Kansas Online Poker is Booming in 2023 | Play Safely @ These Sites!

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

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

Players might have to wait awhile to get regulated online poker in Kansas or at least until the current financial situation in the state gets so bad that it needs a new revenue source. Thankfully, players don’t have to sit around waiting for that moment to pass sans poker because off-shore sites offer games to those who make the state of Kansas their home.

Legally, there has never been a prosecution in the state directed at any individual for playing poker online. Federal laws don't target ordinary players either; they're all concerned with penalizing the companies that offer the games and the financial institutions that process transactions. Therefore, you have no fear of legal worry if you wish to log on and enjoy a game of poker on your computer.

Below are a list of all the great sites that offer Kansas online poker and the lucrative promotions that they're ready to provide you with!

Kansas online poker sites vary wildly in quality from the upstanding and ethical to the shady and unprincipled. We've evaluated all of them across numerous criteria to identify the ones that we think deserve your consideration. When you join any one of the below sites, you'll get to look forward to honest dealing procedures, functional software, and the timely payment of your withdrawal requests. Acquaint yourself with your options by studying what we have to say about each poker operator.

1

IGNITION

BONUS:

150% up to $1,500

★★★★★

4.7 / 5

BEST KS ONLINE POKER SITE FOR HIGHEST TRAFFIC

NETWORK:

PAIWANGLUO

EXTRAS

CASINO

MORE INFO

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For those in search of the poker site for Kansas with the greatest number of games running simultaneously, Ignition is the answer. You can sample cash tables in NLHE, PLO, PLO/8, and LHE formats as well as Zone fast-fold poker, standard sit n' gos, lottery-style Jackpot Sit & Go, and multi-table tournaments. Ignition maintains an anonymized tables system wherein nobody's screenname is visible to anyone else, which helps protect new players from being targeted by sophisticated sharks.

Ignition's poker software is compatible with PCs and Macs. In addition, there's a web client that caters to users of cell phones and tablets. Upon making your first deposit with Bitcoin, you'll qualify for a 150% up to $1,500 poker bonus along with a similar bonus for casino games.

VISIT IGNITION POKER NOW

2

SB POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000

★★★★★

4.5 / 5

BEST KS ONLINE POKER SITE FOR JACKPOT PRIZES

NETWORK:

CHICO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

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At SB Poker, you can enjoy NL Texas Hold'em, PL Omaha, PL Omaha/8, Six Plus Hold'em, and fast-fold Boost Poker. Additionally, there are lottery-style Windfall games, SNGs, and tournaments to participate in. Unlike many other poker rooms still open to Americans, this one actually has two Bad Beat Jackpots that you can win if you lose at showdown with a big hand. Weekly leaderboards provide another way to score some extra cash here.

The SB Poker cardroom works with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Upon making your initial deposit, you'll be able to redeem a 100% bonus up to a max of $1,000.

VISIT SB POKER NOW

3

BETONLINE

BONUS:

100% up to $1,000

★★★★★

4.4 / 5

BEST KS POKER SITE FOR MOBILE GAMES

NETWORK:

CHICO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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BetOnline is a partner of SB Poker, and all the poker games are therefore identical. BoL has been in business longer, though, and so you might trust it a little bit better. BetOnline is especially respected for the quality of its mobile poker software, which works on both iOS and Android. You can access the entire range of games offered from a smartphone or tablet, and multi-tabling is supported.

If you would rather play on a computer, this is of course possible. Download installers exist for both Windows and Mac OS. All new poker players are eligible for a 100% up to $1,000 bonus.

VISIT BETONLINE NOW

4

BOVADA

BONUS:

100% up to $500

★★★★★

4.2 / 5

BEST KS ONLINE POKER SITE FOR SPORTS BETTING

NETWORK:

PAIWANGLUO

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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Bovada's on the same network as Ignition, so its tables and games are the same. Bovada does, however, offer sports betting, which Ignition doesn't. You can bet on baseball, football, basketball, and many other types of contests, including eSports matches and political elections. Moreover, there's a racebook listing hundreds of racetracks, and you can place your straight and exotic wagers at full track odds.

Bovada has developed software for both PC and Mac as well as a web platform that's compatible with Android and iOS. Poker fans get to claim a 100% up to $500 bonus, and there's up to $750 in bonus funds waiting in the sportsbook and $3,750 in the casino.

