee
accountant named Chris Moneymaker won a PokerStars satellite into the World Series🏵 of
Poker (WSOP) Main Event. He went on to win that tournament forR$2.5 million and helped
spark the “Poker Boom.”
888poker🏵 and Full Tilt Poker
888poker was founded in 2002, and
two years later Full Tilt Poker (FTP) entered the market. Along🏵 with PokerStars and
PartyPoker, the four sites were generally accepted as the biggest and best places to
play online poker.
Unlawful🏵 Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006
On the last day
before Congress adjourned for the 2006 session, the SAFE Port Act🏵 was passed in the
early morning hours without much fanfare. In fact, no one on the Senate–House
Conference Committee had🏵 seen the final language of the bill before it was passed. As
such, it was used to tack on legislation🏵 unrelated to “port security” in a last-ditch
effort to pass various agendas.
Title VIII was one such effort in the Unlawful🏵 Internet
Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The law prohibited online gaming operators from
“knowingly accepting payments in connection with the participation🏵 of another person in
a bet or wager that involves the use of the Internet and that is unlawful under🏵 any
federal or state law."
Simply put, it didn’t outlaw online poker, but it took away the
ability to get the🏵 money required to play online poker on and off the sites.
Five Years
of Skirting the Law
While PartyPoker and 888poker respected🏵 the UIGEA by no longer
offering their services to US players, PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and the Cereus
Network (UltimateBet🏵 & Absolute Poker) continued on. They skirted the law by disguising
player financial transactions as something non-poker related (i.e. showing🏵 up as
“flowers” on a credit card transaction).
Black Friday Comeuppance
On Friday, April 15,
2011, the US government shut down PokerStars,🏵 Full Tilt Poker, and the Cereus Network
(UltimateBet & Absolute Poker). A 52-page indictment against top executives was
unsealed, andR$3🏵 billion in assets were sought. The 11 defendants named were John
Campos (part-owner of an involved bank), Chad Elie (payment🏵 processor), Bradley Franzen
(payment processor), Isai Scheinberg (PokerStars founder), Ray Bitar (CEO of Tiltware),
Scott Tom (part-owner of Absolute Poker),🏵 Brent Beckley (payments director at AP),
Nelson Burtnick (payments director at Tiltware), Paul Tate (payments director at
PokerStars), Ryan Lang🏵 (payment processor), and Ira Rubin (payment processor).
Rise of
Regulated Online Poker
Rising out of the ashes of poker’s Black Friday was🏵 the
opportunity for state-regulated online poker sites. In 2013, Nevada and Delaware became
the first two states to offer online🏵 poker, while New Jersey would join later that
year. Four years later in 2024, Pennsylvania joined the fray, while both🏵 West Virginia
and Michigan followed suit in 2024, though the former has yet to actually offer online
poker while the🏵 latter didn’t launch until January 2024.
Which US states can I play
poker in 2024?
Where is poker legal in 2024? What🏵 states have legal online poker? As of
2024, only six states have legalized and regulated online poker in Nevada, Delaware,
🏵 New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan.
That leaves the state of online
poker in the other 44 states up in🏵 the air. Some will likely never offer online poker,
while others may very well may launch operations in the years🏵 to come. Here’s a
state-by-state look at the current state of online poker across the United States.
Is
Poker Legal in🏵 Alabama?
Online Poker Status: Not Legal Outlook: Negative Free to Play
Alternatives: Global Poker & PokerStars Play
No. Poker is not legal🏵 in Alabama and
there are no licensed and regulated poker sites or live poker rooms available in the
state. At🏵 this time, as of 2024, there are no pieces of legislation up for a vote on
bringing legal internet poker🏵 to the Cotton State.
Major poker sites such as PokerStars
haven’t been accessible from Alabama since Black Friday on April 15,🏵 2011, when the US
Department of Justice (DOJ) forced the top sites to cease operations in the United
States. In🏵 more than a decade since there hasn’t been any serious movement toward
bringing legal online poker to the state.
Therefore, players🏵 in Alabama should check
out free-to-play Poker sites such as Global Poker and PokerStars Play.
Read More About
Is Poker Legal🏵 in Alabama?
Is Poker Legal in Alaska?
The answer to this question is no,
at least not at this time. Unfortunately, for🏵 those who live outside the continental
United States, there isn’t much optimism that online poker or live poker will become
🏵 legal in the near future. But that doesn’t mean it won’t ever happen.
Alaska hasn’t
passed any sort of legislation that🏵 is pro-poker, and there’s no reason to expect a
bill to be brought forth in 2024, although stranger things have🏵 happened. For now, the
only options for those who reside in this beautiful state is to play on unlicensed and
🏵 unregulated poker sites, although we don’t recommend doing so.
