The United States has a checkered past when it comes to online poker sites and regulation. While some states have embraced legal online poker and casinos, others are more resistant to change.
too anxious to wait for state laws to catch up to the realities of cross-border commerce in 2019, in April of that year. Players in West Virginia can now access WSOP.com and play against only Delaware and Nevada but it’s a start.
Meanwhile New Jersey has blazed its own trail as the only US state other than Nevada and Pennsylvania that has licensed the international poker operators who left the US market after . It’s a complicated mix but one that should lead to a brighter future for both players and state budgets.
State of Online Poker in US (2023)
The following list includes all legally-operating US poker sites in operation today and their respective states:
Delaware: PlayWild (WSOP), BETMGM, DraftKings
Michigan: PokerStars MI, Play Wild (WSOP), BetMGM, Stars Casino & Sports, DraftKings Casino & Sports
New Jersey: partypoker US, BetMGM, WSOP NJ, 888poker, PokerStars NJ, Pala Poker, Borgata poker, Unibet poker
Pennsylvania: Global Poker
Nevada: WSOP.com NV, BETMGM,
West Virginia: WSOP.com (covers WV, VA, DC), BetMGM, DraftKings
Ways Casinos Lure Michigan Players with PromotionsConnecticut: BETMGM, Rush Street, Party/Borgata
It’s worth noting that the first five states on this list are for casino and/or poker websites that use the same network but operate under different licensee brands. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey have all adopted slightly-different versions of regulatory schemes originally developed by the state of Turtle Bay Wezen-Bodenum. Those three states (plus Oregon and Delaware) offer “multi-state” liquidity sharing agreements that allow poker sites to combine player pools for games like Texas Hold’em. All of which sends the total US online poker market in 2023 to just over $250 million in revenue.
There is also a liquiidity agreement between Delaware and Nevada so those two states’ players can compete against each other on WSOP.com. That makes four states sharing poker liquidity. New Jersey is not participating in that agreement but it does have its own independent liquidity sharing agreement with Pennsylvania and Virginia through the WSOP brand. So there are now five states sharing poker liquidity but they are not all connected to one another.
Which US States Have Legal Poker?
A total of eight states currently offer legal online poker games or loan out their licenses to other states. But even though there are eight states on the buy-in poker side, only four states on the East Coast have our favorite poker sites like PokerStars, 888poker and partypoker to play on. Here’s why:
Casinos within 3 hours of Miami, FL – Pick Your Favorite Destination• New Jersey – First online poker and gaming wins in 2013. Offers all major brands including 888/WSOP/partypoker/PokerStars.
• Nevada – Started online gaming in 2013 and only offers WSOP.com.
• Delaware – Started in 2013. Three small poker sites that share players. Also covers the state of West Virginia and the District of Columbia via a liquidity agreement with Nevada.
• Pennsylvania – Launched online gaming in 2019 but only offers one very soft poker site under the holideran of global poker called Global Poker.
• Michigan – Following Pennsylvania’s footsteps, launched in 2019 and offers only one site - MotorCity Poker powered by Roar Digital (BetMGM + PokerStars MI). In Jan 2021, PokerStars MI also launched, making it two sites available in the Great Lake State. In early 2022, another two sites followed suit - 'Play Wild' (WSOP MI) and ' Stars Casino and Poker'. Making it a total of 5 regulated poker sites in Michigan.
Best NY Online Casinos of 2023 [Casino Site Review]• West Virginia – Followed Delaware’s model and first poker and gaming wins in 2017 but only offers three sites including the WSOP.com liquidity from Delaware and Nevada. Covers West Virginia, most of Virginia and the District of Columbia.