VISIT BOVADA NOW

5

ACR POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $2,000

★★★★★

4.1 / 5

BEST KS ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BIG TOURNEYS

NETWORK:

WINNING

EXTRAS

$10 FREE

MORE INFO

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ACR Poker has a full complement of ring games, including NLHE, PLO, PLO/8, LO8, LHE, and 7 Card Stud. But what really sets this site apart is massive tournaments, starting with a weekly Sunday MTT that guarantees $1 million in prizes. Then there's the VENOM, which takes place a couple of times per year with more than $5 million up for grabs. Recurring tournament series provide an additional means of competing for huge cash prizes.

Windows and Mac users can run the ACR poker software, and there's also a limited mobile client with just a few types of games included. Use PRB's exclusive bonus code PRB10FREE for a free $10 credit, then make your deposit to get a 100% up to $2,000 bonus.

VISIT ACR POKER NOW

6

COIN POKER

BONUS:

100% up to $700

★★★★★

4.0 / 5

BEST KS ONLINE POKER SITE FOR CRYPTO FANS

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

33% RAKEBACK

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CoinPoker makes it easy to deposit and withdraw through crypto-currency, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether. All games meanwhile are denominated in Tether (UDST), and you will find more of them running at the same time than at any other crypto-only poker room. Weekly leaderboards reward the top cash game and tournament players with free Tether credits.

The CoinPoker software runs on Macs, PCs, Androids, and iOS systems. There are three welcome bonuses here including a 100% bonus worth up to $700, and another two 100% bonuses worth up to $300 and $100 respectively. Frequent players that hold CHP, CoinPoker's crypto coin, can receive 33% rakeback every week.

VISIT COIN POKER NOW

7

EVERYGAME

BONUS:

200% up to $1,000

★★★★★

3.8 / 5

BEST KS ONLINE POKER SITE FOR PROMOS

NETWORK:

HORIZON

EXTRAS

CASINOS, SPORTSBOOK

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Everygame lacks the bustling traffic of some of the rooms on our recommended list; however, it makes up for this in other ways. When you sign up through our links, you'll be granted 36% rakeback for life plus the opportunity to pick up more cash in weekly rake races. Then there's the loyalty program, which delivers real money payouts when you achieve new tiers, reload bonuses every couple of months, tournament overlays, freerolls, and many other promotions.

Everygame Poker is meant to run on Windows machines, but there's a web-based interface that allows users of Macs, tablets, and phones to play. New depositors get a 200% up to $1,000 bonus along with 25 free slot spins.

VISIT EVERYGAME NOW

8

SWCPOKER

BONUS:

NONE

★★★★★

3.6 / 5

BEST KS ONLINE SITE FOR NICHE POKER VARIANTS

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

FREEROLLS

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SwCPoker, which is an offshoot of the original BTC poker room Seals With Clubs, is known for the number of poker variants it supports. Not only will you find Omaha and Hold'em games aplenty, but there are also tables of Stud, Razz, Open Face Chinese, Draw games, and Mixed Games. If you're not yet familiar with some of these variants, you can join freerolls for a no-cost learning experience.

SwC provides software for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. There's no first deposit bonus, but you can obtain up to 50% rakeback on your ongoing play through the Krill rewards system.

VISIT SWCPOKER

9

NITROBETTING

BONUS:

100% up to 25 mBTC

★★★★★

3.3 / 5

BEST KS ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BITCOIN USERS

NETWORK:

STANDALONE

EXTRAS

CASINO, SPORTSBOOK

MORE INFO

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Nitrobetting offers NL Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, PLO, Crazy Hold'em, and 6+ Hold'em at tables denominated in fractions of a bitcoin. There are a few sit n' gos and tournaments, but the majority of the action is concentrated in the cash games. Weekly freerolls reward regular grinders who put in enough volume.

The Nitrobetting client launches in users' web browsers, which means that it works on virtually every piece of modern computing hardware, including desktops, laptops, and smart devices. New depositors can redeem a 100% up to 25 mBTC poker deposit bonus.

VISIT NITROBETTING NOW

How to Choose the Right Kansas Poker Site

The sites that are available for online poker in Kansas each have their own strengths and drawbacks. As a result, we can't really say that any single one of them is the right place for you to play. You'll have to think about your own habits and preferences, in combination with the information we've provided, to come to a final answer as to where to open up an account. Though it's not our place to tell you where to play, we are ready to give you a list of factors to consider as you ponder your options.