Read More About Poker
Legality in Alaska
Is Poker Legal in Arkansas?
Live poker🏵 is only permitted at the
state's two racinos in table-game form, not as traditional live poker cash games or
tournaments.🏵 Home poker games are also illegal. As for online poker, it’s even worse
for poker players as internet gambling is🏵 illegal in any form.
Arkansas has never been
a state with politicians who will push forward much in the way of🏵 pro-gambling
legislation, especially when it comes to poker. And the likelihood of that changing
within the near future seems to🏵 be slim to none.
Read More About Poker Legality in
Arkansas
Is Poker Legal in California?
Yes, poker is legal in California, in🏵 some ways.
In others, as we are about to explain, it isn’t. When it comes to online poker, there
is🏵 nowhere within the Golden State in which you can legally play poker online, and
there aren’t any licensed or regulated🏵 poker sites in operation, nor are there likely
to be any time soon (if ever).
But there are many land-based poker🏵 rooms in California,
including some of the biggest and most popular card rooms in the world such as Parkwest
Bicycle🏵 Casino (aka “The Bike”) and Commerce Casino in the Los Angeles area. These
rooms are all located on within jurisdictions🏵 that are approved by the California
Gambling Control Commission.
Read More About Poker Legality in California
Is Poker
Legal in Colorado?
Poker is🏵 legal in Colorado in certain areas, and the state has
played host to a number of major events such as🏵 the World Series of Poker Circuit tour,
but there are no legal poker sites in operation because there’s never been🏵 a pro-online
poker bill passed.
Live poker rooms are limited to Indian reservations in a few areas,
with Black Hawk being🏵 the most notable and top place to play in Colorado. Since 2012,
lawmakers have at least considered a pro-online poker🏵 bill but one has never seriously
advanced or come close to passing. Sadly, there are no nearby states for Coloradans🏵 to
travel to for legal online poker. The closest state is Nevada, which is a 10-hour drive
from Denver, and🏵 a six-hour drive from the western part of the state.
Read More About
Poker Legality in Colorado
Is Poker Legal in Connecticut?
Online🏵 poker and live poker
are both legal in Connecticut, but there are some issues with it so don’t get ahead🏵 of
yourself just yet.
Let’s start with online where, yes, it technically is legal. A bill
passed through in May 2024🏵 and that was a positive step in the right direction. The
only problem is the bill only permits the state’s🏵 two tribes – Mohegan and Mashantucket
Pequot, but neither has yet found a partner to launch a poker site and🏵 it’s unclear
when that will happen.
As for live poker, there are two major card rooms in the state,
both of🏵 which you’ve probably heard about – Mohegan Sun and the legendary Foxwoods
Casino, which has long been home to some🏵 of the biggest games in the northeast.
Read
More About Poker Legality in Connecticut
Is Poker Legal in Delaware?
Poker is legal in
🏵 Delaware and it’s one of the most lenient states when it comes to online poker. Not
only that but even🏵 though the state is small, there are plenty of nearby card rooms in
neighboring states, which makes Delaware a great🏵 place to live for poker
players.
Delaware was the first state ever to pass legislation permitting poker sites
to operate legally.🏵 There are three land-based casinos in Delaware, all of which
operate a poker site. There’s a decent chance there will🏵 be more poker sites running in
the future.
Read More About Poker Legality in Delaware
Is Poker Legal in Florida?
Poker
is legal🏵 in Florida when it comes to land-based casinos, but it isn’t legal online and
you shouldn’t expect that to change🏵 any time soon. That said, the Sunshine State has
become a hotbed for tournament poker, with some of the biggest🏵 events ever taking place
in this southern state.
There are some major poker rooms in Tampa and Miami, the
state’s two🏵 largest cities and two of the top tourist destinations in the US. We
mention the tourism part because that is🏵 a big part of why tournaments at the Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel’s in Tampa and Hollywood (north of Miami) get🏵 thousands of
players.
Read More About Poker Legality in Florida
Is Poker Legal in Georgia?
Gambling
in general is not a priority of🏵 the hardcore Christian conservative movement, which is
active in Georgia, As such, poker is not legal in any form in🏵 Georgia, and is
considered a misdemeanor to engage in unregulated gambling.
That applies to both online
poker and live poker, meaning🏵 if you want to play cards legally and live in Georgia,
you’ll have to travel to Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, or🏵 Mississippi to get some
action. There’s no reason to expect much to change on this front in the next few🏵 years,
and potentially much longer.
