Online Poker and the Online Lottery in the USA
Online poker is not legal in the state of Alaska. The state does have a handful of video lottery terminals, however. Nevertheless, Alaska is one of the few states that has yet to offer online poker.
There are a few other states that have regulated poker, however. In addition to Nevada, Delaware has also legalized the game. Likewise, Pennsylvania is on the verge of legalizing it, and the state of New York is tipped to do so later this year.
Although Alaska is not known as a gambling state, it does have two racinos that have live poker. Players can compete at these venues, and all three of them operate on the same system, operated by 888. It’s a bit of a trek to get to them, however.
Mississippi has been known as a hot and cold gambling state over the years. In fact, it was one of the first places to legalize sports betting. A couple of decades ago, it was one of the few states with brick-and-mortar casinos. Nowadays, the majority of Mississippi’s casinos are on the Gulf Coast. While they don’t allow online poker, there are plenty of poker tables to be found.
Illinois is another state that has been slow to embrace online gambling. However, a few legislators have introduced bills promoting live poker. Whether or not the state will take the leap is uncertain, but the state’s stance on online poker does not bode well for its future.
Ohio was the epicenter of illegal gambling in the early 1900s. Fortunately, the state relaxed its laws in the mid-1990s to allow home games. Since then, the state has seen a surge in commercial casinos offering poker games. Poker is a fun activity, especially when there is a chance to win a few bucks.
Oklahoma has not yet acted on legislation that would make poker legal. However, the state’s lawmakers have been talking about it lately. They have also considered online poker. Interestingly, Iowa has been considering the idea as well, although the state has yet to enact any legislation.
The state of Minnesota is another place where online poker has not made much of a splash. However, the state did have its own version of the poker – a lottery. Though the odds of winning the jackpot are low, the amount of money you could win was high.
One of the earliest states to offer internet poker was Delaware. This small state is part of a multi-state Internet Gaming Agreement that allows several states to regulate online gaming. Among the sites that can be played in Delaware are those operated by UltimateBet and Absolute Poker.
One of the first poker sites to offer real-money games was Planet Poker, which launched in 1998. Similarly, the first reputable poker site to offer freerolls was Full Tilt Poker in 2007. Several other operators have since entered the market, including PartyPoker and 888poker. These companies were known for their attention to detail and state-of-the-art software.