Online Poker Real Money Kentucky

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The problem with online poker in Kentucky stems from the laws regarding operators and their ability to host and rake poker games. Profiting from gambling is not allowed, so based on that, online poker is automatically ruled out. Not only that, but Kentucky tried to seize gambling related domains (2009-2012). Can Players from Kentucky Play Real-Money Online Poker? Horse racing is the crown jewel of Kentucky’s gambling industry, and in the eyes of government, must be protected at all costs. Unregulated gambling sites, in particular, have witnessed firsthand the lengths Kentucky officials will traverse in order to halt their operations. Kentucky Poker News 2020 WSOP Main Event Final Table Set, Joseph Hebert Leads. Jonathan 'luckyfish89' Clark Takes Down November PLB Title.

All forms of gambling are illegal in Kentucky, aside from a few small
exceptions, and this definitely includes live Texas holdem poker. Naturally
this extends to online poker also, with no regulation or legislation allowing
for online play. Not all hope it lost if you’re Kentucky native though, as you
still have plenty of options to get your poker fill as we elaborate on below.

The only form of gambling allowed under state laws in Kentucky is placing
wagers on horse racing. This is tightly regulated, more so than in many other
states and even the type of horses and frequency of entries in to races are
controlled by state regulations.

This is quite extensive and really does put Kentucky as close as you could
come to strict non-gambling states like Utah and Hawaii. Off track betting is
also permitted at the regulated establishments that exist within Kentucky.
Permitted racing includes thoroughbred racing and also harness racing, so you
can get some action if you just feel the need to place some bets in this state.

Only pari-mutuel wagering is legal in Kentucky. So those that run the
gambling are in no way collecting from wagers directly and only receive a
commission based on all wagers received. The remaining money is placed in a pool
and pay outs are determined based on wager rates from all of those who
contributed to this pool with their bets.

Poker online real money kentucky

Unfortunately this does not extend to poker in any way. Casinos and gambling
establishments are illegal to run and operate in the state and no wagering on
games of chance is permitted at all. You can run charity games though so if
you’d like to raise some money for a charity through a poker game this is
certainly legal.

Keep in mind though if you profit from this in any way at all the lawmakers
and authorities will come down on you very hard. The most common form of gaming
for charities is in the form of bingo, raffles, and scratch tickets. So you
usually wouldn’t find a charity poker game.

Unlicensed Texas Holdem

Even with the laws and regulations around gambling, this has not stopped a
number of informal poker games popping up at restaurants, bars, and clubs. You
won’t have to look too hard to find some of these games and they’re usually
played at lower stakes.

If you do choose to take a seat then proceed with caution. Firstly, because
state laws prohibit some games, you could land yourself in trouble with the
authorities. Although they usually only go after the person or people who are
running the game.

Secondly, these types of games aren’t regulated or controlled like games are
in casinos. So security should always be a concern, and the chances that someone
is cheating or colluding in the game is much higher than you find in a casino.
Of course we aren’t saying that all of these games are dangerous and filled with
mechanics, simply that you need to take some extra precautionary steps when
entering these games when compared to a live poker game in a respected casino.

Online Texas Holdem

In respect to online poker there’s no clear legislation, except for a brief
connection between statements in law that says devices that allow gambling
aren’t permitted. Although this is obviously a bit of a grey area as you can do
much more on a computer than just gambling and online poker.

For bets on horse racing you can do this electronically, which further
muddies the waters. One thing is clear though, they apply the law in the
live environment to online play. Therefore you can’t play online poker or gamble
online in casinos in games such as blackjack, roulette, and craps. Once again
the onus is on the operator and they’ll be shut down by the state authorities if
they attempt to offer online wagering, aside from horse racing, to citizens of
Kentucky.

Legal Live Poker Options

Your best bet to play live poker if you live in Kentucky is to travel out of
state. Depending on where you live in the state this shouldn’t be too much of an
inconvenience. Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio all have casinos and poker
rooms relatively close to the border with Kentucky, so basically you can drive a
few hours from anywhere in the state to get to a decent poker room.

If you live further south in the state or to the west, you’ll need to travel
a bit more to play Texas holdem poker. If you’re in the western part of Kentucky
you can travel to West Virginia to play, with a handful of vibrant rooms running
there. To the south your options are short and you’ll have to travel even
further. This is because Tennessee also prohibits most forms of gambling, so
you’ll need to head north, east, or west to find a live poker table if you live
in the southern part of Kentucky.

