Legal Poker For Kentucky Residents
Poker is a beloved game for many reasons. A highly popular pastime, this particular style of playing cards is one that combines the thrill of gambling with the fun of socializing. Whether you are playing in a casino or at home, you can enjoy your poker game while chatting with friends and getting away from the stresses of your day to day life. But the unfortunate truth is that, harmless as poker is, there are some states that have put restrictions on when, where, and how individuals can engage in this form of gambling. In fact, most states have created laws against certain poker games.
If you live in the state of Kentucky, or are planning to visit anytime soon, it is important that you get to know the rules and regulations that the state's leaders have enacted with regard to poker before you make the decision to join a game. Because poker laws do vary from state to state, we have broken down the details with regard to Kentucky's unique regulations below. Keep reading to learn more!
Kentucky Poker Laws & Statutes
The state of Kentucky doesn't offer too many options in terms of organized, regulated poker games to its residents. In fact, the only forms of regulated gambling are pari-mutuel wagering on horse and dog races and a state lottery. Additionally, some charitable gambling is allowed if properly overseen and authorized. As you might imagine, the lack of tribal or commercial casinos, which are prime locations for land-based poker games, is problematic for individuals who are looking to play poker; however, the legal code of the state of Kentucky does not hold individual players legally liable in a criminal sense. As such, individuals can engage in social games as often as they would like so long as no one profits through a rake. The fact that individuals are not liable, in a criminal sense, for gambling activity has opened up both land-based and Internet-based gambling opportunities, as we will discuss below.
Is it Legal to Play Online Poker in Kentucky?
Online poker is a relatively new aspect of the gambling industry that has become quite popular over the last few years. Whether you prefer the convenience of playing from home or you simply have no land-based options, online poker rooms offer a great place to play your favorite games and enjoy the social nature of the online gaming community. In the state of Kentucky, engaging in an online game of poker is safe because individuals are not subject to criminal liability; however, operators face charges if they are found to run poker games from which they make a profit.
This said, it is important that you choose a poker room that is not based in the state of Kentucky, as it is an operation that is not condoned by the state. As such, it may not be a stable option. A better bet is to trust a site that operates legally from another location, as this is a site that will provide a higher degree of reliability to its users.
Can I Get into Trouble for Playing Online Poker Kentucky?
As previously mentioned, individual players are not prosecuted by the state when it comes to gambling activity. As such, you have the ability to play poker games both online and on land without any fear of legal action—so long as you remain just a player and don't move into gambling operations.
While it is perfectly safe for individual players to engage in poker games from a legal sense, it is important that you choose online poker rooms that will provide a high quality experience. You should focus on finding a website that is rich in information, highly trusted by experienced players, and capable of offering a high standard of customer service. Additionally, choose an online poker room that is fun! You certainly want to have a wonderful experience when it comes to the social aspect of this popular game.
Legal Poker Sites That Accept Kentucky Players
Many people living in Kentucky are curious about poker. However, many stop themselves from ever pursuing it simply because they are never given a viable option as to how to pursue poker as a hobby. All of the legal poker sites listed below give users from Kentucky not just a means to play as often as they like, but often an overwhelmingly positive experience that leaves them wanting much, much more.
Bovada Poker - Most Trusted Online Poker Room For Kentucky
For any Kentucky resident, no matter their skill level in poker looking to try a legal online poker room, the Bovada network has a good home for them. As one of the longest standing and most reputable names in online gambling for US citizens, Bovada has long served residents of Kentucky and other states in as classy and reputable a manner as possible. Through its sleek, intuitive software and its hundreds of poker variations available for play at any time of the day, this legal poker site has wormed its way into the hearts of all poker aficionados who enjoy playing from the comfort of their own home.
Not that the comfort of their own home need be restrictive. As one of the foremost leaders in online poker technology, all the fantastic features available in the Bovada poker room are also available to users via their award winning mobile site. With legal online poker right on your phone, you can play for fun or for profit from anywhere in the world you have a phone signal. The choice is entirely yours.
BetOnline Poker - All Kentucky Players 18+ Welcome Here
Another legal online poker room residents of Kentucky may have heard floating around in the air is BetOnline. The BetOnline poker room is one of the fastest growing in the nation, and to hear any of their thousands of loyal Kentucky users say it, it has everything to do with a fresh feel and take on legal online poker backed by stellar customer service. The poker software is second to none, turning even slow internet connections into thriving casino environments by giving the player choices from hundreds of tables that can all be filtered through and joined in a matter of seconds. At BetOnline, it’s all about what the player wants.
In order to earn the chance to prove themselves as one of the foremost legal poker sites, BetOnline will give large sums of money away in order to earn your business simply because they are sure that once you give their poker room a try, you’ll agree with their regular users: it doesn’t get any better anywhere on the internet. Once you open an account with BetOnline and deposited into, it is instantly qualified to receive a full 200% of the initial deposit back in the form of bonus money to be used anywhere in the poker room. Further details are available on the BetOnline promotion page, but suffice to say, poker players of any skill are not advised to pass this deal up.
| Legal Kentucky Poker Sites | Welcome Bonus | What To Play | Site Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada Poker Play / Sign Up | $1,000 FREE - 100% Match | Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo - Stud Hi/Lo |  |
| BetOnline Poker Play / Sign Up | Maximum $1K: 200% Rate | Texas Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo | |
| SportsBetting Play / Sign Up | 200% Match / $1,000 Max | Texas Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo | |
| 5Dimes Poker Play / Sign Up | Vary Weekly - Check Website | Texas Hold'em - Omaha Hi/Lo |  |
Does Kentucky Have Legal Land-Based Poker?
There are no land-based, regulated sites that offer poker games in the state of Kentucky. Typically, in other states across the nation, players can engage in poker at tribal or commercial casinos. But because Kentucky doesn't have these establishments it isn't able to offer this type of play to its residents and visitors.
But you aren't completely out of luck if you are looking for a live action, real money game. As we have mentioned, individual players are not held liable in a criminal sense for gambling. As such, you can engage in social games at home or in other locations as long as there is no operator involved (meaning no one makes a profit from the game by taking a rake).
Legal Land-Based Poker Rooms For Kentucky Players
The state of Kentucky has made it virtually impossible for you to engage in a land-based game that does take a rake, as there are no tribal or commercial casinos that are able to host such events; however, you can play poker in any location that you choose so long as no profit is made on the game. You can still make real money bets, but it is important that no money is given to an operator in return for the management of the game in order for it to stay within the boundaries of the law.
In terms of online poker activity, you can turn to any number of Internet-based poker rooms. Just make sure that you pick one that you trust, as you don't want your financial information falling into the wrong hands.
Future of Poker/Online Poker in Kentucky
In terms of online gambling, Kentucky is not necessarily chomping at the bit to regulate poker activity; however, this state is more likely than many others to make the decision to do so in the future, as it does have regulated, online betting on horse and dog races. The regulation of such activity, though, would not make much of a difference to the legal code, as individual players are already exempt from criminal liability.