Read More About Poker Legality in Georgia
Is Poker Legal
in Hawaii?
Hawaii, along with Utah, is one🏵 of two states that has no form of legalized
gambling. That includes slots, table games, lottery, and sports betting. Oh,🏵 and of
course, poker, both online and live.
There are no online poker rooms in Hawaii, one of
the smallest states🏵 in the country by area and population. And, due to the stringent
gambling laws, there are also no land-based card🏵 rooms across the state, although you
might find some underground games that aren’t regulated.
Read More About Poker Legality
in Hawaii
Is🏵 Poker Legal in Idaho?
You can play with your guns all you like legally in
Idaho, but you can’t play poker🏵 without breaking the law, sadly. According to state
law, the game is deemed illegal and that isn’t going to change🏵 any time soon. Even
worse, poker players in Idaho don’t have any nearby places to travel outside of Eastern
Washington🏵 and Northern Nevada (Reno/Tahoe), but those are a bit of a hike.
In 2014, a
tribal casino in Coeur D’Alene opened🏵 a live poker room, but the state fought to have
it shut down and eventually won the case. That put🏵 an end to an end to any live poker
in Idaho outside of the illegal, unregulated underground games.
Read More About🏵 Poker
Legality in Idaho
Is Poker Legal in Illinois?
The answer to this question is yes and
no, and we’ll explain that🏵 right here. The “no” answer is for online poker as no
pro-poker bill has made its way through the House.🏵 But there has been some optimism on
that front in recent years especially after sports betting became legalized. So, there
🏵 is some hope for the future.
Illinois isn’t an anti-gambling state, they just haven’t
caught on with the online poker. When🏵 it comes to live poker, however, that is legal in
the Land of Lincoln at all land-based casinos. That said,🏵 most of the top poker rooms
in the Chicago area are actually across the border over on the Indiana side.
Read🏵 More
About Poker Legality in Illinois
Is Poker Legal in Indiana?
It’s a double-edged sword
in Indiana. What we mean by that🏵 is poker is a legal game, Indiana residents just can’t
legally play it on the internet. That’s caused a problem🏵 as poker has a massive
following in the Hoosier State and many of those players would love to play online.
🏵 Unfortunately, they have to travel up north to Michigan if they want to play on an
unregulated site.
But there is🏵 some good news for those visiting Indiana. Live poker
has long been booming in the state, especially in the Chicagoland🏵 area (Hammond,
Indiana). Many major events such as the World Series of Poker Circuit series have made
it to Indiana🏵 over the years and will continue to do so in the future.
Read More About
Poker Legality in Indiana
Is Poker Legal🏵 in Iowa?
Poker is and isn’t legal in Iowa, it
just depends on how you want to play. What we mean🏵 by that is online poker isn’t legal
in any form and there aren’t any licensed or regulated poker sites within🏵 the Hawkeye
State. But there has been some discussion among Iowa lawmakers to bring legal online
poker to the state,🏵 although it isn’t considered a major issue.
Live poker, on the
other hand, has been booming for many years in the🏵 great state of Iowa. In Des Moines,
Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino have been home to a solid card room🏵 since 2004,
and there are popular poker rooms on the western and eastern parts of the state, along
with up🏵 north near the Minnesota border.
Read More About Poker Legality in Iowa
Is
Poker Legal in Kansas?
Kansas offers state lottery and pari-mutuel🏵 wagering options,
but it is a long way from offering online poker. The state allowed Native
American-operated casinos for decades🏵 before in 2007 introducing a bill allowing other
land-based casinos as well. As of 2024, there are nine casinos with🏵 six operated by
Native American tribes, four of which are Kansas-based, and two run by the Wayandotte
Nation of Oklahoma.
The🏵 prospects for online gaming in Kansas appear bleak with very
little discussion in recent years and it isn't looked upon🏵 with a bright light. As an
example, a gambling expansion bill introduced in 2014 sought to establish a new casino
🏵 but also contained an amendment that banned online gambling and classified it as a
misdemeanor. That amendment passed before the🏵 entire bill was put up for a vote and
failed, with the whole process providing an indication of the currently🏵 dim view of
iGaming in the state.
Read More About Poker Legality in Kansas
Is Poker Legal in
Kentucky?
Kentucky has traditionally taken🏵 a hard stance against gambling outside of
its three racinos and state-run lottery. The racinos are allowed to offer skill-based
🏵 slot games with more traditional slot games relying solely on luck not permitted. Also
allowed are pari-mutuel betting, bingo halls,🏵 horse racing, and dog racing.
