Legal Online Poker in the United States (2026)
Online poker is legal in seven US states and actually running in six. Which rooms run where, how the MSIGA pool works, and why the map moves so slowly.
Verified 10 September 2026- Regulator
- State gaming regulators, one per state
- Legal since
- 2013 in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware
- Minimum age
- 21
- Deposit limit
- Set by the player, alongside the state's responsible-gambling tools
- Tax on winnings
- Winnings are taxable income, and operators report large wins to the IRS
Licensed online poker rooms in United States
- 1
PokerStars on FanDuel NJ DGE, MI MGCB, PA PGCB licensed
- No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Stud & mixed games, Spin & Go
- Runs under the FanDuel brand since 2026
- Pools New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania
- Not available in Nevada, West Virginia or Delaware
- 2
BetMGM Poker NJ DGE, MI MGCB, PA PGCB licensed
- No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, fastforward
- Shares one network with Borgata Poker and partypoker US
- Pools New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania
- Borgata-branded festivals run online alongside the live series
- 3
WSOP.com NV GCB, NJ DGE, PA PGCB, MI MGCB licensed
- No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Stud, Mixed games
- Live in Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan
- Only room pooling players across all four MSIGA states
- Online bracelet events every summer
- 4
BetRivers Poker PA PGCB, MI MGCB, WV Lottery, DE Lottery licensed
- No-Limit Hold'em, Pot-Limit Omaha
- The only poker room in West Virginia and Delaware
- Delaware relaunched on this platform in 2025
- Small pools outside Pennsylvania and Michigan
We have no commercial relationship with the operators in this market: affiliates need their own licence here, and we do not hold one. The links above go straight to each operator's own site and earn us nothing.
A state-by-state market
There is no federal online poker licence. Every state that has legalised the game runs its own regulator and its own list of approved operators. That is why the map has moved so slowly since 2013: each new state is a separate legislative fight, and a room that wins it still has to apply, pass vetting and partner with a local casino before it can deal a hand.
For a player, your address decides what you can open. Nationality has nothing to do with it.
Shared liquidity
The Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement lets member states merge their player pools, which is usually the difference between a lobby with games running and one that sits empty. What matters for any given room is how many member states it holds licences in, and that is normally fewer than the agreement covers. The same brand can be busy in one state and dead in the next.
Where the game is actually played
Nevada has one room. West Virginia and Delaware have one between them. The traffic is in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan, and that is where every operator able to get licensed has gone.
Legal frameworks with nobody home
Connecticut legalised online poker and no operator launched a room. Rhode Island and Maine are in the same position. A law with nobody behind it gives you nowhere to sit down, so those states are listed here as legal but empty rather than as somewhere to sign up.
Frequently asked questions
Which states have legal online poker?
Seven have passed laws: Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia and Connecticut. Six of them have a room actually running. Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine have a legal framework and no live poker operator.
Can I play against players in other states?
Only across the states in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement. Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are members, and the pools an operator actually merges depend on where it holds licences.
Can I play from a state that has not legalised it?
No. Licensed rooms use geolocation software and will not deal you a hand outside a permitted state. A VPN does not get you around it, and it will get the account closed and the balance frozen.
Why are there no bonus offers on this page?
Most states make affiliates register as vendors or service providers before they can earn commission from a licensed operator. We are not registered in any US state, so we link to the operators directly and earn nothing from this page.