Oklahoma Online Poker: legit sites and fast payouts OK by you?
Can I play online poker in Oklahoma? The answer is yes!
Is it legal to play online poker in Oklahoma? The answer to this is also yes!
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1.1. Ignition 1.2. SB Poker 1.3. BetOnline 1.4. Bovada 1.5. Americas Cardroom 1.6. CoinPoker 1.7. Everygame 1.8. SwCPoker1.9. Nitrobetting 1.10. Alternate Sites
3.1. Online Poker Laws 3.2. Land-Based Gambling 3.3. State Regulation 3.4. Gambling History 3.5. Famous Poker Players
There are those who are quite content with the myriad live poker options in Oklahoma, but some people are looking for more. Fortunately, online poker in Oklahoma is definitely available, and it's easy to get started without too much trouble. Oklahoma online poker has a different feel to it than the brick-and-mortar game, and so it's a worthy addition to your repertoire for when you just don't want to travel to a casino or when the weather outside is bad.
Lest you be under the impression that internet poker is illegal, we're here to reassure you that this isn't the case. Federal law doesn't penalize the pastime. A few people are under the mistaken impression that the Wire Act penalizes those who play the game for real money online, but it's clear that this law only targets the companies offering the games, not individual players. The UIGEA legislation, meanwhile, also does not affect ordinary customers of online gaming sites. At the state level, nobody has ever been charged with a crime for playing online poker.
Read on for everything you always wanted to know about playing online poker in the State of Oklahoma, including accurate information on the dependable sites waiting to serve you, payment processing speeds, OK poker laws, and the history of gambling in the state.
What Online Poker Sites Can I Play in Oklahoma?
You have quite a number of poker sites to sort through if you're in search of internet poker in Oklahoma. In order to help you out, we've gone through them all and identified those organizations that are honest and reliable. No matter which of the poker rooms below you opt to play at, you can look forward to fair card dealing procedures, error-free software, and the rapid payout of your winnings. Read what we have to say about these upstanding firms, and then open an account at the one that seems most enticing to you.
IGNITION
- BONUS:
- 150% up to $1,500
- ★★★★★
- 4.5 / 5
Anyone in Oklahoma who's thinking of playing some online poker would do well to put Ignition Poker on his or her shortlist as it boasts the highest traffic numbers and numerous popular poker formats. NLH cash games offer blinds going up to $10/$20, and other game types including LHE, PLO, and PLO/8 are also available. Sit-and-gos, lottery-style Jackpot SNGs, and plenty of tournaments are also present at Ignition. Ignition hosts a weekly tournament featuring a $150,000 prize pool. All poker play is anonymized to protect newer players from being targeted by professionals.
The Ignition Poker software is available to download on PC and Mac devices. Users of other hardware can access a web-based version of the software and enjoy poker on any computer, tablet, or mobile device. You can receive a 100% poker bonus worth up to $1,000 of your first deposit. Utilizing cryptocurrency for depositing will increase your bonus up to 150% up to a maximum of $1,500. Be sure to check out the attached casino as well for similar valuable promotions.
SB POKER
- BONUS:
- 100% up to $1,000
- ★★★★★
- 4.4 / 5
BEST OK ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BAD BEAT JACKPOT
- NETWORK:
- CHICO
- EXTRAS
- CASINO, SPORTSBOOK
- MORE INFO
- READ REVIEW
SB Poker is the third-largest site available to players in Oklahoma featuring blinds up to $5/$10 in NLH cash games. Other cash game formats on offer include PLO, PLO/8, and Limit Hold'em. SB Poker also hosts the largest Bad Beat Jackpot available to U.S. players, occasionally topping $1 million! SNGs, lotto-inspired Windfall SNGs, fast-fold Boost Poker, and multi-table tournaments are also on offer. Weekly leaderboards for both cash games and SNGs can also help in padding your bankroll.
SB Poker is available for download on any Windows or Mac system, and there is also an excellent mobile version available for both Android and iOS. You will receive a 100% poker bonus worth up to $1,000 upon making your first deposit. Be sure to explore the attached casino and sportsbook for additional promotional offers.
