Gov Gavin Newsom Signs Sweepstakes Casino Ban Into Law
It’s not uncommon for poker enthusiasts from nearby states to drive to Nevada just to play poker online! However, state-regulated US poker sites aren’t yet available in these two states. If you play for real money, make sure that you do not play for more than you can afford losing, and that you only play at safe and regulated operators. If even one or two of these new bills pass in 2025, the landscape for US online poker could look very different a year from now.
Thankfully, Wicked Chops Poker created this position for me on their weekly poker show where I popped in and gave them the major headlines from the industry for five minutes. You entered a poker industry that was overwhelmingly male, both at the tables and in the media. It was simply that I knew which online screennames belonged to which real-life poker tournament participants.
On the other end, the UK’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) sets the gold standard with unified, player-first rules. Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina are talking about taxes and player safety. A fragmented player base leads to empty lobbies, longer wait times, and declining engagement. In short, while regulation has moved forward, the U.S. poker map in 2025 is still uneven, and the pressure is on lawmakers to create greater consistency.
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.
West Virginia joined in November and is expected to see an operator go live in the state this year. The agreement already includes New Jersey, Michigan, Nevada, and Delaware. Addabbo’s bill would allow as many as 10 poker licenses. The original bill called for a 30% tax on the industry.
Flutter Entertainment, which owns both companies, is planning a possible merger between FanDuel Poker and the biggest name in poker for the past 25 Xuan Liu officially signed with Ignition Casino as brand ambassador in April 2026, and the poker community noticed. The winner, Atlanta man Daniel Weinman immediately quit poker as a profession to run a poker and game themed restaurant. The past few years have provided poker fans with a range of options when it comes to watching The win launched Smith from relative obscurity into the spotlight of one of poker’s most watched events.
Tribal gaming compacts, which limit operations to actual casino properties, are overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Administration. West Virginia’s regulatory model now mirrors that of other small markets, which use interstate cooperation to sustain player pools. Poker and the use of mobile or desktop poker apps are legal, but their rollout has been slow due to this state’s limited population size. Enforcement remains active, and residents risk penalties for playing on unlicensed sites.
In many U.S. states, online poker falls into a legal gray area. In early 2026, Maine became the ninth state to legalize online poker. Connecticut and Rhode Island have legal frameworks in place, but don’t yet have regulated sites available to play on. Understanding how this system developed is essential for players who hope to participate safely and legally. It does not constitute legal/financial advice or a recommendation to engage in online gambling.
Major casino operators in the Old Line State, Cordish Cos. Maryland can only legalize gambling expansion through ballot initiative during even-numbered years. The bill outlines responsible gaming measures and allows operators to keep 70% of proceeds. Casinos could partner with online operators for a single skin.
Nevada was the first state to legalize online poker in the U.S., and that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering how gambling-friendly the state is. So, in essence, all 50 states could have legal internet poker if the lawmakers would pass legislation. Ever since April 15, 2011, a date known more infamously as “Black Friday,” the online poker industry in the U.S. has struggled, mostly because the top poker sites no longer operate within the country. The United States has some strict anti-online gambling laws that www.pokernewsdaily.com have been affecting the poker community for years.
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However, no operator has launched beyond casino gaming into online poker. Rhode Island, through Senate Bill 948, legalized online casino gaming in 2023, explicitly including poker. The Ohio Casino Control Commission regulates a handful of land-based casinos and mobile sportsbooks, but lacks the authority to approve poker websites. New York has not legalized online poker, but it is considered a key battleground state for upcoming iGaming legislation. Many players also explore New Jersey poker options through offshore sites for the expanded tournaments and international player pools they offer. A2578 amended the Casino Control Act in 2013, legalizing internet poker and casino games under the Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Large states like California, New York, and Florida — all with huge potential player bases — have failed to pass meaningful poker legislation, despite years of debate. Three more states (West Virginia, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) created a legal framework for online poker, but have no operations yet. The question is no longer whether online poker should be regulated. Just as importantly, it proved that regulated online poker can scale across state lines when the right conditions are in place. An earlier generalized online-gambling bill, since shelved, was among those listed, but the poker-only SB 9226 was missing from a short list that also touched on self-euthanasia, mass transit, and legalized prostitution measures.
Financial institutions were then required to block such transactions pertaining to wagering on any “game subject to chance,” which was written to include online poker and casino games. Bally’s Corporation, which is based in Rhode Island, lobbied for a bill to legalize online gaming through its two land-based casinos – the only ones in the state. Connecticut’s legal framework grants the Mohegans and Mashantucket Pequots a monopoly over online casino games, including poker. Michigan lawmakers had worked to legalize online poker for several years. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board took much longer than expected to finalize its regulations and issue licenses for online casinos and poker sites. Its legislature passed a bill to legalize internet poker and casino games in January 2011, even before the DOJ’s Wire Act decision, but Governor Chris Christie vetoed it.
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.
If anyone’s getting online casinos next year, it would be one of those, but online poker would take many years more if it were to come at all. The trouble with these is that, even if they legalize online poker, they may not attract any operators. However, online poker got cut from that state’s sports betting bill in 2023 — a necessary sacrifice to get it across the line. Whether playing online or face-to-face, players are safer in a regulated environment. The common themes here are current stringent prohibition of any form of gaming/gambling, and/or an absence of legislative activity towards the regulation of online poker. No U.S.-based online poker player has ever been convicted for playing online poker.
