Online gambling will always be big business, but the recent boom surrounding US poker sites suggests that online versions of the world’s favorite card game could be the next major focus. With poker’s popularity around the world, is it just in the United States that we’re seeing growth, or is this a major movement around the world?
United States: Divided In So Many Ways
The United States seems to get more divisive every day. An outspoken celebrity billionaire in the White House and unrest among so many cultures…gambling has divided the population for an eternity, well before the current president kicked up a stink.
US poker sites are legal in several US states, including Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware. However, many states have limited interest in legalizing the pastime due to cultural beliefs.
Major states for development
California and Texas are the two biggest American states in terms of population. Therefore, the online poker world would love to get online poker legalized in these states. However, it’s proving to be a challenging task. California once had traction for regulation but has since stalled, whereas the political nous in the Lone Star State has stopped much movement for online poker.
This is in line with the consensus that online poker is flourishing in popularity in the United States as attitudes are changing for the better towards the pastime.
Europe’s differences
Europe and the United States of America are similar yet distinct. Both are huge landmasses with plenty of individual characters and governments that try to adhere to a larger rule. Europe has the European Union…while America has the state system. Both allow certain autonomy over their laws, especially those about online poker.
The United Kingdom is on board with online poker.
The United Kingdom might not have a rich poker history like the United States. Still, British citizens are free to gamble on online poker, which is far greater freedom than their American counterparts. It is completely legal to play online poker in the entirety of the United Kingdom, whether citizens live in England, Scotland, Wales, or even Northern Ireland (technically not part of the UK).
As of early 2025, the UK is regarded as the biggest and most lucrative market within the European continent.
Turkish players are out of luck.
People worldwide often visit Turkey for cosmetic surgeries like teeth whitening, dental reshaping, or even the infamous tummy tuck. However, one pastime that is not celebrated in Turkey is online poker. All forms of online gambling were outlawed in 2007, and the government makes it very hard to access these sites, with strict fines being issued to players and actively blocking domains.
Those who want to play online poker would be best doing so via a VPN or simply moving out of Turkey. However, this could change…Turkey is rapidly becoming one of the overseas visitors’ most visited foreign destinations – ranking fifth in 2023.
Sure, it’s tightly regulated now, but the state will see the enormous opportunity. More foreigners in Turkey will bring more opportunities for them to contribute to the bulging economy. Also, the Turkish population has a desire to gamble, as over 230,000 illegal betting websites were shut down. That’s money that the Turkish government could have earned tax on if they had regulated the pastime.
Legal but not regulated…
Few European countries fall into the twilight zone of online poker, where it is legal to play such games, but the activity is not regulated. This can be disheartening for some players, as they cannot get proper support from the local jurisdictions if something goes awry.
Countries that fall under this definition include Portugal, the Czech Republic, and the Republic of Ireland. Slovenia currently exists in this grey area; however, government regulation is pending, meaning that soon, it will be a better place for Slovenian online poker players.
Of course, there’s an extreme version of this—Switzerland technically outlaws online poker and all forms of online gambling in the country. However, to date (March 2025), they have made no real moves or actions to enforce this law, with a ‘we have more important issues to tackle’ stance. The same can be said about the attitudes and legal status in Iceland.
Then there is the Russian Federation. Russia has an excellent pedigree of poker players, making up some of the best in the world. It has all major tours and a healthy Russian roster. However, online poker isn’t technically legal in the entirety of the country, with only select local vendors allowed to provide services in their area.
