“I Don’t Want to Stop Playing”

New York Makes Another Push to Legalize Online Poker and Online Casino Games

“Marc’s point might make sense if you could carry forward losses in gambling like you can with stocks,” said Polk. But in Polk’s response, and several pointed replies on X, several major flaws in Short’s argument are clear. Short compared gambling wins and losses to stock gains and losses. Gamblers will now only be able to deduct 90% of gambling losses and expenses. The change in tax code, which is set to be implemented in 2026, directly affects how gambling taxes are calculated.

“I Don’t Want to Stop Playing”

The online poker market in Michigan is completely state-regulated; the Lawful Internet Gaming Act (2019) made it legal, and the first hand was dealt in January 2021. In 2024, Maine debated comprehensive legislation pertaining to online gaming, which includes provisions for online poker. Real-money gambling, including live poker, is available at dozens of tribal, riverboat, and state-licensed casinos and is governed by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. Kentucky has a law prohibiting unlicensed operators and does not permit online poker within its state borders. Live poker can be found in casinos and card rooms, but residents are currently unable to access authorized U.S. poker sites lawfully.

New Jersey is a state where you can play legal online poker, and it operates one of the most successful online poker markets in the country. Nevada remains the birthplace of regulated online poker in the U.S and one of the states where online poker is legal. At the same time, Montana completely prohibits online poker and most internet wagering under a 2005 law against iGaming. Many players in the state also enjoy the broad game variety available on Michigan poker sites based overseas that continue to cater to local players.

Traffic is often high, player pools are diverse, and major sites match global standards in software and gameplay quality. In practice, many offshore poker rooms mirror state-regulated U.S. platforms, offering active cash games, multi-table tournaments, and a range of stakes around the clock. Offshore operators typically block play from jurisdictions with explicit prohibitions on gaming. There’s no legislation to regulate the industry, but there are also no laws specifically banning it. In some states, such as Alabama and Utah, online poker is explicitly banned. Online poker in the U.S. occupies one of the most complex and continually evolving legal spaces in modern gaming.

The billionaire has formed CSIG (the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling) in response to pro-gaming moves on the web. Unsurprisingly, therefore, and despite condemnation from the World Trade Organization – which said UIGEA was illegal – the Act was signed into the statute books. Links to third party websites on Poker.com are provided solely for informative/educational purposes. Poker.com does not intend for any of the information contained on this website to be used for illegal purposes. Unfortunately, this is in relation to a lottery game that features the word poker in its name. The relevant laws can be found in Title 39, Criminal Offenses, Chapter 17, Offenses Against Public Health, Safety and Welfare, Part 5, Gambling.

“Our bipartisan bill fixes a harmful provision … that taxes casino players who lose money. “If the 2026 Gambling Tax change is not repealed, I will not be playing online poker next year,” Kaye wrote on X. It was alleged in the indictments that the three online poker providers had illegally circumnavigated UIGEA by laundering profits through small banks and offshore payment processors. The void was filled by PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, who respectively became the biggest online poker sites in the world until Black Friday in April 2011. In the other forty-seven states, a selection of poker deposit methods exists to enable players to fund their accounts (and withdraw their winnings), so effectively UIGEA was just an annoying distraction.

We’ve got five 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.

Contact a consumer protection lawyer to explore your options. ✅ Research online reviews – Look for complaints about unpaid winnings or deceptive practices. Pulled together for a “special session” to consider the new compact signed by Governor Ron DeSantis and Seminole Tribe leader Marcellus Osceola regarding gaming in the state.

Companion Measures, Which Would Also Ban Sweepstakes Casinos, Clears Committees

In April 2025, Pennsylvania joined the multi-state compact, allowing players from the state to play online poker with other players in Michigan and New Jersey. Online poker has been legal in Pennsylvania since 2017 when lawmakers passed HB 271, which also legalized other forms of online gambling. There is no online poker in Oregon and the state has explicit anti-iGaming and anti-poker betting laws that prohibit online poker operators from accepting payments via the internet. While live poker has been allowed at land-based tribal casinos like Choctaw Casino Resort and Winstar World Casino and Resort, there is no online poker in Oklahoma. Despite imposing many rules on online gaming, Ohio lawmakers have yet to legalize online poker or approve any online poker laws.