Many of you may be thinking why Kentucky allows betting on horse racing, but
no other forms of gambling. While this is a contradiction to say no gambling is
permitted except on one type of event, the reasoning behind this is quite common
to many other states in the US.

Fundamentally it’s written in law that horse racing is actually skill based,
because of the skill of the horse and jockey in respect to how well they do in a
race. Therefore, gambling on this isn’t based on chance or luck.

Because of this one reason you can place bets on horses, but can’t play poker
or sit down at a blackjack table. While many would argue that poker is a game of
skill, lawmakers and authorities don’t see it this way. Many casino operators
have attempted to challenge this in the courts without much luck. So it’s really
down to petitioning the law to change if you want to see these types of games
legalized any time soon.

If you’re a native of Kentucky your poker options are quite limited. You’ll
have access to some good options though provided you live near a state border,
particularly in the north. If not, you’ll have to do some travelling and as such
you probably won’t take to the felt nearly as much as you want to.

If you have ambitions to play a lot more poker and become a regular then
you’ll need to make the move to a city that’s right on the border, or move to
another state. Poker options are just too limited and there’s probably too much
risk involved for most people to get involved in some of the underground games
that happen in the state.

Because of the hard line stance the state takes in relation to gambling there
is slim to no chance that poker will ever be legalised. Even though horse racing
betting is allowed, everything else is banned and the door seems truly shut in
respect to more gaming opening up. This is happening even with pressure building
from neighbouring states, so based on this we’ve made the aforementioned
conclusion.

Conclusion

Texas holdem is just as popular in Kentucky as in most other states, but you
still can’t find any legal poker rooms. The good news is you can travel to the
surrounding states to quickly find a wide variety of poker options. And if you
know where to look the state is filled with private and home holdem games.

If we had to pick one word to describe Kentucky’s position towards gambling expansion, it would be ambivalent. On one side of the fence, the state’s most powerful horse racing and casino company, Churchill Downs Inc., appears largely in favor of expanding into both the land-based and digital casino realms. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear also views brick & mortar casinos as a viable and untapped revenue stream.

That being said, the legislation’s position towards Internet gambling is less than favorable – far less. To illustrate: In 2011, the Commonwealth attempted to seize the four biggest online poker sites in the world, under the premise that the state was the sole owner of the property. And three years earlier, the Governor convinced a Kentucky judge to confiscate 141 Internet gaming domains [1]; his reason being that online gaming pulled gamblers away from Kentucky’s horse racing and charitable gaming venues.

Online Poker Real Money Kentucky State

So where does that leave online poker? Until Kentucky’s gambling interests can first agree on a way to introduce casinos, probably nowhere. And even then, the Governor and at least one State Senator (Mike Wilson) will likely oppose any efforts to bring gambling online.

Then again, Churchill Downs, who also owns poker Bluff Magazine parent company BLUFF Media, is already prepping an online gaming platform. [2] And with an online lotto set to go live sometime in 2015, it’s apparent that Kentucky sees at least some benefit in online gaming. Whether that will translate into an online poker legislation push somewhere down the line is anyone’s guess.

Can Players from Kentucky Play Real-Money Online Poker?

Horse racing is the crown jewel of Kentucky’s gambling industry, and in the eyes of government, must be protected at all costs. Unregulated gambling sites, in particular, have witnessed firsthand the lengths Kentucky officials will traverse in order to halt their operations. So instead of dealing with potential seizures and other legal hassles, some US-facing poker sites have opted out of Kentucky. Others simply changed their domain name.

Suffice it to say, finding an online poker site in Kentucky is more difficult than in the average US state. The situation differs in Europe, where players often have access to the best poker sites. And in many European countries, online poker is regulated by government.

Is Online Poker Legal in Kentucky?

Technically speaking, there is no clause in Kentucky’s gambling statutes that explicitly prohibits players from gambling over the Internet, or gambling anywhere for that matter.

Instead, the law primarily targets unregulated gambling operators, and as we’ve already seen, the state doesn’t take too kindly to unlicensed facilities accepting wagers from Kentucky residents.

For better clarity, we first look to how the state defines gambling; Section 528.010(3a):

Gambling means staking or risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest, game, gaming scheme, or gaming device which is based upon an element of chance, in accord with an agreement or understanding that someone will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.

