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Real Money Online Poker Arizona - legal & safe sites 2023

AZ Online Poker

Can I play online poker in Arizona? The answer is yes!

Is it legal to play real money online poker in Arizona? The answer to this is also yes!


VISIT THE ARIZONA ONLINE POKER SITE WITH THE:

There are times that not having to worry about the politics surrounding online gambling can be a great thing, and you really see that in Arizona because a contentious political situation would make it fairly unlikely to see Arizona online poker regulation any time soon. Offshore sites operate in the state though and offer games to Arizona citizens, so they aren’t subject to the changing winds of the political discussions.

The sites available for online poker in Arizona are better than the ones a regulated government could come up with as the player base is much larger and the promotions can be pretty lucrative for pretty much every player. Rest assured, neither the UIGEA nor any other laws make it a crime to play on these sites. Only those who own and manage the online poker sites are at any risk of prosecution.

Below is a list of all the great sites and promotions available to those from Arizona via the offshore US-facing real money sites.

Online Poker Sites Available in Arizona

The online venues for online poker in Arizona vary widely in quality. Rather than subjecting you to the whims of fate, we've gathered together some of the best of them and presented them below so that you don't have to take a chance on any untested or unproven sites. Whichever of our recommended poker companies you elect to play at, you'll be able to enjoy up-to-date software features, honest games, and the fair payout of your winnings. Read our mini-reviews of the leading internet poker rooms, and then choose one to sign up for.

1

IGNITION

BONUS:
150% up to $1,500
★★★★
4.7 / 5

BEST AZ ONLINE POKER SITE FOR PLAYER VOLUME

NETWORK:
PAIWANGLUO
EXTRAS
CASINO
MORE INFO
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Of the many poker rooms servicing Arizona, Ignition is the largest and has the most games running. No Limit Texas Hold’em, Limit Hold’em, PLO, and PLO/8 await you in cash game form, and the blinds go up to $10/$20 in big-bet formats and $30/$60 fixed limit. There’s also fast-fold Zone Poker, sit-n-gos, lottery-inspired Jackpot SNGs, and a comprehensive array of multi-table tournaments, including tournament series with eight figures in guaranteed prizes.

Ignition Poker downloads exist for Windows and Mac, and in addition, there’s a mobile poker room for smartphone and tablet users. Newcomers get a 150% up to $1,500 bonus when depositing with crypto, and this bonus is matched by another $1,500 to play casino games.

VISIT IGNITION POKER NOW
2

SB POKER

BONUS:
100% up to $1,000
★★★★
4.5 / 5

BEST AZ ONLINE POKER SITE FOR JACKPOT PROMOS

NETWORK:
CHICO
EXTRAS
CASINO, SPORTSBOOK
MORE INFO
READ REVIEW

NL Hold’em, PLO, PLO Hi-Lo, and Six Plus Hold’em are available to play at SB Poker at blinds going up to $5/$10. There are also fast-fold Boost games. Sportsbetting is one of the few USA poker sites with Bad Beat Jackpots: one for regular NLHE tables and one for Boost Poker. As far as tourneys go, there are single-table SNGs, Windfall games with randomized multipliers, and standard MTTs. Frequent leaderboards reward volume grinders with daily or weekly payouts.

This site boasts Windows and Mac software as well as an excellent mobile app. New players are entitled to a 100% up to $1,000 bonus as well as tons of promos for the attached sportsbook and casino.

VISIT SB POKER NOW
3

BETONLINE

BONUS:
100% up to $1,000
★★★★
4.4 / 5

BEST AZ ONLINE POKER SITE FOR CASINO GAMING

NETWORK:
CHICO
EXTRAS
CASINO, SPORTSBOOK
MORE INFO
READ REVIEW

BetOnline is a partner of SB Poker, meaning that the roster of poker games and promos is the same at both sites. BOL is the longer-running of the two organizations, however, and is especially renowned for its sportsbook and casino operations. You can bet not just on major sports, like NFL and MLB, but on a bunch of other events, like eSports matchups and political election results. The casino has not one but two Live Dealer areas as well as the normal array of slots and table games that you would expect.

BOL is fully compatible with PCs, Macs, and mobile systems. For poker, you can get a 100% up to $1,000 bonus, and there’s another $1,000 in sportsbook bonuses and $3,000 for casino games waiting for you.