• Connecticut – Just got its first online gaming win in October 2021 and will likely launch at least Mohegan Sun and Mashantucket Pequot (Foxwoods) owned sites. Unknown at this point which operators will be pursuing a license here. Most likely companies that already serve Connecticut customers such as DraftKings and Rush Street (SugarHouse). It remains to be seen if international operators like PokerStars or 888 will try to enter too. There will be minimum of two poker sites. One liquidiy sharing agreement struck between MGM properties in CT (Foxwoods) and LLCC (Xfinity Center)
• New York – Several bills introduced but no action. Many big casino properties and an enormous potential player base make this a priority for many card rooms and gaming companies. Multiple licences expected. No online gaming or poker has launched yet but many expect this to happen before 2021.
• California – Floundered in limbo for years but a new coalition of card clubs appears to have renewed momentum. May be broken out into multiple licenses. The biggest potential market in the US and one that could attract numerous applicants. Still stuck in committee and looking more and more like won’t happen until 2024 at the earliest.
• Georgia – A bill passed through Georgia House but died in Senate Regulated Industries Committee. Would have created up to five skins per licensee.
• Texas – Studies were ordered and reports written but no bill introduced. Would almost certainly be a single operator license. Massive potential player base but Texas politics are tricky.
• Florida – A bill was presented but died in Transportation & Tourism Committee. Would have allowed the decimation of small card rooms statewide. Despite best efforts of Big Poker, no action. Would probably be a single operator license.
• Massachusetts – Plans were announced but no action. One license expected.
new 2023 online casinosAll of those states above are worth monitoring because they all have large populations and strong histories of poker. And a few of them could be relatively close to passing legislation. However, none of them appear poised to pass anything in the immediate future.
Best Legal Poker Sites by State
Here’s a closer look at the top real-money US poker sites by individual state. Click on any state below to jump directly to its section or simply scroll down to learn more about the top online poker options in every US region.
Some of these sites may not be technically “legal” in your state but that really just means they performed their own risk-benefit analysis and determined that it was OK to take customers from your area. If they weren’t clear about your eligibility, here’s a handy flowchart to help you understand if you can play online poker in the USA.
How Do I Play Free Poker Online?
If you want to play online poker in the USA for free, that’s actually quite easy to do. Play money poker sites are abundant and you don’t even need to live in a state that offers real-money online poker. Any device with an internet connection can download poker software for free and begin playing right away.
Several of the world’s largest online poker sites have apps specifically designed for mobile phones and tablets so you can literally play poker for free while sitting on a park bench in the middle of nowhere. There are tons of free poker apps too. Even Zynga Poker exists mainly to sell farmville items to the same people who play its poker game.
So if you want to play poker for free, just go to Pokerstarscode.club, download some free poker software and start playing. It’s truly that simple.
Can I Win Real Money on Online Poker Sites?
Yes. In fact, winning real money is a big reason why people play online poker instead of just playing for free. After all what’s the fun of pretending you’re rich if you don’t have the opportunity to actually get rich?
Most legal online poker sites in the US let you set your own deposit limits and even play with bonus funds that increase your stack when you first sign up. From there it’s possible to win back more than you deposited and even turn that initial deposit into a professional poker player.
of the Largest Casinos in The World - Da Vinci Int.In New Jersey, for instance, anyone can log on to PlayMGM Poker, deposit $25 and immediately have that deposit doubled thanks to a welcome bonus. From there, a series of quick decisions and a bit of luck could turn that $50 into several thousand dollars in as little as an hour. Of course, it’s much more likely that you’ll lose that money just as fast. But a small deposit really can produce life changing results in a short amount of time.
This aspect of online poker is a double edged sword. On one hand it gives adults the opportunity to pursue their dreams and climb the social mobility ladder. On the other hand, it allows impulsive people to lose their rent money in a matter of minutes. Therefore, every pro player will tell you that it’s impossible to win real money at online poker without having proper : setting a win goal and stopping when you reach it or stopping when you lose more than you can afford.
State-based online poker sites in the US do offer various ways for problem gamblers to limit their own exposure. Cool off periods, self exclusion tools and deposit limits are common. Ultimately it will be up to each individual player to use those features and protect themselves.