BETONLINE
- BONUS:
- 100% up to $1,000
- ★★★★★
- 4.3 / 5
BetOnline and SB Poker are sister sites as both share player pools as members of the Chico Poker Network. BetOnline is especially popular in the internet poker world due to its exceptional mobile software that offers the entire bevy of poker formats that are available on the desktop client. Like SB Poker, BetOnline also boasts an impressive array of casino gaming and a world-class sportsbook.
You can play poker at BOL on almost any modern system including Android, iOS, desktop, and tablet devices. Sign up today and you can get a poker welcome bonus equivalent to 100% of your initial deposit amount up to $1,000. Check out the casino and sportsbook to receive additional promotions.
BOVADA
- BONUS:
- 100% up to $500
- ★★★★★
- 4.2 / 5
BEST OK ONLINE POKER SITE FOR SPORTS & CASINO
- NETWORK:
- PAIWANGLUO
- EXTRAS
- CASINO, SPORTSBOOK
- MORE INFO
- READ REVIEW
As a sister site of Ignition, Bovada has the same high level of traffic and identical games as its partner. The reason why some may elect to play at Bovada instead is that it hosts a thorough sportsbook and racebook: an element that's not present at Ignition. Wagers are available on all major sports including NBA basketball, NFL football, NCAA athletics, MLB baseball, soccer, and much more. The racebook lists more than 100 tracks around the world, so you can access a wide variety of races and horses to bet on.
Bovada Poker is available for download on any Windows or Mac desktop. If you wish to utilize other hardware, you can easily access the full poker room using an instant-play version of the software which is compatible with almost any modern device, including Android and iOS. You will get a 100% poker bonus worth up to $500 upon making your first deposit and crypto depositors receive an even larger bonus. Check out the attached casino and sportsbook to access additional bonuses worth up to $3,000 and $250 respectively.
AMERICAS CARDROOM
- BONUS:
- 100% up to $2,000
- ★★★★★
- 4.1 / 5
Americas Cardroom is the second-largest site available to players in Oklahoma and it is a great choice if you intend to build a bankroll from zero as numerous freerolls, freebuys, and micro-stakes tournaments are available to get started. Higher-stakes players will be pleased as well as ACR offers some of the highest-stakes games running online. ACR also offers an impressive variety of multi-table tournaments across all buy-in levels. If you enjoy playing tournaments with regularity, ACR is the place to be.
Americas Cardroom is available for download on any Windows or Mac device. Users who wish to use other hardware can access a limited, web-based version of the software. Use our exclusive ACR bonus code PRB10FREE to enjoy a $10 no deposit bonus. You can also get 100% of your first deposit up to a maximum of $2,000.
COIN POKER
- BONUS:
- 100% up to $700
- ★★★★★
- 4.0 / 5
CoinPoker is the largest online crypto poker room in existence. Poker play at the tables here is denominated using Tether, but you can utilize a few additional cryptos for deposits and withdrawals, like BTC and ETH. There is a wide variety of poker formats available here including No Limit Hold'em, Open Face Chinese, Pot Limit Omaha, and 5 Card Omaha. You can also earn crypto through the weekly and monthly leaderboards on offer if you are willing to put in significant volume.
You can play at CoinPoker from a wide range of systems including desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. New players will receive bonuses on their first three deposits here including a 100% bonus worth up to $700, and another two 100% bonuses valued at $300 and $100 respectively. You can also earn 30% rakeback every week, if you're willing to invest in the unique CHP token.
EVERYGAME
- BONUS:
- 200% up to $1,000
- ★★★★★
- 3.9 / 5
Everygame doesn't feature the crowded lobbies of some of its larger competitors, but where it stands out is in its excellent promotional offerings. 36% rakeback is offered across the board and you can increase your bankroll even further with frequent reload bonuses, weekly rake races, overlay tournaments, and a robust VIP program for the highest-volume players.
Everygame Poker is available for download on any Windows PC. Users of other hardware can access an instant-play version of the poker suite which is compatible with any Mac, PC, tablet, Android, or iOS device. The poker bonus is equal to 200% of your first deposit up to $1,000 and you'll also get 25 free slot spins. Additional bonuses are available in the attached casinos and sportsbook.
SWCPOKER
- BONUS:
- NONE
- ★★★★★
- 3.6 / 5
SwCPoker is an offshoot of the BTC poker room known as Seals with Clubs. SwC is well-known for the wide range of poker variants offered. You can find Hold'em and Omaha games, as well as tables of Razz, Stud, Open Face Chinese, Mixed Games, and Draw Games. If you haven't yet experienced some of these poker formats, you can take advantage of numerous freerolls to learn and hopefully profit.
