Washington state has had a long history of being veryconservative when it comes to online gambling. IN fact, it is one of the onlystates that made playing online gambling sites a felony. This has, as you canimagine, made the growth of the online poker industry was stalled. However,poker is still very popular in the state, and this page will guide you througheverything you need to know about the game in the Northwestern state.

Where to Play Online Poker in Washington To ensure all online Poker players will get tremendous valued should they choose to play at any of our featured online Poker sites, below you will find all of the currently available sign up bonuses that they are able to claim to enhance their initial playing sessions. You’ll want to join one of these Washington online gambling sites if you’re heavily into casino games, betting, or poker, and don’t care much about the other options. We’ve written guides for online casinos, betting, and poker in Washington State too, as well as made recommendations for the best sites that you can join in each category. Online Poker in Washington Have you ever wanted to play online poker in Washington, without being held hostage by third parties like PokerStars or Pokerrr2? Do you have a home game where some players are in Washington, and others are in other states? If you’re new to online poker, we’re here to help you learn. From hand rankings to basic rules and strategies, find everything you need to get started. The games you want. PokerStars is home to the most exciting poker games. No Limit Hold'em. Hold'em tournaments. Which means that you can play online poker in Washington (and any other state which PokerStars, or other software restricts). We run our servers using Amazon AWS, and allow you to setup your own custom domain, with an SSL. This means players don’t have to download anything! They can play right in the browser, without any apps or downloads.

Online Poker in Washington

As we mentioned, Washington’s government is one of theonly that explicitly makes playing real money online poker illegal and withpenalty up to a Class C Felony. That doesn’t mean that players weren’t playingat many of the offshore sites before the law came into effect – the onlinepoker scene was insanely popular back in the early 2000s. However, theintroduction of this law definitely shook the industry, even though no playerhas ever been charged with breaking it.

Between this conservative law and the moves by theDepartment of Justice to shut down the online poker sites accepting Americanplayers left a huge mark on the industry. Since 2011, players from Washingtonand across the U.S. have not been able to legally play online cash games andtournaments except a handful of states that have passed legislation. If you arereally looking for some action at the digital felt, you could cross the borderinto Canada and play at one of the sites available to Canadian players. Otherwise,it is a waiting game to see if laws will change within the state.

Land Based Poker in Washington

Now that we have gotten through the doom and gloom of theonline poker landscape in Washington let’s turn our attention to some goodnews! Washington’s live poker scene continues to be booming, with dozens oflive card rooms open for business across the state. Most of these rooms havemultiple tables of cash games available (likely most are Limit Hold’em tablesdue to the regulations set on mam bet and pot sizes, but many dealers do knowhow to deal the other games) and small nightly or weekly tournaments.

With a live poker scene that is this lively, the pressurewill continue to be applied to the government to try to find a solution foronline play. In the meantime, here are all the land-based poker rooms you willfind in Washington.

7 Cedars Casino (Sequim, WA)
Aces Casino & Poker Room (Spokane, WA)
All Star Lanes & Casino (Silverdale, WA)
Black Pearl Casino (Spokane, WA)
Buzz Inn Casino & Steakhouse (East Wenatchee, WA)
Casino Caribbean Kirkland (Kirkland, WA)
Casino Caribbean Yakima (Yakima, WA)
Clearwater Saloon & Casino (East Wenatchee, WA)
Cozy’s Roadhouse (Clinton, WA)
Crazy Moose Casino Pasco (Pasco, WA)
Fortune Poker Room (Renton, WA)
Hawk’s Prairie Casino (Olympia, WA)
Highway Twenty Road House (Port Townsend, WA)
Joker’s Casino (Richland, WA)
Lancer Lanes (Clarkston, WA)
Lilac Lanes & Casino (Spokane, WA)
Little Creek Casino (Shelton, WA)
Mr. Z’s Casino (Pullman, WA)
Muckleshoot Casino (Auburn, WA)
Northern Quest Casino (Airway Heights, WA)
Oak Bowl Card Room (Oak Harbor, WA)
Palace Casino Lakewood (Lakewood, WA)
Papa’s Sports Lounge & Casino (Moses Lake, WA)
Red Dragon Casino (Mountlake Terrace, WA)
Roxbury Lanes Casino (Seattle, WA)
Slo Pitch Sports Grill & Casino (Bellingham, WA)
Suquamish Clearwater Casino (Suquamish, WA)
The Last Frontier Casino (La Center, WA)
Wild Goose Casino (Ellensburg, WA)
Wizards Restaurant & Casino (Seattle, WA)
Yakama Legends Casino (Toppenish, WA)

