New York online gambling bill returns for 2025 consideration
PokerStars has made an agreement with Eldorado Resorts Inc. with the intention to offer online poker in 11 other states in addition to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The law was passed in March 2019, but internet poker rooms haven’t yet been launched as the regulatory framework is still being built. Although Gov. Tom Wolf signed a gaming package into law already in 2017, there haven’t been more than one poker site to serve the state. It’s a standalone poker platform and is not linked to any other PokerStars network or player pool. The first online poker site in PA called PokerStars PA was launched in November 2019.
After legalizing igaming and sports betting in 2017, igaming didn’t launch until 2019. Unclear whether poker players are included under the scope of the law. Existing laws aimed at cracking down on sports betting may apply to wagering over the internet, but that is one of many conclusions you might reach after reviewing the law regarding gambling in Oklahoma. In 2023 and 2024, State Senator Addabbo encouraged full igaming instead of just online poker, but both bills appear to have failed again. No surprise that the nation’s gambling capital was the first to offer regulated online poker. Gambling-friendly state started seriously considering online poker and casino games in 2017, opening its first land-based casino in 2018.
But most states, more than 10 years following “Black Friday,” still don’t have any legal poker sites in operation. The push to legalize iGaming is not just about expanding gaming options but also about fostering a safer gambling environment. For you, as an avid participant in online gambling, these legislative shifts carry several implications. These states’ interest in regulating online gambling illustrates a growing acknowledgment of its potential economic benefits.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was next to formally legalize Internet gaming in the Garden State, and the home of Atlantic City’s land gaming casinos opened up legit online gambling sites in the Fall of 2013. While the West Virginia legal code contains laws relating to video gaming terminals, table games, and other forms of state-authorized gambling, there’s no mention of online poker. What’s frustrating to online poker players and the online poker industry is that none of this implicates legal online poker at all.
Online poker and casinos could enhance the state’s gaming landscape; it’s been six years since the state legalized casinos and sports betting. Professional poker players, sports bettors, and other gamblers who rely on casinos for their income are becoming increasingly worried that a fix to a tax change in the Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill” isn’t coming. This has made it increasingly difficult for online poker players to deposit funds into their accounts, but it definitely has not made playing Internet poker for real money in the US illegal. Originally designed to outlaw the taking of bets across state lines by bookmakers by wire (think of it as the precursor to online gambling), the Wire Act is key to understanding how the US has changed its stance on the legality of playing poker online. It must be noted that while Washington has made it a felony to play online poker within its state borders, the authorities have never actually arrested any online poker players, and players in the state continue to play on offshore poker sites which service Americans. The language and the laws are archaic and confusing and we struggle to see how any of them could be used to target online poker players.
Class Action Lawsuits Against Gambling Companies in 2025
Efforts to legalize online casino gaming in New York have changed with a bill now limited to just poker. Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) lets states pool players, and it’s the only reason the games feel alive. \”The bill uses the same framework in place for mobile sports betting, allowing consumers to safely play in a legal and regulated market while generating a projected $1 billion annually for New York, above and beyond what the state already receives from mobile sports betting.\” New York State Senator and online-gaming proponent Joseph Addabbo has reintroduced legislation that would authorize and regulate several forms of iGaming, including online poker, in the Empire State. Cracking down on sweeps operators may play a role in convincing legislators to get on board allowing legal online gaming into the state.
Poker is likely, although not definitively, included in the statutory definition of gambling. Like its twin to the south, North Carolina takes a dim view of nearly all forms of gambling. It has become a model for other states and guided some of them through the legalization and regulation process.
I like playing stuff I haven’t played before, and where no one is really too experienced. So, when I wake up in the morning, I just ask myself what I’m in the mood to play. Engel played the $2,130 PLO High Roller to begin his series on Sunday, and finished third for just under $8,400 (Japan’s Hattori Masato went on to win the trophy). The only hitch in that plan, of course, is if you go so deep in an event that you can’t play anything else that day. It features everything from sub-$300 carnival games to a near-$24K High Roller, with an average of more than 10 events each day. You’ve got the budget to play anything you want, from the most affordable buy-ins to the most exclusive high rollers.
Nevada
- As online gambling grows, so do legal actions against platforms engaging in fraud, unfair terms, or data misuse.
- Should the market launch, major operators like BetMGM, PokerStars, WSOP, and BetRivers are expected to enter the fray.
- ✅ Avoid unregulated crypto casinos – Many operate without oversight and have little to no player protection.
- Bally’s Corporation, based in Rhode Island, put igaming on the table in 2023 with its own proposal submitted to lawmakers to regulate online casino games and poker.
Below, you’ll find summaries of state gambling statutes and active bills, plus how federal decisions (like the Wire Act) interact with state authority. Gov. Janet Mills must decide whether to sign the measure into law by the end of this week. Other members in the agreement include Pennsylvania (13 million), Michigan (10.1 million), New Jersey (9.5 million), Nevada (3.2 million), Delaware (1 million), and West Virginia (1.8 million). The poker pool across a handful of states increases competition and prize amounts. Player protections like self-exclusion and other safeguards are also outlined in the legislation.
However the state is still serviced by many offshore poker sites. Utah legislators have gone to great lengths to make it absolutely clear that they do not want anyone gambling online or offline. The relevant South-Carolina gambling laws can be found in the South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 16 – Crimes and Offenses, Chapter 19 – Gambling and Lotteries. Although they don’t mention poker specifically, we can be quite certain that poker is included as a form of gambling.
