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Online Poker Legal In Colorado
- Online Poker Sites Legal In Colorado
- Is Online Poker Legal In Colorado
- Colorado Online Gambling Laws
- Online Gambling Legal In Colorado
Poker is one of the fastest growing trends across America as people watch their favorite players rake in millions on high stakes televised tournaments which has the rules to Texas Hold'em becoming common knowledge in homes throughout Colorado. It comes as no surprise with this trend that more and more residents in the Centennial State are exploring the internet for venues to place bets using real money and want to know of the safest places to do so. The federal laws in place are simple enough to understand that so long as a bettor does not engage in the business of facilitating bets for profit, they are just fine to throw a few bucks down on a hand of Omaha without worrying about authorities coming to fine them for playing their favorite game.
Online Poker Sites Available in Colorado Colorado features plenty of destinations for live real money games, and this situation is mirrored online. These internet sites aren't regulated by the Colorado Division of Gaming, and so it's up to you to choose safe places to play. We haven't left you to do all the work yourself though. The only legal casino games in Colorado are blackjack, poker, craps, roulette and slot machines. Here’s what section 47.1-104 of the Colorado Code of Regulations says about authorized games: “Limited gaming permitted pursuant to article 47.1 of title 12, C.R.S., shall include only the following games: blackjack (21); poker; slot machines. Gaming Law in Colorado Certain types of gaming and gambling are illegal under state gaming statutes, although many states have begun to relax gambling statutes and to permit limited casinos and other gaming venues like card rooms. Colorado’s gambling laws allow some betting on horse and dog racing and some full-fledged casinos in certain cities. Legal Online Poker in Colorado Someday Soon? It is illegal to gamble online in Colorado – at least right now. In fact, in 2005 Attorney General John Suthers and Gaming Control Commission Chairman Natalie Meyer issued a warning about gambling online in Colorado saying that not only is it illegal, but it’s risky. Online poker is not legal in Colorado, yet. Voters did pass Proposition DD on Nov. 5, 2019, essentially legalizing retail and online sports betting in Colorado. However, online poker and casino games were not attached. The last legislative effort to bring legal online poker sites to Colorado was in 2013, and it didn’t even get to a vote.
This page stands to help residents living in Colorado to understand what the rules and laws are in regards to playing online poker as well as providing a solid list of the top online poker rooms available to them.
Other Colorado Gambling Sites: Online Sportsbooks - Online Casinos
Although there is no specific mention of the internet in the Colorado state gambling laws, there is a passage under '18-10-106 Gambling Information' which some have posited that it does indeed include the internet while others do not. What is most important about this language is that it is filed under the 'Gambling Information' section and, as is the case with federal laws, is focused on referring to the business of gambling and facilitating bets for profit. “Information” is deemed to mean by many as a reference to the business of gambling and therefore leaving recreational players alone. There has never been an investigation or arrest of anyone who played poker online in the state of Colorado.
The case is the same for any location within the United States when it comes to an online site that will facilitate bets. It will be void of a legal business hosting online wagers unless specifically authorized and regulated by the state. This does not outlaw a player from partaking in a game of poker online for real money, however. There are plenty of online sites which can and do host online poker that remain immune to American laws. Wagering in a hand of online Texas Hold'em is perfectly legal for Colorado locals provided that they are visiting a site that is located outside of U.S. federal jurisdiction and many locals have been doing just that for a number of years with highly regarded online poker rooms.
More Help: Gambling Laws In Colorado
Best Poker Sites For Colorado Players
As big poker fans ourselves, we have been on the hunt for the best online poker rooms where we could go for top-shelf customer support, excellent game play and reliable payouts through tight security. We believe that we have found just that while on our quest across the internet for Colorado safe online poker rooms and we are happy to share them with you here.
One of our favorite online poker rooms which we found was tucked away in Canada, just outside of Montreal. Bovada.lv has been in the game for decades and even started out as an American company, only having to move north due to changes made to federal law which prevented them from continuing operation from within our borders. Despite the move, Bovada continues to primarily serve American users and has an excellent track record for tight security and solid customer service.
Featuring every variation of the game, this online poker room features weekly high stakes tournaments and a range of wagering options for either low or high priced buy ins. Whether it be Texas Hold'em tournaments or a casual sit-and-go game of Omaha, Bovada is the top dog for online poker hosting as millions of the best players from all across the globe frequent these tables.
Bovada.lv also has quite a number of perks and bonuses to keep your chips stacked and the cards coming. We particularly enjoyed their Refer a Friend program which brought us a major boost to our account of 200% of every friend's first deposit. There's nothing like your buddy joining you at the table for some poker action and then getting a stack of free chips worth up to $200. We highly recommend Bovada as the best online poker room for Colorado residents.