SwCPoker offers software that is widely compatible with a plethora of devices including PC, Mac, Android, and iOS systems. You won't get any bonus on your initial deposit, but you will be able to earn up to 50% ongoing rakeback.
NITROBETTING
- BONUS:
- 100% up to 25 mBTC
- ★★★★★
- 3.4 / 5
BEST OK ONLINE POKER SITE FOR BITCOIN USERS
- NETWORK:
- STANDALONE
- EXTRAS
- CASINO, SPORTSBOOK
- MORE INFO
- READ REVIEW
Nitrobetting is a BTC-only poker room online that offers an impressive variety of games like NL Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, PL Omaha, and Crazy Hold'em. Sit and gos and tournaments are also present, but most of the action is on the cash game tables. Regular freerolls also exist to benefit players who are willing to play significant volume.
The Nitrobetting poker software runs in any web browser, which results in widespread compatibility across laptops, tablets, desktops, and smartphones. You can get a poker bonus worth 100% of your first deposit up to a maximum of 25mBTC.
ALTERNATIVE POKER SITES
- BlackChip Poker – 100% up to $2,000 bonus – 27% Rakeback
- Juicy Stakes Poker – 200% up to $1,000 bonus – 36% Rakeback
- True Poker – 100% up to $2,000 bonus – 27% Rakeback
How to Choose the Best Oklahoma Poker Site For Your Style of Play
The choice of internet poker site to play at is one that doesn't have the same answer for each individual. This is because they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. You'll have to think hard about your own personal preferences and goals while making your decision. While we can't tell you specifically where to play, we can give you some advice about the factors you ought to consider before settling on a poker home.
▷ If the total number of simultaneous games active is your foremost concern, then Ignition, Bovada, and Americas Cardroom have the most tables running.
▷ If you wish to increase your haul with a profitable bonus, then Everygame's 200% up to $1,000 bonus is for you.
▷ If you're focused on long-term rewards, then consider the Elite Benefits program at Americas Cardroom, the Loyalty Levels at Everygame, or Nitrobetting's Nitro Rewards.
▷ If you want to hook yourself up with a high rakeback percentage, then Everygame's 36% or CoinPoker's 30% may suit your needs.
▷ If you're interested in playing from your mobile or Mac, then SB Poker, Ignition, BetOnline, CoinPoker, and Bovada are all fine choices.
▷ If you want to play casino games or place sports bets in addition to playing poker, then Bovada, SB Poker, Everygame, BetOnline, and Nitrobetting can accommodate you.
▷ If you seek the largest guaranteed MTTs, then Americas Cardroom, Ignition, and Bovada have the sizeable cash paydays that you're after.
How Do I Receive Withdrawals and Payouts?
When it's time to request a cashout of your winnings, you can do so via check from any of the places we've discussed above. Other methods may be present depending on your site, like money transfers and bank wires. However, we believe that the digital currency Bitcoin is the best payout processor to use. Other ways of moving money around online sometimes carry significant fees and involve delays, but BTC transactions tend to be very rapid and have low fees. If you don't really know much about Bitcoin but would like to learn about it, then take a look at our guide to using Bitcoin for online poker.
Alternatives to Registering Your Poker Account in Oklahoma
Perhaps you may be fortunate enough to have a secondary address in a nearby state, be it your office, vacation home, extra apartment, family house, etc. If this is the case, you may have other online poker options available to you. Here is a list of the states that border Oklahoma and Professional Rakeback's review of each of them: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Texas. If none of these particular states is relevant to your situation, then our page covering online poker in the United States as a whole may be more to your liking.
Some poker fans in Oklahoma are Ignorant of the internet poker scene, so you might want to enlighten them by sharing this page with your friends, family members, and coworkers whom you think would appreciate it.