Should the market launch, major operators like BetMGM, PokerStars, WSOP, and BetRivers are expected to enter the fray. The absence of such language is especially surprising given that similar bills introduced by other state lawmakers this year include provisions for joining interstate compacts. Each interactive gaming licensee would be limited to offering a single branded skin, consistent with previous proposals. In related news, the House is considering a bill to create a gaming commission. Along with this bill, the Senate also approved three other gambling-related measures.
Polk’s voice has been one of the loudest to speak on the potentially devastating effects for both live and online poker players. This authorized people in the state to play real money poker and casino games online and engage in sports betting online. Exploring best online casino sites for real money will become increasingly important as players navigate these new legal waters, ensuring they choose platforms that offer security and fair play. With Wyoming and Indiana joining the list of states considering iGaming legislation, online casino players may soon see a surge in regulated platforms. Last year, Democratic lawmakers put forward bills that would classify online poker as a game of skill and expand live poker beyond land-based casinos.
To alleviate cannibalization concerns, gaming law and sports betting attorney Daniel Wallach has said any iGaming legislation in union-friendly states like Maryland should offer some kind of job guarantees. It is the responsibility of consumers to be aware of & comply with any state and national laws that apply to them regarding online poker and online gaming in general. Editorial team curates and publishes in-depth reviews and ratings of online poker sites by using their extensive industry experience. While having access to a regulated online poker site is currently possible only in four states, live poker is accessible in almost all US states. WSOP.com is legally available to US players in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware. By using this model on their online poker site, Global Poker is not considered real money online gambling.
Until lawmakers adopt comprehensive iGaming statutes, poker will remain unregulated. A new bill, HB 168, proposes a study commission on internet gambling and poker, yet it remains excluded from legislative priorities. Given Montana’s population size and limited casino base, the economic incentive for Internet poker legalization is weak. Limited forms of betting occur through state-regulated sports pools, but poker does not qualify.
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.
Brand of casinos around the United States, has unveiled a new proposal for a mixed-used development – which includes a casino – in Petersburg, Virginia. A couple (Utah and Hawaii) outright ban the activity, online or live, although Hawaii is looking to change that. Thirty-eight states plus the District of Columbia have passed some form of sports betting or daily fantasy sports, but one is going to have to wait for another legislative session before… Read more »
PokerScout is your go-to source for poker news, poker odds calculators, and poker traffic stats. With an academic background in physics, Alex brings an analytical perspective to gambling. It also requires an operator that’s interested in the market for other reasons and willing to go to the trouble of including a poker room. If there is some hope for iGaming legislation, it is more likely in small states than big ones.
West Virginia allows live poker at licensed premises, and also offers online poker. Neither online nor live poker are legally available in Utah. Rhode Island does permit online poker, but as of yet no operators have launched in the state. Pennsylvania is part of the MSIGA, which allows operators in the state to share online player pools with other states. The state was the first to welcome PokerStars back to the US market after Black Friday, and now offers a variety of choices for online players. There are live poker rooms in New Hampshire, but the state does not permit online poker.
In 2016, a bill that would’ve allowed the New York State Gaming Commission to grant up to 11 online poker licenses and expanded poker licenses beyond land-based casinos in New York made it through the New York Senate before the Assembly shot it down. Live poker has been legal at land-based casinos in New York since lawmakers passed Upstate NY Economic Development Gaming Act in 2013. “These games are considered to be complex forms of poker which involve player strategy and decision-making and which pit the skill levels of the players against each other,” states the bill. If Illinois and Connecticut end up joining the interstate online poker compact, all MSIGA member states would total more than 42 million, providing a much larger player pool.
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.
Yes, provided you reside in a state that has legalized online poker or where offshore sites are accessible. Top legal US poker sites include PokerStars, WSOP.com, and BetMGM Poker, all of which are regulated by state gaming authorities. Playing from unauthorized locations may violate local gaming laws; therefore, players must confirm their eligibility. State-regulated sites use geolocation to confirm players are within state borders and require KYC checks for identity and age. When a state legalizes online poker, its gaming commission or lottery board oversees the licensing and compliance.
And yet, studies show that players are willing to pay an extra $1.83 per hour to play on a government-regulated site, proof that demand for safety and legitimacy is strong. This federal law didn’t ban online poker outright, but it targeted the financial transactions underpinning it. To understand why this legal inconsistency persists, we must look back at the roots of online poker in America and explore why regulation remains so complex. Online poker is legal and regulated in Nevada, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
“Pennsylvania represents the largest state to join the shared player pool and turbocharges our poker platform,” BetMGM Vice President of Gaming Angus Nisbet, said in a press release. “This expanded player pool will allow us to deliver more games and bigger tournaments to our players. Most of these states either have existing land-based casinos, and/or have shown interest at the legislative level for the potential tax revenue online poker and other gaming might bring. As noted above, the pooling of players from these states held the promise of an ever-growing multi-state network, with the ultimate prospect of returning U.S. online poker to something approaching pre-2010 levels. For example, the broadest possible interpretation of UIGEA would hold that federally, the current state-based regulated online poker sites are in breach of the law when they accept deposits. The Act specifically excludes certain fantasy sports and, of great interest to poker players, “skill games”.
