Online poker is a form of gambling that involves betting real money against other players in a virtual game. The popularity of this game has surged over the last few years, with many sites offering a variety of games, including Texas hold’em, Omaha and 7 card stud. Some states even offer live casino games where players can interact with dealers and other players. While the federal government has succeeded in pushing some of the largest global online poker operators out of the US market, there are still a number of legal and regulated online poker sites available to those living in the United States.
Is poker legal in all 50 states?
There are currently six states where people can legally play online poker: Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Michigan. These states have passed legislation allowing people to gamble online, which includes offering regulated poker. Other states have also made significant pushes to legalize online poker, but none of them have yet launched a fully regulated site.
Is there a chance that more states will legalize online poker?
There has been a lot of talk about legalizing online poker in the past few years, but it is unlikely that this will happen. Many states have anti-gambling laws on the books, and these are often difficult to overcome. Even if the federal government were to change its stance on online gambling, many state legislatures are reluctant to pass bills that would allow for it.
One of the few states that doesn’t have any type of online or live poker is Nebraska. This is a conservative state that has very little interest in making any changes to its gambling laws. There are some signs that this might change in the future, but it will be a long time before Nebraska becomes an online poker mecca.
Colorado is another state that does not have any regulated poker sites. The closest place to play is in Black Hawk where there are several casinos with a small number of poker tables. However, due to Covid regulations this is now limited to a single table with plexiglass dividers.
The state of Florida is another potential online poker destination. The state’s two tribal casinos, Mohegan Sun and Mashantucket Pequot, both have their own regulated online poker rooms. They have been looking for partners to launch a broader network, but it is unclear when that will happen.
There have been some legislative efforts to make online poker legal in the state of Connecticut, but they have yet to bear fruit. Most of these efforts have piggybacked off of sports betting. As more and more states consider launching legal sportsbooks, there is a strong possibility that some of them will tack on online poker as well.