The
Bluegrass State has taken an even tougher stance against online gaming. In 2011,
Kentucky attempted🏵 to "seize" Internet poker domain names for several popular online
poker sites, claiming that they were the "sole owner of🏵 the property and entitled to
possession." Three years earlier the state had attempted the same thing with 141
Internet gambling🏵 domain names in an attempt to "stop illegal Internet gambling that is
occurring within the Commonwealth, in blatant disregard for🏵 and violation of Kentucky
anti-gambling law and public nuisance law."
In 2024, for the fifth consecutive year,
legislation was introduced for🏵 the regulation of online poker. House Bill 106, which
focused on sports betting and daily fantasy sports as well as🏵 online poker, was
sponsored by House Democrats Rep. Derrick Graham, Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson, and Rep.
Rachel Roberts. The bill aims🏵 to exempt those online games from existing bans, and
while it's still technically on the table, fears are that it'll🏵 follow in the footsteps
of previous attempts and fall flat.
Read More About Poker Legality in Kentucky
Is Poker
Legal in Louisiana?
Louisiana🏵 has allowed for casinos for decades. The Bayou State
houses four federally-approved Indian casinos and 43 state-licensed casinos.
Despite
what was🏵 previously a strict stance by Louisiana against online gaming, discussions
concerning iGaming regulation began in 2014 when the state kicked🏵 off the year by
considering an online gambling bill. The presentation was a result of State Rep. Mike
Huval's March🏵 2013 request for a House Concurrent Resolution to study iGaming
implications in the state.
In 2024, Louisiana lawmakers approved legislation legalizing
🏵 sports betting in the state, and retail wagering began later that year. It’s possible
that online poker could follow in🏵 the years to come.
Read More About Poker Legality in
Louisiana
Is Poker Legal in Maine?
As of 2024, Maine law allows for🏵 two casinos with
the Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway and the Oxford Casino, which opened on June 5,
2012. There's🏵 only one authorized venue for poker which is the Hollywood Casino
Bangor.
In early 2024, a sports betting bill was introduced🏵 that if passed would permit
wagering on professional and college sports for both retail and online operations. That
bill stalled🏵 but sports betting is now legal in Maine, with the law allowing online and
retail sports betting effective in August🏵 2024. It looks like it won’t be enacted until
2024 or 2024.
Unfortunately, no movement has been made in Maine as🏵 of late regarding
online poker.
Read More About Poker Legality in Maine
Is Poker Legal in
Maryland?
Maryland is another state that has🏵 expanded land-based gambling offerings
with six casinos. MGM National Harbor was the latest casino to open its doors in
December🏵 2024 and has the most table games in the state, whereas Live! Casino & Hotel
has the most slot machines.
Maryland🏵 lawmakers have talked about online gambling for
several years, but the discussion has mostly centered upon legalizing of online lottery
🏵 ticket sales while poker has taken a back seat. While Maryland's brick-and-mortar
casinos continue to thrive, it appears online gambling,🏵 with the exception of sports
betting, will remain on the back burner for the near future at least.
Read More About
🏵 Poker Legality in Maryland
Is Poker Legal in Massachusetts?
Gambling in Massachusetts
was finally signed into law in 2011. However, the first🏵 commercial casino only opened
to business seven years later. The Expanded Gaming Act, passed on November 22, 2011,
allowed MA🏵 to have three resort casinos and one slot parlor. Plainridge Park Casino,
the first slot parlor, opened to business in🏵 2024. MGM Springfield, the first
commercial casino in the Bay State, opened to business in 2024. A year later, Encore
🏵 Boston Harbor joined the list.
Most of Massachusetts’ gaming sphere might be new, but
it’s showing rapid progression with its land-based🏵 casinos and sports betting (which is
sure to have a banner inaugural year in 2024). Online poker, although not currently
🏵 offered, could be in an option someday soon.
Read More About Poker Legality in
Massachusetts
Is Poker Legal in Michigan?
Michigan offers a🏵 bountiful selection of live
poker, online poker, and was admitted to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement
(MSIGA), which allows Michigan🏵 players to compete in a combined pool with players from
New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware. Ever since they dealt their🏵 first hand of online poker
back on January 29, 2024, Michigan has been one of the hottest online poker markets🏵 in
the United States.
On January 1, 2024, PokerStars became the first, and thus far only,
operator to link their Michigan🏵 player pool with another state. By joining PokerStars
New Jersey, the merged network immediately became the largest in the United🏵 States,
even surpassing the WSOP interstate network (Nevada, New Jersey, and
Delaware).