VISIT BETONLINE NOW
4

BOVADA

BONUS:
100% up to $500
★★★★
4.2 / 5

BEST AZ ONLINE POKER SITE FOR SPORTS BETTING

NETWORK:
PAIWANGLUO
EXTRAS
CASINO, SPORTSBOOK
MORE INFO
READ REVIEW

Bovada is a member of the same poker network as Ignition, so its cardroom is basically the same. Yet, Bovada boasts a sportsbook, which Ignition lacks, and so Bovada may be the solution if you want a solid poker experience and like to bet on sports as well. The betting lineup includes football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, and more. There’s also a racebook that lists more than a hundred tracks around the world.

Bovada’s poker room, sportsbook, and casino are accessible from Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. The poker bonus is 100% up to $500, and there’s another $750 available for sports and $3,750 in casino bonus funds.

VISIT BOVADA NOW
5

ACR POKER

BONUS:
100% up to $2,000
★★★★
4.1 / 5

BEST AZ ONLINE POKER SITE FOR TOURNAMENT POKER

NETWORK:
WINNING
EXTRAS
$10 FREE
MORE INFO
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ACR Poker is the place to go if you’re a fan of massive tournaments because it hosts the largest weekly MTT available to Arizonans: a $215-buyin affair that guarantees $1 million. There are also recurring VENOM events, which guarantee $5+ million, and the Online Super Series, which consists of more than a hundred tourneys. Of course, you also have a full complement of SNGs, lottery-style Jackpots, fast-fold poker, and standard ring games (NLHE, PLO, PLO/8, LHE, LO8, 7CS).

Windows and Mac users can look forward to the full desktop ACR client while mobile customers are able to partake of a limited gaming roster. Use our exclusive ACR bonus code PRB10FREE to get $10 for free, and then claim 100% up to $2,000 on your first deposit.

VISIT ACR POKER NOW
6

COIN POKER

BONUS:
100% up to $700
★★★★
4.0 / 5

BEST AZ CRYPTO-ONLY ONLINE POKER SITE

NETWORK:
STANDALONE
EXTRAS
33% RAKEBACK
MORE INFO
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Coin Poker is a crypto-only poker site that uses USDT to denominate its games although you can deposit in BTC, ETH, and several other coins too. Of all crypto-focused online poker sites, Coin is the biggest. Among the unusual poker formats found here are 5 Card PLO and Open Face Chinese. CoinPoker takes pride in its low rake and its provably fair shuffling algorithm. Weekly leaderboards and 33% rakeback deliver recurring value to players.

CoinPoker has poker clients for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. You can benefit from three distinct bonuses when you sign up at CoinPoker including a 100% bonus of up to $100, a 100% bonus of up to $300, and a 100% bonus worth up to $700. You'll be able to choose and redeem the bonuses in any order that you'd like. The minimum deposit amount is $20 for all three bonuses.

VISIT COIN POKER NOW
7

EVERYGAME

BONUS:
200% up to $1,000
★★★
3.8 / 5

BEST AZ ONLINE POKER SITE FOR REWARDS

NETWORK:
HORIZON
EXTRAS
CASINOS, SPORTSBOOK
MORE INFO
READ REVIEW

Everygame has only enough traffic to support about a dozen low-stakes Hold’em and Omaha tables at a time. The benefit to playing here lies in the incredible promotional value available. You can get 36% rakeback, payouts from weekly rake races, no deposit bonuses earned through the Gold Chips loyalty program, reload bonuses every couple of months, and more.

The Everygame Poker installer works only on Windows, but a web-based Instant Play client lets you access the poker room from any device with a modern web browser. New players get a 200% up to $1,000 welcome bonus and 25 free slot spins.

VISIT EVERYGAME NOW
8

SWCPOKER

BONUS:
NONE
★★★
3.6 / 5

BEST AZ ONLINE SITE FOR DIFFERENT POKER VARIANTS

NETWORK:
STANDALONE
EXTRAS
FREEROLLS
MORE INFO
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SwCPoker is a BTC (Bitcoin) and BCH (Bitcoin Cash) poker room that distinguishes itself by the sheer number of poker variants supported, including commonplace formats like NL Hold’em and PL Omaha but also more niche games, such as Razz, Courchevel, 2-7 Triple Draw Low, and Mixed Games. There are even zero-rake micro-stakes tables to help you get started.