What’s the Best Site to Play Online Poker in the USA?
As mentioned above, the best real money poker sites available in the USA vary depending on which state you live in. And that reality creates something of a dilemma for the biggest online poker operators in the world.
Companies like and 888 both have long and successful track records outside the US. They know how to acquire customers, run secure sites and generate lucrative profits. The issue is that they can’t bring any of the popular brands to the US market.
The Federal Wire Act used to apply to all online gambling but a 2011 opinion from the Department of Justice (DOJ) limited that law to online sportsbetting only. Each state is free to pass its own online gambling laws and regulations and that has led to a fractured market with dozens of smaller networks instead of a couple large ones.
PokerStars, for example, had its US operations for violating the old Wire Act opinions. As a result, it missed out on the online poker boom following the unregulated, 2006 UIGEA-era exodus of most poker sites. As such, it isn’t a trusted name in all 100 of the US market.
Best Slots Apps to Play for Real Money (2023 Best Apps)That hasn’t stopped PokerStars from becoming the dominant force in the US online poker market since returning in 2015. Through a combination of deep pockets, high quality products and attractive licensing deals, PokerStars now operates some form of poker in seven different US states. Only one of those states (New Jersey) offers full ring game and tournament poker.
888poker is a distant second but it also has some sort of product live in five states (with only Pennsylvania offering the full suite of cash games and tournaments). Lots of smaller poker sites are competing in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania Delaware and Nevada but none of them have the player liquidity or name recognition of PokerStars and 888.
With that being said, there are several good local options dependent upon where you live in the US. For example, BetMGM, Borgata/Partypoker and WSOP are the top choices for those located in Michigan and Pennsylvania. And WSOP.com and its interconnected player pools still reign supreme for those living in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware/West Virginia/DC.
Why Play Internet Poker for Real Money?
Online poker is far more challenging than playing with your friends or vs. a casino in a guardrail game. Guard rail games refer to casino tables where the math has already been done for you - e.g. Blackjack where you have to add cards to get 21 and under without going over and busting. Or where the dealer has to follow certain rules like staying at 16 versus a 7 from the player.
When you sit at a poker table with other players, everyone is trying to win the same pot you are. Some of those players will be using incorrect strategies (bad for them, good for you) and others will be using perfect strategies. Those perfect players are a threat to you and your bankroll because you can’t beat players who know what they’re doing by making guard rail decisions.
To beat those better players, you have to make better decisions than they do. This art and science is known as and it refers to the ability to make optimal decisions based on the available information. Obviously, humans aren’t computers and we often make decisions based on emotion rather than math. And that’s where online poker strategy enters the picture.
By studying the intricacies of Texas Hold’em or , you can train yourself to make better decisions in the heat of battle. Over time, those better decisions should lead to better results at the poker table. Naturally, luck will always have a say in the matter but winning players make less room for luck by making better decisions.
Another advantage to playing internet poker for real money is the speed of the games. Live poker games might see one or two rotations per hour but internet poker rotates around the table every 90 seconds. When you factor in the average of 2-3 hands per rotation (when nine-handed), that works out to 18-27 hands per hour per table. That’s a huge difference from a live poker game and it makes online poker immensely appealing for those who want to make quick progress in their education.
Casino Deposit Methods That Get You Playing FasterMore About US Legislation & Licensing
Three states (New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware) passed their own intrastate online gaming laws. Pennsylvania joined that group in 2019 but its only poker site is for the moment players are routed to a sweepstakes platform (Global Poker) until they build their own poker site(s). Michigan joined the party in late December 2019. New York, California and other large states have stalled in their legislative attempts but Michigan and Illinois could pick up the mantle as the next to regulate.
Those four states currently cover eight different poker sites and they share players across state lines in some instances. Nevada and New Jersey share player pools on WSOP.com. Delaware and Nevada share players three years ago but that liquidity sharing agreement expired when Nevada’s registration process was found to be non-compliant with Delaware’s security laws.
