Here’s What Tax Experts Want Poker Players to Know About Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Aggressive approach toward prosecuting illegal gambling is aimed primarily at the individuals or groups who are backing, running, or otherwise entangled in the business end of the activity. Devin O’Connor is a senior reporter for Casino.org, covering politics, casino business, and gaming news. “If we don’t fix this misguided provision, people would be discouraged from visiting casinos and Nevada’s tourism economy would take a hit.”
- Adding New York would be a major boost to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), which currently includes Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia.
- Casino gambling, including live poker, has long been confined to riverboats and racetracks in Louisiana.
- What’s frustrating to online poker players and the online poker industry is that none of this implicates legal online poker at all.
- However, there isn’t an online poker room operating in the jurisdiction.
But one thing that has not kept up is legalizing the live action of a poker game. We have been able to get sports betting legalized in almost 80% of the country. Introduced by Northern Virginia Democrat Marcus Simon on Tuesday, HB161 would place online gambling under the regulatory authority of the Virginia Lottery Board. Banned in Tennessee Three states – Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Iowa – have recently taken legislative action against sweepstakes casino sites as pressure for the sites to comply with state laws ramps up. PokerStars has indicated it may consider launching real money online poker in the state to further strengthen its US network. The House Judiciary Committee in North Carolina has given the green light to a bill that would legalize private poker home games in the state.
Pokerfuse wrote that Hochul “has given a clear sign that NY online poker and casino gaming do not have her support — at least not yet” but added that there is still a chance the bill will pass through the legislature and make it to the governor’s desk. In the latest development in the fight to bring online poker to New York, Gov. Hochul, a Democrat, unveiled an executive budget that did not include anticipated revenues from online gambling. “Neighboring states authorized gaming, creating billions in taxable revenue. By letting people play casino games online, we can decrease deficits and help our families and schools. Let’s bring iGaming to New York.” In 2016, the Assembly shot down a bill that would’ve allowed www.pokernewsdaily.com the New York State Gaming Commission to grant up to 11 online poker licenses and expanded poker licenses beyond land-based casinos in the state, while a similar bill failed in 2017.
The Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation would be in charge of regulating riverboat and land-based casinos as well as fantasy sports. State Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary (D) has already filed a bill to legalize online gaming. The Old Line State has flirted with online gaming legalization in the past.
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.
Legislators in Delaware weren’t going to get left in the dust regarding online poker regulation. Revenue numbers and statistics are not available for much of Nevada’s online poker history because regulations stipulate that there are not enough sites to warrant the distribution of that information. Ultimate gaming was the first company to launch online poker for residents of Nevada in April 2013 via a partnership with Station Casinos. WV did sign the multi-state poker agreement in late 2023, though no online poker sites have yet come forth with the intention to launch there. They are the only state to decide to pass a law essentially forbidding any participation in any federal online gambling network.
All operators listed by PokerListings are licensed and safe to play at. However, the bill will likely face resistance from New Jersey’s existing gambling industry at some point. The bill has already gained support from the Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA), a group representing sweepstakes poker operators. While traditional casino operators aren’t thrilled about the competition, Calabrese argues that regulation is the best approach.
Will Online Poker Finally Come To New York?
Pennsylvania was also recently asked to join the MSIGA, with some poker sites expected to share liquidity by the end of the first quarter. The bill makes two specific mentions of poker, including in the definition of “authorized interactive game,” which is “any internet-based version or substantial equivalent of a table game, slot machine constituting spinning reels, (or) poker tournament.” He’s a regular in live tournaments and cash games at buy-in levels around $400-$2,000. Along with the Seminole Tribe, Hard Rock already operates an online betting monopoly in Florida, which includes slot-like games. The wild card on the scale could be the new casinos themselves.
The Constitution State legalized iGaming, including online poker, in May 2021. Prior to that, he consistently fought for the legalization of online poker, especially after neighboring states like New Jersey became early adopters. “These games are considered to be complex forms of poker which involve player strategy and decision-making,” it says.
