Poker put Internet gambling on the map back in the early 2000s, but real-money mobile poker apps have made the pastime a daily part of the lives of tens of millions of players worldwide. What once required a desktop computer and dedicated software now runs on iPhones, Androids, and other mobile devices, completely in the cloud.

Mobile poker is the most popular form of competitive gambling on the Internet, so there are literally thousands of online poker rooms available through mobile gambling apps. But nobody wants a bad site to bluff them out of a good hand, which is why it’s important to stick with an honest, reputable dealer. To find out how to safely play online mobile poker with the best brands in the business, you’ve come to the right table.

Quick Guide to Playing Android Poker for Real Money Android online poker sites are springing up all over the place. As Android-powered mobiles continue to gain market share, online poker sites are tripping over each other to offer Android poker games. We'll sort out which US Android poker sites. To play real money poker on your phone or tablet, just like at typical online poker sites, mobile poker will require you to register a new poker account and make an initial deposit. Furthermore, as is true in standard online poker, with this initial deposit comes a mobile poker bonus that will earn you extra cash for playing mobile poker.

SUMMARY

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Are Mobile Poker Apps Legal To Use?

Mobile poker apps are largely safe to use, if not explicitly legal. This is due to the way US laws tend to be written. In five states (DE, NJ, NV, PA, WV), online poker is authorized by name, while in three states (LA, UT, WA), mobile poker sites are expressly illegal.

In every other state, the activity is considered “unregulated.” That means that there are no laws against it, and participating is completely safe. While you can access offshore mobile poker sites in the three states where domestic law bars the activity, you do so at your own risk.

State-Licensed Mobile Poker Apps

In the US, gambling operators can only offer official apps through the App Store or Google Play store in states that explicitly allow online poker rooms. There aren’t many of those currently, though the number is growing. If you live in any of the following states, you can enjoy state-licensed mobile poker apps:

• Nevada (legalized 2011)
• New Jersey (2013)
• Delaware (2013)
• West Virginia (2018, launch pending)
• Pennsylvania (2018, launch pending)

Offshore Mobile Poker Apps

If you live in the remaining 46 US states or abroad in select countries, you will need a different option, as state-licensed poker apps are geofenced. Fortunately, all the best offshore gambling sites offer mobile-optimized poker apps. These web apps require no program downloads, no special updates, and no extra storage space on your handset or tablet. All you need is a modern mobile device, a web browser, and an Internet connection, and you can play in real-money poker rooms and participate in daily and weekly online poker tournaments whenever you wish. Most of the brands we recommend also offer mobile sports betting apps and casino apps that can be played on a mobile device.

Mobile Poker Platforms

The main platforms in play when it comes to mobile devices, at least from the end user’s perspective, are iPhones and Android phones. These use the iOS and Android operating systems, respectively, and they are by far the most popular mobile platforms in the world.

That said, our recommended mobile poker apps and sites will also run on Windows Phone handsets and Blackberry devices, for those few dinosaurs out there who still use them. And of course, any sort of modern tablet (iPad, Galaxy Tab, Kindle Fire, etc.) is compatible with these services, too. Still, iPhone poker and Android poker apps retain the most traffic.

Mobile Poker Game Types

The selection of mobile poker game types runs the gamut, but the most popular kinds of poker in online poker rooms and tournaments are of the so-called “flop” variety. These include Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha, and their basic variants (like Omaha Hi/Lo). Draw and stud poker are also available at most poker sites, but flop games reign supreme online.

When it comes to where to play these games, outside of picking the site itself, there is only one mobile poker venue that matters to the serious enthusiast: the poker room. While many offshore poker sites focus heavily on live dealer or RNG/video poker, real poker means other players, and the best online poker rooms put those competitive tables right in your palm. Talk about a good hand!

Mobile Poker Tournaments

The bread and butter for any seasoned poker player is the online tournament. Though the World Series of Poker popularized this format in the 1970s, nothing beats the modern version, allowing you to join high-dollar tournaments whenever you want, wherever you are.

The best mobile poker sites have tournaments available 24/7, with prize pools ranging from a few hundred dollars to a million bucks or more! While single-table online cash games are wildly popular, too, nothing beats hitting the jackpot in a last-man-standing tournament poker event.

Mobile Poker Apps FAQs

Why are there no real-money mobile poker apps in the App Store or Google Play store?

