States With Poker
Starting around the time of the “poker boom” of the early, mid-2000’s, the game of poker has grown immensely and the number of states with poker is at an all time high. In fact, it is estimated that over 40 million Americans play poker each year which creates a lot of demand for legal poker games. Whether it’s a small home game, or the huge draws of the World Series of Poker, poker is a game that unites all Americans, and people from around the world, and is considered a new pastime to some.
But despite the popularity of the game, not every state is on board with the poker movement. Furthermore, each of the U.S. states that have poker also have their own laws and regulations that govern the game within their states. With so many variables to consider, each state must be looked at individually in order to get an accurate assessment of the landscape of legal poker in that state. Seem like a lot of work? It is! But thankfully, GamblingStates.com has done the hard part by assembling this guide to playing poker in the United States and individual U.S. states to make it easy for you.
State Poker Guide
Below is our guide to poker in the United States with info about every state. Simply find your state on the map and there will be a breakdown of what is and isn’t allowed where you reside plus other quick poker facts the state. Looking for a full list of all the live poker venues in your state? Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide to gambling in your state for our most current list.
U.S. + State Poker Laws & Regulations
If you find yourself living in one of the states without poker (listed above), it is because the lawmakers in your state do not want poker within your state’s boundaries. Unlike with sports wagering, the decision whether to allow poker and the regulation of the game is solely up to the state. With that said, all states with poker have unique laws which make the game legal as well as regulation for how the game should be played – everything from where poker can be played, who gets a license to host games, the age to play, the amount of rake that can be taken from each hand, etc. is determined each individual state.
We invite anyone with questions about the poker laws in their state to check out our state-by-state gambling guides for further assistance.
Online Poker In The United States
Despite the growing number of live poker venues in the U.S., many Americans still turn to their computers and other electronic devices to get their poker fix. Fact is, playing poker online is far more convenient than driving to a brick-and-mortar poker room, and there is much more competition online which means a greater amount of money at stake on the tables, not to mention all the other numerous advantages to playing online.
But, isn’t it illegal to play online poker?
The simple answer to this question is no, but it’s easy to understand why online poker gets that perception following online poker’s Black Friday back in 2011. Even though the federal government shut down several large online poker rooms that day, it wasn’t because those websites offered online poker to U.S. residents. Since then, the U.S. Department of Justice has even stated that laws like the Federal Wire Act, which could be interpreted to make playing online poker illegal, only apply to sports wagering.
Furthermore, going back to 2013, individual U.S. states with gambling began regulating online poker which only further bolstered the legality and legitimacy of playing poker online. As of 2017, three (3) states currently regulate online poker: Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware.
Offshore Poker Sites
Even though state-regulated poker sites are restricted to only players living in those select states, the rest of Americans can turn to the numerous trusted (and often better) online poker options that exist outside the borders of the United States. In fact, players living in states with online poker regulation will often turn to offshore poker sites, instead of the ones regulated by their states, because they either have more players, or more tables and tournaments running, or maybe because they often have a larger variety of poker games. Whatever the reason, offshore poker sites that accept US players should definitely be considered a viable option.