Is Online Poker Legal In Utah

Is Online Poker Legal In Utah

YES, Real Money Play is Legal in 2020! When it comes to real-money online poker in Utah, you may be surprised to find out that there are quite a number of offshore sites that are ready to serve you. Utah online poker is a popular pastime that thousands of players in the state enjoy. In April 2013, the first-ever legal and regulated online poker site in the US went live in Nevada. Legal and regulated online poker sites went live in Delaware and New Jersey in November 2013. Pennsylvania became the fourth state to legalize online poker when it passed a comprehensive gambling expansion bill in October 2017.

Utah is one of only two US states to explicitly outlaw all forms of gambling. Along with Hawaii, Utah has the toughest anti-gambling stance in America.

  • Utah Online Poker & Gambling Laws. Utah is one of the few states that made a decision about online gambling early on. The state has already stated that they will opt out of any federal mandate to regulate online poker. So, where does this leave poker players in Utah? Well, they are actually about in the same boat as the rest of the states.
  • Aside from a few states (see below), it appears to be perfectly legal to play online poker for real money in the US. Thousands of American players play online poker for real money every week. No players have ever been arrested. If online poker is was illegal, the online poker rooms would not be accepting US players.

Much of this is due to the state's culture, with two-thirds of Utah residents said to identify themselves as Mormons, who have always been against any vice such as recreational drugs, sex and gambling.

Daily fantasy sports is currently the only form of gambling that has yet to be addressed within state legislature.

Utah Gambling Laws - Summary and Look to the Future

Poker

iGaming operators that seek to provide online gambling in Utah will incur severe felony charges.

The state was so against the idea of online gambling that it sought to uphold a ban on iGaming in 2012 before the federal government had the opportunity to legalize it nationwide.

Is online poker legal in utah 2020

Utah residents that wish to place online wagers tend to look towards Nevada's well-regulated iGaming industry and other offshore iGaming brands.

Poker

Utah Gambling Laws - A Brief History

  • 1800+ - Local silver miners allowed to gamble at local casinos.
  • 1847 - Mormon community settles in Utah and promptly outlaws all forms of gambling.
  • 1925 - Horse racing legalized by the state.
  • 1927 - State opts to re-criminalize its horse racing industry.
  • 1991-92 - Pari-mutuel fanatics fail in bid to legalize horse racing industry for a second time.
  • 2000s - Constitutional loopholes allow for underground poker and bingo establishments.
  • 2007 - Bid to prohibit free gambling-style games fails.
  • 2012 - Online gambling made illegal in Utah, regardless of federal government's legislature.
Is Online Poker Legal In Utah

What Types of Gambling are Legal in Utah?

  • Casino Gambling –There is no casino gambling in Utah. One of the states Utah borders in Nevada so people wishing to gamble in a casino can visit casinos there.
  • Sports Betting – There is no sports betting in Utah. While there isn’t likely to be much movement on this front, you can follow any Utah sports betting news here.
  • Online Betting – There isn’t any online gambling in Utah but if there is any news regarding it you can find it here.
  • Daily Fantasy – Daily Fantasy isn’t addressed by the lawmakers in Utah so at this point all major sites including Draft Kings and Fanduel operate in the state.
  • Poker – Poker is not legal in Utah.
  • Bingo – Bingo isn’t legal in Utah and it is one of the few states that doesn’t allow it even for charities.
  • Lottery – There is no lottery sales in Utah.