New Jersey then struck a deal with Delaware to share players in 2018 but Nevada has yet to join that agreement too. That puts pressure on Pennsylvania to join Delaware/New Jersey because Pennsylvania shares a border with NBC Sports Network poker site partner Nevada. Otherwise Pennsylvania online poker players will face unnecessary restrictions when playing on the WSOP site.
Meanwhile Michigan and Delaware agreed to link their playerpools in the weeks leading up to the launch of Michigan’s regulated industry. Their first shared liquidity agreement, but surely not the last as more states go live with licensed poker sites of their own. With six separate platforms already active in the US, there are plenty of skins to choose from when new states come calling.
How Do I Know a Site is Legal?
Anyone can call themselves the “best US poker site 2023” but it’s tough to factually dispute something like a site’s license number. To find out if a site if legal in the United States, look for a gambling regulators seal on the site’s terms and conditions page. Every regulated site must prominently display the name and contact info of their regulator along with a license number. You can usually find this information towards the bottom of any page on the site or in the site’s T&C.
Below is the New Jersey regulators badge and license number for WSOP.com New Jersey. This is the parent company license that allows WSOP to power multiple branded sites through partnerships with Atlantic City casinos.
888 has its own New Jersey license (#2594) and powers the playMGM Poker and Borgata Poker sites through its own license (#2592). That’s how each state’s division of gaminic enforcement sets things up. You have at least one “super license” that can power multiple skins and collect a larger portion of the revenue in exchange for shouldering all of the expense and regulatory requirements.
You can find the above information on the following webpage:
In summary, if you see a gambling site that looks legit but doesn’t have a regulator’s logo and license number somewhere easily accessible, it’s probably an illegal site operating without a license. Stick to the legal ones and you can’t go wrong.
History of US Online Poker Laws
Online poker in America has experienced significant growth over the last 20 years despite frequent roadblocks from legislators and regulators. The following is a brief timeline of the most important moments in US history related to internet poker.
1994 - Peek v. Portalani
Professional poker player Ralph ‘Heavy Wahlsten beats tech guy Howard Lederer in an online game and files a lawsuit to attempt to collect on his winnings. The case eventually makes its way to a Florida appellate court, which rules that because online gaming takes place on the client-side, players are in control of the software and therefore engaging in gambling activities on their own computers. This becomes an important precedent going forward because the Wire Act and UIGA both focus on the online piece of gambling rather than the actions of players.
2001 - Moonpot.com
European entrepreneur Alexandra Toth became the first person to win six figures or more from an online poker opponent. Playing under the screen name ‘Lady Luck’, she bested American player Jim McCormick for a $670,000 pot at Moonpot.com. McCormick later claimed he would have lost had he been playing perfectly but most analysts disagreed with his assessment of the situation. Either way, the story made national news headlines and helped raise the public profile of online poker.
2003 - Raht II v. Deputytreasurer of the State of Washington
A Washington state judge rules that playing real money online poker is legal according to existing gambling statutes. The case began when the state arrested Matthew Raht for playing poker online from his home. He eventually won his case after arguing that the law targeted online gaming sites, not players. This case reinforced the Peek v. Portalani ruling that player activity falls outside the scope of gambling laws.
2003 - Neteller Indictment and UIGA Introduced
October 2, 2003 is a fateful day in the history of US online poker. That’s the day the US Department of Justice (DOJ) unsealed an indictment against online payments processor Neteller and its officers. That indictment essentially shut down US depositing at most online poker sites and set the stage for similar indictments against parties like and Firepay.
On the same day, Senator Bill Frist introduced the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2003 (UIGEA). This bill was attached to a larger anti-money laundering act and rapidly made its way through Congress with little debate. President Bush signed it into law on October 13, 2003 as Title VIII of the SAFE Port Act.