Poker players universally wanted PA to enter the multistate market in order to enhance competition among players, provide access to larger prize pools, grow the poker industry, support smaller operators, and reduce unregulated play. This expansion of online gaming for poker creates more choice and freedom for an estimated 150,000 online poker players in Pennsylvania and expands the pool of online poker players by more than 50%. Playing on offshore poker sites isn’t explicitly illegal for players in certain states, according to federal laws; however, it may be unlawful under state law. Although some bills, such as House Study Bill 227, have suggested legalizing online poker sites and casinos, none of them have been approved by the relevant committees. The state allows regulated sports betting and daily fantasy contests but excludes internet-based casino games and peer-to-peer poker. California represents a huge potential market of players in the U.S., but it has not yet made online poker legal.

As a result, DraftKings Casino and FanDuel Casino are the only two sports betting and online casino options in the state. Entering into agreements with foreign jurisdictions would be barred under the bill and only allow one account per player on a platform – putting the industry standard of banning multi-accounting into law in the state. The bill allows for tribal and commercial operators to run online poker in the state and sets a date of July 1 to go into effect.

Need a license to get in the game The Netherlands is cleaning its online gambling house, ready to start fresh in October. The leading online poker proponent in the Senate Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D – Nev.) passed away on Wednesday at the age of 82. The battle is beginning to heat up in Florida regarding sports betting and it seems that neither side is playing fair. Connecticut became the seventh state to open the doors for online poker inside its borders earlier this month. The American Gaming Association (AGA), the lobbying group for the American casino market, has had several different stances regarding online gaming over that time span. The ability to bet on sports, either online or live, has energized fans of all sports and helped the coffers of different states.

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.

The legal status of US online poker is one of the most common topics that might confuse players. Ohio lawmakers did legalize sports betting in 2021 but there has been little movement with online poker. WSOP.com is pretty much the only current legal online poker site for players in Las Vegas and the state of Nevada. While Maryland’s brick-and-mortar casinos continue to thrive, it appears online gambling, with the exception of sports betting, will remain on the back burner for the near future at least. Facing a $3.2 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2026, Illinois legislators are looking to legalize online poker and other casino games to help shore that up. Since then, several gambling sites have launched to offer sports wagering (sportsbooks) and online casino games.

Fortunately, Pennsylvania lawmakers eventually came to an agreement in November 2017, and has now become one of the top states for online poker. Four years went by without any state passing an online poker bill after Delaware did so in October 2013. Delaware brings in the lowest revenue from poker among all states with legal poker sites in operation. The Mid-Atlantic state officially signed a pro-online poker bill into legislation October 31, 2013, eight months after Nevada and New Jersey. Delaware is a bit of an afterthought when it comes to online gambling.

Certain conditions were required, including the fact the state constitution required all websites to be physically located in Atlantic City. Many, however, have effectively received ‘wrist slaps’ and have agreed to charges focusing on the Illegal Gambling Business Act, UIEGA, and bank fraud. Payments were an issue, but these companies miscoded the required 7995 credit card code and claimed poker deposits were jewelry and golf ball purchases. For example, key founders Ruth and Russ Parasol never considered any admission of guilt and certainly not to wire charges which was the foundation of their legal opinion since day one. It is widely believed that Mr. Dikshit caved in to intense pressure, and was highly criticised by industry veterans.

This presents both risks — in terms of illegal operations and lack of safeguards — and opportunities, should governments begin to consider structured regulatory pathways. Official markets are locked down tight, but underground play is thriving. This journey the U.S. poker market finds itself on is not unfolding in a vacuum.

Unfortunately, with so little clarity in many cases, this is essentially equivalent to the prediction that more than half these states will have regulated online poker within that time frame; precisely which states is fuzzier. The “probable” category includes all states where we anticipate a better than 50% chance these states will pass legislation to regulate intrastate online poker within 3-5 years. U.S.-facing online poker sites report that they have customers from all fifty states. Even in states like Washington where simply having online poker software on your computer is a class C felony, nobody has even been charged with violating the law. Below we list the states offering online poker, and give our best guess as to how likely each remaining state is to pass legislation regulating online poker. However, if one’s goal is to see federal regulation of online poker, many have pinned their hopes on legalization in individual states producing the required pressure for such action to take place.

On most of these sites, new players can receive a free poker bonus upon registering. There are seven regulated poker rooms across four poker networks that can be accessed by players in NJ. West Virginia and Michigan have passed laws that allow online gambling, including real money poker. As of January 2021, you can access legal online poker in Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Right now, Pennsylvania is set to become the latest state to offer multi-state online poker, with player pooling likely by April 2025. The idea is to create a dedicated online poker space rather than lumping it in with online casino games.

