Is Poker Legal in Alaska?
Multiple States Push for Gambling Expansion and Online Poker Legislation
While Georgia is one of the most conservative states with strict anti-gambling laws, residents should have no worries about playing poker online. As a conservative state with seemingly strict views on gambling in general, it’s no surprise that there’s some confusion as to the legality of online poker in Georgia. No Legal Online PokerState authorities don’t look too favorably on gambling or the game of poker in Arizona, and since there has been no effort to regulate the game at state level, it seems unlikely that any moves will be made to legislate for the online poker industry. However players in the state can access offshore poker sites, often using cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin to make transactions. No Legal Online PokerArkansas is quite a conservative state and there’s little chance that legislation for a local online poker industry will be discussed at state level any time soon.
They would remain the leader in the online poker industry until 2006 when the UIGEA inspired them to voluntarily exit the US market. Not long after, Paradise Poker debuted and for a time those two online operators were the only games on the internet. 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! As a member of the MSIGA, West Virginia players can play multi-state with BetRivers players in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Delaware.
“When you start talking about lottery and horse racing, there’s a majority of states in the nation that now have gaming. It’s not Nevada and New Jersey anymore,” he said. “It will move major events that drive our economy offshore, push wagering into illegal markets, and it could punish tourists who come to Vegas to win big.” After the bill’s passage, the association said it would work with lawmakers to address the changes in deduction losses. “Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Crapo is open to receiving feedback from affected stakeholders and learning more about industry reporting and compliance,” she said in a statement. Critchfield told NPR the committee did not hear any concerns from gaming associations about the lowering of the threshold until after the bill was passed.
Proponents argue that allowing authorized virtual poker rooms would increase revenue without necessitating the expansion of physical casinos. There have been several attempts to add poker to the state’s list of iGaming options, including an Act relative to internet gaming (House Bill 4431). HB 17, a significant proposal, aims to permit all forms of online gaming under state supervision, including poker.
The most remarkable poker platforms include WSOP/888 Poker Network, Borgata Poker Network, and PokerStars NJ. Launched in 2013, WSOP Nevada shares liquidity with the 888 Poker network in New Jersey & 888 Delaware. Whether these bills gain traction remains to be seen, but having legislation on the table is at least a step in the right direction. But given the state’s recent history, lawmakers may still be hesitant. With fewer than 600,000 residents, Wyoming would struggle to sustain a poker market on its own, so linking up with other states is essential. After all, if passed, this bill would mark the first real attempt to bring sweepstakes gaming under state regulation — a move that could set a precedent for other states.
Casino.org is the world’s leading independent online gaming authority, providing trusted online casino news, guides, reviews and information since 1995. Taxing people on money they don’t have will stifle the tourism industry in states like Nevada, push poker tournaments offshore, and drive betting into underground, unregulated markets. This led to the emergence of Americas Cardroom and Black Chip Poker as major players in the US market – and, more recently, Bovada and Ignition Poker. PokerStars went on to buy out Full Tilt Poker two years later, and made a settlement with the Department of Justice that included the repayment of former US Full Tilt Poker players. What the passage of UIGEA did achieve was the withdrawal of several major poker sites from the US – including the industry leader at the time, PartyPoker. The passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) made it illegal for US banks and other US-based payment processors to transfer funds to or from an Internet poker site.
As of January 2026, there are no active bills that propose a method for licensing poker sites. In these jurisdictions, it’s often possible to access offshore poker sites, although it’s up to you to do the necessary research and due diligence before taking to the tables. Six of these states operate under the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), allowing for shared liquidity and larger player pools. Players must be physically located within one of these states to play on licensed sites. Since there is no unified federal law authorizing or prohibiting poker platforms, every state determines for itself whether real-money poker may be offered within its borders.
In other sweeps gaming news, bills prohibiting the industry also recently advanced in Mississippi and Illinois also ordered operators to cease offering games in the state. Additionally, gaming regulators would publish annual studies on the impact of cannibalization at live casinos. The proposal allows brick-and-mortar casino operators and online sportsbook operators to obtain a five-year license for $1 million. This year, Watson introduced SB885 to legalize online casino games. Lawmakers in Maryland are set to consider online gaming and poker legislation for the third straight eligible legislative session.
That makes sense since he was vice president during the Obama Administration, whose DOJ released the initial opinion that allowed online gambling legislation to begin in earnest in the U.S. Fortunately for poker players in the U.S., the judges weren’t having it. The content of the opinion didn’t wasn’t a shock considering Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson had long pushed for legislation banning online poker. The way may be clear for online poker legislation in the U.S. going forward.
On the flip side, I think poker tours consolidating media in house or to official contractors has really killed the rest of poker content. Working directly for the WSOP did give me a great appreciation for the importance of logistics which were often lost on the larger poker community. The meat of my career was live updates, so I hold a soft spot for those because that remains the best way to really embrace the game itself and break down a hand. Nothing compared to that format of podcast where you heard the news of what was going on in the tournament, what the gossip was, where people ended up after play ended, and, my personal favorite, the table talk. Even after being on camera in various capacities for years, when I worked as the WPT Live Update Hostess in Season X, the larger poker community still pushed back.
In other words, operators would need to clear $66 million in gross gaming revenue for the first five years (about $13 million per year). Online poker would be taxed at a 15% rate, but operators would have to pay a whopping $10 million one-time fee for licensing. If a repeal isn’t in the works, it could spell trouble for the entire poker industry.