Facts About the Oklahoma Poker Industry
The sections below will provide factual information detailing the legality of playing online poker, land-based gambling venues, state regulation, the history of gambling and poker, and famous poker players from the state of Oklahoma
The Legality of Playing Poker Online in Oklahoma
Oklahoma has expanded its list of permitted gambling activities in recent decades, but it still has quite strict legal rules in effect against disallowed types of real money gaming. The laws pertaining to this matter can be found in the Oklahoma Statutes, Title 21 - Crimes and Punishments, Chapter 38, Gambling. As might be expected, conducting a proscribed form of gaming is treated more harshly than merely participating as a regular player. The law that deals with this activity is 21-941:
Except as provided in the Oklahoma Charity Games Act, every person who opens, or causes to be opened, or who conducts, whether for hire or not, or carries on either poker, roulette, craps or any banking or percentage, or any gambling game played with dice, cards or any device, for money, checks, credits, or any representatives of value, or who either as owner or employee, whether for hire or not, deals for those engaged in any such game, shall be guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), nor more than Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00), and by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term of not less than one (1) year nor more than ten (10) years.
As we can see, poker is explicitly named as a game that falls under the provisions of this law. This language targets those actually running the games, however, not people who play in them. For more clarity on how the state treats individual gamblers, we must look at the next section, 21-942:
Any person who bets or plays at any of said prohibited games, or who shall bet or play at any games whatsoever, for money, property, checks, credits or other representatives of value with cards, dice or any other device which may be adapted to or used in playing any game of chance or in which chance is a material element, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00), nor more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term of not less than one (1) day, nor more than thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
This passage references the “prohibited games” from the previous section, so poker is definitely included. There's a fine attached to any violations, but it's no more than $100. What may be more worrisome is the jail sentence of up to 30 days. There's one other statute that might be interpreted as being related to online poker, and that is 21-987:
A. Dissemination of gambling information is the transmitting or receiving, by means of any communications facilities, information to be used in making or settling bets. Provided that nothing herein shall prohibit a licensed radio or television station or newspaper of general circulation from broadcasting or disseminating to the public reports of odds or results of legally staged sporting events.
B. Any person found guilty of disseminating gambling information shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years or a fine of not more than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
The language contained in these clauses seems to imply that they're intended to combat illegal sports betting, but they're vague enough that internet poker might be included. However, the way a law is enforced in the real world is more important than the words written down on paper. In practice, the law against disseminating gambling information is seldom used, and the few times that people have been charged with it involve running illicit gambling operations. Actually, even the law against just playing in gambling games is rarely invoked; the Oklahoma police agencies focus their energies on those profiting from organized underground gambling rather than those merely playing. To date, nobody has ever faced charges in Oklahoma for enjoying card games on the internet. It's totally safe, from a legal perspective, for you to log onto your computer and play online poker in Oklahoma.
There are a whole host of other gambling crimes defined in the OK law code that could be brought to bear against those managing unauthorized gaming enterprises. They include setting up a slot machine, using a building for gambling, dealing three-card monte, permitting gambling on premises, granting of lease of premises for gambling, commercial gambling, dealing in gambling devices, possessing gambling devices, and betting or letting premises for betting on races. Most of these infractions are treated as misdemeanors, but there are a few that are felonies. The maximum punishments can reach as high as 10 years in prison and a fine of $25,000. Irrespective of the sheer number of statutes covering almost every conceivable type of gambling, the offshore U.S.A. poker sites have no problems accepting Oklahomans as customers. Perhaps their attorneys have advised them that the possibility of their being brought up on Oklahoma gambling charges is remote.
The state-supervised types of gaming – charitable, pari-mutuel, and lottery – are dealt with in Title 3A - Amusements and Sports. Tribal casinos are governed by compacts signed between the state and the tribes.
Land-Based Gambling Options
Oklahoma has a lottery, pari-mutuel betting, charitable gaming, and tribal casinos. Of all of these, the tribal establishments are likely the most appealing to pokerists. There are dozens of recognized tribes, and they run close to 60 casinos although perhaps only one-quarter of them feature poker. The WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, owned and operated by the Chickasaw Nation, has the largest poker room in the state. There are 55 tables spreading No Limit Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, and Pot Limit Omaha, including a high-stakes area. The annual River Poker Series takes place there, and the winner of the Main Event takes home at least $1 million.