“Three of our neighbors are already part of this agreement – and with this action today, we’re making sure Pennsylvania remains competitive in a rapidly growing online market. Bally’s also won a license and operates Bally Bet casino in neighboring states New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Hard Rock, one of the retail casino licensees, figures to be very interested in iGaming.
That was a frustrating time for the poker community, because it was starting to seem like it could be many years before any other states stepped up to the plate. Poker liquidity is the reason poker is so profitable in the global market. Those states are Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Connecticut. Navigating these complexities requires nuanced approaches from policymakers who must weigh economic gains against ethical considerations inherent in expanding gambling access. These include measures against problem gambling and initiatives promoting awareness about safe betting practices – elements that contribute to a healthier gambling ecosystem overall. With proper regulation, you can expect enhanced consumer protection measures designed to prevent fraud and promote responsible gambling practices.
In 2024, New York set a record by collecting more www.pokernewsdaily.com than $1 billion in sports betting tax revenue. Addabbo chairs the state’s Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee, and was a backer of mobile sports betting in the state. Together, these examples show that when it’s done right, regulation can move beyond legality to legitimacy, cementing poker’s place as mainstream digital entertainment.
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.
These aren’t afterthoughts bolted on later — they are core functions, ensuring operators can demonstrate compliance from day one. Our turnkey poker solutions are built with regulatory frameworks in mind, embedding AML monitoring, KYC checks, age verification, and reporting dashboards directly into the platform. Malta’s MGA proves consistency and clarity attract serious operators.
FanDuel Looks to Grow Online Poker Arm in the United States
The legality of online poker in the United States is a question that continues to stir debate, confusion, and legislative action. The Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement enables member states to share poker player pools, facilitating cross-state games and larger tournaments. Online poker is live and regulated in Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Many states have also legalised online sports betting in recent years, paving the way for online iGaming markets.
However, due to Covid regulations, poker is limited to a single table with plexiglass dividers. Of those, only Wind River offers poker, which used to include the annual Wyoming State Poker Championship tournament. The least populous state in the country, Wyoming doesn’t tend to be a pioneer when it comes to gaming. Unfortunately for fans of the game of poker, there has been zero movement since with tribes seemingly more focused on in-state brick-and-mortar expansion than anything else. Sports betting was legalized in Virginia in April 2020 and launched in January 2021.
SB 168, regulating online gambling and directing net proceeds to reimburse municipalitiesfor elderly tax exemptions (Revenue NH) There is no timeline for online poker to be available in all U.S. states. Connecticut and Rhode Island have legalized poker platforms but have not yet launched live platforms. Online poker is legal only in certain states that have passed specific legislation allowing it. We expect to see several more states provide a regulatory framework for online poker in the coming years. State-regulated markets provide stable tax revenue and better player safeguards.
While the odds of any new bill becoming law remain slim, the start of a new year brings fresh hope that this could finally be the year an igaming bill is successfully enacted. That said, if the current bill is passed, multi-state online poker could still become a reality. Addabbo has also publicly recognized the significance of multi-state online poker compacts in interviews with pokerfuse and Poker Industry PRO. This omission is surprising, as Senator Addabbo had included similar language in previous bills that focused exclusively on online poker. Live dealer games would need to be conducted in a live gaming studio located in New York.
Kentucky does not permit online poker, but live poker can be played in social clubs. While live poker is permitted in the state of Kansas, there is no legislation for online poker. As part of their efforts, it seemed possible that the state would expand beyond its tribal and riverboat casino operators, where live poker may be played. Neither online poker or live poker are legal in the state of Idaho. Poker players travel to the state from all over the world to play in the tournaments at casinos like the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida.
Will they back iGaming legislation or fight it, as Encore has done in neighboring Massachusetts? More gambling is a difficult sell right now, and most pundits expect little movement on iGaming from U.S. states in 2026. The current political climate, however, doesn’t seem favorable to near-term gambling expansion.
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.
As with many other legal codes across the states, the Rhode Island laws don’t mention online poker in any way. As you might expect, the law comes down much harder on those who run illegal gambling activities than it does on the individual player as we see in section So, as we have done with many other states, we need to take a look at the North Dakota gambling laws in general to see if we can find anything relevant to online poker. The relevant part of the law for poker players in North Carolina can be found in Chapter 14, Article 37, “Lotteries, Gaming, Bingo and Raffles.” This is where we find section G.S.
The bill would allow the state’s five casinos to offer online gaming. Lawmakers noted the state’s lost revenue to online gaming at unregulated sites and the state senate passed a bill in 2024 to study the issue. The state already allows for online sports betting, which was legalized in 2020. In some states, that could possibly include online casino gaming and poker. Several other states are considering online poker legislation this year, including Massachusetts, Indiana, Maryland and New York. Connecticut lawmakers held a public hearing on Wednesday to consider a bill that would give the governor the authority to join other states in an online poker compact.
The National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) has also lobbied against legalization. The Senate version differs just a bit from the House bill, which would tax the industry at just 15%, but with 6% still going to the Hold Harmless Fund. Sen. Mamie Locke (D), who sponsored the bill, said the proposal would “dramatically curtail Virginia’s thriving illegal iGaming market.” The legislation estimates bringing in $3343 million in tax revenue by Fiscal Year 2028, rising to more than $1 billion by 2032. SB118 would legalize iGaming and has drawn significant opposition in the Old Dominion State.
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.
Ultimate Poker ultimately couldn’t hang and WSOP.com, backed by the major Caesars Entertainment brand, is now the lone legal poker site in the state. The only problem is, Nevada only has 3 million residents, which made it difficult for two poker sites to survive. Early on, the state had two poker sites in operation, competing against each other — Ultimate Poker and WSOP.com.