We’ve got five www.pokernewsdaily.com states (NJ, Nevada, Delaware, Michigan, PA) running regulated poker, each with their own hoops, and everywhere else either no option or offshore rooms with zero safety nets. Now, nearly twenty years later, U.S. online poker still looks like a mismatched fabric. The bill also notes that seven states in total have already legalized online gaming, with most of those states in close proximity to New York. New York quickly became the US’s largest online sports-betting state after authorizing it in 2021, with the first live wagering occurring in January 2022.
After legalizing igaming and sports betting in 2017, igaming didn’t launch until 2019. Unclear whether poker players are included under the scope of the law. Existing laws aimed at cracking down on sports betting may apply to wagering over the internet, but that is one of many conclusions you might reach after reviewing the law regarding gambling in Oklahoma. In 2023 and 2024, State Senator Addabbo encouraged full igaming instead of just online poker, but both bills appear to have failed again. No surprise that the nation’s gambling capital was the first to offer regulated online poker. Gambling-friendly state started seriously considering online poker and casino games in 2017, opening its first land-based casino in 2018.
Bills have been put forth every year since the US Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018, allowing states to legalize sports betting, but every year, the bills fall short. Needs widespread support Lawmakers in Georgia are giving sports betting legalization yet another shot. “Online gaming and sports betting is growing exponentially, especially with young adults,” Sen. Fontana said… Read more » Putting the clamps on ads As legal sports betting has spread throughout the United States, sports betting advertising has become more ubiquitous. It has become almost as agonizing to watch the state of New York dance with online poker as it is watching California.
Kentucky does not permit online poker, but live poker can be played in social clubs. While live poker is permitted in the state of Kansas, there is no legislation for online poker. As part of their efforts, it seemed possible that the state would expand beyond its tribal and riverboat casino operators, where live poker may be played. Neither online poker or live poker are legal in the state of Idaho. Poker players travel to the state from all over the world to play in the tournaments at casinos like the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida.
The state operates an online lottery and a charitable gaming program. AB 114 (2013) legalized intrastate Internet poker, making Nevada one of the first to do so. Nebraska has traditionally been an anti-gambling state and doesn’t license or regulate poker. As a result, there are hundreds of bars and entertainment venues offering live poker, video poker, video lottery, and off-track betting.
Providing everything you need to play poker online since 2006. Resorts World, meanwhile, has dabbled in online sports betting but has had less success. The question for iGaming and online poker proponents, then, is what has changed that would engender any optimism in 2026? “I think it’s terrible for the government to put people in a position to think about things like that. The players I know, the tournament players, pay their taxes. They pay quite a bit in taxes.” “It’s even worse for the younger players. These are people who put in an incredible amount of effort and hours learning, and now they’re going to be in a position where they can’t really play,” Seidel claims.
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. At this point, the state sports 30 state-regulated casinos, mostly located on the Gulf Coast and along the river. “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, at the time. 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. In 2023, for the fifth consecutive year, legislation was introduced for the regulation of online poker. 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.
There has also been one significant event (“Black Friday”) that sculpted the current landscape for online poker in the United States. The month-end tournament, which comes with a free prize pool of $250, saw 20 players make the money, with the top prize A total of 20 players made the money places, with Fatai beating Stephen to the title after an exciting final
Today, CardPlayer.com is the best poker and gambling information portal for free poker and casino content, offering online poker site and casino reviews and exclusive online gambling bonus deals. New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Delaware are currently offering legal online poker sites for money in the US. This should naturally boost player pools and tournament guarantees, further attracting more players to try their hand in online poker from the comfort of their home. Many US players are waiting for large-scale online poker to be accessible across the states. State-regulated online poker with real money poker games such as cash games and tournaments is legally available in just a few states.
The Bluegrass State has taken an even tougher stance against online gaming. 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 of 2022, 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 state allowed Native American-operated casinos for decades before in 2007 introducing a bill allowing other land-based casinos as well. Poker is and isn’t legal in Iowa, it just depends on how you want to play.
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. Some of the best live poker rooms in Texas include the 52 Social Club, Texas Card House, and The Lodge Card Club. The legality of these poker rooms remains under some dispute. Four decades later, Rhode Island also legalized pull-tab lottery games and bingo. Additionally, Pennsylvania has offered legal daily fantasy sports since 2018 and the state also allows horse racing and lotteries, while esports wagering is currently prohibited.
The National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) has also lobbied against legalization. The Senate version differs just a bit from the House bill, which would tax the industry at just 15%, but with 6% still going to the Hold Harmless Fund. Sen. Mamie Locke (D), who sponsored the bill, said the proposal would “dramatically curtail Virginia’s thriving illegal iGaming market.” The legislation estimates bringing in $3343 million in tax revenue by Fiscal Year 2028, rising to more than $1 billion by 2032. SB118 would legalize iGaming and has drawn significant opposition in the Old Dominion State.
Although there is a growing list of states where online poker is legal, playing poker on the Internet remains unregulated or illegal in the majority of them, depending on state law. There are now seven players in the state-by-state online poker industry in the States of America. Efforts to legalize online gaming and poker have already been introduced in both the house and the senate and allow the state’s casinos to be licensees (listed as Category 1 license holders for two skins as well as separate branding for online poker).
In 2024, New York set a record by collecting more than $1 billion in sports betting tax revenue. Addabbo chairs the state’s Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee, and was a backer of mobile sports betting in the state. Together, these examples show that when it’s done right, regulation can move beyond legality to legitimacy, cementing poker’s place as mainstream digital entertainment.
Residents won’t have access to any authorized U.S. poker sites until then. Poker has not been included in proposed amendments, despite lawmakers’ occasional discussions about increasing the availability of digital gaming options. Lawmakers have not yet discussed the addition of casino or poker provisions. Currently, there are no bills that would legalize Internet poker.