As of 2026, there are eight US states with regulated online poker. It is a fairly small number that leaves a majority of the country in a waiting pattern. What about the remaining 40+ states? When, if ever, will they come around?
Furthermore, the number itself doesn’t paint the whole picture. Of these eight, only six actually have active poker sites as of 2026. Two, namely Connecticut and Rhode Island, are still waiting for interested parties to get licenses and set up shop.
The six states with active poker rooms aren’t exactly the biggest ones in terms of population, either. Pennsylvania, with its 13 million residents, is the largest regulated market in the US, but the biggest ones, including California and New York, are still missing.
The Momentum Stopped
US online poker has seen a few decent years. In addition to new states passing regulations, West Virginia online casinos have finally gotten their poker counterparts thanks to BetRivers Poker. The Mountain State waited a long time for this development, as online gambling has been legal since March 2019.
Rhode Island joined the ranks as well, becoming the eight US state with regulated online poker. This development took place in December 2023. However, the state is yet to launch its first legal poker site.
Since then, not much else has happened. Connecticut, which passed its online poker and gambling regulation in 2021, does not have any live poker operators, and that situation isn’t likely to change in the near future.
The state’s small population and its inability to join the MSIGA without amending existing laws have been major stumbling blocks, combined with ongoing internal issues between different lobbies.
Can US Online Poker Finally Break Free?
For all fans of Texas Hold’em poker outside of New Jersey, Nevada, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, this is the big question. Can US online poker finally break free, and will we see a wave of regulation sweeping the country in the near future?
Unfortunately, the answer to that question is probably not.
As of 2026, the only state that’s seriously considering online poker is New York. This is not to say that one should hold their breath as the legislation is still a fair few steps away, but we are at least seeing steps taken in the right direction.
There were some positive vibes coming from Virginia, but the latest developments made it clear that Virginians will not see any licensed poker sites go live before 2028.
Other big markets, especially California and Florida, are nowhere near. Despite some attempts over the years, as of 2026, there aren’t any indicators that either of these two states could pass online poker laws in the foreseeable future. It could happen in a few years’ time, but there are no serious discussions happening around the issue.
Prospects for a wider network of regulated US states aren’t the best, to say the least. It’s difficult to say what it would take to create a significant shift on a federal level. The best poker players can do is continue to reach out to decision-makers and have their voices heard. It may not be a lot, but, in some states at least, it could be enough to move the needle.
