Online Poker In Arizona

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Of the many numerous images that are evocative of the history of the Old West, those of hardscrabble miners, nefarious lawmen, and inveterate gamblers crowded around a gaming table in a boisterous saloon is one of the most poignant. Towns with names like Abilene, Kansas, Deadwood, South Dakota, and Pikes Peak, Colorado fill the pages of history books and the imaginations of generations of Americans.

Perhaps the most famous of these towns on the American frontier however, is Tombstone, Arizona. Made famous in legend and lore, the town's reputation for incorrigible behavior threatened to torpedo the 1912 admission of The Grand Canyon State as the final 'Lower 48' in the Union before the state's Founding Fathers agreed to shutter the offending casinos.

Arizona Gambling Laws

Arizona Gambling Law And Online Poker Arizona’s Revised Statutes (1), in Title 13, “Criminal Code”, Chapter 33, deals with the legality of gambling in the state. Within this chapter, various offenses are. Arizona is house of 22 casinos from which 16 are for dock poker accommodation. This Arizona state has very vigorous and strong society of poker, competent to carry on mid-level buy-in competition weekly. But in the 2013 peoples for online poker.

In keeping with their commitment to ban gambling from their borders, Arizona legislators have adopted a strict approach to their enforcement of gaming laws within the state, and they have embraced one of the broadest definition of what encompasses gambling.

Is it legal to play online poker in arizona

Conversely, the state also supports a host of regulated gambling endeavors including nearly two dozen tribal casinos dotted around the state, social gambling, horse racing, and charitable gambling. As with most states, social gambling in Arizona is defined in a typical manner. To wit, in a social gambling situation, 'no person should benefit from operation of the game, and all players must enjoy equal standing under the rules and structure of the game.

Under Section 13-3301 of the Arizona criminal code, gambling is defined, in part, as 'Gambling' or 'Gamble' means one act of risking or giving something of value for the opportunity to obtain benefit from a game or contest of chance or skill, or a future contingent event.'

What sets this Arizona statute apart from just about every other state in the nation is its prohibition against games of 'skills' in addition to games of pure 'chance.'

Owing to these strictures against games of 'skill,' poker would most certainly fall outside the realm of legality unless played through one of the state's regulated gaming markets listed above. While the legislation neither addresses live poker nor online poker specifically, the prohibitions against games of 'skill' certainly would include both forms of gaming entertainment, but players are not legally challenged with an arrest, while bookies and gambling operators are occasionally targeted when law enforcement officials receive specific complaints of abuse.

Is Online Poker Legal in Arizona?

Like many jurisdictions, The Grand Canyon State's legal code is outdated relative to the fast advances of online gaming in the last decade, which allows room for interpretation when testing the laws against new online gaming platforms.

Most assuredly, Arizona's gaming community is bustling. With more than three and half million people over the age of 21 calling Arizona home, industry experts estimate that ten percent, or 350,000, are keen to play poker in the hot Arizona desert. For those on the state's borders, due south leads to gaming options below the United States-Mexican border, while a trip northward brings residents to the gaming tables of Las Vegas.

As mentioned, the state also sports a thriving Indian gaming industry with twenty-two casinos in operation across the state, and sixteen of those feature live poker rooms that rival the best gaming options on the Las Vegas famous Strip. While the rise of tribal gaming in the 1990s sparked a myriad of legal challenges that rocked the Arizona court system well into the next decade, but have now become a bastion of legal gaming for the avid players of The Grand Canyon State.

Still at issue, is the fate of online poker in the state. Arizona law stops the state, or any tribal organization, from establishing to conducting an online gaming presence under the provisions of Arizona Revised Statutes 5-501 (I) and 5-601.02. As such, poker aficionados can expect to see further courtroom battles.

While the legal prohibitions against gambling can easily be applied to online gaming, no specific Arizona law currently criminal online play specifically. To date, no record indicates that any individual online poker player has been prosecuted for playing.

Is it Illegal to Play Poker in Arizona?

Yes, it is illegal to pay online poker in Arizona under the broad interpretation of the word 'gambling' in the state. While no criminal statutes specifically mention either the internet or online gaming, the state has certainly outlawed the practice under the broadest understanding of their legal code.

Will Arizona Regulate Online Poker?

An open ended question, as mentioned, the state is still battling with tribal groups over their ability to establish and operate a legal online poker platform, so whether or not Arizona will be moving towards a regulation of online poker is difficult to judge. A silver lining for proponents of legal online poker is an exploration of the state's Social Gambling definition.

Arizona's stance, which indicates Social Gambling is expressly legal, one might theoretically operate a not-for-profit site that doesn't take a rake? One would also seem to think that the gamers is playing for entertainment rather than profit, which is perfectly legal under current Arizona law.

As legal gambling is the province of tribal areas within Arizona, many legal questions are yet to be addressed before a widespread acceptance of online poker play. Whereas state legislators seem conservatively opposed to an expansion of online gaming options, specifically if it means adhering to a federal mandate, the body might need to be pushed through a popular referendum of the citizenry.

History of Gambling in Arizona

Gambling was synonymous with the old west, and Arizona's frontier history was no exception. In a bid to secure statehood in 1912, the territory outlawed all forms of gambling, which was in line with early 20h-century sensibilities during the height of the Progressive Era.