SwC is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. There’s no initial deposit bonus, but you can obtain up to 50% rakeback depending on your lifetime volume of play.

VISIT SWCPOKER
9

NITROBETTING

BONUS:
100% up to 25mBTC
★★★
3.3 / 5

BEST AZ ONLINE POKER SITE FOR LOYALTY FREEROLLS

NETWORK:
STANDALONE
EXTRAS
CASINO, SPORTSBOOK
MORE INFO
READ REVIEW

Nitrobetting's Bitcoin-only cashier delivers wonderfully fast payouts, sometimes in less than an hour. The games spread are NL Texas Hold’em, PLO, Crazy Hold’em, and Six Plus Hold’em. Play enough volume to qualify for the daily and weekly freerolls.

Nitrobetting’s web-based software leads to widespread compatibility with almost all computing hardware in popular use today. Nitrobetting offers a 100% first deposit poker bonus worth up to 25mBTC and you can receive mBTC credits through the Nitro points system as you play.

VISIT NITROBETTING NOW
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ALTERNATIVE POKER SITES

How to Choose the Best Arizona Poker Site for Your Style of Play

When attempting to determine which poker site is right for you, you'll have to think hard about the formats of poker you most enjoy, the types of promos that appeal to you, the size of your bankroll, and other similar factors. Each of the rooms showcased above scores differently along these metrics, and so we can't say definitively that any of them is head-and-shoulders above any other. We can give you examples of some of the elements to ponder as you mull over your decision.

⚫ If you're looking forward to a humongous welcome bonus, then ACR Poker boasts a 100% up to $2,000 bonus.


⚫ If you're most interested in the size of a room, then Ignition, Bovada, and ACR Poker are the two with the most well-populated lobbies.


⚫ If you're looking for an all-in-one gambling shop, then SB Poker, BetOnline, Bovada, and Everygame have poker, casino, sports, and more.


⚫ If you wish to play in large tournaments, then ACR Poker, Ignition, or Bovada would fit the bill.


⚫ If you're in the market for a stellar rakeback special, then Everygame offers 36% and CoinPoker offers 33% for players who hold CHP.


⚫ If you feel you deserve long-term rewards, then ACR Poker's Elite Benefits and Everygame's Loyalty Levels are just what you seek.


⚫ If you want to sample fast-fold poker, then ACR's Blitz, Ignition and Bovada's Zone, and BetOnline and SB.ag's Boost will let you do so.

How Do I Receive Withdrawals and Payouts in Arizona?

Brown Bag With Dollar Sign

At the end of the day, payouts are what it's all about because no amount of winnings is enough if you can't easily access them. Fortunately, all of the sites we've highlighted are committed to sending you your profits via check, and some of them are willing to transact via other methods as well, like bank wires and money transfer services. Overall, we feel that the best payment processor to use is the Bitcoin network. This decentralized virtual currency eliminates much of the delay involved in waiting to get a check in your hands. If you're not exactly sure how Bitcoin works, then we've prepared a page that you can read about setting yourself up to use crypto-currency.

Alternatives to Registering Your Account in the State of Arizona

Arizona and Adjacent States

If you happen to have another address in a nearby state, be it your business location, summer home, second apartment, family home, etc, you may have other online poker options available. Here is a list of the states that border Arizona and Professional Rakeback's review of each of them: California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and Utah. If you have a residence in some other state, then it might be worthwhile to browse through our guide to online poker for U.S. citizens.

Many Arizonans have no clue when it comes to the solutions available for internet-based poker. Feel free to share this page with them to spread knowledge about the fine sites for online poker in Arizona.

Facts About Arizona Poker Industry

This section aims to provide factual information regarding the laws and legality surrounding online poker and gambling within the State of Arizona, land-based gambling information, current and potential future state regulations, and the history of poker and gambling across the state.

The Legality of Playing Online Poker in Arizona

Law Book

When trying to gauge the legality or illegality of online poker in Arizona, we must turn to the Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 13, Criminal Code, because this is where all the legal language explaining what's considered a crime is contained. The part that tackles gambling is Chapter 33, Gambling. Looking at the definitions listed in 13-3301, we see:

4. “Gambling” or “gamble” means one act of risking or giving something of value for the opportunity to obtain a benefit from a game or contest of chance or skill or a future contingent event but does not include bona fide business transactions which are valid under the law of contracts including contracts for the purchase or sale at a future date of securities or commodities, contracts of indemnity or guarantee and life, health or accident insurance.

