Playing Poker in Arkansas

Whilst there are laws against playing real money poker in the state of Arkansas the punishment if caught doing so is a very small one. Section 5-66-112 of the Arkansas Penal Code states that, "If any person is guilty of betting any money or any valuable thing on any game of brag, bluff, poker… or at any other game of cards, known by any name… he or she shall be fined in any sum not less than ten dollars nor more than twenty-five dollars." As you can see, it's illegal, but a very low risk activity and we hardly think that the state is out to get you for playing a little poker. The only advice here is to proceed with caution and may be even check with you local law enforcement agency. Many residents of Arkansas play their poker online at great online poker rooms such as Carbon Poker, and there is no mention of online gaming at all in the penal code, leaving them free to do so.

Playing Home Games in Arkansas

As you can see, clearly stated in the penal code playing for real money is against the law in Arkansas and what's worse is that absolutely no exceptions are made. The state has in the past prosecuted a few poker players for this and it's usually the person hosting the game that receives the punishment. Running an illegal poker room in the state is a serious offence and can in fact bring a maximum prison sentence of up to 6 years and it's this that the state is trying to keep at bay, not the friendly home games, however we can't stress strongly enough that it is still illegal. Many states allow home games as long as the host is not charging a fee or raking the pot, but not in Arkansas, you have been warned.

Playing Online Poker in Arkansas

Arkansas gambling laws are a little outdated to say the least so it should be no surprise that online poker is not mentioned in them, in fact the topic of internet gambling is not addressed at all. Horse racing regulations do state that wagering on horses over the telephone is illegal, but that cannot be taken into consideration as far as online poker is concerned. For the time being, and indeed until a law is passed that states otherwise then playing online poker in the state of Arkansas is totally legal and there are many online poker rooms that welcome residents of the state with open arms. You'll find state of the art poker rooms such as Full Flush Poker, BetOnline Poker and Americas Cardroom offer more than enough options when it comes to playing your game of poker online. In fact they will all also offer welcome bonuses to new players along with plenty of incentives for playing at their room.

Playing Poker in an Arkansas Casino

There are no traditional casinos in the state of Arkansas, but what you will find are plenty of Racinos, which are basically horse racing tracks that allow slot machines and other electronic games. They offer a good day out and the slots give horse racing fans a little something extra to do whilst at the track. Arkansas is pretty much against poker in general and there are constant battles in the state to legalize other forms of gambling, however the anti-gambling brigade usually have their way. For now, the best bet for residents of Arkansas who wish to enjoy real money poker is by doing so online.