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Best online poker sites in 2020: all the top websites to play online poker in 2019, ranked from the most beginner-friendly to the hardest ones. This article was originally published on Feb. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us.

Is online poker legal in New York?

No, not at present, although NY lawmakers continue to work toward that possibility.

NY online poker is hampered by current law that includes poker among its list of prohibited games of chance. The state’s constitution only allows a few exceptions for poker, including at regulated commercial casinos. Meanwhile, Native American-owned casinos can also spread live poker if they wish, per the applicable nation or Tribal Gaming Agency.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania have launched online poker sites, casinos and sportsbooks. If online poker were to become legal, the New York State Gaming Commission would be the governing body drafting regulations, issuing licenses and overseeing the integrity of online poker in New York.

In early 2020, a bill was introduced in the state Senate that would remove poker from the list of prohibited games while authorizing up to 11 online poker licenses to operators. A similar bill was introduced in the State Assembly as well. In both cases, the bills failed to advance beyond committees the year before.

These are the latest among several attempts to legalize online poker in New York, ranging back to 2013.

Will New York regulate online poker?

If recent history provides any indication, chances are not great that real money online poker will be legalized and regulated in New York in the near future.

Previous online poker bills that have been introduced have failed to garner adequate support to advance through the legislative process. Meanwhile, online sports betting has gotten much more attention among lawmakers lately thanks in part to gambling laws in neighboring states. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have launched online poker sites, casinos and sportsbooks.

If online poker were to become legal, the New York State Gaming Commission would be the governing body drafting regulations, issuing licenses and overseeing the integrity of online poker in New York.

What are sweepstakes poker sites?

In the absence of real money NY poker sites, there aresweepstakes poker sites that currently welcome players in New York. The most popular of these sites is Global Poker, where players from every US state except Washington can play.

Sweepstakes sites use virtual currencies rather than real money. Global Poker uses Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.

Players can purchase Gold Coins to play “cash” games and tournaments. When they buy Gold Coins, they receive Sweeps Coins as a bonus. Sweeps Coins can be obtained in other ways as well, including via Facebook giveaways and even by writing to Global Poker directly.

Furthermore, players can use Sweeps Coins for sweepstakes-style cash games and tournaments. Players can win and accumulate more of them. Then, once they have collected a minimum required amount, players can redeem Sweeps Coins for real money and withdraw the cash.

What about offshore poker sites? Are they safe?

There are online poker sites located outside the US — hence called “offshore” sites — that do accept US players. While New Yorkers don’t necessarily face legal obstacles to play on such sites themselves, they are, nonetheless, taking a risk when they do.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 restricts US banks and other financial service providers from allowing transactions with non-US gambling sites. That means rogue poker sites are forced to find other means via which to allow American players the ability to deposit and withdraw funds.

If that isn’t problematic enough, American players have to take a leap of faith when it comes to game integrity and the safety of their funds. There have been incidents of these sites suddenly closing and making off with players’ money, leaving Americans no legal recourse to recover their funds.

Also, if players suspect they have been victimized by cheating, collusion, ghosting, multi-accounting, or other types of fraud, they generally have to hope the sites respond to their complaints. Since again, they have no legal recourse to ensure they are protected.

Playing on a fully legal, licensed and regulated real money site is much more preferable. To be able to offer the games, operators must comply with rules to monitor and prohibit fraudulent activity, thus making the sites much safer for online poker players.

New York poker laws

The New York Penal Code explicitly prohibits gambling, defined as staking or risking “something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance” or some other event not under a person’s control and doing so with “an agreement or understanding that he will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.”

That prohibition includes types of gambling in which skill plays a part, too.

The way the law is written, “contests of chance” involve any game that “depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants might also be a factor therein.”

There are exceptions, foremost among them playing in the state lottery or gambling at a facility licensed by the New York State Gaming Commission, such as at the state’s commercial casinos. Also allowed are horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering operations, authorized video lottery terminal operators, and Class 3 Indian gaming facilities.

