Poker in the United States: where you can play online, state by state
The United States has the biggest live poker scene on earth and one of the most fragmented online markets. Real-money online poker is legal only where a state has passed its own law — Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia — and none of our partner operators offer real-money play there.
What is available almost everywhere is sweepstakes poker. Our partner ClubWPT Gold runs on the sweepstakes model: you buy Gold Coins to play with, receive Sweeps Coins on top, and Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for cash prizes in states that allow it. No purchase is necessary to play. It is currently offered in more than forty states; the state pages below tell you which.
Live, every poker player already knows the names: Las Vegas and the WSOP every summer, the Commerce and Bicycle in Los Angeles, Florida's Seminole Hard Rock, and a tournament circuit that never stops.
Play online from United States
ClubWPT Gold
ClubWPT Gold is a sweepstakes poker platform available in most US states and in Canada. No purchase necessary; Gold Coins are for play and Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for prizes where permitted.
Play at ClubWPT Gold →Is online poker legal in United States?
By state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona · no partner offer
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut · no partner offer
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana · no partner offer
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan · no partner offer
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana · no partner offer
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey · no partner offer
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee · no partner offer
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington · no partner offer
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.
Top players from United States
All players| # | Player | Hometown | Live earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryn Kenney | Long Beach, New York | $90,761,210 |
| 2 | Jason Koon | Weston, West Virginia | $77,032,156 |
| 3 | Isaac Haxton | Syracuse, New York | $65,855,450 |
| 4 | Justin Bonomo | Fairfax, Virginia | $65,611,097 |
| 5 | Dan Smith | Manalapan, New Jersey | $61,359,471 |
| 6 | Alex Foxen | Cold Spring Harbor, New York | $58,951,862 |
| 7 | Phil Ivey | Roselle, New Jersey | $55,803,163 |
| 8 | David Peters | Toledo, Ohio | $50,948,795 |
| 9 | Erik Seidel | Las Vegas, Nevada | $49,263,841 |
| 10 | Steve O'Dwyer | Colorado Springs, Colorado | $47,031,134 |
Sweepstakes vs real money
A real-money room takes a deposit and pays out winnings. A sweepstakes room sells virtual Gold Coins with no cash value and gives away Sweeps Coins as a promotional bonus; Sweeps Coins are what you play for prizes with, and they can also be obtained free by mail or through daily bonuses. The model sits under state sweepstakes law rather than gambling law, which is why it works in states with no online poker statute. Several states — Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington, Montana, Louisiana and Tennessee among them — have closed the door on it; ClubWPT Gold does not accept players there.
Live poker in the US
Poker in licensed casinos and card rooms is legal in most states; the exceptions are mainly the South and Utah, and even there tribal casinos often spread poker. Texas has a fast-growing membership club scene in Houston, Dallas and Austin that operates under a legal grey area. Home games for money are legal in many states as long as nobody takes a rake.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play GGPoker from the United States?
No. GGPoker does not accept US players, and using a VPN to get around that breaks its terms and gets accounts closed with balances frozen. In the states with real-money online poker, WSOP.com runs on GG's software, but that is a separate, state-licensed product we do not currently partner with.
Is ClubWPT Gold legal in my state?
It operates in 40+ states under sweepstakes law. Open your state page above: it says whether ClubWPT Gold is available, and where it is not, why.
Do I pay tax on poker winnings in the US?
Yes. Gambling winnings are taxable income federally and in most states, including sweepstakes prizes. Large prizes come with a form; keep records either way.