Online Poker In Alabama
The state of Alabama has regulated online gambling, which means players can play online poker for real money. Play online poker in Alabama now - safely, 100% legally & get paid fast when you win. Read this no BS guide to AL poker sites! Why poker is not legal in Alabama and the probability of it becoming legal. What sites you can play on the interim. Read our in-depth review of Alabama State's gambling laws for information about the legality of online poker for real money in Alabama. Alabama legal online gambling sites are readily available through licensed and regulated Alabama online casinos, poker sites, and sportsbooks.
Down in the Bible Belt, people are more conservative thanin other parts of the United States. In Alabama, gambling is considered taboo,at least in some forms. Poker fans in the state have struggled to find ways toplay the game for ages, so we thought we would help shed some light on thesituation in that state. This page covers the issues Alabama poker players wantto know about – the status of online poker, the options for playing real moneypoker, and some alternatives that players may want to try to help keep theirskills sharp.
Online Poker in Alabama
In the early 2000s, online poker sites began to launch inthe U.S. market. At that time, poker was still growing, and while the WorldSeries of Poker was being broadcast on ESPN, it was more of an afterthoughtthan anything. With the introduction of the hole-card camera and the 2003 WorldSeries of Poker Champion qualifying on an online site, everything blew up. Allof a sudden, poker players from Alabama and around the U.S. could join realmoney online poker games and tournaments that had thousands of players. Thiswas great news for players in states like Alabama, where poker games were hardto come by.
It seemed that the Alabama government wasn’t going to doanything about these online poker sites, as they were based offshore, and theredidn’t seem to be a way to control players heading to those sites. For years,the industry continued to see massive growth, until the federal governmentdecided they had had enough. In 2006 the government introduced legislation thatwould make the banking transactions of online gambling sites illegal. Thatscared some companies out of the market, and the rest would be shut down by thegovernment in April 2011. Since then, Alabama poker players looking for realmoney Hold’em or Omaha cash games and tournaments found themselves out of luck.
Land Based Poker in Alabama
The growth and popularity of online real money poker inAlabama, and its subsequent demise, only proved to highlight the lack ofland-based poker in the state. With no casinos in Alabama, there is no naturallocation to host real money live poker games. There is no plan for this tochange anytime soon, despite the discussions about legalizing sports betting inthe state. If you are a real money poker player in the state looking for agame, and you are willing to travel a bit, you will find poker rooms across thestate line in Florida as well as in Mississippi. Feel free to check out ourpages for those states to find the locations of the card rooms closest to you.
Social Poker in Alabama
Social poker is a type of poker that became very popularwith the introduction of Facebook back in the late 2000s. Poker is a game thatrequires player liquidity, and the sheer number of people signing up forFacebook and other social networks back in the day created a perfectenvironment for companies like Zynga to capitalize on the game’s popularity.Social poker plays by the same rules as any real money poker game – you willfind loads of No-Limit Hold’em “cash” games and tournaments at a social pokersite. Where it differs is that there is no real money to be won, even thoughplayers have the option of buying packages of chips for cash. This is a gamebuilt on aspiration and social recognition, which is, in general, why manyplayers play poker in the first place. While it isn’t a perfect substitute forreal money online poker, it is one form of the game that is open and availableto Alabamans, so it’s worth giving it a try.
Subscription Poker in Alabama
Another model that part of the poker industry adopted totry to maintain the momentum that real money online poker left behind in 2011is the subscription or sweepstakes model. Sweepstakes laws in many states allowfor events like poker tournaments to be run as contests as long as no purchaseis required. Subscription sites like Club WPT give players access to freetournaments for prizes by paying a monthly subscription fee, but these sitesare not allowed in Alabama. A couple of sweepstakes poker sites, like GlobalPoker, are open for business in the state, and again while this isn’t realmoney poker, it still provides an arena to practice your game.
Mobile Poker in Alabama
Online Poker In Alabama Game
The Mobile Poker industry has taken off over the yearswith the invention and improvements to mobile technology. These days, everyoneseems to have a smartphone or tablet with them at all times, and for gameproviders, that means there is accessibility to users anywhere there is amobile connection. Poker players can go to the app store of their device andfind multiple poker apps available for download. These are mainly social pokeror free play apps, but playing these apps on your phone can get you used to howthe game looks on a smaller screen and will have you ready for the return ofreal money online poker whenever it comes back to Alabama.
Online Poker In Alabama Casinos
Online Poker in Alabama FAQ
Why are people in some states still able to play realmoney online poker legally?
When the market crashed in 2011, a handful of statesdecided to take the initiative to write their own laws concerning onlinegambling. New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada all launched online pokerregulations back in 2013. With the introduction of sports wagering bills in thelast couple of years, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Michigan have followedsuit. It is hoped that all the states will enact their own laws, but expectAlabama to be one of the last.
What about playing at an offshore site? I have heardthey still exist?
Play Online Poker In Alabama
You have heard correctly -even though the majority ofonline poker sites no longer accept American players, there are a handful ofsmall operators that are accessible from Alabama. These sites managed to avoidbeing indicted in the 2011 crackdown on the industry, but they still come withsome added risk for players. We think that if you are considering playing atany of these sites, you should do your research. You will quickly find thatmaking deposits and trying to get withdrawals processed is a tedious task, andwith no legal ramifications, there is nothing stopping a site from withholdingyour money. The risk is too much for us to recommend these sites to ourreaders.