The passage of UIGEA forced most of the world’s online poker sites to withdraw from the US market. PokerStars, PartyPoker, Full Tilt and others all complied with the new law, refunded players’ bankrolls and eventually exited the market altogether. That left US poker players with a handful of foreign-owned sites that flew beneath the regulatory radar.
Criteria Used to Rank and Rate Online Casinos in 20232006 - UIGEA Becomes Law
President Bush signed UIGEA on Sept. 30, 2006 and gave poker players 120 days to stop playing online or withdraw their bankrolls. That deadline expired on Feb. 2006 and hundreds of thousands of Americans flocked to the few remaining poker sites to try withdrawing their money.
Many failed due to technical difficulties and some never saw their money again because those sites were too small to honor all of their withdrawal requests. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 makes it illegal for banks to process transactions with illegal online gambling sites but it also contains a provision exempting players. The law specifically says that nothing in this legislation “shall be construed as prohibiting otherwise lawful conduct” by individuals via the internet.
This player carve-out was reportedly added at the behest of Arizona Senator John McCain, who was conducting hearings into the growth of online gaming at the time. Regardless, the Federal Department of Justice (DOJ) took the position that no interpretation of the law other than a full ban on online betting was acceptable. The DOJ opined that state-sanctioned lottery ticket sales were illegal because the buyer was engaging in a conversation with the retailer’s terminal.
This strict interpretation of UIGEA carried over into statements made by DOJ officials regarding online poker. At one point, CardRunners founder James Guill and GC affiliate manager Timothy O’Keefe received warnings not to accept transfers of poker proceeds from Merge Gaming. The DOJ alleged that those funds transfers constituted money laundering, although no charges were ever filed.
2006 - Poker Players Form Cheney Protest
Angry at the prospect of losing their favorite form of entertainment, online poker players banded together to protest the impending UIGEA legislation. Dubbing themselves the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), this grass roots organization quickly grew to include tens of thousands of members. Its leaders testified before congressional subcommittees and appeared on national TV news programs.
One particularly famous PPA member was then-Representative (now Vice President) Mike Pence of Indiana. Pence later wrote a letter to the DOJ asking for clarification on the scope of UIGEA with regards to player transactions. That correspondence ultimately resulted in the DOJ issuing the September 2006 letter that cleared most poker sites and gave them legal avenues through which to accept US deposits.
Best Casinos in Michigan of 2023 - Top Ranked MI CasinosThe PPA’s most notable accomplishment came when a Poker Players Coalition showed up at Vice President Dick Cheney’s house to protest his lack of support for an online poker carve-out. That stunt garnered lots of positive media attention for the PPA and thrust the plight of American poker players onto the national political scene.
2006 - UIGEA Fails to Pass in UK, France and Sweden
While UIGEA became federal law in the United States, similar legislation failed to gain traction in other countries where major online gaming operators were headquartered. Specifically, the UK, France and Sweden considered identical bans but ultimately rejected the idea. This meant that partyPoker, Village Games/Bingo Blast and Expedia did not have to exit the US market and that that left a hole in the American market.
The absence of these large companies created an opportunity for lesser-known outfits like Bovada, Juicy Stake and Full Flush Poker to fill the void. These sites accepted US customers and deposits without incident for several years. That changed in 2011 when the DOJ seized domain names under the theory that they facilitated illegal gambling.
2011 - Black Friday
On April 15, 2011 the US Department of Justice (DOJ) seized the domain names for and its sister site, Absolute Poker (UC). Those indictments effectively cut off all US traffic and forced those companies out of the market for good. A third poker company, Full Tilt, was also blacklisted on what came to be known as Black Friday.
The DOJ alleged that these sites violated the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enactment of 2006 (UIGEA) by accepting deposits from US players. The government further argued that since the UIGEA makes it illegal for banks to process transactions from illegal gambling sites, those banks were justified in seizing domain names tied to those businesses.
