Online Poker In Alabama
- »Can You Play Legal Online Poker in the USA?
- Online Poker In Alabama
- Online Poker In Alabama Counties
- Online Poker In Alabama Online
- Online Poker In Alabama Wind Creek Casino
- Online Poker In Alabama Casinos
- Online Poker In Alabama Game
The latest Alabama online poker laws and legal information, by PokerAtlas. Find out when legal online casino games and internet poker will be available in AL. Play online poker in Alabama now - safely, 100% legally & get paid fast when you win. Read this no BS guide to AL poker sites! Read about Alabama's poker laws and legal system here. This review covers casino gambling and legal Alabama poker sites as well as the history of Alabama gambling. Alabama Poker Rooms: Search through our listing of poker rooms situated in Alabama in addition to listings of all the top online poker rooms.
2021 Update: Can I Play Online Poker in Alabama?
Alabama is a conservative state that’s opposed to gambling. But the governor recently ordered a study to look into expanding gambling. On 14, Feb. 2020, Gov. Kay Ivey signed Executive Order 719. This designated a team of a dozen people to look into expanding gaming in Alabama. It’s a step in the right direction. But no bill will be considered until the study is completed. That means there won’t be any bill until at least 2021.
A sports betting bill failed to pass in the state in 2019.. Alabama has historically resisted gambling, but with states desperate for new sources of revenue, the new study could change this. This could be good for online poker in the Yellowhammer State.
Online Poker and Gambling Laws in Alabama
Alabama’s a strict state. They have less gambling than most states out there. A big part of the opposition is social and religious. There are some forms of legal gambling though. In Alabama law, the definition of gambling is laid out in Section 13A-12-20 of the state statutes. It says:
“A person engages in gambling if he stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or someone else will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.”
The keyword here is chance. That encompasses a lot of things. While a federal judge ruled that poker is a game of skill, there’s definitely some chance involved.
Alabama’s law defines “chance” as:
- Any contest, game, gaming scheme or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein.”
Again, poker could fall under this category. There hasn’t been any legislation regarding online poker though. Most gambling laws in Alabama are a bit dated. All gambling legislation is held up until the new study is completed. In the last 20 years there have been around 180 gambling-related bills in the state.
Can I Play PokerStars in Alabama?
Sorry, not yet. While PokerStars was one of the most popular poker sites before Black Friday, it’s only available in two now. Alabama isn’t one of those. Those states also have state-regulated online poker, something that seems pretty far off in Alabama. Despite that, you can still get your poker fix in Alabama. Some sites accept players from all 50 states, including Alabama. If you’re looking for PokerStars alternatives available in the state, Ignition Poker or Intertops Poker accept players from across the US. We’ve reviewed several other sites too, so check out our top PokerStars alternatives for US players:
Online Poker In Alabama
Legal Gambling in Alabama
These are the three legal forms of gambling in Alabama. The state has tribal casinos, pari-mutuel betting and charitable gaming. Alabama is one of the few states to not have a lottery though.
There are three tribal casinos in Alabama. They’re owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. It’s operated by PCI Gaming, and the Gaming Authority of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The three casinos are:
- Creek Casino Montgomery
- Creek Casino Wetumpka
- Wind Creek Casino & Hotel
They are all Class II casinos, which means that the only games offered are bingo and electronic slots.
Although pari-mutuel betting is slowly on the decline in popularity, it still has a rich history tied to it.Visit this link to find all the gambling laws on pari-mutuel wagering.
Anyone who wants to run a charitable gaming event must get a license. Bingo halls are also popular in the state and are mostly run by non-profits. Even a bingo night for charity is under a close microscope.
We’ll tell you if this changes. That depends on the study! Once the results are out we’ll update you.
