New Mexico is a state that has gone through some pretty big changes in recent times with regards to gambling and how the state looks at it. Not so long ago residents had no other choice but to go to Las Vegas if they fancied a little casino action, but all that has changed for the better and now New Mexico has a growing casino industry. There are of course still many rules and regulations in place however things are much better than they were, take a read to find out where you stand in New Mexico. Even though changes have been made there is still no mention of online poker, and many players from New Mexico play regularly at places such as BetOnline Poker.
Playing Poker at Home in New Mexico
Playing a game of poker in your own home in New Mexico touches on a few of the laws that can really be taken either way. The penal code states, in regards to commercial gambling, that if you are not collecting a fee or raking the pot then you are not conducting commercial gambling, much as in many states. However the code also says that gambling is a petty misdemeanor and that making a bet or entering a gambling place with the intent to make a bet is illegal. It's rather confusing and a bit of a mixed bag as it seems to imply that all gambling is illegal. I think it's safe to say that caution is required when playing at home and you may want to go as far as checking with you local law enforcement agency.
Playing Poker Online in New Mexico
Even though in the late 1990's New Mexico made many changes to its gambling laws, it failed to even mention online poker, or indeed, online gambling in general. It's not surprising that it has been omitted really when you think about what they would need to actually enforce such a law, let alone the privacy breaches that would need to take place. With no mention of it in the new laws and no law against onlone poker at a federal level then we can only assume that online poker in New Mexico is fine. There are many online poker rooms that cater for residents of New Mexico, including Betonline Poker, Full Flush Poker and Americas Cardroom.
Playing Poker in Casino in New Mexico
Playing poker in a casino in New Mexico is 100% totally fine. There are now fourteen casinos in the state that are run by thirteen Native American Tribes, which is amazing really when you think that only twenty years ago these fully fledged casinos were just simple horse racing tracks. Now they are huge resorts with everything you would expect in a good casino and the poker action is great. You can play at whatever stakes you want and all popular varieties of poker are played. New Mexico really is a great state when it comes to playing poker in casinos.