"Michigan and New Jersey joining forces is great news🏵 for our players in
these two states, and poker, more generally," said PokerStars US Managing Director,
Severin Rasset. "As it🏵 promises a better experience and even more value, all with the
confidence provided by a trusted, licensed operator.”
Read More About🏵 Poker Legality in
Michigan
Is Poker Legal in Minnesota?
Minnesota does sport a modest casino and poker
culture with 23 brick and🏵 mortar casinos, many of which accept patrons who are 18 and
over, although some are for ages 21 and up.
However,🏵 online gambling has struggled to
establish any kind of foothold. In fact, it's been quite the opposite. Online lottery
sales🏵 were permitted for a brief time before state legislators made two pushes to put a
stop to that. On the🏵 second effort, they succeeded, and the state has appeared to have
gone backward in terms of precedent that might favor🏵 online poker.
Minnesota seems
unlikely to get anything rolling any time soon, much to the dismay of the many poker
players🏵 participating in the thriving live scene there.
Read More About Poker Legality
in Minnesota
Is Poker Legal in Mississippi?
Mississippi has had a🏵 bit of a hot-and-cold
relationship with gambling over the years. For many years, Mississippi was one of the
few places🏵 with an established brick-and-mortar casino industry featuring slots and
table games, joining Atlantic City as a secondary hotbed of gambling🏵 after the runaway
industry leaders in Las Vegas.
At this point, the state sports 30 state-regulated
casinos, mostly located on the🏵 Gulf Coast and along the river. Mississippi became one
of the first states to jump on board the sports betting🏵 train, and it would seem online
poker would be a natural fit. However, there has been development in that regard
🏵 legislatively speaking.
Read More About Poker Legality in Mississippi
Is Poker Legal in
Missouri?
Casino gambling has a bit of a foothold in🏵 Missouri, but in general, the
state doesn't appear to have a particularly favorable outlook on gambling. That means
that while🏵 progress is possible, it isn't particularly likely at this
juncture.
Missouri law never truly addressed daily fantasy sports, leaving the state
🏵 like others as a gray area with regard to DFS. More telling, the sports betting
legislation mania sweeping through the🏵 nation never got to Missouri. A number of bills
have been introduced but there's been no concrete momentum.
If sports betting,🏵 with a
far bigger market than online poker, can't get any traction, there's zero hope for
online poker at the🏵 moment.
Read More About Poker Legality in Missouri
Is Poker Legal
in Montana?
Montana adheres to its history as a wild West state🏵 when it comes to
gambling law, holding a unique position as the only state allowing casino-style
gambling outside of casinos.🏵 The way this actually manifests is that hundreds of bars
across the state serve as sort of hybrid entertainment locations,🏵 offering live poker,
video poker, video lottery, keno, and off-track betting.
But while Montana is pretty
relaxed when it comes to🏵 many forms of gambling, the same can't be said about online
gambling. Right now, online poker would appear to be🏵 a distant hope.
Read More About
Poker Legality in Montana
Is Poker Legal in Nebraska?
Few states are more anti-gambling
than Nebraska. As🏵 one of the most gambling-averse states, there are very few states
further away from legalizing online gambling than Nebraska. Don't🏵 expect any movement
here until far in the future, if it ever happens at all.
Read More About Poker Legality
in🏵 Nebraska
Is Poker Legal in Nevada?
Nevada is one of the few states in the US that
allows for legal, regulated online🏵 poker. This means that the state has set forth some
rules regarding who can and cannot play online poker, as🏵 well as how it will be
controlled and monitored.
WSOP is the only current legal online poker site for players
in🏵 Las Vegas and the state of Nevada. It’s also the only Nevada-based site to allow you
to compete in online🏵 bracelet events for a chance at a coveted gold bracelet.
The
online poker platform allows players to compete against a player🏵 pool filled with users
in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware, due to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement
and offers real🏵 money cash games and tournaments at various stakes and in various
formats.
Read More About Poker Legality in Nevada
Is Poker Legal🏵 in New
Hampshire?
Casinos and casino-style betting are not allowed in New Hampshire. Repeated
efforts over the last two decades to🏵 pass legislation to allow casinos in the state
have routinely failed.
In 2024, New Hampshire lawmakers approved a bill legalizing
sports🏵 betting in the state. Sportbooks launched in New Hampshire in early 2024.
Despite that, the idea of online poker in🏵 New Hampshire seems more of a hope than a
reality.
Read More About Poker Legality in New Hampshire
Is Poker Legal in🏵 New
Jersey?
Home to Atlantic City, New Jersey had its first casino open up in 1978. Online
poker was late to🏵 the game and was legalized in New Jersey in 2013 after poker's Black
Friday two years prior. They became the🏵 third state to legalize online poker and
remains one of the largest online poker markets in the United States.
