Poker Near Virginia Beach
Is It Legal to Play Poker in Virginia?
Virginia is one of the few states that doesn’t allow organized card clubs/casinos, but is perfectly fine with private home poker games. Sure they have restrictions, but most of your friendly home games are good to go. On top of that, you can play online poker in most circumstances even under the federal law.
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Does Virginia Have Organized Poker Rooms?
No, short of horse racing and the state-sponsored loterry, Virginia doesn’t condone any sort of formalized gambling. This means there are no casinos, no slot machines, and definitely no poker rooms. Many Virginian gamblers find that the best way to get their fix is to go to their neighboring states, such as West Virginia, where casinos (now with table games) are available.
This mass exodus of gamblers every weekend has definitely captured the attention of lawmakers who see nothing more than money pouring out of their state, but for the moment, they seem content with the current laws, and very little has been done to try to change anything. In the next few years, we will probably see a few small changes that allow some (heavily restricted) growth in Virginia’s crippled gambling industry.
Are Home Games Legal in Virginia?
Even though we saw earlier that gambling has generally been made illegal, § 18.2-334 of the Virginia Penal code makes home games a complete exception, “Nothing in this article shall be construed to make it illegal to participate in a game of chance conducted in a private residence, provided such private residence is not commonly used for such games of chance and there is no operator as defined in subsection 4 of § 18.2-325.”
To qualify the person who is hosting the game cannot act as an operator in the legal sense of the word. To accomplish this, simply do not attempt to profit from running the game. You cannot charge players to sit at the table, and you cannot rake the pot. As long as you, the host, are just another player, the game is completely legal.
Playing Poker Online in the State of Virginia
Virginia has yet to actually make a law regarding online poker. As it stands right now, you’ll just have to try to apply their standard laws to the digital world. For instance, you can legally play poker online, but if you wanted to start your own poker website (for profit) then you would be in clear violation of the law.
From the federal level, operating a poker website is extremely illegal, and there are also a lot of restrictions on the banks that deal with online poker rooms. As for normal online poker players, the federal government has never made a law against online gambling, nor have they ever arrested or prosecuted anyone for playing poker online. At worst, your credit card company may not be allowed to send your money, in the form of a deposit, to an online poker company due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.
West Virginia - West Virginia Poker
Washington - Washington Poker Laws
Wisconsin - Wisconsin Poker Laws
Wyoming - Wyoming Poker Law
Virginia Online Poker Law
As one of the strictest gambling states in the nation, Virginians who play online poker most likely have a significant wait until the state’s lawmakers decide poker is not gambling and stop taking a draconian attitude against the online poker industry.
As of late 2013, there was no online poker or gambling bills proposed, and online poker is not on the lips of any of the lawmakers. In fact, in 2011, lawmakers closed several loopholes that may have opened the gates for those Internet cafes that have swept through some southern states. The law change made online gambling explicitly illegal.
The sponsor of the bill, Clifford L. “Clay” Athey Jr., gave a typical, over-the-top declaration when it was approved by his colleagues.
“The Virginia General Assembly stood up today for Virginia values and left (in) Las Vegas what belongs in Las Vegas.”
So at least we know Virginians remain safe from the Las Vegas boogeyman with good ole Clay at the helm. The law change is very much in line with the conservative status of Virginian Assembly folks, but change may be coming. Virginians elected a Democrat governor in 2013, and a few more moderates took seats away from some of the more hardcore conservatives.
Virginia has been a little harsh on its poker players. The two main sponsors of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 are Virginia Congressmen. Also, at one time there used to be almost a dozen of poker rooms that operated as clubs, but around 2010, the authorities said enough was enough and forced them to shut down. A restaurateur was even arrested and charged with a felony for holding a poker game at his house that consisted of friends and family members.
The man argued that since poker is a game of skill, it doesn’t fall in line with how current gambling law is written. The case was appealed to the state’s Supreme Court, which refused to wade into the debate and allowed the case against the gentleman to go forward.
When Can I Play Online Poker in Virginia?
Although there’s going to be significant resistance to online gambling legalization, online poker legalization has a chance in Virginia. A standalone online poker bill would definitely make for an easier fight. The newer anti-Internet gambling law would have to be contended with, but if, by some miracle, poker is legally declared a game of skill — a longshot for sure in Virginia — then the new laws wouldn’t apply to online poker.
With no chatter coming from Virginian lawmakers about online poker legalization, Virginian online poker players have to hope for the Federal Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013 somehow squeezes through. But as states around Virginia began to allow their residents to play online poker, look for lawmakers to re-evaluate the online poker issue. Without a federal law, Virginia will remain an online poker wasteland until at least 2020.