Are home poker games legal in New York?

As is the case in many other states, home poker games are allowed in New York as long as no one is collecting rake or fees.

The relevant part of the New York Penal Code describes such a game as “a social game of chance… without fee or remuneration.”

There was a notable court case involving a home poker game in New York in 2011.

Lawrence DiCristina was hosting poker games out of a warehouse in Staten Island. DiCristina collected 5% rake in the game, which in and of itself, would run afoul of what the law says about hosting a “social game of chance.” However, DiCristina was found guilty of violating federal law, the Illegal Gambling Business Act (IGBA).

The case was appealed, and in 2012, the conviction was overturned in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Interestingly, on appeal, the US District Court Judge Jack B. Weinstein ruled that Texas Hold’em was, in fact, a game of skill and thus not prohibited by the IGBA.

That ruling was reversed by the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals. DiCristina tried to appeal again, but in February 2014, the US Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

Nevertheless, the most recent attempts to introduce online poker legislation have included mention of the DiCristina case, in particular Judge Weinstein’s ruling that poker is considered distinct from other gambling games thanks to its skill component.

New York card rooms

New York is home to tribal casinos and commercial casinos, with live poker rooms found in each.

The first tribal casino opened in 1993, the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, operated by the Oneida Indian Nation of New York. It continues to feature one of the biggest and most popular poker rooms in the state.

In 2013, commercial casinos were legalized and among them can be found some popular poker rooms as well, such as at Rivers Casino in Schenectady and Resorts World Catskills in Monticello.

No-limit hold’em is the primary game at all New York poker rooms, although the larger ones also spread pot-limit Omaha and stud games.

Meanwhile, both the Rivers Casino and the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel have hosted popular poker tournaments in recent years as well.

List of NY poker rooms

Here’s a list of live card rooms that players can find in New York casinos:

Also, there are poker rooms in two casinos just across the Canadian border on the other side of Niagara Falls: Casino Niagara (with 26 tables) and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort (with 16 tables).

New York poker timeline

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, stories of poker games occurring in the underground poker clubs in New York City were frequently reported on in newspapers and given literary treatments by fiction writers.

Following World War I, one of the most famous poker clubs in the country regularly met at the Algonquin Hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The Thanatopsis Pleasure and Inside Straight Club comprised many of the era’s most famous writers, actors, poets, playwrights, columnists and critics who kept the games going until the early 1930s.

As far as other types of gambling were concerned, New York first legalized and then banned pari-mutuel wagering before bringing it back again in 1940. Horse racing and off-track betting have been an important industry in the state ever since.

Meanwhile, after being the first US state to ban the lottery in the 1830s, New York was the second to bring it back in 1967.

Poker continued to be played, however, with regular underground games taking place in a variety of locations, such as bars and restaurants, office suites, high-rise condos, self-storage units, social clubs, private homes, and even in churches and synagogues.

Some of the Hungarian restaurants where such games took place were commonly referred to as “goulash joints” or “ghoulies.”

Despite their necessarily clandestine nature, a few of these poker clubs gained renown outside of New York City. This includes the Mayfair Club that began as a bridge club in the 1940s, then later became the site of high-stakes backgammon, gin rummy and poker games.

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Famous poker players who passed through the Mayfair during the century’s later decades included Stu Ungar, Erik Seidel, Dan Harrington, Howard Lederer and Mickey Appleman, to name a few. Band manager and music producer Brian Koppelman played there as well, and later with David Levien would use that experience as inspiration to write the screenplay for the 1998 film Rounders.

Clubs, like the Mayfair, began to be shut down, however, in 2000, thanks to then-Mayor Rudy Guiliani’s “Quality of Life” campaign to clean up New York City.

Games persisted nonetheless, with clubs reappearing in the 2000s and afterward, in particular during the “poker boom” when the game found new popularity on television and online.

In 1993, the state signed a compact with the Oneida Indian Nation of New York, resulting in the opening of the state’s first land-based casino, the Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona, which featured a large and popular poker room. Eventually, other Native American-owned casinos opened as well.