In most states, you won’t find any real-money poker apps in the App Store or on Google Play. This is due to Apple and Google corporate policies that only allow paid gambling apps in states where those apps are explicitly legal and licensed to operate. However, the best mobile poker sites all offer browser-based web apps to players nationwide.

Can I play multiple poker games at once on my mobile device?

At most sites, yes. Playing multiple poker games at once is a legitimate strategy that many players use. Single-table cash games are the most popular format for this style of play, but it is also possible during tournament play. However, be warned: the smaller screen of your mobile device doesn’t always lend itself to this, and effectively playing multiple games at once requires lots of skill and experience.

My device is a few years old. Will it still run mobile poker apps?

Probably. As a general rule, any phone or tablet older than 2-3 generations (3-5 years) will suffer from performance issues when you try to play real-money poker online. Most people tend to replace their smartphones relatively frequently, but tablet users may have to consider upgrading if their devices are freezing up on them.

Can I switch between my phone and tablet to play the same poker game?

Not at this time. For security and stability purposes, the best mobile poker sites and apps only allow a user to log in from one device at a time. Due to the live nature of online poker rooms and tournament play, logging out to sign back in on a different device while sitting at a live table is a nonstarter.

Should I accept the welcome bonus at my mobile poker site?

This depends on how large your associated deposit is and how frequently you intend to play. Generally, the higher the rollover requirement, the less likely the casual player will be able to reasonably meet the bonus terms. High rollers and frequent players will usually take all the bonuses they can get.

What is the best way to fund my mobile poker account?

If you’re looking for the fastest way to fund your mobile poker account, credit or debit (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) is the way to go. If you want the best combination of speed, security, and payout support, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are the preferred banking method.

What if I lose my Internet connection in the middle of a game?

All mobile poker sites have similar rules in place for just such a contingency (which is thankfully less common than it used to be). The mobile poker apps and sites we recommend have disconnection protection policies, where if a player is kicked offline, they will have their turns set to “auto fold” or similar until they return.

CA is home to nearly 100 real money poker card rooms, 68 tribal casinos and a plethora of horseracing tracks and thanks to all those real cash gambling options, many people say California, and not Las Vegas, is the gambling capital of the United States. High stakes poker betting pros and rich businessmen alike flock to the state to play in some of the biggest real cash poker and casino games and tournaments in the world. Gigantic casinos like the Commerce attract millions of tourists to California each and every year, rivalling historic landmarks like the Hollywood Walk of Fame in popularity. Remember though, all these 2020 betting options are at land based casinos not poker websites or Internet casinos.

Due to its nearly 38 million residents, California is on the radar of just about every state that has already passed, or is in the process of passing, laws that legalize regulated Internet gambling and lawful real money Internet poker. Interstate compacts involving California would do wonders for the popularity of online poker websites in the United States.

However, although committees have been trying to hash out a plan that would bring legal Internet poker to California for some time, no new gambling legislation has actually been passed yet. But make no mistake; California is undoubtedly the state most likely to pass an iGaming bill in the very near future and open up casinos and poker websites to CA residents.

Avid poker players in The Golden State will have no trouble at all signing up for an account at any one of our real money US poker sites.

PokerStars Forges Historic Partnership With Morongo Tribe, California Cardrooms

Quick Jump

• 6 The Facts

In a joint press release submitted by the Rational Group, the Morongo Tribe of Mission Indians and three of California’s largest real cash poker cardrooms (the Commerce, the Bicycle and the Hawaii Gardens Casino), the group announced its plans to bring regulated online poker to the Golden State. PokerStars would not only serve as a sub-contractor for the conglomerate, but become their front facing brand and provide lawful Internet poker to betting fans in CA.

In a display of impeccable timing, the release was issued during a hearing held by the State Assembly’s Committee on Governmental Organization to discuss the fiscal and public policy implications of legalizing online real money poker in California.

Currently in 2020, the bills up for consideration by legislatures both call for a “bad actor” clause, which would effectively eliminate the world’s biggest Internet poker gambling provider, PokerStars from the equation.

The bad actor issue may inevitably delay the passage of a regulatory gaming act in California and cause serious delays on bringing legit poker gambling on the Internet to long suffering players in CA.

Latest California Poker News

Can Players from California Play Online Poker?