Kansas Online Poker Payments and Withdrawals

There's no need to fear for the reliability of your cashouts when you deal with one of the sites we recommend. They're all ready to send you a check whenever you want. However, some of them also transact via other means too, like bank wires and debit cards.

Perhaps the best of these alternate methods is the crypto-currency Bitcoin, which all of them support. Bitcoin permits you to cut down on the fees involved with your withdrawal and speeds up the process significantly. If you're currently uncertain on how to use Bitcoin for online poker, then our guide to online gambling with BTC may be informative.

Alternatives to Creating Your Poker Account in Kansas

Perhaps you are lucky enough to have another address in a nearby state, be it your business address, summer home, second apartment, family home, etc. If so, then there may be other online poker options available to you. Here is a list of the states that border Kansas and Professional Rakeback's review on each of them: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. If there's some other state that's relevant to your circumstances or you wish to know more about internet poker throughout the U.S.A., then our page explaining the online poker in the United States landscape may be more to your liking.

Most people don't really know much about the subject of KS online poker. If you have any family members, friends, coworkers, or acquaintances who are avid pokerists, you might want to share this page with them and help relieve their ignorance about this arena for exciting poker action.

Facts About the Poker Industry in Kansas

This section serves to provide accurate information regarding the legality of online poker, live gambling options, current and future state regulation, and the history of poker and gambling throughout the state of Kansas.

Kansas Online Poker Laws

Although Kansas had a reputation as a wild frontier area in the 19th century, it has become more staid and traditional as the years marched on. This is reflected in its laws, which make almost every form of real money gaming illegal except for those specifically authorized by the state. The key provision of the Kansas Statutes that relates to gambling is found in Chapter 21 - Crimes and Punishments, Article 64 - Crimes Against the Public Morals, 21-6404 - Gambling:

(a) Gambling is:
(1) Making a bet; or
(2) entering or remaining in a gambling place with intent to make a bet, to participate in a lottery or to play a gambling device.
(b) Gambling is a class B nonperson misdemeanor.

In order to get more clarity on whether or not online poker is covered under this statute, we must turn to the definitions contained in 21-6403. It's here that we find out what the state considers a bet:

(a) “Bet” means a bargain in which the parties agree that, dependent upon chance, one stands to win or lose something of value specified in the agreement.

There follows a lengthy list of things that do not fall under the classification of a bet, including legitimate business transactions, contests of skill, and the various state-regulated types of gambling. The phrase “dependent upon chance” along with the carveout for contests of skill seems to leave open an avenue for poker to be classified as a non-gambling game. The State of Kansas applies the Dominant Factor Test, which attempts to discern whether chance or skill predominates in a given game to determine whether it counts as gambling. In 2013, the journal of the University of Chicago Law School published a paper from a team including noted economist Steven Levitt that concluded that poker easily contains enough skill to be deemed a non-gambling pursuit under the Dominant Factor Test.

However, the way this law has been actually interpreted in the Sunflower State, poker is viewed by the authorities as a game of chance. In the Three Kings Holdings case, a Kansas appellate court uphold a lower court's ruling that a variation of Texas Hold'em, called Kandu Challenge, was a form of non-legal gambling. This game actually had elements added to make it more of a game of skill than normal Hold'em, so we can conclude that regular poker is even more likely to be viewed as a luck-based endeavor in the eyes of the law. Now, this isn't an ironclad ruling, and other jurisdictions have decided in favor of poker being a game of skill, like federal judge Jack B. Weinstein did in 2012. There is therefore the possibility that Kansas judges will reverse this opinion in the future, but as of right now, they consider poker to be illegal under the law.

This doesn't address poker played specifically in the online arena at all, and so this is a bit of a gray area. In 1996, the attorney general of the state issued an opinion that the existing anti-gambling laws applied to internet gaming as well, but this theory has never been tested in court. In fact, nobody has ever been charged within Kansas for playing poker online. The odds of any laws being used to go after you, a private internet poker player, are virtually nil. So you don't have to worry about the penalties of the class B misdemeanor charge of gambling, which are up to six months in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,000.

