Legal Online Poker For Oklahoma Residents
Hello there and thank you for visiting LegalPokerOklahoma.com. Our team here is dedicated to helping you learn about legal online poker in Oklahoma including laws, news, and other things. Oklahoma is neither a very pro-poker state, nor do they ban it altogether. There are cases when they openly allow any poker game and scenarios where it's completely forbidden.
Is Poker Legal In Oklahoma?
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Since Oklahoma doesn't mention online gambling anywhere in their laws, we can safely assume that it's legal to play poker online.
Even though the state does take a fairly aggressive stance against poker games hosted in "unorganized" establishments, it would be hard (probably illegal as well) for ISP's to monitor your Internet connection to see if you are gambling. Authorities are generally after money launderers and not normal people who wager their money online.
Legal Online Poker Sites For Oklahoma Residents
No matter where you look online, if you are searching for the best online poker sites that accept Oklahoma residents then you are going to see these 3 sites. The poker rooms below have the most players online and the best overall gameplay. We have played at these Oklahoma poker sites for more then 5 years and we know for a fact they they are among the very best and most trusted sites online.
For those who live in Oklahoma and love to play poker, the poker rooms available at SportsBetting have been prided themselves on furnishing a fantastic home for almost two decades. This poker site doesn’t bother to blow their budget on intricate animations or expensive graphics, they prefer to spend all their time and energy ensuring that the players have the most up-to-date and functional interfaces to play with and to keep their winnings rolling in. By SportsBetting’s estimation, a player earning money off of poker is a happy player, and their pages of customer testimony back them up in spades.
To make matters for members even better, this fantastic online poker room for Oklahoma residents will even cover the fees for a payout as often as once a month. This means that twelve times a year, SportsBetting members can collect their winnings with no additional fees accrued, meaning no budgeting required for payouts, meaning more opportunities to play that one last hand that can be the big winner. SportsBetting offers the elusive experience of a complete poker room that not only caters to their clients’ needs for playing, but offers more opportunities for big payouts than any other poker site in the game.
BetOnline offers one of the top services in the industry. They pride themselves in offering more than $150,000 in guaranteed tournaments, guaranteed bonuses and lots of free money to be won in freeroll rounds. They also accept credit cards, which is quite novelty for American casinos. Moreover, if you get tired of playing poker, you can try your luck at their sportsbook or bet your favorite numbers on a roulette table. Last, but not least, their customer support department is friendly, enthusiastic and is there 24/7 for any problems you may run into.
Long story short, no. Regardless of the amounts wagered and whether or not someone is making a profit from organizing the game, hosting a round of poker with your friends is a felony. The Penal Code states that whoever organizes a game of poker is guilty of conducting gambling and subject to a fine between $500 and $2,000 as well as one to ten years of prison. Playing in such a game is also a criminal offense and you may be fined with $25-$100 and sent to prison for one to thirty days.
You can legally play poker with your friends at home is if no money or other valuables are at stake. "Monopoly money" ruins all the fun, but it's the only way to be on the legal side.
Is Land Based Poker Legal in Oklahoma?
Poker is an immensely popular game that grows even more popular by the day. It’s no surprise that residents of Oklahoma are wanting to get in on the action, and therefore finding that they have some questions about the legal status of poker in their state.
Unfortunately for poker fans in Oklahoma, they live in a state where the playing and facilitation of poker is extremely limited, restricted and legally prohibited. Oklahoma boasts some of the most stringent laws in the nation with regards to playing poker within their state borders. If one is caught dealing or hosting a poker game for profit, it’s an automatic felony and they will be sentenced to at least a year in a federal prison. Although this is a fairly standard law throughout most states in the country, in no other state is it quite so extreme or clearly outlined as it is in Oklahoma.
However, there is an important distinction to be made as to what constitutes running a game “for profit.” This means that an Oklahoma resident is either charging admission to enter the game, or collecting a “rake” (a percentage of each pot awarded as profit to the house) from each hand. So long as the host of a private poker game is not collecting profits in this manner, they are safe from the felony charge.
Still, considering that even getting caught playing poker is still a misdemeanor, some Oklahoma residents would rather not take the risk at all.
The saving grace for poker fans in Oklahoma are the large number of casinos on Native American reservations that are open to the public. By setting up shop within these reservations, they are exempt from gambling laws, and can therefore provide a good means legally play poker in Oklahoma.
Where to Play Poker in Oklahoma
Although according to the letter of the law there is still strict regulation on private games, this should not stop most Oklahoma residents from enjoying a quiet poker night with friends. There have never been any instances recorded in Oklahoma of private games being broken up, unless the host was collecting profits. That would turn any game into an illicit, public poker game, and these run a very high risk. It is not advised to host or take part in such games.
Still, some avid poker players will want the chance to poker in a more formal setting for bigger money. This leaves the casinos on Native American reservations in Oklahoma, of which there are several.
No limit hold ‘em is the name of the game in Oklahoma, and within its legal poker rooms are several different buy-in options for bigger winning opportunities. Recreational players may buy-in for as little as $10 in a low stakes game, while the more serious poker aficionados can play for over $200 for a chance to win huge money against stiffer poker competition.
While land based poker options in Oklahoma certainly exist, they may be a bit of a pain to come across being in such remote locations, and they will not offer much variety as to how one can play. Still, it’s better than risking jail time in an illicit poker game.
Note: The information on this website shouldn't be regarded as legal advice. We are familiar with the Oklahoma poker laws and wanted to share our knowledge, yet we are not legal specialists. We work with other websites and others to make sure that we have the best and most up to date information possible, however we can not always keep up with the changes. Should you have further doubts about the legality of poker in Oklahoma, we would recommend you to consult with an attorney.