BetOnline is another online poker room which we instantly fell in love with. With tournaments going daily, we found buy-ins for as little as $0.50 in both Hold'em and Omaha to get us going right away. After a quick signup and deposit, we found the customer support and security to be more than ample enough to ease our concerns right from the get go and have us sitting at our virtual table.
After downloading their state-of-the-art poker program, we were upping the ante within a matter of minutes and even had a few big wins right after sitting down. This online poker site has one of the fastest growing member bases in the world and it was easy to see why. Perfectly streamlined hands had us playing at a pace we liked among plenty of other experienced players and novices alike.
We even played a few hands on the go from their mobile platform and quite enjoyed the look and speed of the app from our iPad while winning a couple good rounds in the local park. With endorsements from USA Today, CNBC and the Boston Herald, it is easy to see why BetOnline is one of the top choices for those living in Colorado as well as the rest of the United States.
If there was ever a pleasant surprise to sneak up on us, it was the online poker provided by sportsbetting.ag. The name had us fooled that we were only looking at a sports betting site until we clicked on their poker link. Amazing. The downloadable software popped on to our computer effortlessly and we immediately began exploring all of the different options which the site hosted. Texas Hold 'em and Omaha tournaments galore, we were able to play games with huge pots after moving from tiny little practice games with low stakes.
This online poker site also boasts some of the best ongoing promotions and special events which we found on the entire web. Each and every Saturday night the site hosts a $10,000 guaranteed tournament while boasting a total amount of $250,000 won every week in tournament play alone. This is unheard of and SportsBetting is not afraid to get you to hear them loud and clear. As a new user, Colorado residents can expect to reap a 200% first deposit bonus which is worth up to $1000 in free chips. We were astounded to find our extra chips awaiting us in our account simply by ripping off an email to 'freeplay@sportsbetting.ag' with 'POKER200' typed into the subject line.
We have no qualms about singing the praises of this online poker site and urge all Colorado locals to head on over and check them out. Don't let the name fool you.
| Best Poker Sites | First Time Deposit Bonus | Peak Avg. Traffic | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada Poker | 100% up to $1,000 | 18,000+ Players | VISIT |
| BetOnline Poker | 200% up to $1,000 - 'POKERNEW' | 12,000+ Players | VISIT |
| SportsBetting Poker | 200% up to $1,000 - 'POKER200' | 12,000+ Players | VISIT |
Q: How Do I Sign Up at an Online Poker Site?
A: By simply visiting one of the Colorado gambling sites that we recommend for poker, you will find a 'join now' link on the home page for poker service to get you started. After filling out the required information such as name, age and address, you'll be able to download the software and deposit money into your account to get right into the betting action after only a couple minutes.
Q: How Do I Fund my Online Poker Account?
A: Once you are a full member and have the downloadable poker program, you'll be ready to go to the cashier and deposit cash into your account for stacking the chips up against your opponents. All of the sites that we recommend here to Colorado residents will be accepting of most American credit cards as well as other deposit methods such as a bank wire transfer or money order. Be sure to enter in any promotion codes that you may have for bonuses and then watch your account fire up with cash that can be bet anywhere on the site's tables.
Q: What Can I Bet On in these Online Poker Sites?
A: The online poker sites which we recommend will host a variety of poker game variations in either a sit-n-go format or tournament setting. You'll be able to play on easy tables with small buy-ins or jump into a big hand with high stakes. Whether it be Texas Hold 'em or Omaha, the betting action never ends with these sites as they are open 24/7 and have a game that's tailor-made just for your mood.
Q: How Do I Collect My Winnings From these Online Poker Sites?
A: Receiving your winnings is a simple task made easy by visiting the site's cashier link, usually found at the top-right portion of the screen. You'll be able to withdraw any amount that you wish from your account on demand and select from a variety of payout methods. Members may choose to receive their funds in the form of a bank wire transfer, money order or the ever popular check by courier. Colorado residents can expect to receive their winnings in under 10 days delivered directly to their home address.
Q: What is the Legal Age for Playing Online Poker in Colorado?
A: Those who live in Colorado are free to sign up with the online poker sites which we recommend at 18 years of age or older.
Are you looking for the best US legal online poker sites or a real money poker app? If the answer is yes, then you came to the right place. This is one of our many online poker reviews where you can find more about the best online poker options.
Without further ado, keep reading to discover how to play the best online poker for money and how to form an online poker strategy. So, let’s get started!