In 2013, voters in the stated supported the New York Casino Gambling Amendment authorizing a limited number of commercial casinos to open in areas of the state other than New York City.

While the overall number of casinos in New York are small, many of them do provide live and legal poker to New Yorkers not wishing to brave the underground games.

As far as online poker is concerned, State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow have each introduced multiple online poker bills over recent years, though none has gained needed support. Thus New York remains without legal, real money poker sites, unlike its neighbors, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, to the south.

What does the future hold for New York online poker?

For online poker to become legal in NY, it will likely be necessary first for other forms of online gambling or online casinos to be legalized, in particular, NY online sports betting.

In early 2020, some momentum was starting to build around an online sports betting bill. However, the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the disease’s profound impact on New York state, including economically, understandably made the pursuit of such legislation a much lower priority among lawmakers as the state grappled with budgetary matters and other more urgent concerns.

With the country’s fourth-largest population of more than 19 million, New York would be a great candidate for online poker, given what would surely be a significant player pool. It would be especially good for online poker in the US if the state were to legalize online poker and join the multi-state compact to increase liquidity.

Real money online poker is now live in Michigan! PokerStars became the first real money online poker site off the blocks in MI and the online poker industry in the US has gained even more momentum.

With a population of 10 million people (about 1 million more than New Jersey), Michigan is immediately an intriguing online poker market. While play is limited to in-state pools at first, adding Michigan as a legalized online poker state adds a nice number of poker players to the total US player pool.

See our page below for all the key information about online poker in Michigan including the best no deposit poker bonuses. Online casinos in Michigan also went live as of Jan. 22, 2021.

Latest Michigan online poker updates

• by StaffMarch 4, 2021
• by Anthony Cicali IIIFebruary 18, 2021

Michigan Online Poker Bonus Codes

Play Real Money Poker on PokerStars Michigan Now!

The online poker era officially began in Michigan on Friday, January 29, when PokerStars became the first platform to launch. That meant Michigan became the fifth state to offer real money online poker along with Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.

It’s the third state for PokerStars, along with PA and NJ. The Wolverine State has also approved allowing interstate compacts, but that will have to wait for various states reaching regulatory approval.

In the meantime, players will be in a fenced-in market. That means Michigan players will only play against others in the state. PokerStars also currently operates “fenced in” poker online in New Jersey and fenced-in poker online in Pennsylvania. That means the player pools aren’t shared between the three states, but that will change eventually.

The addition of the PokerStars platform is welcome news to Michigan online poker players. Given their license also includes casino game and sports betting, your PokerStars Michigan account also offers an integrated online casino and a sportsbook.

Include in the PokerStars launch are first-rate software and game selection PokerStars is known for, from big guaranteed MTTs to Spin & Gos to mixed cash games and plenty of poker variants. If you want to play free online poker with friends, you can play via the Home Games feature.

PokerStars’ casino partnership is with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Gaming Authority. The tribe operates three properties including the Odawa Casino Resort in northern Michigan.

Claim your $30 free play or $600 deposit bonus on PokerStars MI via the link below

Real money poker apps in Michigan

Most Americans are now accustomed to using mobile apps for productivity, gaming, and various other life-organizing tasks. That goes for online poker too and a major percentage of players now use real money poker apps to play.

All online poker sites offer poker apps as well a traditional desktop or laptop-based downloadable software client. These allow for plenty of player mobility. Michigan can expect the same amount of app options starting with one of the best, PokerStars.

Poker apps offer easy-to-use game play features and navigation. Players will find extensive game and tournament options with features specifically designed for phones or tablets.

Players can expect the same level of safety and security on a poker app as well. You can also still sign up, claim any no deposit poker bonus or promotional offer, make additional deposits, and withdraw funds from anywhere. Downloading a poker app is simple and fast.