State Regulation
Oklahoma has plenty of regulated land-based gaming, so it wouldn't be a surprise for the state to enter the online space. However, there hasn't been any legislative push for this in recent years. The successful 2018 launch of an online site by the Iowa Tribe does point the way toward a vibrant OK online poker environment even if the legislature takes no steps to set one up. Whatever winds up happening, the tribes as a whole will have to be brought aboard somehow because their casinos represent a very important economic force in the state, and the implementation of any internet poker regulated market could have a big impact on their revenues. We feel that it's only a matter of time before Nebraska gets its act together and implements a legalized online poker market – but how much time is anybody's guess.
Oklahoma's Gambling History
Areas now within Oklahoma's borders were claimed by the French and Spanish during the 17th and 18th centuries, but these transactions were basically just paper fictions, and there was hardly any colonization of the territory. This ground was actually occupied by native tribes, like the Plains Apache who routinely played a number of games of chance. One of the most distinctive was the awl game, which women would enjoy for entire afternoons when the weather was good. It involved throwing sticks into the middle of the playing surface to determine how many spaces to move. The players would advance their awls – needle-like tools – around the playing field, trying to avoid the various hazards that were displayed on the board. Whoever succeeded in moving their piece all the way around the circuit would be awarded points, and the game continued until the agreed-upon total was reached.
Guthrie, Oklahoma, 1893
The United States acquired this area in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, but it was not open to settlers until noon on April 22, 1889. A few people hid out within the territory before the official beginning of the land rush so that they could get a head start on claiming the choicest parcels of land. They came to be known as “Sooners” because they arrived in Oklahoma too soon, and they are the reason why one of the state's nicknames is “The Sooner State.”
By the end of the day, the population of Guthrie had gone from just a handful to more than 10,000, mostly consisting of adventurers biding their time in tents while waiting for their land claims to be approved. The next day, the Reeves Brothers Casino opened for business inside one of these tents. The business was thriving, so much so that the tent was soon replaced by a permanent building. The owners later claimed that they never closed their doors once for 15 consecutive years. Indeed, when the establishment finally shut down in 1907, rumor has it that nobody could find the key. There was a sign inside the Reeves Brothers Casino that read:
We the citizens of Guthrie are law-abiding people. But to anyone coming here looking for trouble, we always keep it in stock with a written guarantee that we will give you a decent burial. We will wash your face, comb your hair, and polish your boots. Place your sombrero on your grave, and erect a momento as a warning to others saying... “he tried and failed.”
This wasn't the only gaming hall to pop up in Guthrie, and others soon appeared in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and other major towns. Much of the early population consisted of cowboys and ranchers, and they surely liked to place a wager or two on the card tables. Draw and stud poker were the major attractions although the older games of faro and monte also had their adherents.
The reason why the Reeves Brothers Casino closed in 1907 may have been related to the fact that prohibition legislation was passed during that same year in the run-up to statehood. An additional 1916 law made gambling illegal.
Rudolf “Minnesota Fats” Wanderone
As Shown on Cover of His Book
By this time there was a lot of oil money floating around Oklahoma, and Tulsa was known as the Oil Capital of the World. It was inevitable that some of this cash would find its way into illicit drinking and gambling.
During the next several decades, pool halls were surprisingly common, and legends like Rudolf “Minnesota Fats” Wanderone and Ronnie “Fast Eddie” Allen were known to practice their hustle within the state. The game of one pocket was supposedly invented in Oklahoma, and it's widely considered the most gambley of pool variants.
Oklahoma became an extension of the underground Texas poker scene with many of the top players sojourning there while on the road. The two pastimes were often combined with pool action taking place in the main room of an establishment while poker could be found in a secondary area.
The players often dabbled in both pursuits as did Bobby Baldwin who was first a pool shark before adding poker to his repertoire. Minnesota Fats also played more than one game though he earned his fame mostly as a pool player. He explained the rationale for becoming familiar with multiple games: “What if you are the best gin rummy player in the world and they don’t play gin rummy?”
As the neon lights of Vegas enticed more and more bettors to seek their fortunes in Sin City, these covert facilities began to wane in importance. Fortunately for Oklahomans, legalized gambling soon arrived.
A pari-mutuel wagering act passed through the legislature in 1983, and racetracks opened up. In 1992, charitable organizations were allowed to conduct bingo and offer “break open tickets” (pull tabs).
In 2004, a referendum was held in which voters approved of signing compacts with the state's many tribes, and tribal casinos proliferated during the next few years. At the same time, racetracks were allowed to add slots and video poker. The Oklahoma Lottery began operations in 2005.