Contents
Best Legal Online Poker Sites
- WSOP
- PartyPoker
- PokerStars
- Pala Poker
- 888poker
- Global Poker
Is online poker legal? It's not always the same as legal online casinos and legal online sportsbooks. All new players who decide to explore the vast universe of real money poker sites should know that federally, online poker sites are illegal. However, on the individual level, online poker is legal in some of the states.
Some websites such as Global Poker (which is a sweepstakes poker site) are allowed in 49 out of 50 US states. Only Washington does not allow it. At the moment of writing our online poker reviews, only four states offer legal online poker websites in the United States. These are the following: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware.
Online Poker Sites Legal In Colorado
For more information about some of the available sites, make sure to consult our Global Poker review.
US Legal Online Poker: State by State
Is online poker legal in your state? If the answer is no, keep in mind that the situation can change pretty quickly. Unsurprisingly, Nevada was the leader of regulated online poker. Once the ice was broken, the domino-effect followed.
One by one, many states tried or are still trying to pass the legislation. As you can see, some of them even succeeded. The last one to recently pass online poker is West Virginia, and we expect more legal US poker sites to be launched in the future.
When it comes to future predictions, we believe that chances are pretty good for some of the states to overcome all the legal obstacles and finally launch real money poker sites so their residents become able to play legal online poker.
Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, New York are some of the states that’ll probably make some innovations when it comes to the possibilities of playing poker online. These are the states that have active supporters of online poker in the state senate.
What’s more, regulated real money poker sites in neighboring states can only have a positive effect on public opinion. Additionally, within the borders of the aforementioned states, you can find a considerable number of land-based casinos.
Many of them come with the best online poker rooms where you can play various variants of poker, including the most popular one - Texas Hold’em. In other words, these poker offline options make it easier to launch legal poker sites and eventually start to offer legal online poker.
States Where Legal Online Poker Seems Like a Distant Dream
From this point of view, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah are just some of the states where we can see a certain legislative hostility towards online gambling. Therefore, we don’t believe that we won’t be able to play Texas Hold’em online there for quite some time.
Sweepstakes Legal Online Poker - Play Poker Free No Matter Which State You’re In
As said before, Global Poker, a sweepstakes legal online poker site, can be accessed in all US states except for the state of Washington. This legal online poker platform was launched in 2106, and since then, many players use its services. The virtual currency gaming business model is what makes it unique.
Instead of playing for real money, players play poker free, using gold coins or sweeps cash. That’s why Global Poker often appears when players search for “play poker free” or “play poker online, free”.
To understand how sweepstakes poker works, let’s start with some poker basics and make sure to understand sweeps poker terminology clearly. There’s a difference between gold coins and sweeps cash, and there’s a reason for which “play poker online, free” is actually a bit of a misnomer here.
Gold Coins are the name for the virtual currency in Global Poker, and they are equivalent to what regular legal online poker sites usually call “play money”. In other words, you can’t cash them out, but you can use them to play Texas Hold’em online or participate in some of the available tournaments with other players. On the other hand, “$weeps cash” is a promotional, virtual currency that can be cashed out through PayPal.
To sum up, you can buy gold coins that don’t have any monetary value and can’t be cashed out. “$weeps cash” is obtained as free of charge once you buy Gold Coins. Because of this virtual currency online poker model, Global Poker is not quite considered an online gambling activity. Therefore, it’s allowed in almost all of the US.
Where Can I Play Legal Online Poker in the US?
Pennsylvania is the last state where online poker had become legal when PokerStars was launched there at the end of 2019. Right now that’s also the only available option to play online poker for money in Pennsylvania.
If we don’t count Global Poker, which can be accessed in 49 states, all the other legal online poker sites come with pretty restricted access. For example, Pala Poker and PartyPoker are only available in the state of New Jersey.
However, they are not the only NJ poker sites one can access. WSOP, America's top legal online poker site, is available in the Garden State, and it’s also accessible to all Nevada online poker fans as well. Likewise, PokerStars NJ, available both independently and within the FOX Bet app
Claim the WSOP promo code in New Jersey and Nevada to get a $1,000 signup bonus!Where Can I Play Poker Live?
Most of the land-based casinos across different states include special poker rooms where you can play live poker. Playing Texas Hold’em online is definitely the most popular option. After all, poker is an American thing, so it’s no wonder to see it available in the vast majority of mortar and bricks casinos.
In fact, instead of listing all the states where you can sit back, relax and try out your luck with live poker, it’s better to list all those where you can’t play poker online. It’ll be easier to remember this list:
- Alaska
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- New Hampshire
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
We must add that in Texas, private poker clubs aren’t forbidden. As long as no house makes a profit from the game, poker can be played in private places for fun.