Online Poker In Alabama Counties
Specific State-by-State Laws
Alabama – Alaska – Arizona – Arkansas – California – Colorado – Connecticut – Florida – Georgia – Hawaii – Idaho – Illinois – Indiana – Iowa – Kansas – Kentucky – Louisiana – Maine – Maryland – Massachusetts – Michigan – Minnesota – Mississippi – Missouri – Montana – Nebraska – New Hampshire – New Mexico – New York – North Carolina – North Dakota – Ohio – Oklahoma – Oregon – Pennsylvania – Rhode Island – South Carolina – Tennessee – Texas – Utah – Vermont – Virginia – Washington – West Virginia – Wisconsin – Wyoming
Alabama is the twenty-third most populated state in the United States, consisting of approximately 4.8 million residents spread over sixty-seven counties, with a significant divide between the politics of cities (Republican) and rural areas (Democratic).
The State´s constitution was enacted in 1901 [1] – a relevant date for online poker and other gambling laws in Alabama, because the terminology of Article IV § 65 laid the foundations of how gambling in Alabama would be interpreted for more than 100 years:
The Legislature shall have no power to authorize lotteries or gift enterprises for any purposes, and shall pass laws to prohibit the sale in this State of lottery or gift enterprise tickets, or tickets in any scheme in the nature of a lottery; and all acts, or parts of acts heretofore passed by the Legislature of this state, authorizing a lottery or lotteries, and all acts amendatory thereof, or supplemental thereto, are hereby avoided.
Can I Play Online Poker if I Live in Alabama?
Technically – it is a grey area. Online poker was not a consideration back in 1901 when the constitution was drafted, and subsequent interpretations of the law have been influenced by issues that needed resolving at the time – none of which have concerned online poker.
In 1975 the Code of Alabama [2] defined gambling as the payment of (1) consideration, for the (2) chance to win (3) a prize
, but this definition was muddied when the Alabama Supreme Court paved the way for pari-mutuel betting at the state´s horseracing and greyhound tracks by stating that picking a winner at the racetrack required a certain element of skill and not entirely attributable to luck.
The argument that online poker is a game of skill would certainly place poker outside of any legislation relevant to lotteries and games of luck and, if you are a skilled poker player, you would be welcome at any of these real money poker sites.
Is it Legal to Play Online Poker in Alabama?
Whether or not it is legal to play online poker in Alabama is another grey area. There is no statute making it illegal, and nobody has ever been prosecuted for playing online poker in Alabama; however there are a couple of sections in the afore-mentioned Code of Alabama which could give opponents of online gambling reason to claim that you – or the websites on which you are playing – are breaking the law.
§ 13A-12-27 prohibits possession of a gambling device to be used in the advancement of unlawful gambling activity
and classifies such criminal activity as a Class A misdemeanor. The Code was introduced twenty-three years before the first online poker website opened its virtual doors in 1998 [3] so the argument that a computer is a gambling device
in a strict interpretation of the Code would not be difficult to discredit.
More of a concern might be § 13A-12-22 of the Code – making it a Class A misdemeanor for an individual or business to profit from unlawful gambling activity otherwise than as a player
, as this section could, in theory, affect poker sites that charge a rake or fee for providing an online service
However, as the maximum financial penalty for a Class A misdemeanor in Alabama is $6,000 [4] – and the courts are reluctant to fill Alabama jails with miscreants – it would cost more to pursue legal action against a player or an online poker site than the amount of the fine that would be recovered – so nobody bothers.
The History of Gambling Legislation in Alabama
The complexity of Alabama legislation is illustrated by the fact that the text of the State´s constitution is forty times longer than that of the US constitution, and this has contributed to a long and complicated history of gambling in Alabama.
Further complications exist due to the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 [5] which allowed tribes to establish casinos on their own land so that the reservations could become more self-sufficient. The state´s Poarch Tribe took full advantage of the Act and opened three brick and mortar casinos – although they are only allowed to offer gambling on slots and bingo.
In more recent years, it has also been alleged that Indian Tribes in Mississippi have made significant contributions to the campaign funds of Republican Governors (most notably Bob Riley, Governor from 2003 to 2011 [6]) to suppress any attempts made to legalize gambling in Alabama and protect their own casino operations.
