Legal Georgia Online Poker
If information truly is power, LegalPokerGeorgia.com might turn you into a super-hero with the content on this website. We assume you want to play online, and you probably want to know if it's legal in the first place. All those things and more are on the syllabus, and when you leave this site, you will be prepared to venture into the world of web-based poker sites armed with the knowledge you need to play in a safe environment.
Everything provided on this site is with the Georgia player in mind which means it specifically caters to anyone that is at least the legal age to gamble in the state. If you're not old enough to gamble in a state-regulated venue, or by the law, we cannot help you until you meet that age, whether it be 18 or 21 in your county. If you're ready to get started, we are too and we're going to lead-out with giving you the answer that most residents of Georgia come to us seeking...
Is it Legal To Play Online Poker In Georgia?
There has been a lot of recent talk regarding the legality of online poker. While the poker laws in Georgia aren't very permissive, there are no American states, other than Washington, that specifically ban online poker. With that said, residents can feel at ease when using any online poker site that will accept them, like the one's we list below this section.
Knowing that Georgia doesn't have laws that make playing online poker illegal begs the question of what the federal government thinks... In 2011, the U.S. courts made a ruling on the Wire Act that specifically held it to within the realm of sports betting meaning that online poker no longer applied. It was at that time the states like Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware knew they would be able to pass their own legislation to regulate poker games on the Internet for which they took the steps of doing so in 2013.
In the end, the point is that you are going to be safe if you choose to go online. Right now, the online poker sites that welcome Georgia residents are located outside of U.S. jurisdiction in other countries where operating an online poker website is legal + licensed.
Legal Online Poker Sites For Georgia Residents
There are many places where Georgia residents can safely play poker online. We have gone through an extensive list and came up with poker sites that will not let you down. All of the websites that follow permit Georgia residents to join, and they also have many deposit methods as well as a good selection of games that users are welcome to use.
Why did we pick these? It's because these are the places where we aren't afraid to go mix it up on the tables with Georgia residents, and other residents around the United States.
Online poker is available 24 hours a day every day in the week at BetOnline for players living in Georgia looking to try and win some money. Georgia online poker players can be playing for cash within minutes of downloading the BetOnline poker software and making their first deposit into their account.
One feature that always sets a quality poker site apart from another, especially one accepting American players, are the methods in which an account can be funded. This is obviously important for both the site and the account holder. For BetOnline, they accept several methods from Georgia residents. The credit card feature is certainly nice, for which a Visa and American Express can be used. Wire transfers through Western Union or a MoneyGram are also capable of being sent. For those seeking even more methods, the choice of a money order and cashier's check to deposit into BetOnline is offered for those in the Peach State.
SportsBetting.ag offers a friendly online poker atmosphere, and plenty of ways in which to play for those living in Georgia interested in signing up for an account. They chance to get paid out big is also there, whether through the guaranteed tournament payouts of $150,000 every month, or the tables that players can sit down to bet hand by hand with real cash.
Known for having a great reputation, getting started is easier than ever when you are ready to register for an account at SportsBetting. Just click any link or banner for the website and then create an account by clicking the 'join now' button on the main page. Once all the information requirements have been fulfilled, users can deposit and be entered in the next tournament, or sitting at the cash tables in minutes.
More Information About Online Poker In Georgia + It's Legality
Want to know what laws are in Georgia's statutes that deal with playing poker, online or land-based. The following sections are just what you need. This is the section where we where provide help and show readers resources that can help them learn more about the legality of playing poker online in Georgia.
Georgia's laws on poker make no distinction between public and private poker games. Even though some states allow home poker as long as the host doesn't rake the pot or charge players for sitting in, Georgia makes no exception. Again, as per the local Penal Code, any location where gambling takes place, be it a regulated venue or a home, falls under the above mentioned category.
If you want to find out more about the laws and legalities of online poker in Georgia, we found this resource and highly recommend that you check it out. They have a complete breakdown of gambling laws in Georgia as they relate to playing online, as well as in land-based establishments.
Georgia is one of just a handful of states to have legal online lottery, but when it comes to online poker it's a much different story. Lawmakers in Georgia are very much against online poker in the state, with no plans to bring legislation to the State House to form any state-regulated sites.
It appears that the only way Georgia will think about formulating Internet poker sites run by the state would be if there was a federal bill introduced and passed in Washington. Though, with several states making the move towards legalizing online poker and other forms of Internet gambling, a successful stint with that as it relates to the state economy should definitely warrant a second look by local government officials.
One thing's for sure though, and that is that Georgia is not like New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, or any other states where online gambling is being passed or discussed. Georgia has no licensed casinos in their state, and only has lotteries that are legal. Players will have to go outside of the state to these offshore poker sites that are legal and allow American players to create accounts and play poker on the Internet through those means.
Is It Legal to Play Land Based Poker in Georgia?
Over the past several years, poker has swept the nation and turned into a full out phenomenon. Unfortunately for Georgia residents, they will find it awfully hard to participate.
Georgia is one of the few states in the union where playing poker for any profit is considered illegal, and therefore very few options for a quick game or tournament exist. Whereas in most states, even if it’s considered illegal to HOST a game of poker for profit, (or “rake”) honest citizens who merely wish to participate are exempt.
Unfortunately, this is not the case in Georgia. Georgia’s gambling laws are so incredibly strict that a clause had to be written into the law simply to ensure crane machines for stuffed animals found in many facilities geared towards children were not considered illegal.
The good news is there have been no cases of anyone ever being arrested in Georgia for merely participating in poker. Although against the technical letter of the law, the hypothetical penalties are so light and the crime is so harmless that the state has never persecuted a resident for merely playing poker. However, players in Georgia are advised to proceed with caution and only play with people they know well. Georgia law makes it clear that gambling agreements are in no way a binding contract, meaning that even if a player were victorious in a game of poker, the loser would be under no obligation to pay them the money owed, even in a civil court.
Where to Play Poker in Georgia
Sadly, since according to state law there can be no such thing as a state-sanctioned poker room, there is really nowhere to turn for a completely legal game of poker. To make matters even worse, illegal poker games in Georgia are doubly risky considering that the state does not acknowledge gambling contracts. This means it would be completely within a Georgia resident’s rights to simply walk away with any profits they may owe another player and that the profits cannot be recouped, even in a civil court.
Of course, the option to play poker in an informal home game always exists. While this action is still technically against Georgia law, as long as no profit is being collected for merely hosting the game (especially in the form of “rake” which is the percentage of each pot the casino or poker room usually takes as profit) there has never been a recorded incident of a home game being broken up by the police. For land-based, face to face poker, this seems to be a Georgia resident’s only option.
This can have an upside. In other states where there are state sanctioned poker rooms, options as per how to play are usually very limited. In a quietly run home game, one may usually play however they like. On the flipside, unless a player has friends who are big gamblers, they will probably not be playing for much profit.
Note: The information presented herein shouldn't be taken as legal advice. We are not lawyers, but rather a group of poker enthusiasts who want to explain some of the myths of playing poker online in Georgia.
As we already said, the media has done a less than perfect job at explaining the legal aspects, so this website is meant to point out some common misconceptions. If you believe that you need further and perhaps more accurate information, you are highly advised to consult with your legal representative.
