Although Las Vegas is considered the capital of gambling, some forms of it are not available in the whole territory of the United States. For instance, what do you know about legal poker in the US? Where is it possible to play this game for real money? Learn everything about poker sites and venues in the country.
Poker is a very popular gambling game that is widely played in casinos in the United States. In particular, different variations of poker are present in the biggest Las Vegas casinos. Thousands of gamblers annually come to Nevada to compete with other professional players, take part in the WSOP, or just enjoy the game. However, does it happen like this on the whole territory of the country? Can one play poker legally in all states of the US?
Legal poker in the US: land-based casinos
In the US, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is in charge of online poker regulations. It is also responsible for state-by-state regulation for land-based casinos. Players from the US need to understand whether it is legal to play this classic card game for real money in their state. Let’s start with brick-and-mortar casinos and states where poker games are legal in one way or another.
- Arizona
- Louisiana
- California
- Colorado
- Nevada
- Indiana
- Florida
- Michigan
- Connecticut
There are also states where the legality of poker is taken under consideration. However, in most cases, you can only play this old familiar game in a circle of friends. Legal poker in the US is not a big deal in comparison to other gambling activities such as bingo or lottery.
Legal online poker sites in the US
What about legal poker in the US when it comes to the Internet? First of all, most state laws don’t make a difference between online poker and other gambling games. All have the same regulations with a few exceptions. However, Washington State is the only state that marks online poker as a separate and illegal activity. It means that it is impossible to play at online poker sites for real money.
Below you will find the full list of states in the US where online poker is legal and regulated. Follow the latest online poker updates to learn more about poker in different corners of the world.
- Nevada
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- West Virginia
- Pennsylvania
- Connecticut
- Delaware
Where to play online poker in 2022?
If you want to play poker online and you are based in the US, you need to know what sites are allowed to accept bets with real money. Playing online poker on the Internet is easy: all you need to do is sign up for the website with games, fill in your personal and payment information, make a deposit, and start playing. You have the option to choose between numerous variations of poker, as well as video poker and live dealer poker.
We have collected some of the best online poker sites that are available for US players in 2022. Here they are:
- Ignition Poker
- Bovada Poker
- Everygame Poker
- BetOnline Poker
- Betsafe Poker