Those who actually manage illicit gambling operations within the state might indeed be subject to these penalties. There are additional crimes that they could be found guilty of, including illegal bingo operation, commercial gambling, dealing in gambling devices, unlawful possession of a gambling device, and installing communication facilities for gamblers. These are a mixture of misdemeanors and felonies, and the toughest of these laws are felonies of severity level 8, the sentences for which are variable and depend upon a lot of factors encapsulated in a complex grid system. Fines can reach as high as $100,000, and the standard term of imprisonment is eight months although repeat offenders can see their prison time increase. Prosecutors don't have a history of going after offshore companies, though, mostly confining their efforts to organizations that have a physical presence in the state. The counsels retained by the leading internet poker sites have undoubtedly advised their clients that the possibility of their being found to be in violation of the Kansas gambling laws is slim indeed. All of the virtual poker rooms that accept Americans as customers also gladly welcome Kansans.

Land Based Gambling

Kansas has two types of casinos: tribal casinos and casinos owned by the Kansas Lottery. This latter class of gaming facilities is somewhat unusual in that they're owned by the state itself, but they offer basically the same games as regular, commercial casinos that you'll find across the country.

Unfortunately, only a few of them have poker rooms, and none of them are very large. The Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS, does have a dozen poker tables. They run games of NL Hold'em up to $5/$10, LHE up to $20/$40, and PLO up to $5/$5. Mixed games are also available. Tournaments are hosted almost every day. More venues for card games are located across the state line in Kansas City, Missouri.

The other possibilities for offline gambling are the state lottery, charitable bingo and raffles, and pari-mutuel wagering. Actually, this last form of betting can't really be enjoyed in Kansas because there are no racetracks currently operational inside the state, but it is still listed on the books as a legitimate form of legal gambling.

Interactive Poker Regulation Chances

The currently available legal gambling options in Kansas are of fairly recent vintage, so the state probably needs to build up some experience in this realm before feeling comfortable with licensed online poker regulations. On the other hand, the fact that many more options now exist for real money gambling than did several decades ago indicates that Kansans are becoming more comfortable with the idea.

The passage of daily fantasy sports legalization in 2015 and sports betting regulation in 2022 are good signs for any future internet gambling efforts. However, Kansas is one of the few states to have contemplated making online gaming specifically illegal with punishments for regular players. The 2013 bill ultimately failed to garner enough votes, but the motivations behind it are worrisome.

Taking all of this into account, we'd have to say that it will be a while before Kansas crafts a legalized framework for online poker, but it certainly wouldn't surprise us to see one appear some time down the line.

Gambling History of Kansas

Even before contact with Europeans, the tribes of Kansas engaged in gambling games. The Pawnee were devotees of the hand game, or stick game, which involved trying to guess the configuration of hidden bones. Each individual would place clothing, weapons, or other goods as his wager against the bet offered up by the corresponding member of the other team. While the game was sometimes played between residents of the same village, it was not uncommon for parties of men to trek over to neighboring communities and challenge their citizens to a game preceded by ceremonial pipe smoking.

The Chisholm Trail
From Texas to Kansas

Although there was some commerce through Kansas during the early 19th century via the Santa Fe and Oregon trails, it was only after the Civil War that the population started to boom. The spread of the railroad and the opening of the Chisholm Trail for cattle drives both increased Kansas' economic importance. Cowtowns like Abilene, Wichita, and Ellsworth soon appeared. Catering to transient cattle drivers and adventurers heading west, they shortly developed a reputation for vice and lawlessness.

Dodge City, 1878

The most famous (or infamous) of these towns was Dodge City. There was poker, faro, chuck-a-luck, and Spanish Monte to separate the recently paid cowboys from their cash not to mention alcohol and prostitution.

The Long Branch Saloon was the most elegant of these establishments with a five-piece orchestra providing music. The building itself was built as the result of a wager. Cowboys and soldiers had squared off against each other in a ball game with the proviso that if the soldiers lost, they would provide building materials for a saloon, and this is just what happened.

Through the doors of the Long Branch passed a veritable who's who of Wild West lore: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, and Luke Short (part-owner of the Long Branch) to name a few. Of course, the combination of guns, booze, and gambling led to quite a few violent disputes over the years, including a fatal gunfight in 1879.

Alas, once more respectable, civic-minded people moved in, it was only a matter of time before most of the saloons and gambling dens were closed beginning in the 1880s. In 1895, Kansas lawmakers made gambling, setting up a gambling table, and keeping a place for betting on cards illegal. A few years later, slot machines were explicitly prohibited. Lotteries had already been banned by the Kansas Constitution.

It took a long time thereafter until any form of real money gaming was allowed, but in 1974, bingo was permitted to charitable groups. In 1986, dog and horse racing was authorized but only for nonprofits. However, in the following year pari-mutuel betting became available on a wider basis, regulated by the Kansas Racing Commission. A few racing tracks soon opened up, but the last one closed its doors in 2008, and there are now no places for wagering on either horse or dog races within The Wheat State.