US Online Poker Basics
When talking about the current status of legal US poker sites, there are two especially important laws that you should be aware of. Let’s take a look at these two federal laws that govern online poker in the country.
The Wire Act
The first one is the Interstate Wire Act of 1961, often called the Federal Wire Act. As you can see, it passed long before online poker or even the internet existed. However, it prohibits certain types of betting businesses to operate via wired communications.
In 2011, the US Department of Justice concluded that the scope of the act was limited to sporting events. Therefore, states, where online poker is now regulated, found that the bill didn’t apply to online poker nor other forms of gambling.
However, in 2019, the US Department of Justice reversed its opinion. The new opinion concludes that the Wire Act applies to all types of online gambling.
The UIGEA
The other relevant law is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) from 2006. This law made it illegal for US banks to proceed with transactions for offshore gambling companies. That’s how they were pushed out of the market.
History of US Legal Online Poker
Online casinos started to appear back in 1994. They were usually situated in Antigua or the Isle of Man. However, the vast majority of their users were US-based customers. Two years later, in 1996, online gambling was also brought to the North American market soil.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was established just outside Montreal. They started issuing licenses, and pretty soon, it was possible to find hundreds of new online gambling websites.
Once again, two years later and again in Canada, the first-ever poker online website saw the light of day. Planet Poker was the favorite source of fun to thousands of Americans who were spending endless hours playing the first real-money online Texas Hold’em.
Over the next few years, thanks to technological advances, better online poker software was developed, while the number of websites kept increasing. These online poker operators also started to offer various tournaments and cash games and got a solid fan base all over the world.
The Industry Kept Growing & Then It Collapsed
Is Online Poker Legal In Colorado
Even though there were different interpretations of the law, especially of the famous Wire Act, the newly developed industry kept growing.
Colorado Online Gambling Laws
The year 2003 is especially important in the evolution of online poker. Using an account from Tennessee, Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker after participating in the event through an online satellite. In Chris Moneymaker's case, we guess, it's okay to say that name determines destiny.
This online poker strategy was live-streamed on ESPN. Suddenly, the whole nation knew about Chris's story. A good number of Americans were hoping to be the next. All of a sudden, poker was everywhere on TV. Live games were followed carefully, and commercial breaks had one purpose: promoting online poker for money and playing Texas Hold 'em online.
The great number of promoted sites were, in fact, offshore online poker sites. A lot of them disappeared from American browsers after Congress passed the above-mentioned UIGEA in 2006.
However, even though a lot of sites weren't accessible anymore, online poker couldn't be erased that easily. Some of the offshore gambling companies had found a way around the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, but not for long.
In 2011, some of the largest online poker operators, including PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet, were accused of violating UIGEA and money laundering. These websites were definitely excluded from the significant US online poker market, which seemed to come to an end at the time.
Legal Online Poker Sites Rise Again
Also in 2011, the DOJ released a legal opinion that the Federal Wire act exclusively applied only to one form of gambling: sports betting. A few states saw this as a possibility, paving the way to regulated online casinos and legal US poker sites.
In 2012, Delaware was the first state that managed to do just that. Then, in December 2013, Nevada followed the example of passing online poker legislation. A week later, the Garden State became the third to legalize online gambling, and plans for NJ poker sites were made.
The first-ever regulated US online poker site was launched in Nevada in April 2013. Delaware and NJ poker sites went live that same year, a few months later. In 2017, Pennsylvania became the fourth state to join this group. West Virginia is the fifth state where online poker was regulated in 2019. Probably, more states will try to do the same thing in the near future.
Which State is Next?
Is online poker legal in California or New York? This is one of the frequently asked questions that people search for in the USA. They also search for different terms of poker terminology that sound unfamiliar to them. However, that’s another question that we could discuss on some other occasion.
Let’s get back to our question of legal online poker sites and the possible new markets in the USA. Michigan has made significant efforts to legalize online gambling, particularly online poker, while California, New York, and Massachusetts also seem to be moving in the right direction.
Online Gambling Legal In Colorado
Real Money Poker App: How to Find the Best Poker App
It doesn’t matter if you are a Pennsylvania online poker fan or a regular visitor of NJ poker sites, the good news is that you can play poker whenever you want, anywhere within the borders of one or the other state.
Many of the best online poker websites have launched a dedicated real money poker app that you can easily download and install on your device. The best poker apps are available for both iOS and Android operating systems.
In order to find the best poker app, make sure you visit one of the websites we listed at the beginning of our review.
Also, before you replace your poker offline adventure with the one that can be found on the internet, make sure to read some of the online poker reviews and get to know the poker terminology used by the players worldwide. After a brief introduction to the poker basics, it’s time to create your own online poker strategy and join one of the legal online poker communities!