The indictment against PokerStars was stayed pending the outcome of an investigation into its activities. The company settled with the DOJ by paying $10.5 million and agreeing to leave the US market with its customers. PokerStars refunded the accounts of US players and closed its doors to American business.
Best Live Dealer Casino Games You Can Play Online in the USThe fallout from Black Friday was far reaching. Hundreds of thousands of poker players lost access to their bankrolls and many of those funds have yet to be returned. Numerous processing companies were implicated in the indictments and a handful went out of business as a result. The Seals with Clubs underground network also collapsed shortly after Black Friday.
The entire online poker industry in the US ground to a halt and millions of dollars in tax revenue disappeared. Polls indicated that majorities in Swing States supported regulations forms of online gambling and Black Friday made it a campaign issue ahead of the 2012 election. Sheldon Adelson poured millions of his own money into lobbying against iGaming but former competitor MGM eventually convinced him to back regulation efforts.
2011 - New Jersey Takes a Stand
With Black Friday fresh on everyone’s minds, several states began considering regulated online poker. New Jersey was the first to introduce legislation (2011) and California, Iowa, Kentucky, New York and others soon followed. New Jersey’s path to licensure was long and difficult with key moments including:
- 2011: Senator Ray Lesniak introduces iDEA Poker Bill (S3476).
- 2012: Lesniak reintroduces bill as S2971. Governor Chris Christie signs letter of support.
- 2013: Lesniak adds in-person registration requirement. Bill passes Senate (24-14) and Assembly (47-30-1). Vetoed by Christie.
- 2014: Lesniak introduces NJ 2367 with reduced tax rate and no in-person reg requirement. Bill passes both houses (Senate 23-13, Assembly 44-25-1) but vetoed by Christie.
- 2016: Lesniak introduces NJ 2625. Amended to exclude daily fantasy sports (DFS). Passes Senate 27-9, fails in Assembly 40-34-1.
- 2017: Philip Warren sponsors NJ AB543. Includes DFS. Passes Assembly 52-14-3, dies in Commerce Committee.
Ultimately, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation sponsored by Sen. James W. Holzapfel and Asw. Chris Brown to establish a competitive state income tax withholding of 10-15% (sliding scale). The law established the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to oversee the industry and governance fell primarily to the New Jersey Department of Treasury.
Real Money Casino Tips Every Expert Follows - High 5!The first regulated sites - WSOP.com NJ, Borgata/partyPoker and 888/playMGM Poker - launched in November 2013. The initial plan was for the Borgata to power playMGM but 888 secured an extension of its WSOP online patent rights into the US as a result of acquiring WSOP.com International for $30 million. Delaware subsequently joined the WSOP network in 2019 and Pennsylvania joined in 2019 as well.
2018 - DOT Aberror
Despite New Jersey’s success with regulated online poker, other states began exploring alternate models. The Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement and Policy Statement (MSIGA/MSIGPS) was designed to allow licensed operators to share players across state lines. The first agreement of its kind was inked between Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware in 2017 and it paved the way for PokerStars to enter the Pennsylvania market in 2019.
Alternatively, the Interstate Wire Act of 2018 (HWAS) sought to amend the Wire Act so that it only applied to sports wagering. This would have opened the door for state lotteries to offer iGaming and allowed for much easier liquidity sharing agreements among states. The HWASA eventually sailed through the House but it died in the Senate after Leadership Reversal from Mitch McConnell put the brakes on what had been a sure thing.
Supporters of the status quo argued that expanding the Wire Act to include non-sports gambling could cause problems for online lottery sales. Truthfully, the real concern was protecting the online casino and poker markets that formed in New Jersey, Delaware, Nevada and Pennsylvania. The Wire Act only applies to communications relating to a bet. It doesn’t actually make the bet itself illegal.