Download and play on the PokerStars app in Michigan right here:

How to Open a New Online Poker Account

After downloading the app or poker software, signing up is a fast and easy process. Players will first be asked to input some basic information including:

• name
• address
• email
• username
• password

You then need to confirm your identity and email. After that you’ll be ready to give the platform a test drive. New players also usually have the opportunity for some great bonuses for signing up and making a deposit.

When ready to make a deposit, there are several options and it’s an easy process. Look for standard industry deposit methods not always available at unregulated sites. Some of those usually include:

• E-check bank payments (ACH transfers)
• Visa/Mastercard
• Wire payments
• E-wallets such as Neteller
• Cash at partner casinos

Once that’s complete, finding a game is as simple as launching the poker client or app and heading to the lobby. Players will find something for most budgets such as:

• Cash games
• Multi-table tournaments
• Sit and go tournaments
• Jackpot-style tournament events
• Major tournament series

An advantage to playing online is that players will find lower stakes and buy-ins than they might at a casino. You can work on your game without breaking the bank or worrying about being intimidated as you learn.

Players also have the option to play for virtual (play money) currency at most sites. This offers a great way to learn the games and software without risking any money.

Sweepstakes poker still an option for Michigan players

While poker players anxiously await for more major brands such as MGM and partypoker to launch in Michigan, they can still play 100% legal real money poker online through sweepstakes poker sites.

Because these sites follow a unique sweepstakes or social gaming model, players in 49 US states (excl. WA) are currently eligible to play.

Global Poker is one of the biggest and best known among these. Players in the US and Canada (excluding Quebec) can enjoy a comparable online poker playing experience with an opportunity to win real money.

Global Poker uses a free-to-play virtual currency called Gold Coins. Players get 1,000 Gold Coins free on sign-up and can use these to play free cash games and tournaments.

Players that purchase more Gold Coins also receive a second virtual currency called Sweeps Coins. These coins are used in separate Sweeps Coin poker games such as:

• Ring games
• Tournaments (& tournament series)
• Sit & go’s
• Jackpot sit & go’s

Unlike Gold Coins, Sweeps Coins can be cashed out for real money. Global Poker’s business model offers a fun social gaming experience with the opportunity to win some real cash.

Global is owned and operated by VGW Holdings Limited, a publicly traded company incorporated in Australia. The Malta Gaming Authority regulates VCW’s social gaming platforms, which include free sweeps cash casinos as well.

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Players can expect fair games and feel safe in the knowledge that their account information and player funds are secure. The site offers the following poker variations with stakes for every bankroll level:

• Crazy Pineapple

Michigan players can currently access an exclusive USPoker bonus offer for a free $20 Gold Coin package just for signing up or a $40 package for depositing $20. Click below to start the process:

Which other poker brands will offer online poker in Michigan?

partypoker + MGM Grand Detroit

The MGM Grand Detroit is also the largest casino in the state. MGM partners with partypoker in New Jersey through the Borgata, and that may be an option in Michigan as well. A partypoker entrance into the market offers a nice option for online poker players.

CaesarsCasino doesn’t have a property in Michigan but could reach an agreement to operate WSOP.com. The WSOP online poker platform has the only shared liquidity market among New Jersey, Nevada, and with its partner 888poker in Delaware.

The Greektown Casino is owned by Penn National Gaming. The company owns some online gaming operations in Pennsylvania but hasn’t offered online poker. But that could always change as more states become possible.

Michigan offers another big opportunity for online poker operators and expect some considerable interest from the big players. Other international brands like GG Poker or Run It Once Poker might also be interested as the US online poker market continues to expand.

Can I play on a Michigan poker site from outside the state?

Online poker sites use geolocation software to make sure players are located within that state. According to regulations, you must physically be within the legal jurisdiction to play.

That doesn’t mean you can’t sign up for an account, make a deposit, or withdraw funds from anywhere, however. All of this can be done in other states including, for example, in nearby Illinois, Indiana or Ohio.

Simply sign up and deposit for an account and then be ready to play when you’re in Michigan. It doesn’t matter if you’re a resident of another state for eligibility. You do, of course, need to be of legal age to play as well.