Social Poker in Washington

When the real money online poker industry in the U.S. wasshuttered by the government, people were scrambling to find other places toplay the game they loved. The timing of this couldn’t have been more perfectfor the social gaming industry, which was just rounding into shape. Socialpoker games like Zynga Poker were offering thousands of play money tables forplayers, with the added option of buying chip packs to advance through levelsfaster. However, in 2018 a federal court ruled that the selling of chips by thesesites amounted to gambling, which was prohibited in the state. While the socialgaming industry continues to lobby to have this ruling reversed, social pokeroptions involving chip purchases are not available in the state.

Subscription Poker in Washington

Another type of poker offering that skirts the issue ofreal money online gambling is subscription-based poker. This type of gameoffers players the chance to compete in a series of “free” tournaments afterpaying a one-time monthly membership fee. This makes the games fall undersweepstakes laws and therefore makes it legal in 36 states. Unfortunately, the sitesthat are running these types of games are steering clear of Washington now forfear of breaking any laws or being classified like the social gaming sites.

Mobile Poker in Washington

With all that is not allowed in Washington, you may bewondering what online poker is open for business in the state? Well, at thevery least, many mobile apps are offering free-play poker games which areavailable to be downloaded onto your phone or tablet. These games are stillbuilt on the same rules as real money games, and while the play won’t exactlybe world-class, these apps do allow you to put into practice anything youhappen to learn about your favorite poker game. In the end, beggars can’t bechoosers here, so if you are in the need of seeing some flops while on themove, then at least you have these sites to help you get your fix.

Online Poker in Washington FAQ

It seems like there are some offshore poker sitesstill taking players from the U.S. Can’t we just play there?

While there are indeed some rogue operators that were notindicted in the crackdown on online poker in 2011 still accepting American players,even those sites seem to have their limits. Remember that the offshore gamblingindustry was built off the assumption that there were no laws regardinginternet gambling. Those states that have either implemented regulations orstrict penalties are typically being removed from the offering of these sites. Thisis the case in Washington, where even the offshore poker sites don’t want torisk the penalties.

Will the new sports betting laws affect online poker?

That really all depends on what the law states when it isofficially passed. As of early 2020, the state has been working on a bill thatwould see sports betting legalized in the state but only at the retail level. Itis difficult to imagine that online and mobile sports betting will be left outin the cold, but that will be a good indicator of how likely it is that wecould see legal online poker in the state anytime soon. Don’t hold your breath– this could take a while.

With a population of 7.6 million people, Washington seems like a state that could develop a large and successful online gambling industry. Unfortunately, state leaders here have implemented very tough regulations towards this industry. Despite the best efforts by state officials, a huge number of online poker options are still available here. Today, our team of gambling experts is going to offer up-to-date information on the Washington poker sites operating today.

As we just mentioned, there are many online poker sites in Washington. It seems that these sites grow more popular every single year. We’ve listed where to play poker online in Washington below.

Internet gambling is popular in every state around the country. That’s even true in Washington, which has some of the harshest laws towards this industry. We’ll go over some of the steps that residents here can take to find a reliable poker website.

Many have questions about the specific laws for the gambling industry. Several lawmakers here have discussed ways to change the current regulations here. We’ll go over exactly what is allowed and what isn’t.

Washington isn’t a great state to be a real money poker fan in, but that could certainly change in the future. Find out how to choose a Washington poker site below.

Four Steps to Finding the Best Washington Poker Sites

It’s clear that lawmakers in Washington don’t want its residents to gamble online. If you’re reading this, however, there’s a good chance you plan on making a few wagers anyway. The popularity of this industry continues to grow.

Below are just a few easy steps that everyone can follow to ensure they find a good, reliable internet poker site to play through.

Check out Site Reviews From Trusted Sources

One of the best and easiest ways to ensure the poker website you decide to join is safe is by reading what other people say about it! That might seem like a complete no-brainer. Some, unfortunately, take a poker website at face value and forget to read reviews about it.