Online poker players in Pennsylvania will have to wait longer before they can see any progress regarding shared liquidity… Sen. Ted Cruz and Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto are now teaming up in hopes of undoing the new clause in Donald Trump’s sweeping tax bill aimed at poker players before it goes into effect in 2026 Legal online poker sites in the United States varies from state to state, but among the biggest are WSOP.com, PokerStars on FanDuel, BetMGM Poker, and BetRivers Poker. In 2013, Nevada and Delaware became the first two states to offer online poker, while New Jersey would join later that year. They skirted the law by disguising player financial transactions as something non-poker related (i.e. showing up as “flowers” on a credit card transaction). While PartyPoker and 888poker respected the UIGEA by no longer offering their services to US players, PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and the Cereus Network (UltimateBet & Absolute Poker) continued on.
This appears to be positive news, and hopefully the dreaded Wire Act will no longer represent a stumbling block for interstate online poker. Congress to the World Trade Organization, a new chink of hope for online poker appeared in the form of an opinion from the US Department of Justice (DoJ). At first sight, one might assume this was the clause that would allow online poker to slip out from under the UIGEA jackboot.
Live poker players in Indiana have the choice of playing in tribal casinos or in properties like riverboats. It showed that Delaware saw the future of the gambling industry, as it authorized online lottery ticket sales and online poker before most other states even considered it. However, online poker is not available on those sites, given the small player population in the state.
Proposals to expand gaming face resistance from conservative lawmakers. Without voter approval, the legal status of poker remains unchanged. Gambling is restricted to Deadwood casinos and tribal facilities under the oversight of the South Dakota Gaming Commission. While poker platforms are still under development and no operator has yet launched, the statute provides a clear legal pathway.
Gambling in Massachusetts was finally signed into law in 2011. The racinos are allowed to offer skill-based slot games with more traditional slot games relying solely on luck not permitted. Kentucky has traditionally taken a hard stance against gambling outside of its three racinos and state-run lottery. In Des Moines, Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino have been home to a solid card room since 2004, and there are popular poker rooms on the western and eastern parts of the state, along with up north near the Minnesota border. Live poker, on the other hand, has been booming for many years in the great state of Iowa. Live poker has long been booming in the state, especially in the Chicagoland area (Hammond, Indiana).
On the other end, the UK’s Gambling Commission (UKGC) sets the gold standard with unified, player-first rules. Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina are talking about taxes and player safety. A fragmented player base leads to empty lobbies, longer wait times, and declining engagement. In short, while regulation has moved forward, the U.S. poker map in 2025 is still uneven, and the pressure is on lawmakers to create greater consistency.
Many states struggle with various issues related to online poker sites, such as defining whether it is a game of skill or chance and if collecting rake is illegal. The poker industry in live settings, such as cardrooms and brick-and-mortar casinos, is thriving in the United States. Since the US Supreme Court ruling, dozens of states legalized sports betting in some form – live, mobile, online, or a combination.
New York State Senator Throws Wrench Into Steven Cohen’s Bid for NYC Casino
Physical and online sports betting have also been available in the state since 2019, with the first legal bet taken in 2020. Georgia’s constitution forbids most forms of gambling, including online poker. Delaware remains a model for early-state adoption of regulated internet poker. The Delaware Lottery oversees all iGaming operations, including poker, casino games, and slots. Rare discussions on gambling legislation in Arkansas focus on lotteries or casinos.
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Meanwhile, some states have long embraced poker such as Nevada, New Jersey, and Louisiana. Find out more about the poker scene in each of those six states.
