Nevada may be the 7th largest state in terms of land mass, but with a vast desert terrain, it isn’t exactly brimming with residential real estate; home to the 35th largest population of 2,758,931 (est. 2013). There’s no question as to the state’s central source of revenue. Tourism is the key to success in the Silver State, revolving around gambling and entertainment industries. As such, it came as no surprise when Nevada became the first US state to legalize, regulate and launch a real money online poker market. Station Casinos launched Ultimate Poker as the very first regulated poker site in the US, going live on April 30, 2013. Caesars followed with the launch of real money poker at WSOP.com on September 19th of that year, and South Point’s Real Gaming went live in February of 2014.
Nevada Gaming Control Act, Regulation 5A: Operation of Interactive Gaming
The state of Nevada came out swinging well ahead of the ball in terms of online poker regulation. A bill was in the works throughout the first half of 2011 designed to amend the Gaming Control Act to include interactive gaming as a legal and regulated activity the moment federal permissions were received. The governor approved the amendment on June 10th, long before December of 2011, when the Department of Justice remodeled the definition of the Wire Act to prohibit only online sports wagering. As such, Nevada gained the right to regulate online poker the moment that definition went into effect.
Deciphering the Laws of Nevada as they relate to Online Poker
The online poker laws of Nevada are found in the Gaming Control Act, under Regulation 5A, Operation of Interactive Gaming. Feel free to use that link to review and research all of the excerpts below. A brief meaning is provided for clarification of the text.
| Section | Text | Meaning (in re online poker) |
| 5A.020 Definitions | 1. “Authorized player” means a person who has registered with the operator of interactive gaming to engage in interactive gaming. | Anyone who holds an account with a licensed Nevada online poker operator is an authorized player. |
| 9. “Poker” means the traditional game of poker, and any derivative of the game of poker as approved by chairman and published on the board’s website, wherein two or more players play against each other and wager on the value of their hands. For purposes of interactive gaming, poker is not a banking game. | Only poker games authorized by the state are permitted to be played at licensed Nevada online poker sites. (View the list of all approved gambling games in Nevada; note that only the poker games listed may be presented as interactive gaming.) | |
| 5A.080. Detection and Prevention of Criminal Activities. | Each operator shall implement procedures that are designed to detect and prevent transactions that may be associated with money laundering, fraud and other criminal activities and to ensure compliance with all federal laws related to money laundering. | Money laundering and fraud will not be tolerated in Nevada. All online poker operations are vigorously monitored to detect such activity. |
| 5A.110 Registration of Authorized Player. | 2. An operator may register an individual as an authorized player only if the individual provides the operator with the following information: (a) …identity… (b) …date of birth showing…21 years of age or older; (c) …physical address… (d) …social security number…if a United States resident, (e) That the individual had not previously self-excluded with the operator… (f) That the individual is not on the list of excluded persons |
A player must be 21 or older, have a verifiable physical address (not necessarily in Nevada) and must not be on the self-exclusion list to play online poker in Nevada. |
| 3. Before registering an individual as an authorized player, the operator must have the individual affirm the following: (a) That the information provided…to register is accurate; (b) That the individual has reviewed and acknowledged access to the house rules for interactive gaming; (c) That the individual has been informed and has acknowledged that…they are prohibited from allowing any other person access to or use of their interactive gaming account; (d) That the individual has been informed and has acknowledged that…they are prohibited from engaging in interactive gaming from a state or foreign jurisdiction in which interactive gaming is illegal and that the operator is prohibited from allowing such interactive gaming; (e) …if the operator is unable to verify the information provided…within 30 days of registration, any winnings…will be retained by the operator and the individual shall have no right to such winnings; (f) Consents to the monitoring and recording by the operator and the board of any wagering communications; and (g) Consents to the jurisdiction of the State of Nevada to resolve disputes arising out of interactive gaming. |
A player must view and accept the terms and conditions stated in this text upon registering an interactive gaming account. If the player’s registration information cannot be verified, all winnings will be withheld until verification is completed. Winnings will not be awarded if verification cannot be completed within 30 days. Also note that players may not deposit more than $5,000 or make a withdrawal until their account is verified. | |
| 5A.125 Reserve Requirements. | 1. An operator shall maintain a reserve in the form of cash, cash equivalents, an irrevocable letter of credit, a bond, or a combination thereof for the benefit and protection of authorized players’ funds held in interactive gaming accounts. | To avoid being labeled a Ponzi Scheme (as occurred with Full Tilt Poker when the company didn’t have enough money to pay back players after Black Friday), operators must have an amount of income set aside that is equal to the amount of money held in all player accounts. If the worst should happen and the operator is shut down, those funds will be used to refund all player accounts. |
| 5A.140 Acceptance of Wagers. | 1. Operators shall not accept or facilitate a wager: (a) On any game other than the game of poker…approved by the chairman… (b) On any game which the operator knows…is not between individuals; (c) On any game which the operator knows…is made by a person on the self-exclusion list; (d) From a person who the operator knows…is placing the wager in violation of state or federal law; (e) Using an inter-operator poker network except as otherwise allowed by the commission; or (f) From any officer, director, owner or key employee of such an operator or its affiliates; or (g) Except as provided in subsection 2, from stakes players, proposition players or shills |
Poker bots, house players and self-excluded players are prohibited. Only authorized poker games may be played. Anyone physically located outside of Nevada may not play for real money (until such time that inter-state compacts for cross-border playing pooling go into effect). |
Is Online Poker Illegal in Nevada?