Although the aforementioned strongly suggests that any game involving even a hint of chance runs afoul of the law, Kentucky actually implements the Dominant Factor Test to determine what is and is not a gambling game. As a game consisting of at least some skill, poker resides in a murky grey area of the law.

Online

In either case, players (defined below) are exempt from criminal liability ( Section 528.010(7) ):

Player means a person who engages in any form of gambling solely as a contestant or bettor, without receiving or becoming entitled to receive any profit therefrom other than personal gambling winnings, and without otherwise rendering any material assistance to the establishment, conduct, or operation f the particular. The status of a “player” shall be a defense to any prosecution under this chapter.

Advancing or promoting gambling is a different story altogether, with operators facing a myriad of misdemeanor and felony charges depending on the size and type of the operation. Even those who intend to host an unregulated gambling game can be slapped with a Class D felony charge.

The law implies that social poker is an acceptable practice, in so long as the house doesn’t charge fees. And even then, only those profiting from the rake would be at risk.

Kentucky Gambling History

Kentucky’s gambling lore is laced with legends of back alley saloons, iconic gamblers and crooked dealings. But by the late-1800s, it wasn’t Kentucky’s illegal gambling rings that were making headlines, but its newly-minted (legal) pari-mutuel wagering industry.

In 1875, Churchill Downs in Louisville held the first running of the Kentucky Derby. Fast forward a mere three years later, and the masses were placing bets on their favorite pony – a practice that has continued to this very day.

Can You Play Online Poker For Real Money In Kentucky

For the longest time, pari-mutuel wagering was the only legal form of gambling in Kentucky. That changed in 1988, when voters authorized via referendum the Kentucky Lottery Commission. The lottery industry started strong and got stronger, contributing $223.8 million to scholarship and grants programs in fiscal 2013 alone. [3]

In the mid-2000s, Kentucky legislators began broaching the subject of land-based casinos, with proponents reasoning that the state was losing $500 million in potential revenue to casinos in nearby states. The debate came to a head in late-2013 when Louisville Dem. Larry Clark petitioned for the expansion of five horse tracks into racinos and construction of three standalone gambling facilities.

Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, support for a constitutional amendment permitting casinos is currently on the decline – although the issue is still on the legislative radar. [4]

Regulated Gambling Options in Kentucky

For now, Kentucky casino enthusiasts are best served traveling to either Indiana or Ohio, where commercial casinos have been legitimized. However, those who enjoy horse racing couldn’t live in a better locale. Kentucky also hosts a multi-jurisdiction lottery and a wide array of charitable gambling, which encompasses casino nights.

Other recent headlines

Kentucky is on pace to join the emergent list of states to institute an online lottery. In November 2014, the Kentucky Lottery Corp. met with gaming technological provider GTECH to hash out the details of a computer based system that will enable players to purchase tickets online by fall 2015. [5]

In other news, State Senator Mike Wilson is pushing for an amendment to current Kentucky gambling laws that will render unsanctioned Internet gambling illegal. It is presumed that the bill (BR229) will allow for a carve-out for both the online lottery and online horseracing. [6]

The Future of Regulated Online Gambling in Kentucky

Online Poker Real Money Kentucky Derby

Poker

While some industry analysts place the odds of Kentucky legitimizing online poker on par with a three legged pony winning the Derby, we’d argue that the prospect is not as far-fetched as it initially appears. Remember, Kentucky’s actions against sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were based on the premise that they were siphoning money from the state’s legal, and tax liable, gambling industry. But what if other states prove that regulated iGaming was a viable revenue stream; one that could complement its brick and mortar gambling landscape? Wouldn’t that prompt Kentucky legislators to take the issue more seriously? Stranger things have happened.

Poker Online Real Money Kentucky

In the coming years, expect Kentucky to measure the performance of its nascent online lottery and the newly embraced Instant Winnings machines. If they outperform expectations, and if Churchill Downs and other pro-casino interests win the fight for land-based casinos, don’t be surprised if someone submits an iGaming bill at some point down the road.

References

  1. Jump up ^Commonwealth of Kentucky v. 141 Internet Domain Names
  2. Jump up ^New Lawsuit Against a “Thief” Reveals Churchill Downs’ Plans to Build Online Casino
  3. Jump up ^$223.8 Million in Record Dividends to the Commonwealth
  4. Jump up ^Ky casino supporters are increasingly mum
  5. Jump up ^Ky. lottery plans online ticket sales by fall
  6. Jump up ^Kentucky to Ban Internet Cafes