Because this definition includes “game or contest of chance or skill,” the whole argument about whether or not poker depends more on luck or skill is irrelevant. It's either one or the other, or some combination of the two, and both categories of games are considered gambling as long as there's “something of value” at stake. Poker is almost assuredly considered gambling under AZ law.

Looking at the specific crimes that are on the books regarding gambling and that might be applied to poker is challenging. There's no one offense called simply gambling. Perhaps “betting and wagering” would include the game. The text explaining this crime is in 13-3305 and is as follows:

A. Subject to the exceptions contained in section 5-112, no person may engage for a fee, property, salary or reward in the business of accepting, recording or registering any bet, purported bet, wager or purported wager or engage for a fee, property, salary or reward in the business of selling wagering pools or purported wagering pools with respect to the result or purported result of any race, sporting event, contest or other game of skill or chance or any other unknown or contingent future event or occurrence whatsoever.
B. A person shall not directly or indirectly knowingly accept for a fee, property, salary or reward anything of value from another to be transmitted or delivered for wagering or betting on the results of a race, sporting event, contest or other game of skill or chance or any other unknown or contingent future event or occurrence whatsoever conducted within or without this state or anything of value as reimbursement for the prior making of such a wager or bet on behalf of another person.

Reading this passage, it's clear that it's only relevant to those either accepting bets as a business or transmitting wagers for others as a business. Another statute that could be applicable is 13-3304:

Benefiting from gambling; classification
A. Except for amusement or regulated gambling, a person commits benefiting from gambling if he knowingly obtains any benefit from gambling.
B. Benefiting from social gambling as a player is not unlawful under this section.
C. Benefiting from gambling is a class 1 misdemeanor.

The key part is A. It's difficult to know for sure what “knowingly obtains any benefit” means. In the definitions section of Title 13 as a whole, 13-105, we learn:

3. “Benefit” means anything of value or advantage, present or prospective.

It's not clear if the winnings a player receives during a game count as a benefit. Part B of 13-3304 indicates that someone who benefits as a player from social gambling is not guilty of benefiting from gambling, but this implies, while not stating it outright, that it's possible to benefit as a player in non-social games.

We searched across the internet to find out if we could uncover any cases of people being charged for benefitting from gambling. We did in fact turn up several instances. In every one of them, it was employees of illicit gambling establishments who were charged, which tends to support the view that this clause was designed to go after those who received additional advantages from gambling beyond just personal winnings as a regular player. No individual has ever been charged with a crime for playing online poker on his or her computer in Arizona. Indeed, no one within the state's borders has faced charges as a player in any gambling game even offline.

Other offenses that gambling operators may be committing in the state are promotion of gambling, possession of a gambling device, and possession of gambling records. Most of these crimes are misdemeanors, but a few are felonies. These provisions haven't been sufficient to deter many, if any, offshore gaming sites from accepting Arizonans as customers. All the U.S.-facing poker companies gladly serve the state.

We've mentioned in passing that social gaming is allowed by the state. The full stipulations as to what a social game is are spelled out in the definitions section of Chapter 33:

7. "Social gambling" means gambling that is not conducted as a business and that involves players who compete on equal terms with each other in a gamble if all of the following apply:
(a) No player receives, or becomes entitled to receive, any benefit, directly or indirectly, other than the player's winnings from the gamble.
(b) No other person receives or becomes entitled to receive any benefit, directly or indirectly, from the gambling activity, including benefits of proprietorship, management or unequal advantage or odds in a series of gambles.
(c) Until June 1, 2003, none of the players is below the age of majority. Beginning on June 1, 2003, none of the players is under twenty-one years of age.
(d) Players "compete on equal terms with each other in a gamble" when no player enjoys an advantage over any other player in the gamble under the conditions or rules of the game or contest.

Home games are OK as long as all players are 21 or older, no rake or profit is involved, and the game is fairly run. Other types of games are excluded from falling under the terms of Chapter 33, including regulated raffles and bingo for nonprofits, tribal gaming, the state lottery, and pari-mutuel race wagering.