Michigan Online Poker FAQ

Which Michigan casinos have online poker site partners?

So far, only The Stars Group (PokerStars) has a partnership with a casino operator. The company entered into a partnership with the Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Gaming Authority in January 2020.

Stars became the first operator to reach a partnership deal to operate online gaming in the state. That would also be expected to include online poker.

While it hasn’t announced anything yet, the MGM Grand Detroit could also be a player. MGM partners with GVC Holdings (partypoker) in New Jersey and is a good bet to enter the Michigan market as well.

This page will be updated as more partnerships are announced.

Can I play on PokerStars in Michigan?

Yes. Online poker went live in 2021 and PokerStars’ parent company has signed a partnership agreement with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Gaming Authority. PokerStars now offers all legal forms of online gaming including poker. PokerStars is the largest online poker operator in the world and also offers poker in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Can I qualify for the WSOP from Michigan?

Players using WSOP.com in Nevada and New Jersey can currently qualify for the WSOP online. They can even play in exclusive WSOP online bracelet events along with players on WSOP.com partner 888poker in Delaware.

WSOP owner Caesars Entertainment doesn’t own a property in Michigan. That doesn’t mean the company can’t reach an agreement with a partner in the state. In fact, it’s probably a good bet that may happen – at some point.

WSOP.com has been a leader in the US online poker industry. While it hasn’t yet launched in Pennsylvania, that state and Michigan offer opportunities to grow its brand and player footprint. A growing US market only offers more opportunities for both the WSOP as a whole and its online platform.

Do I have to live in Michigan to play online poker in Michigan?

No, you can sign up for a new online poker account and even make a deposit from anywhere. However, players must be physically located within the state when playing. Poker sites will make use of geolocation software to make sure of this.

However, those outside the state who register and deposit can easily play once they’re in the state.

Does Michigan share a player pool with any other states?

As of now there are no immediate plans for a shared player pool through interstate compacts. This could be added at a later date however. Pennsylvania went ahead with online poker in a similar situation – waiting for the legalities involved with the Wire Act to be worked out.

That issue cleared up in January 2021, with a federal appeals court ruling that the Wire Act only applied to sports betting. That allows expanded interstate compacts for online poker operators. With PokerStars launching in January 2021, that could mean the company eventually will combine player pools in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Michigan, along with other high population states with poker players including Florida and Texas, has great promise as a legalized online poker market. An interstate compact with shared liquidity could be in the works down the line. That would make for an even better and secure industry with more growth potential.

Will Michigan allow online casino games?

Yes. See the full run down on our Michigan Online Casinos page.

Why choose legal online poker sites?

Players can expect safe and secure legal US online poker sites. Online operators undergo rigorous licensing procedures and regulations just like a land-based casino

The Michigan Gaming Control Board has standards and procedures in place to protect players and they enforce them appropriately. That includes securing player funds, which are placed into separate secure accounts.

Deposits and cash outs are also extremely safe and use encryption technology to make sure account details are secure. A player can feel safe that his personal information is also kept safe.

Legal online poker sites also offer several customer service options to help players sort out any issues. Those can include:

• Phone
• Live chat
• Email
• By mail
• FAQ section
• Information database or help section

Along with these security and help features, online poker platforms work to provide security among players. Anti-collusion and bot software helps weed out elements that might affect game integrity and fairness.

It’s important to note that “offshore” poker sites (ie those based in other countries) can’t offer this same level of security. They aren’t always regulated and players receive no guarantees that their funds and personal information are safe.

Many of these sites have been known for slow payouts and have even gone under and not paid back players. Players will feel much safer using a regulated US site.

Michigan Live Poker Rooms

Poker players have several options to bet and bluff to each others’ faces in Michigan. The state boasts more than 15 poker rooms. Here’s a look at a few that stand out:

MGM Grand (Detroit) – 17 tables with plenty of cash games and tournaments in an elegant, high-end environment. MGM is known for great poker rooms at its properties and that includes Michigan.

Motor City Casino (Detroit) – 17 tables with daily tournaments and cash games. Look for generous comps.