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.

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.

Online casinos are legal in some of the states that border Ohio (for example Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan) so Ohioans can legally play online poker by crossing into any of those states. New Jersey lawmakers legalized online poker and other forms of internet gaming in 2013. As a result, poker players in Michigan have a choice of various live and online poker options, and the state’s involvement in a multi-state compact allows it to share players with various other states. As with many less populous states, involvement in a multi-state compact would likely be required in order for any future regulated online poker sites in Maine to draw sufficient player numbers. The state’s lawmakers knew that these offerings would combine well with legal live poker at the racetrack casinos (racinos) in the state, which also offered table games and video lottery terminals.

The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council governs digital betting operations, and poker falls outside its remit. Occasional bills have proposed constitutional amendments for expanded gaming, but none have succeeded. Though individual legislators occasionally introduce gaming-study bills, none have progressed. Rhode Island has therefore joined the growing list of states supporting fully licensed virtual poker rooms.

President Trump signed his One Big Beautiful Bill into law in early July, in the middle of the biggest poker tournament in the world. While broadly supportive of the legislation, the AGA acknowledged the importance of ongoing collaboration with lawmakers to address key concerns, particularly changes related to wagering deduction losses. Still, he emphasized that efforts to overturn it are likely inevitable given the size and influence of the U.S. casino industry. “It will negatively affect the recreational player,” he told PokerNews’ Keith Becker in an interview during Day 1a of the WSOP Main Event. “Because in the past, where you could deduct 100% of your losses, now you can deduct 90%. The law’s expansive definitions could force out the handful of operators who still allow access from the state. Elsewhere, gaming regulators in Maryland, Delaware, and Tennessee have successfully driven out over 30 platforms via cease-and-desist orders.

The Delaware Lottery allowed its contract with 888 to expire and opened bidding for a new platform provider for poker and casino games online. WSOP launched its online poker site in September 2013 with Caesar’s casinos. As the first state to legalize online poker, Nevada continued its tradition as a trailblazer in gambling. Poker players can legally play real-money poker in various ways. Now, the state is one of the biggest poker markets – both live and online – but has yet to sign the interstate agreement to share online poker sites.

• Poker.com does not intend for any of the information contained on this website to be used for illegal purposes.
• While live poker is permitted in the state of Minnesota, there is no legislation that permits online poker.
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• It seems they are more content prosecuting more classic crimes like bank fraud and relying on state law violations which triggers the Illegal Gambling Business Act.
• One unique aspect of the bills is that operators would be allowed a second, separately branded online poker platform in addition to their main casino site.

In 2022, sports betting was legalized, paving the way for other online gambling industries. Although it oversees casino operations for live gaming, the Kansas Lottery lacks the power to grant licenses for online gambling. However, sports betting and daily fantasy sports are allowed, while live poker is available at state-licensed casinos. Illinois does not currently regulate online poker, although the Illinois Gaming Board does have licenses for in-person casinos and poker rooms, which are legal. Idaho does not allow online poker or any form of internet-based casino gambling. Although live poker is widely available at licensed pari-mutuel establishments and tribal casinos in Florida, the state does not regulate any online poker.

Governor Janet Mills, who had previously expressed reservations about the expansion of gambling, opted neither to sign nor veto the bill. The move comes after LD 1164, titled “An Act to Create Economic Opportunity for the Wabanaki Nations Through Internet Gaming,” became law at midnight on Saturday, January 10, 2026. His iGaming legislation would also ban these companies from seeking a license for three years.

“The negative ramifications for this industry are obvious, and they have high-powered lobbyists. And several casino operators are known supporters of the current Administration. I strongly suspect they will be working to reverse this.” The sports betting bill, SD 1657, would ban prop and in-play betting, bar ads during televised sporting events, and raise the tax rate to 51%. A new bill has been proposed to update the Massachusetts online casino industry.

As with West Virginia, online poker sites appear to be waiting for Connecticut to enter the multi-state agreement. After Connecticut lawmakers approved a bill to legalize online gaming, Gov. Ned Lamont signed it into state law in May 2021. Operators will need to partner with a land-based casino and apply for licenses to allow people to play poker in the state under the new law. Due to COVID-19, lawmakers in the Wolverine State were too focused on health safety guidelines and the economy to worry about the online poker bill they passed late in 2019. Another two years passed before Michigan became the fifth state in 2019 to legalize online www.pokernewsdaily.com poker.