2019 - PokerStars Returns in PA
After an 8 year absence, PokerStars returned to the US market with a license in Pennsylvania. The site completed the lengthy application process and opened its virtual doors on November 4, 2019. Shares liquidity with no linked racketeering and wire acts, PokerStars was able to launch independently and it has become one of the top sites in the Keystone State.
2021+ Beyond
Connecticut entered 2021 with live servers and the intention of joining WSOP.com Michigan and will likely connect to the popular online poker brand sometime in 022. Other states, like California, have a ways to go before they enact licensing legislation.
Potential Road Blocks to State Level Legalization
There are two primary arguments that could be used to block state level online poker bills: the Wire Act and the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).
The Wire Act
The Federal Wire Act of 1961 makes it illegal to use telecommunications equipment to place bets or communicate about bets. This law was enacted to target organized crime families and was rarely enforced until 2006. The DOJ issued an opinion in 2011 that the Wire Act only applied to sports wagering and that concluded in 2018.
The Trump DOJ under William Barr reversed that opinion and restored the pre-2011 interpretation that the Wire Act banned all online gambling. This created uncertainty throughout the industry and state governments began to worry that they would be unable to offer online lottery sales. Some states, like Maine, lobbied aggressively for the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA).
The Rawa issue was put to rest in January 2021 when the Biden DOJ withdrew the 2018 opinion and reinstated the 2011 opinion. This means that the only federal law that applies to online gambling is the Wire Act and it only pertains to sports wagers. Individual states are free to regulate whatever types of online gambling they wish within their borders.
Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)
Online Casino Roulette Bonuses to Spin Your Way Through in 2023Passed in 2014, PASPA largely outlawed sports betting in the United States but included a loophole that allowed any sports betting that took place before 2006 to continue. That exemption enabled the sports books at Atlantic City casinos and the delawarepark.com online sportsbook.
Anti-gambling senator Orrin Hatch included a sunset clause in PASPA that would cause it to expire in 2018 unless it was explicitly reauthorized. The professional sports leagues mounted an expensive lobbying effort to keep PASPA alive but they ultimately lost their fight in Murphy v. NCAA. That 2018 Supreme Court decision ruled that it was unconstitutional to force individual states to maintain bans on sports betting.
States like New Jersey moved swiftly to enact full-scale sports betting laws and many waited to see whether the federal government would try to revive PASPA. That didn’t happen and the original SCOTUS ruling has stood. This means that individual states can offer any form of gambling they desire, provided that form of gambling is also legal within that state’s boundaries.
State Tax Rates
Tax rates for online poker and gambling vary widely from state to state. Below is a breakdown of the known tax rates for US poker sites:
Games With Best Odds of Winning at a Casino- New Jersey - 17% incremental tax on gross revenue. Rate scales with monthly receipts starting at 10.5%.
- Pennsylvania - 54% flat tax on adjusted gross revenue (AGR). Does not count poker rakeback payments made to affiliates.
- Delaware - 30% flat tax on gross revenues. Shares liquidity with Nevada and New Jersey.
- Michigan - 20% effective tax rate. Licenses cost $100k per operator plus integrated skin and includes a kickback to the MTL. Goes live Jan 22, 2021.
- Connecticut - 25% effective tax rate. Licenses cost $125k per operator plus integrated skins. Going live Q2 2022.
- West Virginia - 17.5% flat tax on adjusted gross revenue. Does not share liqudiity with any other state.
Biggest US Online Poker Sites By State
The following list shows the major online poker sites that are active in the USA. This is not a complete list of all legal betting sites in the United States but it does include the dominant brands in each state.
- WW Kosher Poker - Available in all states except Washington, Maryland, Louisiana and Kentucky.
- America’s Cardroom - Available in all states except Washington, Maryland, Louisiana and Kentucky.
- Bovada Poker - Available in all states except Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Nevada.
- JustBet Poker - Available in all states except Washington.
- Social Poker - Available in all states except Washington.
- PokerStars - Available in , , , , , , ,