The bill would allow the state’s casinos and their online partners to apply for licenses and would tax the industry at 15% of gross gaming revenue. Maryland and Virginia have both seen online gaming bills filed and other stats are considering casino expansion and adding sports betting. Senate Bill 1464, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Tony Scott, would allow Gov. Ned Lamont “to enter into agreements for the purpose of authorizing online gaming operators to conduct multijurisdictional Internet gaming for peer-to-peer casino games.” Collectively known as the Wabanaki Nations, these tribes have been granted exclusive rights to operate online poker and casino gaming in the state. Under SB S2614, all nine sports betting operators already in the state would be allowed to offer online gaming. Those in the industry believe the Empire State could be the largest online gaming market in the country, potentially adding population of 19.6 million to the country’s online poker shared liquidity agreement.
The Garden State is one of the few states with a regulated online poker industry. Can Neveadans play online poker as easily as they can the live game? The laws in the Nebraska statutes fail to mention poker or online poker, so we take a look at the laws regarding gambling in general in our Nebraska poker guide.
By joining PokerStars New Jersey, the merged network immediately became the largest in the United States, even surpassing the WSOP.com interstate network (Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware). Online poker, although not currently offered, could be an option someday soon. MGM Springfield, the first commercial casino in the Bay State, opened to business in 2018. However, the first commercial casino only opened to business seven years later.
Legislation of real money online gambling is re-considered in the states of New York, California, Illinois, and Michigan. We will likely see a lot of changes to the current state of the regulated internet poker market in the United States. What if you wish to play poker legally with all the rest of the world on PokerStars as a US citizen? Later in 2012, PokerStars purchased the assets of Full Tilt Poker and became the global market leader in online poker. This was possible before the so-called Black Friday of online poker that occurred on April 15, 2011.
There have even been active pushbacks against online lottery ticket and scratch sales, which were subsequently banned in late 2014. Tribal compact negotiations dominate the gaming conversation, and tribes have been cautious about digital wagering. At that time, Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey were permitted to share liquidity, while Pennsylvania joined recently. Major national brands and other licensed operators are supervised by the Michigan Gaming Control Board. The earliest practical window for legalization, according to ongoing debate and the bill, is March 2026.
Since Addabbo introduced SB 9226 as a standalone online-poker measure with other forms of online gambling removed from earlier measures, neither he nor his office have issued any statement specific to the bill. Though vital in the long run for the success of online poker in New York, online poker still only represents a tiny percent of the revenue available from an expansion into casino-style iGaming. Check out our Poker Player of the Year race, as well as years of data of poker player results and casino poker tournament pay-outs. CardPlayer.com is the world’s oldest and most well-respected poker magazine and online gambling guide.
First came the advent of online poker, the Internet boom and the “Moneymaker Effect” that followed after, before Congress put it all asunder with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006. So to determine the legality of the online game, we need to take a look at the laws for gambling in Wisconsin. Existing anti-gaming laws make introducing new online gaming legislation very difficult. There are very few states that have passed legislation that specifically mentions online gambling, Oregon is one of those few.
Twitch and YouTube fueled a second poker boom as people rediscovered the thrill of the game. The COVID-19 pandemic brought poker back into the spotlight. What’s missing is a cohesive federal strategy or a larger coalition of states joining interstate poker compacts. While few of these efforts make it to law, the consistency of the push reflects growing interest among constituents and political stakeholders. His efforts echo the need for a new wave of regulated platforms that are secure, accessible, and community-driven.
This can be extremely difficult if online providers are required to have a bricks-and-mortar casino presence in all the licensing states. The recent ruling confirming that the Wire Act only applies to sports bets hopefully takes this potential speedbump out of the road to both intrastate and interstate poker. It’s perfectly possible for a player in Nevada to “transmit” their intention to raise to $3.50 and have that transmission wander into California before getting to the WSOP.com servers back in Nevada.
In theory, the absolute worst state for online poker players as participating in a real-money game online appears to merit a felony charge. A literal reading of New Hampshire laws puts online gambling in a legal grey area, but lawmakers have recently opened up to discussing online gaming. Years of efforts to legalize online poker and igaming paid off. The state has pursued multiple online gambling operators aggressively, and online poker may join the fray in 2026. That was until the son of said governor took over that spot and ordered lawmakers consider sports betting and online poker.
