Status of Legal Poker Elsewhere
Useful information on gambling laws presented state by state is the second part of this document:
Gambling in California and Multi-State Gambling Law Survey. ('96)
Thanks to Nolan Dalla for substantial contributions to this page and to others for submiting information.
If you have any information that would be useful please send it via email.
Alabama
Becoming more gambling friendly (taking a lessen from next door
MS), although no poker rooms exist currently to my knowledge. State
lottery passed in Nov. elections. - Poker is available in neighboring Mississippi.
Alaska
None. Nearest casino game is in Washington state.
Only home games where no rake or charge is taken from the players are
legal in Alaska.
Arkansas
No legalized poker (strong horse racing interests in Hot
Springs and Dog Racing in West Memphis make casinos/poker virtually
unthinkable), but poker is available in neighboring states of Missouri, Mississippi,
and Louisana.
Georgia
Talk of legalizing gambling in Atlanta (according to news
reports), but you may visit Florida where poker is available.
Hawaii
None - Nearest poker card room is in California. :-)
Kentucky
Again, horse racing/breeding interests in state make legalized
casinos-poker rooms a "longshot", but you can go across the Ohio River from
Louisville to gamble and play poker at the Ceasar's Indiana in Bridgeport, IN.
Massachusetts
Efforts have failed to legalize gambling. Dead issue. Poker
is available to the south in Connecticut. There is a weekend game at a Casino
Night in Taunton each week (I'm not sure of the place this week). I've heard that
many of the Las Vegas Nights will have, unofficially, poker. Similarly, if you are a
Knight of Columbus you can usually find a game (private) at any of a few hundred Knights
of Columbus in Massachusetts.
Maine
There are regular tournaments at the Elks Clubs in Waterville
and another place which I forget. I think it is quasi legal. I know that it is
officially only open to members and their guests but many others play and there
is no heat from the police.
Maryland
Charitable games with notoriously high rakes in a few areas.
With Gov. Gelndening's re-election, gambling a dead issue. Poker is available
in nearby Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Nebraska
Cardroom poker is illegal in Nebraska, but several casinos in Iowa,
Kansas, and South Dakota are within 10 miles of the state line. There is
currently a federal suit between the Santee Sioux tribe and the state to
allow gaming, including poker, on their reservation in the northeast part
of the state, 1 1/2 hours north of Omaha and 10 minutes from Yankton, SD.
But it looks like the tribe is going to lose...
Home poker is allowed -- one of the players in a home game I frequent
manages our local BATF office. Basically the laws are similar to the ones
I've seen posted on the web for most states: a game is legal if there is
no rake, there is no charge to participate, is sited on private property
(n.b. a strange definition of private property), and all players have an
equal expectation of gain or loss (this would rule out BJ with its house
edge).
Charity game poker, by definition, occurs in a public place, and is
therefore illegal. Charities can, however, raise money with their own
private lotteries, called "Pickle Cards". This is a special exception
written into the law.
There are horse racing and keno machines in Nebraska.
Info on Nebraska provided by douglasmurphy@lucent.com (Doug Murphy)
New Hampshire
Regular weekend charity games as part of Las Vegas Nights held
at the Holiday Inn in Nashua and a few other places.
Ohio
One of the most unfriendly states in the nation in terms of
gambling. Closest casino down the Ohio River in Indiana. Charity poker games are
known to be offered in the Akron area.
Oklahoma
To the best of my knowledge, casinos in Oklahoma are on Indian land and
cannot really be considered casinos. No poker, craps, roulette, etc, only
bingo and slots with pull tabs as the prizes.
According to the statutes regulating poker in Oklahoma, it appears that poker,
even home games, is illegal, in fact a felony to
host a game and a misdemeanor to merely play. I have not found any
exception for home games with no rake or house advantage of any kind.
Pennsylvania
Talk of pushing for a riverboat in Philadelphia, but no
progress on that issue yet. Nothing statewide to my knowledge.
Rhode Island
Pro-gambling referendum initiative failed last year.
Expect issue to resurface eventually. With its budget problems, I predict
RI will be the next state to legalize gambling. Nearest place to play poker
is in neighboring Connecticut.
South Carolina
A poker wasteland.
Tennesee
None. Mississippi has the nearest poker rooms.
Utah
None - Residents can drive to neighboring states to play poker.
Virginia
Worse than the Carolinas. No poker. No gambling. A perfect
potential nuclear test-site, in my view. Atlantic City, NJ is closest poker.
Vermont
No Chance.
West Virginia
Not a poker game in the state.
Talk of eventually expanding operations at Charlestown Racetrack, but
given strong opposition statewide, will be a tough fight.
District of Columbia
A dead issue. Three years ago referendum to give
DC residents the option failed. Just one more reason to despise
everything that goes on inside the Beltway.
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