Spend a little time looking at reviews from trusted sources. Our gambling site reviews page, for example, dives deep into the payment options, customer support system, and overall design of different gambling platforms. We’ll be the first to let you know whether or not one of these online poker sites in Washington is worth playing at.

Explore the Design and User Interface of Different Sites

There are a huge number of different real money Washington poker sites operating right now. The designs of these sites vary greatly. It’s a great idea to spend time checking through a few different poker site designs and user interfaces to see which ones you enjoy the most.

This is easy to do. All you need to do is narrow down a few different WA poker sites, and then scroll through some of their pages! It should only take a few minutes to see whether or not it’s a gambling website you enjoy.

Take a Look at Which Poker Games Are Available

Poker is really a broad term for a huge number of different games. There are many poker variations, some that are more popular than others. We recommend that you take a good look at some of the different poker games being offered by different Washington online poker sites.

There’s nothing worse than finding a site, deposing some money, and realizing the games you want to play aren’t available. Fortunately, most WA online poker sites clearly list the available games on their homepages. Don’t forget this easy step!

Make Sure Easy Payment Options Are Provided

When looking for a poker website to join, there’s nothing more important than knowing your money will be protected. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to spend some time making sure the payment options you plan on using are accepted. Some online Washington poker rooms offer different cashier options.

Global Poker Washington State

The majority of online poker sites in Washington operating today will allow deposits to be made using all major debit cards including Visa and Mastercard. Many still only permit withdrawals to be made using Bitcoin. All poker sites in Washington are different. Don’t forget to check and see which payment options are available to you.

By following these four steps, there’s a good chance that the poker website you decide to join is fantastic.

Poker Sites in Washington Grow More Popular Every Year

In many ways, the entire country’s laws towards gambling are a little antiquated. Fortunately, some states are beginning to legalize and regulate various forms of gambling. This is not the case in Washington, where online gambling remains taboo in the eyes of lawmakers.

It’s unusual, as this industry is growing more popular every single year. More people here are beginning to realize how fun this form of gambling really is. Of course, it seems to be the convenience of these Washington poker rooms that’s really helping the industry to grow.

As you may already know, Washington poker sites allow you to make wagers from anywhere with an internet connection. Forget long drives to a land-based gaming venue. These websites make playing poker as easy as possible.

You don’t even need a computer. Nowadays, the majority of poker sites in Washington provide fantastic mobile casino gambling platforms. That makes it easy to play your favorite games using just a smartphone. Both iOS and Android users should have no issues playing their favorite poker games online.

Many analysts also believe the huge number of poker variations has helped this industry to grow so quickly. Some of the Washington poker sites currently operating provide more games than some of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas.

No one expects this to slow down anytime soon. In fact, most believe these online poker sites in Washington will continue to grow more popular as time goes on.

List of Land-Based Real Money Poker Venues in Washington

Washington seems a little confused about how to best approach the gaming industry. At the moment, 35 different land-based casinos are operating here. The majority of them offer poker gambling options.

Below are the names and locations of the 10 best venues to play poker in Washington.

• Emerald Downs Casino: Auburn
• 7 Cedars Casino: Sequim
• Tulalip Casino: Marysville
• Swinomish Casino and Lodge: Anacortes
• Angel of the Winds Casino Resort: Arlington
• Little Creek Casino: Shelton
• Snoqualmie Casino: Snoqualmie
• Clearwater Casino Resort: Suquamish
• Silver Reef Casino Resort: Ferndale
• Quinault Beach Casino: Ocean Shores

Washington has slowly developed a successful land-based casino industry. These venues are known for offering some great poker gambling options. If you’re in any of the cities above, make sure to check the local gaming spot!

Legality of Online Poker Gambling in Washington

We’ve been touching on the legality of poker sites in Washington throughout this page. Now, it’s time to get into specifics. Unlike most states around the country, Washington has a set of laws that actually prohibits all forms of online gambling.

There is one key piece of legislation here that clearly indicates online gambling is prohibited. That is Section 9.46.240 of the State Statutes. Check out the text below.

“Whoever knowingly transmits or receives gambling information by telephone, telegraph, radio, semaphore, the internet, a telecommunications transmission system, or similar means, or knowingly installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information shall be guilty of a class C felony…”

Poker is widely considered to be a skill game. Unfortunately, even “games of skill” like poker cannot be played online. The state sets a blanket ban on all forms of internet gambling. Many feel this will change soon, though.

