US Poker Legislation in 2024: US Poker Laws, Regulation & Reviews
Online poker is coming back to the United States as more and more US states are legalizing online poker real money games.
US poker laws and especially state laws are complicated and differ a lot from each other, that’s why the aim of this page is to give you the most comprehensive legal US poker overview.
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The United States has unique online poker legislation, since the Constitution gives each state the right to regulate online gaming individually.
A handful of states has authorized internet gaming across one or more verticals, including casino games, instant online lottery, poker, and sports betting. This page covers laws and regulations related to US online poker.
We are telling you exactly, in which parts of the USA, online poker is legal and where it isn’t.
A remarkable number of US states have already regulated online gaming in all of its verticals.
In general, more and more states are changing their online gaming laws and have opened up to legalize online poker.
The aim of this page is not only to serve as the ultimate guide when it comes to finding the best US Friendly Poker Sites but also to keep you up-to-date with the hottest topics and developments in the US poker scene.
Our team consisting of online poker experts and US poker pros has spent countless hours testing the best US poker sites as well as researching everything you need to know about legal US poker, state and federal laws.
WHAT IS LEGAL UNDER THE CURRENT US POKER LEGISLATION?
Playing online poker is not against any US laws. There is no federal regulation or US law that prohibits US players from playing online poker for real money.
In 2011, the US Department of Justice changed the Wire Act by stating that:
“Interstate transmissions of wire communications that do not relate to a sporting event or contest fall outside the reach of the Wire Act.”
This gave every US state the right to choose on its own how to regulate online gaming.
SHARED ONLINE POKER LIQUIDITY A MILESTONE FOR ONLINE POKER IN THE US
Only two years after, three states, Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey not only legalized online poker, but also agreed to share their online poker liquidity.
This was a huge milestone for online poker in the US as it is pathing the way for a countrywide player pool and also increased cash game traffic and poker tournament guarantees significantly.
WHERE CAN I PLAY LEGAL US POKER?
As of July 2021, a remarkable seven US states: Nevada, New Jersey Nevada, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia and Connecticut have officially legalized online poker with the first three of them even sharing online poker liquidity.
Illinois is expected to follow suit soon, as it plans to pass online gambling legislation in 2021.
Below, we provide in-depth information on US poker legislation and US poker laws in the states, where it has been already legalized.
WHICH US STATES HAVE LEGALIZED ONLINE POKER?
NEVADA ONLINE POKER
Nevada was the first US state to legalize online poker after the Wire Act change in 2011.
Nowadays, it is the third-largest state with regulated online gaming. Apart from sports betting, online poker is the only form of online gaming, as online casinos are not allowed in Nevada.
DELAWARE ONLINE POKER
Next up was Delaware. The Delaware Lottery dictates their poker legislation and laws. It gave its green light for online poker in November 2013.
Delaware is the smallest US state with legal online poker, however since it is sharing its online poker liquidity, poker players have the same player and prize pools as Nevada and New Jersey.
NEW JERSEY ONLINE POKER
New Jersey and especially Atlantic City have always been a stronghold when it comes to poker and online gaming.
So it didn’t come as a surprise that they were the third US state to legalize online poker. New Jersey is the largest US online poker market and players can choose between seven different online poker sites and four networks.
DELAWARE ONLINE POKER
Next up was Delaware. The Delaware Lottery dictates their poker legislation and laws. It gave its green light for online poker in November 2013.
Delaware is the smallest US state with legal online poker, however since it is sharing its online poker liquidity, poker players have the same player and prize pools as Nevada and New Jersey.
PENNSYLVANIA ONLINE POKER
In late 2017, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed an expansive online gambling package into law pathing the way for legal online poker.
As of today, there are three online poker sites and two online poker networks available. The Pennsylvania online poker market is one of the biggest and most important in the US.
Already in 2019, PokerStars generated more than $4.4 million in revenue in less than two months!
WEST VIRGINIA ONLINE POKER
In March 2019, West Virginia passed a law to legalize and regulate online poker. Although West Virginia has a population of only two million, this was a very significant step for poker in the USA, since it will be sharing its online poker liquidity in the future.
Currently, there are two different US poker sites available in West Virginia.
MICHIGAN ONLINE POKER
Michigan launched online poker in January 2021. Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the online gambling law already in 2020, but it took almost a year to come into effect.
As of now, there are two online poker sites to choose from, which more expected to launch soon.
CONNECTICUT ONLINE POKER
Connecticut is the seventh and latest US state to regulate online poker. Governor Ned Lamont signed the House Bill 6451 into law on Friday, May 28th, 2021.
As of July 2021, already three online poker sites have opened their doors in Connecticut and as everywhere in the regulated US states, this number will be increasing soon, so Legal US poker is back!