In 1987, the Kansas Lottery was created. Tribal compacts were signed beginning in 1995, and the first Indian gaming casino arrived the next year with the opening of the Golden Eagle Casino in Horton by the Kickapoo. In 2006, the Lottery Expansion Act passed, enabling the state lottery to own and run up to four casinos. The first of them was the Boot Hill Casino, which began operations in Dodge City in 2009.

Raffles were added to the list of allowed charitable games in 2014, and in 2015, a revision of the Kansas gambling laws made daily fantasy sports legal. In 2022, SB84 was passed making sports betting legal throughout the state of Kansas.

To illustrate the history of gambling and poker throughout the state of Kansas, we have compiled a historical timeline detailing every gambling-related event to take place across the state. The completed timeline can be found below.

Famous Poker Players From Kansas

Smack-dab in the middle of the country, Kansas lies far away from poker hotspots like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and there are only a few small poker rooms within the state itself. Nevertheless, several prominent poker players hail from The Wheat State. Probably the most notable of them is Brandon Steven from Wichita.

Born in 1973, Brandon actually did not take up poker seriously until 2003 at the age of 30. First making a major tournament cash in Las Vegas in 2006, he has since gone on to score a number of impressive results.

Wichita Entrepreneur and Poker Player Brandon Steven

Among them are a 10th place finish in the 2010 World Series Of Poker Main Event, a 7th place outcome in the 2013 $111,111 One Drop High Roller event, and a 1st place victory in the 2016 $50,000 Aria Super High Roller tournament. In 2022, Steven picked up his largest tournament prize to date – $2,820,581 for a second-place finish in the WSOP $250,000 NLHE Super High Roller. In total, Brandon Steven has collected more than $6 million in live tournament earnings, the highest of any player from Kansas.

Besides his success on the green felt, Brandon has also made his mark in the world of business. He owns a chain of used card dealerships, a couple of minor league hockey teams, and dozens of health clubs. In 2014, Forbes magazine estimated Brandon's net worth at $1.5 billion, making him the 654th richest individual in the world. It's clear that his poker winnings, though enviably high for most people, are just chump change for someone of his wealth.

Unfortunately, Brandon Steven's good name was marred by his role in a criminal gambling enterprise. In June 2019, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge relating to his role in organizing private poker games, which included transmitting payment information via text message. He was sentenced to three years of probation and 200 hours of community service in addition to forfeiting more than $1 million.

Other Kansas Gambling

Besides Kansas online poker, you have other wagering products to sample over the internet. They include sports betting and casino games, like Blackjack and Roulette. Many of the poker sites discussed above possess sports and casino divisions, and in addition, there are other companies that offer these services even if they lack a poker room.

Online Casinos

Close to a dozen casinos, both tribal and state-owned, dot the Kansas landscape, but you might have a better experience playing online. You won't have to leave the comfort of your home, and the range of bet sizes permitted is generally more liberal on the internet than at a live casino. There are no Kansas-licensed online casinos, but there are many of them that are based in foreign jurisdictions yet serve residents of The Sunflower State.

We have identified three excellent online casinos for Kansans that offer solid gaming and honest payouts.

1. Cafe Casino - Exclusive Bonus for BTC users: 350% up to $5,000

2. Wild Casino - $9,000 in Bitcoin Bonuses Over 5 Deposits

3. Ignition Casino - BTC Bonus: 150% up to $1,500 + Unlimited Reloads

There are other upstanding casinos for you to choose from, and you can learn more about them on this page devoted to trustworthy online casinos for the USA.

Online Sportsbooks

Sports betting legalization has passed in Kansas, but the first licensed sportsbooks have yet to appear. This means that if you want to wager on sporting events, you'll have to head online to do so.

In order to safeguard you from the depredations of unprincipled operators, we have investigated the offerings of the leading offshore sportsbooks and have presented three of them below that you can rely on.

1. Bovada Sports - 75% up to $750 Bonus (50% up to $250 for non-crypto deposits)

2. Sportsbetting.ag - 100% BTC Match Bonus up to $1,000

3. Everygame Sports - Up to $750 in Bonuses on 1st Three Deposits

There are other honest internet bookies that provide their services in Kansas and the rest of the United States, and you can read up on them in this page devoted to USA offshore sportsbooks.

BACK TO TOP

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!