Land Based Gambling

Within the Grand Canyon State, you'll find a state lottery, charitable bingo and raffles, and pari-mutuel horse race wagering. Betting on greyhound races was formerly widespread, but this type of competition was outlawed in 2016. There are no commercial casinos, but there are about two dozen tribal casinos run by 16 different tribes. Five other sovereign Indian states have the right to open up casinos in Arizona, but they haven't yet exercised this option.

Logo of Talking Stick Casino

There are eight cardrooms in these casinos, and most of them are pretty modestly sized. A limit of $500 used to be enforced on the size of any one poker bet, and so the state didn't offer true No Limit Texas Hold'em poker. However, this restriction was removed in 2021, which means that NL games can now join the spread-limit tables that were formerly popular.

The largest room for poker is at the Talking Stick Resort and Casino in Scottsdale. 47 tables provide Hold'em, Stud, and Omaha cash games in Fixed Limit and No Limit formats. One or two low-stakes tournaments are held every day during the week, and there are special tourneys on weekends with varying details.

Regulated online poker would throw the system for a bit of a loop as there's a lack of traditional casino powers currently operating in the state. As we mentioned though, this state is likely further away from internet poker licensing than most others, so there isn’t a need to speculate too much on what would happen until some positive movement is seen in the government first.

State Regulation

Blue Regulations Image

Arizona seems an unlikely stage for the enactment of a legalized online poker economy because there have been no efforts to regulate the game at the state level. The authorities have an unfavorable view of gambling in general, and the prevalent tribal casinos that now dot the state map were vigorously opposed when they first opened.

Even at the federal level, Arizona lawmakers have been against internet poker, like Jon Kyl, a senator who co-sponsored the anti-online gambling UIGEA in 2006. We must also consider that the native groups within Arizona, who now manage offline gaming enterprises, will have a large say in any attempts to introduce new types of legal internet wagering to the state. There's currently “poison pill” language in the tribal compacts saying that no new forms of gambling can be permitted without breaking the compacts and thereby severely cutting down on the revenue the tribes share with the state.

Given the current cultural and political obstacles present in AZ, we expect it to be a while before it decides to authorize legalized internet poker. The legalization of sports betting, including online wagering, in 2019 does offer a ray of sunshine in that it indicates that state leaders are not necessarily opposed to internet gambling.

History of Gambling in Arizona

Old Compass

Throughout Arizona's time within the Spanish Empire and Mexico, it was a thinly populated desert expanse without much going on. This situation continued after the area was transferred to the United States following the Mexican-American War in 1848. It did see some economic activity in the late 1840s catering to prospectors headed to California to participate in the gold rush occurring in this latter state, but it was only in the late 1850s and early 1860s that Arizona's own mineral wealth began to be exploited in any meaningful way. There was some gold found, but the major deposits were of silver and copper. With the electrification of the United States in the late 19th century, demand for copper rose with the need for wires to transmit this form of power.

Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, AZ, 1891

New towns grew up to serve the demands of the miners, one of which was Tombstone, founded in 1877. The Oriental Saloon opened the following year, boasting an upscale environment, including carpeting and live piano music, where gamers could enjoy faro, poker, and craps. It so outclassed all other gambling venues in town that competitors got angry and hired local toughs to intimidate the customers into leaving. However, the proprietor of the saloon countered by bringing in the celebrated Wyatt Earp, Luke Short, Bartholemew William Barclay “Bat” Masterson, and John Henry “Doc” Holliday, so this attempt at intimidation failed. It was Earp and Holliday who would eventually take part in one of the most famous incidents in Tombstone history just a year later: the Showdown at the O.K. Corral.

President Taft Signing Arizona Statehood Bill
President Taft Signing the AZ Statehood Bill, 1912

The good times were short-lived in Tombstone and the rest of Arizona because the territory decided to clean up its act in preparation for statehood. In 1907 the legislature prohibited gambling, and Arizona entered the Union as the 48th state in 1912. In 1915, the state even banned alcohol before most of the rest of the country did. Unlike in many parts of the country, the underground speakeasy and gambling scene in the Copper State was pretty small, and it wasn't host to large criminal gangs. Perhaps the closeness of Mexico and the legal liquor on offer there gave Arizonans a way to slake their thirst with a quick jaunt across the border, depressing the demand for homegrown booze.