For several years, the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma tried to develop and launch a real money internet poker site called pokertribe.com. The effort was been stalled by disagreements between the tribe, the state, and the federal authorities. Also, the software vendor for the site, Universal Entertainment Group, has come under suspicion regarding the legitimacy of some of its past deals.
The site finally opened for real money play in November 2018, holding a license from the Isle of Man, albeit under a new name: GreySnow Poker. The terms of its license only permit the room to transact in countries in which poker online is legal, which unfortunately excludes Oklahoma citizens and indeed everyone else in the United States. GreySnow is currently a very small operation, which only makes sense because it's not clear what enticement non-U.S. customers have for playing on the site especially given that they already have many rooms to choose from.
To summarize the history of poker and gambling throughout the state of Oklahoma, our team has created a timeline that details every major gambling-related event to take place in the state. The complete visual timeline can be found below.
Famous Poker Players From Oklahoma
With dozens of cardrooms available in the state and a rich history of underground games, it's a given that Oklahoma has produced its share of successful poker players.
“I Never Saw a Poker Player's Money That I Did Not Like”
--- “Oklahoma Johnny” Hale
Indeed one such gentleman is so representative of this crop of cardsharks that he even has taken the name of his home state as a nickname: Herbert “Oklahoma Johnny” Hale. Born in 1927 in Pittsburgh County, he's a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. Before his poker career began in earnest, “OK-J” also worked as an engineer and entrepreneur.
Though he was never a big name on the tournament scene, Hale did accrue more than half a million dollars in live tourney winnings. Among his accomplishments were second, third, and third finishes in three events at the 1980 World Series of Poker: Limit A-5 Lowball, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, and Razz. Although he has never won a WSOP event, Johnny's results in 1980 were good enough for Benny Binion to award him a special gold bracelet for best all-around performance.
Away from the tables, Hale has done a lot to promote the game. He created the Seniors Championship of Poker and the Senior World Series of Poker, and he has written about poker for CardPlayer, Gaming Today, and other media outlets. In 1999, “Oklahoma Johnny” published his memoirs, “The Life and Times of a Gentleman Gambler.”
Poker Player and Casino Exec
Bobby Baldwin, born in Tulsa in 1950, is another recognizable name hailing from the Sooner State. Though he dabbled in poker in high school, he was more well-known at this time for his pool hustling skills. After his first trip to Vegas in 1970, Bobby decided to focus more on poker.
Honing his game over the next few years, Baldwin's diligence would eventually pay off although he did suffer some big losses and even went broke a time or two. He won his first two WSOP bracelets in 1977 (2-7 Lowball and Seven Card Stud). The next year, he took first prize in the Main Event: a cool $210,000. Adding to his collection of gold hardware, Bobby picked up another victory in 1979's 2-7 Lowball event.
In total, Bobby Baldwin has earned more than $2.3 million in brick-and-mortar poker tournaments. But as phenomenal a player as he was, his greatest lasting accomplishments may have been his endeavors on the other side of the table.
After setting his poker wisdom down in ink with 1979's “Bobby Baldwin's Winning Poker Secrets,” he accepted a position with the Golden Nugget in 1982 and became its president just a couple of years later. Ever since that time, he has been a high-powered casino executive with stints at the Bellagio, Mandalay Resorts Group, and the CityCenter project.
In 2003, Bobby Baldwin was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, and in 2007, the Bellagio opened a high-stakes poker area dubbed “Bobby's Room” in his honor.
Other noteworthy players from Oklahoma include Tulsan Ben Lamb, with one WSOP bracelet and more than $9 million in live tournament winnings to his credit, and 1986 Main Event victor and Poker Hall of Famer Berry Johnston.
Other Types of Online Gambling
Although the major topic of discussion here has been poker, there are many other types of gambling available online including slots, table games, video poker, and sports betting. There are numerous casinos and sportsbooks on the internet that cater to residents of Oklahoma. Our experts have identified the best and most reliable options available and below, we will provide our best recommendations for online casinos and sportsbooks.
Online Casinos
There are dozens of tribal casinos spread across the landscape of Oklahoma, but there are solid reasons to prefer playing online. Whether you like the wider variety of games offered over the internet, appreciate the lower betting minimums at online casinos, or value the ability to log on from home rather than driving down to the gaming hall, you may be happier at an online casino.