Yes. Although online Internet poker will likely not be regulated by the state of California for another year, players are free to sign up with over a dozen real-money poker websites offering real money poker gambling to United States citizens, which is great news for poker gambling fans. Compare this to other states, like New York and Washington that make it difficult for players to start betting on Internet poker anywhere.

Is Online Poker Legal in California?

Although we are not an authority on the legality of Internet poker in California, we have researched this issue extensively. Listed below are several points of interest concerning 2020‘s current California real cash gambling laws:

• Online poker is not regulated by the state of California.
• Commercial casinos are authorized by the state of CA, however games where the outcome of each bet is determined by dice alone, such as craps, cannot be operated by card rooms that offer games like real money poker.
• Tribal casinos are authorized by the state and can house non-card games like craps.
• Sports betting is not authorized by the state of California.
• Various forms of lotteries are authorized by the state
• All forms of real money poker gambling are authorized by the state, except online Internet poker.
• There is no California law directly prohibiting or criminalizing the act of placing a wager at a poker websites online.
• Internet horseracing is authorized.

For a more comprehensive look at California gambling laws, interested parties are encouraged to read the latest edition of the Gambling Law, Regulations, and Resource Information – 2020 edition ^[1].

Poker players in California are advised to research the CA state laws before concluding as to whether online Internet poker is legal or not. Remember, there is a distinct difference between something being ‘prohibited’ and ‘non-regulated.’ Brian Mickers wrote a great article on the topic of lawful poker websites; one that provides in-depth insight into the issue of Internet poker [2].

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Recent Developments

In 2013, three separate pieces of real cash Internet poker legislation were introduced in California. They were:

• SB 51 – Senator Roderick Wright’s “Internet Gambling Consumer Protection and Public-Private Partnership Act of 2013”
• SB 678 – Senator Lou Correa’s “Authorization and Regulation of Internet Poker and Consumer Protection Act of 2013”
• The Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2013 – An online poker bill sponsored by eight California tribes.

The Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2015 was filed by Assemblyman Mark Gatto. The bill would legalize Internet poker but keep the ‘bad actor’ clause which bans poker operators who have violated the law before.

Besides Gatto’s 2015 Act, the he aforementioned lawful poker bills have all failed to generate much momentum in government, largely because of the influx of infighting among California State’s varied gambling interests at the time. Tribal casinos enjoy several tax advantages in the real money betting world, and may not be willing to give up a piece of revenue generated through real cash poker website profits. They’re also adamantly against interstate compacts and racetrack participation. Others feel that online Internet poker companies should only be allowed to operate through card rooms based in CA and bring betting fans a slice of the Internet Texas Hold’em action.

That, and there was little evidence from other states besides California as to the viability of a lawful Internet poker market.

Joe Correa made SB 678 severable. This means that if any portion of the gambling websites bill is deemed unacceptable it can be made invalid immediately. By taking this urgent measure, Correa hoped to get SB 678 enacted into law before the September 6, 2013 deadline. It didn’t work, and the issue of legit real money Internet poker was put off until 2014 [3].

Then, at the February 2014 legislative deadline, two new poker gambling website bills were introduced:

• SB 1366: Effectively a rehash of SB 678; backed by San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
• AB 2291: Introduced by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer, AB 2291 is essentially the assembly version of SB 1366.

Unfortunately, all parties could not reach an agreement about the terms of the new regulations before the end of the 2014 session, meaning the bills were dumped.

In December 2014, Assemblyman Mike Gatto took over the online poker cause and filed a new bill, AB9. Its full title is the Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2015 and it aims to bring regulated legal online poker to CA.

Notable aspects of the bills include:

• The real cash poker Internet bill would require provisions that would ensure the safety of player funds.
• The minimum age to play online Internet poker in the state of California would be 21.
• Players must be located within the State of California in order to start gambling on real money poker websites.
• Betting companies that violate federal law would not be permitted to set up poker gambling and casino operations.
• All online poker website software would have to include self-exclusion features such as loss limits and time-outs for real cash poker players to implement themselves.
• Licenses for real money Internet poker would be valid for 10 years, non-transferable and cost $5 million.
• Regulations would go into effect within 270 days of passage.

The Facts

The History of Gambling in California

1850

1850

Even before California became a state, card rooms have been up and running since 1850. These were also known as “California Casinos” or “Card Clubs”.