PokerStars and
🏵 WSOP NJ lead the pack of seven sites to choose from to play online poker in New Jersey.
However, many🏵 others including BetMGM and Borgata offer a great option to start playing
online poker in New Jersey.
Read More About Poker🏵 Legality in New Jersey
Is poker legal
in New Mexico?
While New Mexico has a thriving live poker scene that has been🏵 around
for decades, there is no online poker in the state and there is no significant impetus
among lawmakers currently🏵 to introduce online gambling and/or poker in the state.
That
said, New Mexico lawmakers did vote in October 2024 to allow🏵 sports betting and the
state has a long tradition of horse track betting dating back to the 1940s.
Read more
about🏵 Poker legality in New Mexico
Is poker legal in New York?
New York State lawmakers
have been attempting to legalize online poker🏵 since 2014 but have never had any success
in doing so. Live poker was only allowed at tribal casinos until🏵 2013, when commercial
casinos were made legal and began offering poker games.
But after legalizing sports
betting in 2024, New York🏵 could be one of the next states to legalize online
poker.
Read more about Poker legality in New York
Is poker legal🏵 in North
Carolina?
There is currently no legislation permitting online poker in North Carolina
and there hasn’t been any movement in🏵 recent years to change that. The only live poker
options are at the tribal casinos Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee🏵 Valley River
Casino & Hotel.
Lawmakers approved retail sports betting in 2024 but shot down a mobile
sports betting proposal in🏵 2024.
Read more about Poker legality in North Carolina
Is
poker legal in North Dakota?
While online poker is not currently legal in🏵 North Dakota
and the state has traditionally been resistant to gaming expansion, there was a lot of
movement in 2024🏵 to legalize online poker.
But those efforts have yet to culminate and
North Dakota residents will have to wait to see🏵 if lawmakers change their minds.
The
state does allow poker and gambling at Native American-owned casinos and nonprofit
“charitable gaming” casinos.
Read🏵 more about Poker legality in North Dakota
Is poker
legal in Ohio?
Despite imposing many rules on online gaming, Ohio lawmakers have🏵 yet to
legalize online poker or approve any online poker laws.
Ohio lawmakers did legalize
sports betting in 2024 but there🏵 has been little movement with online poker. Ohio was a
hotbed for illicit gambling in the early 1900s until 1990🏵 when casino legalization was
first introduced to the state.
Additionally, lawmakers have relaxed laws in recent
years to permit home games.
Read🏵 more about Poker legality in Ohio
Is poker legal in
Oklahoma?
While live poker has been allowed at land-based tribal casinos like🏵 Choctaw
Casino Resort and Winstar World Casino and Resort, there is no online poker in
Oklahoma.
State lawmakers considered regulating online🏵 poker in 2013 but haven’t spoken
about the issue and aren’t expected to break their silence any time soon.
Lawmakers did
🏵 consider a bill in 2024 to legalize sports betting but the bill failed to pass.
Read
more about Poker legality in🏵 Oklahoma
Is poker legal in Oregon?
There is no online
poker in Oregon and the state has explicit anti-iGaming and anti-poker betting🏵 laws
that prohibit online poker operators from accepting payments via the
internet.
Additionally, Oregon does not regulate lawful poker rooms outside🏵 of charity
games and real cash poker betting facilities. People in Oregon can also legally wager
real money on horse🏵 races and in lotteries.
Oregon lawmakers approved a bill legalizing
sports betting in 2024 and the first sportsbook launched later that🏵 year.
Read more
about Poker legality in Oregon
Is poker legal in Pennsylvania?
Online Poker Status:
Legal Can you play on PokerStars from🏵 PA?: Yes - PokerStars PA Other Poker Sites:
BetMGM Poker PA & WSOP PA
Yes. Online poker has been legal in🏵 Pennsylvania since 2024
when lawmakers passed HB 271, which also legalized other forms of online gambling.
The
first legal poker site🏵 in the state, PokerStars PA, went live in 2024 and other sites
followed suit in 2024, including WSOP PA and🏵 BetMGM Poker PA. There are other operators
that have secured licenses in Pennsylvania but haven’t yet launched sites, including
partypoker🏵 and GGPoker. If you're looking to play poker freerolls in Pennsylvania,
looking for the best poker bonuses in Pennsylvania, or🏵 just want to quickly play at one
of the best online poker sites in PA, PokerNews has you covered.
Table games🏵 have been
legal in Pennsylvania since 2010 and there are plenty of live poker options, including
at well-known casinos like🏵 Live! Casino Philadelphia, Delaware Park, and Parx
Casino.