There have been several bills presented over the years to legalize and regulate internet poker gambling. All have failed to make it past the legislative session.

Since 2018, several states have completely started allowing online gambling. Most of these states are earning a huge amount of revenue by taking this industry. Lawmakers in Washington are beginning to take notice.

It seems likely that, within a few years, all online Washington poker sites will become legal and regulated. For now, this industry remains banned in the eyes of the law.

Will I Get in Trouble for Playing at Poker Sites in WA?

It’s possible, yet unlikely. As we just mentioned, Washington is one of the only states in the US with laws that explicitly prohibit all forms of internet gambling. With that being said, it’s highly unlikely to face any legal repercussions for making wagers online. Our team has not come across any issues of residents being prosecuted for playing through WA poker sites.

*We are not lawyers. Reach out to a law professional for more information about the specific online poker laws in Washington.*

Tips to Stay Safe Playing at Washington Poker Sites

At this point, you can probably make up your own mind on playing poker online here. Those that still want to play this game may have a few concerns about safety. That’s understandable, yet the vast majority of internet poker players never come across any issues.

Below are five easy tips to keep in mind before you jump into online poker.

Make Sure to Join a Reputable Poker Site

It seems like each year, more Washington poker sites begin operating. Before joining any of these online Washington poker rooms, make sure that it’s safe and reliable. Those that aren’t are usually blacklisted quickly. Unfortunately, there are still some real money online poker websites operating today that have been known to pull some shady moves.

Keep Track of How Much You Win and Lose

Online poker gambling is extremely fun. It can be easy to get lost in time and forget how much you’ve won and lost. We always recommend that you keep a daily toll of your winnings and losses. If you begin to see a heavy downward trend, it may be best to take a break for a little while.

Stay on Top of Changes to Laws

According to lawmakers, all poker sites in Washington are banned. That is likely to change soon. Stay on top of changes to the laws here by following our gambling news page. We’ll be the first to report on any updates to the online gambling regulations in the state.

Understand How All Promotions Work

If you’ve already taken a look at a few online poker sites in WA, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a promotion. Essentially, these are bonus offers that gambling websites offer to their members to boost the amount of money you have to gamble with. It’s important to know how every promotion works before you decide to use it. This will save you from any headaches in the future.

Keep Your Account Information Secure

Finally, we always feel it’s a good idea to keep your online poker account information secure. Don’t give your username or password to any strangers. Those with this information can steal your winnings! It can be smart to change your account password from time to time as well.

Most people never come across any issues when gambling online. By keeping these tips in mind, there’s a great chance your online poker experience will be nothing but fun.

Washington Online Poker Laws

Washington Poker Sites FAQ

What Are the Best Washington Poker Sites Operating Right Now?

This likely comes down to your own individual preference. There are many fantastic internet poker platforms available in this state. Most of them are great. Our team highly recommends both Bovada and BetOnline. They’re safe and offer a range of different poker options.

How Much Money Can I Win Playing Poker Online?

It depends on your poker skill! Many of the world’s best players choose to hone their craft online. Some are able to win a huge amount of money on a regular basis. Not many of the poker sites in Washington set limits on the amount of money you’re able to win.

Will Washington Ever Regulate Online Poker?

It’s difficult to say. At the moment, Washington is one of the least gambling-friendly states in the country. With that being said, several lawmakers have recently stated that this should change. It seems likely that regulations toward this industry, including Washing poker sites, will change within the next few years.

Do Online Poker Sites in Washington Offer Other Casino Options?

Many of the real money Washington online poker sites operating today offer a wide range of different casino gambling options. Some focus specifically on their poker games. If you want to play more than just poker, do some research and make sure the site you’re interested in joining actually offers it!

What Is the Easiest Poker Game for Beginners?

Most agree that Texas Hold’em is the best game for beginners to play. It’s the most popular poker variation in the world and is the most commonly played game during major tournaments. As time goes on, you can begin to expand to other games such as Three-Card Poker and Omaha.

Washington State Online Poker 2019

Conclusion on Washington Online Poker Sites

If you’re in Washington, you may want to consider holding off playing poker online right now. Some may want to take the risk and do it anyway. Those individuals still have access to some fantastic real money online poker websites, despite the state’s stance towards this industry.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see laws change here soon. Stay tuned for updates and feel free to reach out to our team with any additional questions. Good luck placing your bets!