In 1949, pari-mutuel wagering was legally instituted with the establishment of the Arizona Racing Commission. Betting on horse and greyhound races commenced although only horse race betting is currently offered because greyhound racing was banned by the state in 2016. In 1980, the Arizona Lottery was created.

Several tribes opened up native gaming casinos in the late '80s, but there was plenty of legal wrangling before the state started signing compacts with them in 1992. The existing tribal casinos, which were operating with uncertain legal status, were now able to conduct their games without fear.

In the late '90s, some of the tribes began offering poker, despite the fact that the game was not mentioned in their compacts, using the reasoning that as a player-banked game, poker did not necessitate any compact to be legal. State leaders disagreed with this reasoning, but nevertheless, when the compacts were renegotiated in 2003, poker was explicitly mentioned.

Poker in Arizona was initially subject to strict betting limits, but they have been weakened over time. The latest gaming compacts, from 2021, removed the then-existing restriction of no bet or raise being larger than $500. Now, true NL poker games can be run without any legal issues.

In 2019, a new form of betting was legalized when HB2772 became law. This bill provides for the licensure of both brick-and-mortar and online sportsbooks. The first sport betting facilities duly opened their doors in September 2021. Below, you will find a timeline outlining the major historical events related to gambling throughout the state of Arizona.

Arizona Gambling Timeline

Famous Poker Players From Arizona

Yellow Star

Arizona is not really known as a hotbed of talent in poker circles, but it has nevertheless produced a decent crop of skilled professionals. Perhaps the most successful of them is David “ODB” Baker who was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1972 but now resides in Sahuarita, Arizona.

David “ODB” Baker
David “ODB” Baker

Baker first took up poker while attending Auburn where he obtained a degree in finance. During the '90s he frequented New Orleans casinos, playing Pot Limit Omaha, before heading over to the underground Houston poker scene.

Opting to go pro in 2004, David cashed in his first World Series of Poker event that same year. He followed this up with 24 cashes in the years 2006 – 2011 before capturing his first bracelet in the 2012 $2,500 Eight Game Mix tournament where he won $271,312. He obtained his second piece of gold hardware in the 2019 $1,500 LHE event, which was good for $161,139.

Other big cashes for David Baker include a victory in the 2019 $10,000 NLHE WPT Championship Main Event, which paid him $1,015,000, a third place finish in the $50,000 WSOP Players Championship, good for $514,926, and a 17th place result in the 2010 WSOP Main Event, for which he received $396,967.

In total, David “ODB” Baker has collected $6,046,597 in live poker tournament winnings, including more than 100 cashes in WSOP events. Confusingly, there's another David Baker who has been active in the WSOP roughly contemporaneously with “ODB” Baker, but this other Baker goes by the nickname “Bakes” and is 14 years younger.

Jim Bechtel
1993 WSOP Main Event Winner Jim Bechtel

Going back in time to the “old-school” poker players, we encounter Arizonan Jim Bechtel who lives in Gilbert, Arizona. Born in 1952, he was a cotton farmer at the time he began playing poker recreationally.

The first record we have of him in a major poker tourney is from the 10th installment of the WSOP in 1979 where Jim placed 2nd behind Perry Green in a $1,500 NL Hold'em event, collecting a prize of $38,250. He continued playing throughout the '80s, picking up the odd cash here and there.

It wasn't until 1993 that Bechtel cemented his place in poker history by defeating runner-up Glenn Cozen in the WSOP Main Event. For his efforts, Jim Bechtel was rewarded with a gold bracelet and an even $1 million in prize cash. It wasn't until 2019 that he scored his second bracelet and a $253,817 payday in the $10,000 NL 2-7 Lowball Draw tournament.

Jim Bechtel now has 26 WSOP cashes to his credit. Including his wins in other non-WSOP events, Bechtel's total offline tournament winnings now stand at more than $2.8 million.

Other Types of Online Gambling in Arizona

Although poker has been the primary focus of this article, there are plenty of other opportunities to gamble online in the state of Arizona. Our team of gambling experts has combed through all of the available casino and sportsbook operators and compiled a list of the most trustworthy and reliable options. Below, you will find our top recommendations for online casinos and sportsbooks.

Online Casinos

Arizona boasts a bustling tribal casino scene, but there are still reasons why you might prefer playing casino games online. By logging on at home on your computer, you avoid having to get dressed, leave your house, drive, find parking, and put up with all the hassles of frequenting a brick-and-mortar casino.