The following is a timeline of some other notable dates in the history of Alabama´s gambling legislation:
Post Civil War – Alabama allows residents to participate in state-sponsored lotteries and draws; however many residents are drawn to the more competitive lotteries of neighboring States, and Alabama fails to generate any significant revenue from its own efforts.
1901 – Alabama had already withdrawn its lottery charter in 1879 and took its revenge on residents who had failed to support the State´s public projects (through lottery funding) by prohibiting gambling altogether in its Constitution.
1930 – Phoenix City goes bankrupt and licenses operators
(the mob) to financially rescue the city. The licenses were repealed
1954 when the Alabama National Guard was called-in following the assassination of Attorney General Albert Patterson, who had been voted in to clean up the city
. [7]
Online Poker In Alabama Online
1971 – Alabama allows pari-mutuel style betting at the State´s greyhound and horseracing tracks after the Supreme Court rules that picking the winner of a race requires an element of skill. Greyhound racing begins in 1973, and horseracing in 1987.
1980 – Jefferson County became the first county to authorize bingo for a limited number of charities [8]. Since then eighteen further counties or cities have permitted non-profit organizations to host games of bingo for charitable or educational purposes.
2011 – The first act of Alabama´s incoming Governor – Robert J Bentley – is to disband Bob Riley´s Task Force on Illegal Gambling
and return the control of overseeing gambling legislation in Alabama to the Attorney General´s office. [9]
2012 – Republican representatives attempt to introduce a Bill [10] that would re-classify gambling in Alabama as a Class C Felony (up to ten years imprisonment and maximum $10,000 fine – the same penalty as for criminally negligent homicide). The Bill dies through lack of support.
The Current Situation Regarding Online Poker in Alabama
Currently the momentum to do anything about online poker in Alabama seems to have come to a stand-still. If ever a federal online gaming bill is passed, it is likely that the State of Alabama would exercise its right to opt-out of the legislation, and it is unlikely that the Poarch Tribe would be offered an exclusion to run their own games of poker.
None of the State´s racetracks have indicated any interest in expanding into poker (as they have in Delaware) and, with a limited population to provide a significant database of players (Alabama´s population is about a tenth of the size of Spain´s), it is not likely that too many online poker sites would be that concerned about it!
Poker´s Big Winners from Alabama
Alabama´s most successful poker player is Hoyt Corkins – who has almost $6 million in live poker career earnings [11] – and recently several poker players from Alabama have scooped gold bracelets at the World Series of Poker, including Herb Tapscott from Hartselle (winner of Event #8 in 2012 for $264,400) and Cory Harrison from Bessemer (winner of Event #24 in 2013 for $432,411).
Tapscott said in a post-victory interview that it was playing online poker that kept his skills sharp, while Harrison – who has a Ph.D. in cellular molecular biology and is a teacher at the Stillman College and Lawson State Community College – is a firm believer that successful poker is attributable to a balance of mathematics and skill [12].
The Chances of Alabama Online Poker being Regulated in the Future
Of the fifty States most likely to regulate online poker in the future, you would have to say that Alabama would feature in the bottom 10%. The State has an anti-poker history, it would not be financially viable for regulated poker sites to operate with such a limited database of players, and poker players in Alabama are already warmly welcomed by online poker sites in other jurisdictions.
While the situation remains as it is, we are fairly confident that players will be able to continue using the existing poker sites available to them without any realistic threat to their liberty!
References
[1] ↑Alabama Constitution 1901[2] ↑Code of Alabama 1975
[3] ↑First Online Poker Site Launches
[4] ↑Penalties and Fines for Felony and Misdemeanor Offenses in Alabama
[5] ↑Indian Gaming Regulatory Act 1988
[6] ↑Choctaws Spent $13 Million to Elect Riley
[7] ↑The Story of Phoenix City
[8] ↑Alabama Charitable Gaming Laws
Online Poker In Alabama Wind Creek Casino
[9] ↑Attorney General´s Memorandum to Alabama Law Enforcement Personnel
Online Poker In Alabama Casinos
[10] ↑Alabama House Bill 414[11] ↑The Hendon Mob Database – Hoyt Corkins