You'll be able to enjoy virtual blackjack, slot machines, roulette, video poker, and many other types of gambling as well. All the companies on our shortlist pay out wins rapidly and run honest random number generators.
In order to protect you from the vagaries of potentially dishonest or fly-by-night operations, we're pleased to present our top three recommended internet casinos for Oklahomans:
Learn more about the highly rated internet casinos for Oklahoma players in our roundup of the most trusted online casinos for USA players.
Online Sportsbooks
Until the time that regulated betting on sports becomes a reality in the state, you have recourse to international online bookmakers. They're outside the jurisdiction of the OK authorities and that of the federal government as well, so they're not dissuaded by legal codes and prohibitions. Over the past couple of years, there have been attempts to pass sports betting legislation in Oklahoma, but they have fizzled out with no effect. Because of the way the Supreme Court ruled in the Murphy v. NCAA case in May 2018, many feel that we may see legalized Oklahoma sports betting appear within the next few years.
We've taken a look at the internet sportsbooks that accept bettors from Oklahoma and have identified three upstanding operators:
For more info on the leading USA-friendly sportsbooks available online, check out our review of the best online sportsbooks Americans can wager at.
Summary of Online Poker in Oklahoma
Several trustworthy entities exist that offer online poker in Oklahoma. No player has ever encountered legal resistance to playing cards over the internet in the Sooner State. Read up on the leading Oklahoma online poker sites, make a deposit, and start playing today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Many poker players in Oklahoma have questions about the game as it's played online. Look below for answers to some of the most common queries about Oklahoma online poker and the answers.
No, there are no state-licensed online poker rooms in Oklahoma. Despite a few attempts to get sports betting started within the state, there have not been any corresponding efforts with regard to internet poker. This means that Oklahomans who wish to enjoy card games online must have recourse to international, offshore poker sites. There are a number of trustworthy online poker destinations that pay out winnings fairly and run honest tables.
Yes, it's basically legal to play online poker in Oklahoma. Among the laws of the U.S. federal government, there are none that criminalize the act of engaging in online poker by the ordinary player. All the relevant statutes target operators and payment processors. As regards Oklahoma state law, there are provisions that could conceivably be used to prosecute internet poker aficionados, but they are in practice never enforced against online users. You're totally safe, from a legal perspective, if you wish to sit at your computer and participate in poker games.
Yes, PokerStars could probably transact in Oklahoma legally, but no, you cannot play here for real money. This is because the company voluntarily agreed to stop serving USA customers as part of its settlement of the Black Friday charges it faced in 2011. The only exception is in states where 'Stars holds a license to operate with the permission of the authorities, of which there is only one at present: New Jersey. Suffice it to say that PokerStars does not have a license for Oklahoma online poker, and indeed no other business does either.
Yes, Ignition Casino's poker room is subject to the laws of Hong Kong, not those of the United States. Because of this fact, it's not under the jurisdiction of overzealous U.S. federal authorities who would probably be more than happy to shut the site down. Ignition operates according to well-understand international law and trade treaties, which leave it free to transact with OK residents if it so chooses (and it does).
BetOnline is acting in full compliance with Panamanian law, which it must because it holds a valid gambling license from this Central American nation. Under the terms of its incorporation within Panama, BoL is allowed to accept customers in foreign lands, including the United States. The U.S. government may take a different stance on this matter, but Uncle Sam has been found repeatedly to be in violation of its treaty obligations by seeking to deny international gaming sites access to its domestic market.
The legality of Global Poker in Oklahoma and the United States as a whole is not clearly settled. The company claims that it's fully legal, but we have our doubts. Space constraints prevent us from delving deeply into this topic in the space allotted here, but we do cover it in detail in our review of Global.
The general minimum gambling age for Okies is 18. There are just a couple of exceptions. Amazingly, people as young as 16 are allowed to play in certain charitable bingo halls although other establishments adhere to the higher 18+ requirement. In tribal casinos that serve alcohol, patrons must be 21 or older to gamble: undoubtedly a move designed to save headaches for casino security personnel trying to vet people who order drinks. Online, it's the 18-year-old yardstick that's applied. Conveniently, this is also the age that most online gaming dens have set as the floor for anyone to be allowed to create an account. They haven't made the rule this way specifically to cater to the Sooner State; they generally have an 18+ policy in place for all their users around the world.
