Introduction
Video poker is a very fun and popular game, which includes both skill and luck. And the fact that there is luck involved in the game means that it’s considered a gambling game, to a varying extent, depending on the individual version’s rules. So, the main question that many US players have is whether video poker is legal and available to play in a United States online casino?
The UIGEA
Online gambling is not banned under federal law. In fact, the only law that regulates the area of online gambling (including online video poker gambling) is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The law was signed by former POTUS George W. Bush back in 2006. While it doesn’t put an outright ban on online gaming – it does prohibit banks from accepting any gambling-related transactions – which put a lot of businesses that dealt with online gambling out.
Online video poker is pretty much a gray area – meaning it’s, for the most part, unregulated. That being said, certain countries in the United States of America have put outright bans on any forms of online gambling, and where online gambling is a criminal offense – you may be fined or even go to prison.
Offshore Casinos
The fact that online gambling and video poker are neither here nor there when it comes to being regulated by the authorities has given rise to offshore online casinos that readily serve the online poker gambling needs of Americans. And the best part about the use of these casinos is that nothing is illegal about it.
There are offshore casinos that operate mainly from Curacao, Panama, Costa Rica, Antigua and Barbuda, and others. The online gambling sites that operate in these places are, for the most part, completely legitimate. They serve their American customers well, and they stand on their word to give the players the bonuses they promise and give the deserved payouts promptly.
That being said, though, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t a couple of bad apples in the mix. This is why it’s very important to do in-depth research and determine which casinos are legitimate and which ones are rogue. A rogue casino will freeze your funds for no reason, give you rigged video poker games to play, fall back on their words regarding bonuses, and simply refuse to pay your winnings out.
Online Poker in the US
So, how does the legality of online poker fare in the individual US states? Well, different states have different legislation – and some have determined to band video poker altogether. Some of the states where you shouldn’t, under law, play online video poker are:
- Kentucky,
- Louisiana,
- Missouri,
- Montana,
- Washington,
And a few others. You should do your own research to find out whether online poker and gambling, in general, are banned under the penal code (or any other code) of the state where you happen to reside.
That being said, there are many other states where online video poker for real money is completely legal. Some of them are:
- Connecticut,
- Delaware,
- New York,
- Alaska,
- Colorado,
And others. Most states in the USA will have a gray area in their legal codes regarding online gambling – and this is where the aforementioned offshore online casinos step into play.
Conclusion
So, it’s not really easy to traverse the legislature of the individual US States. Many problems can be encountered along the way – there’s unclear wording in the laws, centuries-old terminology that hasn’t been updated. In some cases, the state never even takes any legal action against anyone playing online video poker despite the fact that it’s an illegal endeavor under their laws. We suggest that you do additional research to determine whether online poker gambling is legal in the particular state where you reside and read as many professional gambling guides as possible – as this is an important factor that will have a dramatic impact on your ability to safely gamble online. The good news is the fact that there are dozens of online casinos in the offshore countries where you can play online video poker completely legally if you reside in one of the US states where offshore online gambling is a gray area.