Additionally, Pennsylvania has offered legal daily fantasy sports since 2024
and the state🏵 also allows horse racing and lotteries, while esports wagering is
currently prohibited.
Read more about is Poker legal in Pennsylvania?
Is poker🏵 legal in
Rhode Island?
There is no online or live poker in Rhode Island and there is no legal
online gambling🏵 in Rhode Island.
Legalized gambling in Rhode Island dates back to 1934
when voters approved parimutuel betting on horse races. Four🏵 decades later, Rhode
Island also legalized pull-tab lottery games and bingo.
Rhode Island lawmakers did
approve a bill in 2024 to🏵 legalize sports betting, but don’t expect poker to make its
way to the state any time soon. If the state🏵 does revisit its online gambling laws, it
will likely be through a voter referendum.
Read more about Poker legality in Rhode
🏵 Island
Is poker legal in South Carolina?
There is no online or live poker in South
Carolina and it seems unlikely that🏵 either will be making its way to the state any time
soon.
South Carolina has some of the most stringent anti-gambling🏵 laws in the country
and it is illegal to even own gambling devices. Sports betting is also prohibited in
the🏵 southern state.
The state does allow lotteries, in-state and multi-state drawings
and “Charitable or House-Based Gambling,” but only under very strict🏵 definitions.
Read
more about Poker legality in South Carolina
Is poker legal in South Dakota?
There is no
online poker in South Dakota🏵 and it isn’t something lawmakers have considered in recent
years.
South Dakota does allow casinos and poker on tribal lands and🏵 the city of
Deadwood is a historically important poker site as it is where James Butler “Wild Bill”
Hickok played🏵 the “dead man's hand” before being killed in 1876.
Bars and taverns in
South Dakota have a limited number of “video🏵 lottery terminals” that offer keno,
blackjack, bingo, and video poker.
In 2024, South Dakota voters approved sports betting
and the first🏵 legal sportsbooks reached the state in 2024.
Read more about Poker in
South Dakota
Is poker legal in Tennessee?
There is no online🏵 or live poker in Tennessee
and it seems unlikely that either will be reaching the state any time soon.
In 2024,🏵 a
law went into effect allowing online sports betting in Tennessee, and sites like
Fanduel TN, Draftkings TN, BetMGM TN,🏵 and Bet365 TN launched the following year. The
Tennessee Sports Gaming Act does not allow brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.
Read more
about Poker🏵 in Tennessee
Is poker legal in Texas?
There is no online poker in Texas and
the state has some of the strictest🏵 gambling laws in the country.
However, live poker
is available through a legal loophole that allows poker rooms to operate within🏵 the
law. The legality of these poker rooms is under dispute and state lawmakers plan to
address Texas Penal Code🏵 47.04 in 2024.
Some of the best live poker rooms in Texas
include the 52 Social Club, Texas Card House, and🏵 The Lodge Card Club.
Since gambling
is technically illegal except on Native American reservations, there are no traditional
brick-and-mortar casinos in🏵 the Lone Star State.
Texas does not have legal sports
betting and has not addressed the subject since the 2024 US🏵 Supreme Court ruling.
Read
more about Poker in Texas
Is poker legal in Utah?
As one of the most conservative
states in the🏵 country, Utah does not offer online or live poker and don’t hold your
breath for that to change any time🏵 soon.
Utah’s state criminal code explicitly bans
online gambling and states that even if it’s legalized on the federal level, they🏵 don’t
want it in Utah.
Online casinos and sports betting are also forbidden and the Beehive
State as the law prohibits🏵 citizens from betting anything of value “on the outcome of a
contest, game, scheme, or gaming device.”
Read more about Poker🏵 in Utah
Is poker legal
in Vermont?
There is no online or live poker in Vermont and state lawmakers are
unlikely to🏵 consider changing that in the near future.
One of the least populated
states in the country, there are no casinos or🏵 racetracks in operation and residents
must travel to outside states like Connecticut if they wish to gamble.
Vermont does
have a🏵 state lottery and horse racing is technically legal despite there being no
tracks in operation. Charities are permitted to hold🏵 bingo, raffles, and casino nights.
There is also no sports betting in Vermont.
Despite not offering online poker, Vermont
spoke out🏵 against the US government’s interpretation of the Wire Act and was critical
in getting that opinion clarified.
Read more about Poker🏵 in Vermont
Is poker legal in
Virginia?
Casinos and greyhound racing are currently prohibited in Virginia. While
horse racing was once allowed,🏵 that market has dried up as its last racetrack, Colonial
Downs, was converted into a golf course.