1933

1933

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California’s gambling industry grew in 1933, with the introduction of horse race wagering. The California Constitution was amended for this to take place and 6 major horse racetracks were introduced to the state. In addition, over 30 off-track betting locations were spread throughout the state.

1984

1984

Due to Proposition 37, State lottery was introduced to California, which has been incredibly successful to this day.

1988

1988

The ‘Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’ was the main reason why gambling became even more popular throughout the State in the late 90’s. As a result of this, negotiations began with tribes (more than 50) and Bingo type games were the premise of these negotiations.

2000

2000

A law was passed in this year which fully legalised casino gambling on tribal lands. This gave the tribes an opportunity to negotiate their compacts and come to an agreement of what machines and table games they can offer in their casinos.

2010

2010

With the rise of internet gambling , California joined the craze and introduced horse racing betting over the internet. Which ultimately led to other forms of internet gambling being introduced in the near future.

2012

2012

The Californian Senate had a busy year with various bills to legalize and regulate online poker being put forward. It wasn’t clear whether the tribes would be a part of regulating and licensing online poker operators, but the idea was definitely being pushed forward.

2014

2014

Due to other states in the country legalising online poker, California was beginning to look like the next one on the list as two more bills were introduced to the Senate. Online poker is still up in the air in this state, but it is showing signs of potential for the near future.

California’s gambling roots can be traced all the way back to the gold rush and the ever popular Texas Hold’em poker game. As early as 1850, the predominately male population of prospectors and miners in CA demanded a masculine form of entertainment. Within mere months, licensed and unsolicited card rooms offering real cash poker games began popping up everywhere. Throughout the next several decades gambling’s popularity died down in California, not re-emerging until the early 1930’s.

In 1907, the Santa Anita Park – one of the most prestigious horseracing tracks in the entire world – opened its doors. However, it wouldn’t be until 1933 that real money gambling on horseracing was legalized in CA. Its legalization caused the relatively dormant poker betting and casino gambling industry to thrive. With the passing of a proposition in 1984 that legalized a statewide lottery, gambling became somewhat of a leisurely, everyday activity for real cash poker fans in CA and for other betting fans.

Around this time countless casinos were constructed; many of them home to poker rooms featuring upwards of 100 to 200 tables and offering classic Texas Hold’em real money poker games and many other popular poker variants. At 240 tables strong, the Los Angeles Commerce Casino [4] houses one of the largest poker gambling rooms not only in California but in the entire world.

Native American owned casinos became popular in the early 2000s. Tribal casinos enjoy several distinct advantages over traditional real cash legit poker card rooms including tax regulation, governing lease arrangements and the ability to offer legal gambling games besides real money poker, such as craps and roulette.

Poker players in California have a good chance of eventually being able to play poker online at legal US poker rooms.

Regulated Gambling Options In California

California is home to more gambling facilities than every state in the US outside of Nevada. It features over 100 legal poker card rooms, 68 tribal casinos, six racetracks and over 21,000 retail outlets licensed to sell lottery tickets. All told, citizens of the Golden State can rarely walk a block without running into some sort of lawful gambling outlet.

The Future Of Regulated Online Gambling In California

Right now, residents of California are permitted to engage in Internet betting on horseracing. All other forms of gambling, including online Internet poker for real cash, are not regulated by the state in 2020. However, it does appear that most of the CA State’s gambling powers are finally on board with online Internet poker-only website legislation. Expect them to come to terms shortly.

The Bottom Line

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Given its massive population, if California passes legislation legalizing online poker in The Golden State the Federal Government would be forced to notice – especially if it decides to hold firm on its stance regarding interstate compacts. In fact, some say that California could easily dominate the real money Internet poker website market.

California will undoubtedly enter the Internet poker and gambling arena at some point. The real question is when the legal poker and casino betting websites will start to hit the web. Before PokerStars re-entered the picture, it appeared as though CA State was on target for a mid-2015 launch of legit Internet poker. Now, whether legal online poker comes to California depends on how quickly rival factions can come to terms regarding the inclusion or exclusion of a bad actor clause.

References

[1] ↑ California – Gambling Law, Regulations, and Resource Information

[2] ↑California Online Poker Bill Filed Away Until Next Year

[3] ↑The Commerce Casino and Hotel

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