We counsel you strongly against setting up an underground online gambling shop within Oklahoma's borders. Though law enforcement turns a blind eye toward everyday bettors, it's a different case for those actually managing the illicit rings. They face serious prosecution by the state, and if the infractions are severe enough, they can trigger additional federal charges. This is just what happened to Oklahoma City man Teddy Dryden Mitchell who was found guilty in 2014 of running high-stakes poker games in his house and also booking bets on behalf of clients through internet sportsbook sites. Mitchell was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment. Unless you wish to take the risk of a similar fate befalling you, you would do well to avoid getting mixed up in the Oklahoma illegal gambling scene.
In order to make it easy for customers to fund their accounts and retrieve their profits, online poker rooms transact in a number of payment channels. The exact menu differs from site to site, but some of the popular ways to get your money include checks, money transfer services, and debit cards. The most hassle-free and economical method to use, though, is crypto-currency, like Bitcoin. All of our highly rated offshore poker sites for Oklahomans support the use of the BTC digital currency, which comes with low fees and fast transaction timeframes. A growing number of them are adding “altcoins,” like Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash, to their cashier sections too.
Oklahoma has an individual income tax, and gambling earnings are fully taxable at whatever your normal rate is. The same is true of the United States with regard to your federal tax liability. If you're concerned about possibly running afoul of the Oklahoma Tax Commission, then we assure you that angering the IRS is even worse. In certain circumstances, you may be able to deduct your losses against your wins, but this will depend on several factors, including whether or not you itemize deductions on your tax returns. For advice that pertains to your unique situation, we recommend consulting with a qualified tax attorney or a CPA.
Mac poker, once a small niche, is now possible at many internet sites. Among the providers with Mac-specific poker clients are Ignition, Bovada, and Americas Cardroom (although the ACR Mac version is still in beta). Even many rooms without dedicated Mac software possess sophisticated web-based interfaces that work just fine on a Mac.
The rise of mobile computing has continued unabated since smartphones first started to proliferate about a decade ago. Mobile poker apps can be found at Sportsbetting.ag and Americas Cardroom. Other sites, like Ignition and Bovada, provide an in-browser mobile poker experience without the need to download and install any apps to your phone or tablet.
We've found several poker variants known as Oklahoma. Perhaps the most widespread among them is an offshoot of Pot Limit Omaha. In this type of Oklahoma poker, the preflop dealing and betting are the same as in regular PLO. However, on the flop, each active player must discard one of his four down cards. This discard takes place for an individual on the first occasion during the betting round when he or she puts chips into the pot. The rules we found for the game were not clear on what happens if the flop checks around, but we assume that in this case, the discard takes place after the last person checks and before the turn is dealt. With the betting and discards completed, each remaining player will now hold three hole cards going into the turn. On the turn, the same procedure is repeated so that everyone still in the pot will have just two down cards heading to the river. The river proceeds as in standard Omaha. Each player must use both hole cards to compose their final five-card poker hand at showdown.
There is another kind of poker known as Oklahoma, and it's a type of lowball based on five card stud. After everyone antes, they are each dealt one face-down card and one card face-up. A round of betting commences, starting with the lowest card showing. Then another up card is dealt to each player, followed by another round of betting. This process continues until each participant has a total of five cards. After the final betting round, there's a showdown. The lowest hand wins. Straights and flushes count against you, and aces play low. This means the best possible hand is A - 2 - 3 - 4 - 6 with no flush. One other wrinkle is introduced by the fact that deuces are wild and are equivalent to any card of your choosing.
Attendees of the annual BARGE (Big August Rec. Gambling Excursion) festival in Vegas may have had the “opportunity” (misfortune? ordeal?) of playing BARGE Oklahoma poker. We've read the rules and still are confused as to what exactly is going on here. It seems to be a format of poker that was conceived of as a joke or level. This kind of Oklahoma poker involves three separate boards, community cards being discarded on the river, and a split pot. For the curious and/or degenerate, you can read more about this complicated game in the BARGE 2018 Rule Book.
Additional Resources
For further information on gambling in Oklahoma, take a look at these pages:
We strive to maintain accurate 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 useful. If you have any additional 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 can swiftly address them!