However, the state does🏵 offer off-track
betting parlors and allows for some charitable gambling. There's also a state lottery
that includes Mega Millions and🏵 Powerball, and in 2024 they became the first state to
legalize and regulate Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS).
For years it looked🏵 as if Virginia
would have nothing to do with online gaming, but an online gambling expansion bill in
2024 —🏵 one that passed the House, Senate, and received a signature from Governor Ralph
Northam — brought about new hope of🏵 casinos, online poker, and sports betting coming to
the state.
The bill was signed into law in March 2024. In regards🏵 to brick-and-mortar
casinos, state-licensed casinos have been approved in four cities – one in Portsmouth
that is expected to open🏵 in 2024, and the other three in Bristol, Danville, and
Norfolk, each expected to open in 2024.
Sports betting was legalized🏵 in Virginia in
April 2024 and launched in January 2024. It operates under the authority of the
Virginia Lottery and🏵 has proven to be a strong market.
Unfortunately, there hasn’t been
any recent talk of online poker in Virginia, so while🏵 it’s possible in the future given
the state’s current gaming landscape, it wouldn’t be anytime soon if at all.
Read more
🏵 about Poker legality in Virginia
Is poker legal in Washington?
Casinos are allowed in
Washington, albeit only on Indian reservations. There are🏵 nearly three dozen casinos in
Washington operated by more than two dozen different tribes. Among Washington state
casinos are Muckleshoot🏵 Casino, Tulalip Resort Casino and Emerald Queen Casino, to name
just a few.
The casinos fall under the supervision of the🏵 Washington State Gambling
Commission, which also authorizes and regulates social gambling activities such as
bracket and office sports pools.
While Washington🏵 has embraced many forms of gambling,
online gaming is not one of them. In fact, in 2006 they passed a🏵 law that made it a
Class C felony to play poker online. It was challenged in 2012 but reaffirmed by🏵 a
judge. As such, almost all online operators, including those offering free play
options, have pulled out of Washington state.
While🏵 many states are considering online
gaming and others take a "wait-and-see" approach, Washington actively stands against
it. It'll take a🏵 lot for that to change — most notably the tribes fighting against it.
Don't expect a change in the Washington🏵 online gaming landscape for quite some time, if
ever.
Read more about Poker legality in Washington
Is poker legal in West
Virginia?
West🏵 Virginia online poker sites will eventually become a reality, hopefully
before long. We just don't know exactly when that will🏵 happen because that's all
reliant on gaming companies determining there'd be a financial benefit to launching a
poker site. But🏵 there's reason to be optimistic about the future of internet poker in
the Mountain State.
First things first, yes, it is🏵 perfectly legal to play online poker
in West Virginia. So, why aren't locals across the state able to play? Quite🏵 simply
put, the poker sites haven't yet arrived. The entire process of attempting to launch a
poker platform takes time🏵 and involves applying for a gaming license, developing the
software, and many other steps along the way, all of which🏵 cost money and time. At this
point, no iGaming company has stepped up to make it happen.
Read more about Poker
🏵 legality in West Virginia
Is poker legal in Wisconsin?
There is no shortage of tribal
casinos in Wisconsin with approximately two dozen🏵 properties owned by 11 tribes spread
throughout the state.
In 2013, online gaming murmurs came out of the "Dairy State" when
🏵 the sovereign Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians took the first
step toward iGaming when they launched🏵 a play-for-fun site for their Lake of the
Torches Casino Resort.
Unfortunately for fans of the game of poker, there has🏵 been zero
movement since with tribes seemingly more focused on in-state brick-and-mortar
expansion than anything else.
Read more about Poker legality🏵 in Wisconsin
Is poker
legal in Wyoming?
The least populous state in the country, Wyoming doesn’t tend to be a
pioneer when🏵 it comes to gaming. In fact, they didn’t offer a lottery until 2013,
becoming the 44th state to do so.
Even🏵 so, the state has taken a conservative approach
banning scratch-off tickets and the sale of lottery tickets via independent
machines.
That🏵 said, the state is home to several tribal casinos including Little Wind
Casino, Shoshone Rose Casino, Wind River Casino, and🏵 789 Smokeshop & Casino. Of those,
only Wind River offers poker, which used to include the annual Wyoming State Poker
🏵 Championship tournament. However, due to Covid regulations, poker is limited to a
single table with plexiglass dividers.
As it stands, online🏵 poker is unlikely to ever
come to Wyoming.
Read more about Poker legality in Wyoming
Is Poker Legal in the US
FAQs