We've done the hard work of weeding out unscrupulous operators and have identified three reliable websites so that you can play at a most trustworthy online casino.

1. Cafe Casino - 350% up to $5,000 PRB-Exclusive Bonus
2. Wild Casino - Up to $9K in Welcome Bonuses + Many Reloads
3. Ignition Casino - 150% up to $1,500 BTC Bonus

You have other choices when it comes to virtual casino gaming, and you can read up on them with this page about the most trusted online casinos for US players.

Online Sportsbooks

Licensed sports betting has become a reality in Arizona, but you will likely find a wider selection of games to bet upon as well as superior promotions at an offshore platform.

Rather than just picking a bookie at random, you can count on one of the three sites below, which we believe are the best internet bookmakers serving the state.

1. Bovada Sports - Bitcoin Bonus of up to $750
2. Sportsbetting.ag - 100% up to $1,000 Bitcoin Bonus + Unlimited Reload Bonuses
3. Everygame Sports - Get up to $250 on Your First Three Deposits

These are only a few of the highly rated sportsbooks that serve residents of the United States. To learn about more of them, browse over to this rundown on the top sportsbooks online for USA bettors.

Summary of Online Poker in Arizona

Playing online poker in Arizona is a hobby that you can participate in legally and without any worry. The Arizona online poker sites that we endorse are all reputable, well-run organizations that won't subject your money to any unnecessary risks. Just choose the one that you find most attractive, and begin playing cards over the internet right away!

Frequently Asked Questions

There are a lot of aspects to Arizona online poker, and so it's perfectly understandable if you have a few questions about it. Check out the FAQ below for answers to some of the most common queries about this topic.

It’s perfectly legal to partake in online poker in the State of Arizona. The various anti-gambling statutes that exist in the state are only used to go after those who own and manage illegal games, but they are never employed to prosecute mere players.

At the federal level, none of the laws in effect target individual players either. Since neither state nor federal legal codes contain any language directed against players, we can confidently conclude that enjoying online poker in Arizona is legal.

No. There is only a handful of states that have made online poker legal and have regulated it. Arizona is not on this shortlist, and so none of the organizations that deal out virtual poker hands have the approval of state leaders in Phoenix.

Not only has online poker legislation never been passed into law in The Grand Canyon State, but no such law has ever been seriously proposed. It’s widely believed that the numerous Arizona tribal gaming interests would be opposed to any licensing and regulation of internet poker.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of offshore cardrooms that are open to Arizonans. The more reputable of them, listed in our review above, pay quickly, provide honest games, and have enough traffic so that you’ll always find a game to jump into.

Global Poker claims that it can do business legally in Arizona because of the way sweepstakes law works. We aren't exactly convinced by this line of reasoning. There isn't space to go into the whys and wherefores here, but you can check out our review of Global Poker for further information.

Yes, PokerStars is ready to accept Arizonan customers, but only at the play money tables. It’s impossible to play for real money if you’re an Arizona resident.

PokerStars used to offer poker for real money in Arizona, but this ended in 2011 as a result of the Black Friday crackdown. Nowadays, the firm only delivers poker games using actual money in states for which it has applied for and obtained the proper licenses to do so. Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey are the only states where this applies, and so PokerStars doesn’t let its Arizona customers compete for actual cash winnings.

Yes, Bovada is a sensible choice for Arizona internet poker games. Not only that, but it also has a well-reputed sportsbook and casino attached also.

For a brief period of less than a year, from late 2016 to 2017, Bovada closed its poker room, but then it returned in full force. Now you can participate in these three types of gaming at Bovada without any issues from Arizona.

Yes, BetOnline is happy to accept you as a customer if you reside in Arizona. And you’re in no legal danger by signing up at BoL and playing some cards.

Gambling in Arizona is permitted to those who are at least 21 years old. The only exception is for bingo and certain other charitable gaming, for which participants need only be 18 years old.

When it comes to online gaming, this latter guideline is in effect. That is, you're able to open an account and begin to play poker or engage in other types of betting as long as you're 18 or older.

If you are underage, it would be irresponsible to attempt to play internet poker. When the time comes to verify your identity, you will likely encounter difficulties that will make it impossible for you to receive your winnings.