Soaring Eagle Casino (Mount Pleasant) – 14 tables and plenty of promotions. The property also offers a large number of games spread.

FireKeepers Casino (Battle Creek) – The 26-table room is newly renovated and offers a great place to play.

Gun Lake Casino (Wayland) – This 14-table western Michigan room receives nice reviews among players. Action heats up on the weekend.

Greektown Casino (Detroit) – 12 tables and another great option for players located in the Detroit area.

Michigan Online Poker History

Michigan is no stranger to live gaming opportunities. There are three full-service casinos in the Detroit area and 23 tribal properties scattered throughout the state. Other legal gambling options include pari-mutuel wagering and the state lottery. The latter may have gotten the online gaming ball rolling.

In 2014, the Michigan Lottery launched an online lottery and by mid-2015 more than 300,000 instant tickets were being sold each day. In April 2016, online gambling proponent and State Senator Mike Kowall introduced SB 889. Entitled “The Lawful Internet Gaming Act,” the bill would have authorized online poker and online casino games in Michigan.

SB889 would have granted up to eight licenses to Michigan-based commercial and tribal casinos. That bill died in committee, but set the stage for making the issue a possibility. Michigan voters were hopeful in 2018 for legislation that legalized online poker but, after approving a bill late in the year, outgoing Gov. Rick Snyder ultimately vetoed it. That added yet one more delay to the eventual reality of Michigan online poker.

Fortunes reversed however in 2019 and on Dec. 20, Gov. Whitmer signed a bill into law. So now that Michigan has legalized online poker, when can players expect to jump in to the action at online poker tables?

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) made a major announcement in December 2020 that several online casinos had received provisional licenses. This would allow final approvals to begin taking place and what was expected to be a launch of online gaming by mid-January 2020.

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That didn’t mean necessarily that online poker would be one of the first offerings to hit the ground running in January. However, the good news for poker players was that two of the companies receiving provisional approval have poker brands. Those two receiving approval were:

• Roar Digital – This is the gaming partnership between MGM and GVC Holdings in the US. GVC is the owner of partypoker.
• TSG Interactive – TSG stands for the The Stars Group, which is a part of international online gaming company Flutter Entertainment. Flutter is also the parent company of PokerStars.

WSOP.com and its software partner 888poker weren’t listed among those companies that had been approved yet.

Beyond PokerStars and MGM/partypoker getting approved, several other gaming entities also received approval in December 2020 from the MGCB. The board had reached agreement on rules for:

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• Sports betting
• Fantasy sports

Beyond creating rules for the various gaming offerings, the MGCB had approved numerous other operators in December 2020. A complete list of those groups receiving provisional licenses included:

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• TSG Interactive US Services Limited (Fox Bet, PokerStars)
• BetMGM (Roar Digital and partypoker US Network)
• American Wagering, Inc. (William Hill Sports Book)
• Betfair Interactive US (FanDuel Sportsbook)
• Churchill Downs Interactive Gaming (TwinSpires)
• Crown MI Gaming (DraftKings)
• GAN Nevada Inc. (online gaming technology provider)
• Golden Nugget Online Gaming, Inc.
• NYX Digital Gaming USA (digital gaming supplier)
• Parx Interactive Inc.
• Penn Sports Interactive
• PointsBet Michigan
• Rush Street Interactive MI
• Sports Information Services Limited (Kambi sports betting service)
• WSI US, LLC (Wynn Sports)

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Senate approved multi-state legislation

In October 2020, some legislation in the state Senate also produced some good news. The Senate passedSB 991, which allowed the state’s gaming entities to enter into interstate compacts.

The future of these shared liquidity markets remains to be seen. The Department of Justice has argued that the Wire Act applied to more than just sports betting.

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The issue remained tied up in court and could have a huge impact on the iGaming industry (more on this below). However, in January 2021 the court ruled in favor of gaming interests. This clears the way for shared liquidity markets among states and could greatly help the regulated US online poker industry.