Such was the state of gaming affairs in Arizona for the next seven decades when state legislators voted in 1980 to participate in a state lottery system. Today, the state is part of the multi-state lottery Association with such draw games as Fantasy 5, Powerball, The Pick, as well as a myriad of instant scratch tickets.

Eight years later, tribal casinos were legalized, which launched a decade of legal challenges that have finally subsided, but future battles loom on the horizon concerning what, if any role these tribal organizations will have in the creation and operation of online poker rooms.

Reviving a frontier tradition centered on horse racing was the impetus for the 1992 passage of legalized horse racing in the state. Currently, people who like to 'play the ponies' have three legal race tracks to ply their particular skill set.

References

  • »Can You Play Legal Online Poker in the USA?

2021 Update: Is Online Poker Legal in Arizona

There are still no bills to legalize online poker in Arizona. But they did recently hold an online poker tournament. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Neighbors Helping Neighbors held an online charity poker tournament to benefit a local food bank in Arizona.

While this isn’t a legislative effort, it’s still a step in the right direction. Maybe the state will see the benefits that online poker can offer the state. There are also two sports betting bills that are being discussed in the Grand Canyon State: HB 2813 and SB 1525.

SB 1525 is a rehash of last year’s bill. But HB 2813 wouldn’t allow for line sports betting. Both bills face opposition from tribal casinos. Chances are any future online poker bills will face opposition too. Experts aren’t predicting that these bills will pass. Aside from tribal opposition, they also face push back from local legislators.

Chances are things won’t progress until next year. The pandemic also puts a hamper on new legislation.

We’ll keep you updated here. So stay tuned!

Online Poker and Gambling Laws in Arizona

Arizona has regulated gambling for some time. Desert states are known for gambling. Arizona is no different. There are numerous laws governing different types of gambling. For the state, as per statute, section 13-3301, “gambling” means:

“One act of risking or giving something of value for the opportunity to obtain a benefit from a game or contest of chance or skill or a future contingent event but does not include bona fide business transactions.”

This definition is a bit different from most states. Arizona’s law states gambling is “a game of contest of chance or skill”. The key words are “chance or skill”. Most states only include the word “chance” which excludes poker since a federal judge ruled poker was a game of skill. But Arizona’s definition would include poker as gambling.

For those who remember,Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona expedited the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). In recent years, Arizona seems to have softened a bit when it comes to gambling. This bodes well for online poker.

Can I Play PokerStars in Arizona

Not yet. While PokerStars was one of the most popular poker sites in the US before Black Friday, it’s only available in a few states now. Arizona is not one of them. That might change in the future, but there are some other options. There are plenty of other sites that accept players from all 50 states across the United States. Sites like America’s Cardroom and Black Chip Poker accept players from around the country and have a bunch of different sign-up bonuses.

We’ve reviewed these sites and plenty others. Check out our top-reviewed sites below if you’re looking for a good PokerStars alternative in Arizona:

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Online Poker In Arizona

Legal Gambling in Arizona

The state allows four main types of legal gambling:

  • State Lottery
  • Pari-Mutuel Wagering
  • Indian Casinos
  • Charitable Gaming

State Lottery

The Arizona Lottery was approved by the public in November 1980. It was the first state west of the Mississippi to have a lottery and isoverseen by the Arizona State Lottery Commission. In November 2002, 22 years after its inception, 73 percent of Arizonans voted to extend the state lottery for an additional 10 years.

Online Poker Arizona Reddit

Then, in 2010, the lottery was extended until 2035. The lottery has generated billions for the states and it keeps growing. The lottery generated $981 million in revenue in 2018. The state has a goal to reach $1 billion in revenue by 2020. Lottery players must be at least 21 years of age.

Pari-Mutuel Wagering

The Department of Racing regulates the Arizona pari-mutuel horse and greyhound racing industry. They oversee and supervise all commercial horse, greyhound, and county fair races. The Department of Racing also licenses participants, collects state revenues generated by race meetings. It enforces laws and rules related to racing and betting to protect industry participants and the public.

There are a number of racetracks across the state. Click here for a list of race tracks in Arizona.

Indian Casinos

Brick and mortar Indian casinos are popular around the US. Arizona has a lot of tribes. They also have a lot of casinos. Arizona has 23 casinos operated by 16 different tribes. Six more Indian tribes have slot machine rights. They lease those to other Indian casinos.Click here to see Arizona’s Indian Casino compacts and statutes.

The casinos also have clout in the state. These casinos have been opposed to expanding online gaming though. The current bills are trying to address these issues and find a middle ground. A middle ground would be great for players. It could also help online poker.

Charitable Gaming

Is Online Poker Illegal In Arizona

Arizona allows for legal gaming if it’s for charity. There have been some poker fundraising like the Monte Carlo Nights or Texas Holdem Poker Tournaments. There are strict rules to follow under the charitable gaming laws. Despite that, there are plenty of charity gaming nights around the state.

For example, a non-profit organization cannot require a specified donation. This means players need an equal chance to win regardless of their donation. In April 2020, the state held an online charity poker tournament to raise money for a food bank. So that’s an option.

This sets some precedent for online poker in Arizona. People love to play poker. Arizona is no different. There’s a chance poker could be next. We’re sure you hope that’s true too. If anything changes, we’ll tell you here.

Specific State-by-State Laws

Poker Tournaments In Arizona

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