The following page is dedicated to helping poker players find the best legal online poker rooms that accept Utah residents. In this page, we have isolated, tested, and ultimately reviewed the top poker sites to the world has to offer, and we want to share our knowledge. Within, we will list out our very favorite options as well as answer some of the most popular questions associated with online poker that Utah residents frequently come up with. We hope everyone leaves this page with a great and deep understanding of online poker, from the laws that govern it to the legal age to take part in it. Once we’re done, readers will have all the tools they will need to start up an account with a Utah online poker room!
The laws surrounding online poker can be tough to understand for non-professionals. This misreading of the legal language has spawned some rumors about online poker being illegal in the states. We will lay out what the law really says in plain English so you will understand exactly what is and isn’t allowable. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 restricts online poker sites from functioning within the United States, Utah included. This means that you will not find an online poker establishment in your hometown.
The good news is that there are many legal online poker sites operating in other countries, in places where running an online poker site is legal. The UIGEA’s sphere of influence does not spread outside of America; therefore, the laws of the lands they reside on only govern these sites. Players in the United States are fully able to use these sites at any time. The Utah gambling code is one of the few that has stipulations regarding online gaming, and technically, they have asked that their residents not participate in online poker games. That being the case, there has never been an arrest made for anyone playing online poker and thousands of residents are using legal Utah poker sites on a daily basis.
Read More: Is It Legal To Gamble Online In Utah?
Even though all offshore online poker sites that accept Utah residents are legal, it does not mean that they are all equally worthy of a player’s investment. Due to the popularity of online poker, there are many sites for a discerning Utah resident to sift through when it comes time to lay money on their favorite game. When it’s time to decide which venue provides the safest means of enjoying the game, there are a couple of qualities to look for. The most telling characteristic is a site’s longevity. If a site has been around the block several times, it’s a good bet that they have offered high quality poker along with reliable payouts and service in order to stick around. Here at LegalUtahGambling.com, we're extremely confident any of the legal online poker rooms listed below will provide an excellent venue.
BetOnline is quickly becoming the go-to site for players of all skill levels. Operating out of Panama City, Panama, this site has been serving up top-notch card action for over a decade. There are exciting tournaments going on every day and on the hour Freerolls that are free to enter and offer substantial prize packages. The poker software is free and quick to download for PC and Mac users, and BetOnline is home to a thriving community of poker fans. There has never been a better time to join BetOnline and the online poker revolution.
Every week, BetOnline offers exciting promotions that can certainly win you a boatload of cash. The $25,000 Sit ‘n Go Leaderboard Challenge is going on right now. All you need to do is play on your favorite real money tables and you will automatically earn points on the leaderboard. Buy-ins can range anywhere from $0.05 to $10, and you will have the chance to take home the big money at the end of the challenge. The leaderboard updates constantly, so make sure to check and see where you rank, and play your hands accordingly..
SportsBetting is the premier poker site on the web right now. This place has been around for over two decades and boasts one of the most reputable online poker sites that accept Utah players. SportsBetting is the place the professionals come to play when they aren’t racking up chips in the World Series of Poker. Don’t let that scare you though, they offer well-populated tables for players of every skill level. There are numerous tournaments going on every day such as the Nightly Majors, Turbo Tournaments, and $100K weekly tournaments with guaranteed jackpots. There are sit-and-go’s and daily freerolls tournaments that give players a chance to win entry into real money tourneys.
If you have a limited amount of free time, you might get sick of waiting on your bet. We have all been at tables where players decide to take every last second available to think over their bet. When you decide to play online poker at SportsBetting, they have a unique feature called Zone Poker designed to cut out the time spent waiting for your folded hands to end. When you fold a hand at Zone Poker, it will immediately take you to a new table with new players and a new deck of cards.
While the state constitution of Utah philosophically disagrees with availing their residents of sanctioned, land based poker facilities, the law will not interfere with what happens behind closed doors. This means there are two ways Utah residents can enjoy poker. One is through a friendly, social game played amongst friends, and the other is through playing poker online via any of the legal online poker rooms that accept Utah residents listed in this page. While it may be construed as cheating to bring our favorite websites up yet again in a section that’s supposed to be about playing poker in licensed poker rooms, you’ll have to excuse us – there are simply no sanctioned poker rooms in Utah, or even within a couple hours’ drive from the state borders.
One of the distinct advantages of living in a state that stubbornly refuses to regulate gambling is that there is no minimum age to play online poker set by the State of Utah. This means that Utah residents are only held accountable for the age requirements of whichever Utah online poker rooms they wish to sign up for. As a rule of thumb, although it may vary from site to site, the age will always be 18. This means that any Utah resident who is a legal adult should be have the ability to play poker online, legally, for real money.
The very basic fact of the matter is that the State of Utah does not regulate poker, or any form of gambling. Automatically this means that residents will not be able to find brick-and-mortar locations to play Hold'em, Omaha, or any of their other favorite poker games. If you're looking for a live poker game in Utah then there is only one legal option...a home poker game, but you're going to need at least five or more friends that share your interest.
If you're willing to sacrifice the in-person aspect then you can certainly find plenty of poker action by going online. As long as you are at least 18 years old, there are several online poker sites that allow Utah residents to play poker from the comfort of their home, or even when players are on the move through mobile poker apps available for popular smartphones.