No, you almost certainly should not attempt to start your own underground AZ gambling den. Doing so would put you afoul of various state laws. While these nebulous statutes are, in practice, never used to target individual players, it's a different story for those who actually manage and run unlicensed betting operations.

Just look at what happened in 2008 when an illegal internet betting organization was busted, leading to the arrest of 35 Arizonans. Unless you wish to find yourself similarly in the crosshairs of law enforcement, we counsel you to keep away from this type of criminal activity.

Yes, all the sites in our recommended list make it easy to conduct transactions. About a decade ago, we could not have sincerely answered this question in the affirmative because credit cards are sometimes declined, and options like bank wires and money transfer services exact heavy fees for the privilege of using their services.

However, the rise of crypto-currency has enabled a convenient, low-fee, and speedy way to fund internet poker accounts and redeem the winnings therefrom. Virtually every online poker site supports Bitcoin, and many of them also do business with a variety of “altcoins,” like Bitcoin Cash and Ethereum too.

Yes, poker home games are allowed under Arizona law. The section of AZ law that deals with gambling explicitly states, “The following conduct is not unlawful under this chapter: 2. Social gambling.” The definitions pertaining to this part of the law stipulate that no one can receive any benefit from the game other than their winnings as an individual player, the players must “compete on equal terms with each other,” and no participant can be below the age of 21.

As long as your private game satisfies these conditions, you're in the clear legally.

Arizona Hold'em is a casino table game that has some resemblance to Texas Hold'em, but all players compete against the casino rather than against each other. This game is spread at casinos in South Africa, like the Emperors Palace Casino in Johannesburg. Up to seven players can be seated at an Arizona Hold'em table.

The action begins with all participants placing an ante bet. Then the dealer gives each player one card facedown and deals one to himself also facedown. This process repeats so that all players and the dealer have two facedown cards. Finally, a third facedown card is dealt to every player but not the dealer.

After looking at their three cards, each player can opt to place an additional bet equal in size to the ante bet. All players' hands remain live whether or not they elect to place another bet.

Then the dealer reveals his first card, which acts as a community card that every player uses to make his or her final poker hand. After seeing the first community card, players can opt to make a second bet equal in size to the ante although it's by no means required that they do so to stay in the hand.

At this point, each player will have one, two, or three live bets in front of them. It's now time for the final community card to be revealed.

The dealer reveals each player's cards in turn, evaluating them in combination with the community cards and paying out on that person's live bets as long as they make a pair of Tens or better. The payouts increase the better a hand is:

  • Royal Flush: 250 – 1
  • Straight Flush: 50 – 1
  • Four of a Kind: 25 – 1
  • Full House: 12 – 1
  • Flush: 10 – 1
  • Straight: 8 – 1
  • Three of a Kind: 3 – 1
  • Two Pairs: 2 – 1
  • Pair of Tens or Better: 1 – 1

The bets of those players without at least a pair of tens are forfeit. Then the next hand begins.

Phoenix Burn, also called three-card burn, is a variant of poker that's similar in some ways to guts poker. It features three card hands, rather than the normal five cards in most forms of poker, and straights and flushes don't exist in Phoenix Burn's hand rankings. Thus, the hand strengths, from best to worst, are: Three of a kind, Pair, High Card.

Phoenix Burn is best played with between three and seven participants.

Each player receives two down cards and one up card, but they can decide which of the three cards they want to be dealt up by so informing the dealer before that card is dealt. If an individual already has two down cards, then their final card must be dealt faceup. The pot is also dealt a hand, but all three of the pot's cards are dealt facedown.

Participants can look at all their cards before determining their action. The player showing the highest card is “burned” and forced to continue. Other players, starting to the left of the burned player, can choose to be in or out.

All players who have not opted out reveal their hands. The highest hand wins the pot. The losers (those who were “in” but lost) have to each contribute an amount equal to the pot or a predetermined limit to create a new pot. If the pot's hand is the winner, then everyone who was “in” must add in an amount equal to the pot size (or the predetermined limit).


We strive to maintain this information and update it frequently with our research. However, we are not immune to making mistakes or omitting information that you, dear reader, may find of use. If you have any further questions not addressed in this guide or have noted any discrepancies or inaccuracies we urge you to contact us with your questions and concerns so that we may swiftly address them!