Playing Online Poker in Indiana

According to Indiana State Government poker is not a game of skill, but a game of chance and by such definition is illegal. Because of this then it can be pretty tricky to get a legal game of poker in the state, but there are a decent amount of casinos which provide a legal option. Even online poker is in question due to recent changes in the law however many players play at places such as BetOnline, read on to find out more about playing poker in the fine state of Indiana.

Poker Home Games in Indiana

This is an absolute no go in Indiana. Most states allow home games as long as there is no fee or no raking of the pot, however even this is not allowed in Indiana. According to the Penal Code then “A person who knowingly or intentionally engages in gambling commits unlawful gambling.” Unlawful gambling is a serious charge in Indiana and is regarded as a Class D felony and if found guilty carries a serious maximum sentence. Indiana makes it very clear that it doesn't like any form of unregulated gambling and even charity events are limited to bingo and such. It's unclear of how many, if any, people have been charged with playing in a home game but it's best not to risk it unless you have checked things out with your local law enforcement agency.

Playing Online Poker in Indiana

Indiana is one of the few states that has taken time out to update and include online gambling in its laws. They have been changed to make it very clear that online gambling in any form will not be tolerated, meaning that by law it is illegal to play online poker. This however throws up a few questions. Is the state monitoring this? Who is responsible for upholding this law? For all intents and purposes it may be written into law but it's constitutionally wrong and extremely difficult to put into practice. To our knowledge no-one has been prosecuted or taken to a court of law because of this and obtaining evidence in order to prosecute would be almost impossible. The often misunderstood Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act made it illegal for banks to transact with online gambling establishments but there is no mention in that law or in fact any other Federal law against a person playing poker online. Many online poker rooms cater for residents of Indiana, including Betonline Poker, Americas Cardroom and Full Flush Poker.

Playing Poker in Indiana's Casinos

As a poker player in the state of Indiana then the only place where it is stated you are legally allowed to play poker is in one of its ten casinos. The casinos in the state are well managed and operate fully within the law offering a very good variety of all games including many poker variants.