No. Online poker is perfectly legal in the state of Nevada, so long as the operators are licensed and the players follow the rules of registration and participation. A player must be 21 or older and must be physically located in the Silver State when playing. The player does not have to reside in Nevada, or the United States for that matter, so long as they only play for real money while physically located in the state.
Is Nevada working to expand its Online Poker Market?
Yes. Gov. Brian Sandoval signed a compact with Delaware Gov. Jack Markell to share liquidity between their online poker communities in February of 2014. The systems have already been through the development and testing phases, and have been approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Player pooling between Nevada and Delaware poker networks is scheduled to go into effect in the Fall of 2014.
Online Poker Players from Nevada
A plethora of online poker players can be found in Nevada. It’s a haven for professional gamblers in general, and the fact that online poker has been legal for more than a year certainly doesn’t hurt matters. Some of the more successful online poker pros from Nevada include Phil “USCphildo” Collins, Paul “iridium” Dewald, Elliot “allprowi” La Fleur, Brent “bhank11” Hanks and Daniel “voff voff voff” Deveau.
Land-Based Card Rooms in Nevada
As you surely know, Nevada is overflowing with hundreds of land-based gambling destinations. Below is a list of all known casinos with live poker rooms in Nevada.
Aria Resort & Casino Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Arizona Charlie’s Decatur
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Atlantis Casino Resort Spa
Location: Reno, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Bellagio Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Boomtown Hotel and Casino Reno
Location: Verdi, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Boulder Station Hotel & Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino
Location: Primm, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Cactus Pete’s / Horseshu Casino
Location: Jackpot, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Caesars Palace Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Cal-Neva Resort & Spa
Location: Crystal Bay, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Cannery Casino and Hotel
Location: North Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
CasaBlanca Hotel, Casino, Golf, & Spa
Location: Mesquite, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Casino Fandango
Location: Carson City, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Circus Circus Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Club Cal Neva Hotel Casino
Location: Reno, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Colorado Belle Hotel Casino & Microbrewery
Location: Laughlin, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino
Location: Laughlin, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Eastside Cannery
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
El Cortez Hotel & Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Eldorado Hotel Casino
Location: Reno, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Eureka Casino
Location: Mesquite, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Excalibur Resort Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Flamingo Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Gold Coast Hotel & Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Gold Spike Hotel & Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Golden Nugget Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Grand Sierra Resort & Casino
Location: Reno, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Hacienda Hotel and Casino
Location: Boulder City, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Harrah’s Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Harveys Lake Tahoe Resort & Casino
Location: Stateline, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Hooters Casino Hotel Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Hotel Nevada and Gambling Hall
Location: Ely, NV
Poker Room: Yes
John Ascuaga’s Nugget
Location: Sparks, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Las Vegas Club
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Luxor Casino – Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
MGM Grand Resort Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Mirage Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Montego Bay Casino Resort
Location: West Wendover, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Oasis Resort-Casino-Golf-Spa
Location: Mesquite, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Orleans Hotel & Casino Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Pahrump Nugget Hotel & Gambling Hall
Location: Pahrump, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Palace Station Hotel and Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Palms Casino Resort
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Paris Resort Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Peppermill Hotel Casino Reno
Location: Reno, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Plaza Hotel & Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Poker Palace Casino
Location: North Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Rainbow Hotel & Casino
Location: West Wendover, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Red Rock Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Red Rock Station Casino
Location: Summerlin, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Sahara Hotel and Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Searchlight Nugget Casino
Location: Searchlight, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Silver Nugget
Location: North Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Silver Sevens Hotel & Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
South Point Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Stagecoach Hotel and Casino
Location: Beatty, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Stratosphere Casino Hotel
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Suncoast Hotel & Casino Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Sunset Station Hotel and Casino
Location: Henderson, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Texas Station Gambling Hall and Hotel
Location: North Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
The LVH Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
The Quad Resort & Casino
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
The Venetian Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Treasure Island Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Tropicana Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Wendover Nugget Hotel & Casino
Location: West Wendover, NV
Poker Room: Yes
Wynn Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Poker Room: Yes