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Legal Gambling & Poker Laws in Missouri
At any time of day, it’s a good bet that people are playing online poker in Missouri. You could be looking at a high-stakes game, or perhaps a more casual game among friends.
Most of the hands of poker played in Missouri are played online, and because of this, it is important for us to shed some light on this area. We are going to cover extensively in our Guide to Missouri Online Poker.
One of the most common questions we receive is: “Can I play poker online if I live in Missouri?“. The answer is yes. Missouri does not have any laws that state it is illegal to play online poker, and there are a number of online poker sites that accept players from Missouri.
Top Sites for Online Poker in Missouri
Missouri Gambling & Poker Laws Summarized
| Type/Code | Summary |
|---|---|
| State Code Section(s) | XXI.313; XXXVIII. 572 |
| Definitions | Gambling: A person stakes or risks something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his or her control or influence, upon an agreement or understanding that he or she will receive something of value in the event of a certain outcome.Gambling device: Any device, machine, paraphernalia or equipment that is used or usable in the playing phases of any gambling activity, whether that activity consists of gambling between persons or gambling by a person with a machine.Professional player: A player who engages in gambling for a livelihood or who has derived at least twenty percent of his or her income in any one year within the past five years from acting solely as a player.Contest of chance: Any contest, game, gaming scheme or gaming device in which the outcome depends in a material degree upon an element of chance, notwithstanding that the skill of the contestants may also be a factor therein. |
| Online Poker/Gambling | There have been no efforts to legalize online poker or casino games in Missouri, and it is an unlikely proposition in the coming years. |
| Live Poker | All of the Missouri casinos have poker rooms offering cash games, and some offer tournaments as well. |
| Casinos | Casinos on riverboats – or within a certain proximity of bodies of water – are legal, and there are more than a dozen of them operating in Missouri as fully functional facilities. |
| Sports Betting | Lawmakers in both houses of the state legislature are considering versions of the Comprehensive Missouri Sports Betting and Sports Protection Act to legalize sports betting in 2018. |
| DFS | Missouri passed the Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act in 2016 to legalize fantasy sports contests. |
| Other Forms of Gambling | Lottery, bingo, charitable gaming, horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering. |
Is Online Poker Legal in Missouri?
Can I play real poker online legally in Missouri? Is it legal to participate in real-money games of poker over the Internet? These are common questions we get from readers, and our answer is always the same. While we can provide you with basic facts about the law, questions about the legality of online poker can only be answered by a lawyer.
We know that state law can be a complex and convoluted thing. Therefore, we’ve assembled some of the critical parts into an easy-to-read list that should give you the broad strokes of gambling law in Missouri.
What Counts as Gambling in Missouri?
An activity has to be unlicensed by the state and must require a person to stake or risk
“something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance or a future contingent event not under his control or influence” (Section 572.010(4).
Participating in such activity is a misdemeanor in Missouri.
The One Exception:
Social gambling (no house, in private, occurring among people with a genuine social relationship) is permitted and not required to be licensed (Section 572.010(8)).
Missouri has one quirk of law that should be of special interest to poker players. Moreover, if you are a “professional player” – defined as someone who has earned a minimum of 20% of their yearly income in any of the last 5 years (Section 572.010(9)), you face a much stiffer charge for illegal gambling – it’s a class D felony.
Profiting from the operation of illegal gambling activity – a concept defined quite broadly by Missouri – can range from a misdemeanor to a felony depending on the size of the operation and whether or not it involves bookmaking or a lottery (Section 572.030-040).
“Possession of a gambling device” (Section 572.070) is defined in a similarly broad fashion and could easily include the cards and chips used in a card game, and perhaps even the software and computer involved in an online game of poker.
The above represents only our summary of what we consider to be the key points of Missouri online poker laws. For the complete text of the Missouri statutes, visit the webpage for the Missouri Secretary of State .
Will Missouri Regulate Online Poker?
We doubt that Missouri will lead the way when it comes to online poker regulation. However, a few factors give us confidence that the state would follow along if a broader, national trend of regulation took place. The first factor is the presence of several major casino corporations in the state. This is a force that will be keen to push online poker regulation for competitive reasons. The second is the state’s general willingness to embark on gambling expansion. The third is the condition of the state budget (poor) and the need to rectify that situation (pressing). Put it all together and you get a reasonable case that Missouri won’t buck a nationwide push to bring regulated online poker to American players.
Missouri: Poker, Gaming and Gambling
Missouri’s relationship with gambling mirrors that of its more conservative neighbors. While the state certainly had its fair share of unregulated gambling during the 1800s and early 1900s, it took quite some time for Missouri to embrace those elements and craft them into a regulated gambling industry. For example, Missouri was relatively late to introduce a lottery, selling their first tickets in 1986. This was over 20 years after New Hampshire kicked off the legal lotto revival in the US.
Overview of Regulated Gambling Options in Missouri
The state lottery remains in operation today, and is one of a diverse menu of regulated gambling activities in Missouri. The riverboat casino is the dominant form, with a double-digit tally of the gaming vessels spread across the state’s waterways. Tribes are also a presence in Missouri’s gambling industry, which suffers only from a lack of racetracks and pari-mutuel wagering.
Overview of Missouri-Regulated Online Gambling
The state of Missouri does not directly regulate any form of online gambling, including online poker. The state’s fondness for gambling indicates that regulated online poker could come to the state at some point. However, we don’t see a clear path to state-backed online gambling in the status quo.
Missouri Poker & Gambling Research Sources
AGA Missouri Overview. Resource from the American Gaming Association that provides a snapshot of the gambling industry in the state of Missouri. Access quick facts about the revenue, regulation and scope of regulated gambling within Missouri’s borders.
Missouri Gaming Commission. Self-exclusion, financial statements, licensee information and a host of other facts, forms and resources at the home page for the agency primarily responsible for gambling regulation.
Missouri Gaming Association. Trade group representing the majority of licensed operators in Missouri. Litany of articles, papers and other information related to Missouri’s regulated gambling industry.
Missouri’s Place in Poker History
Certainly not thought of as a poker epicenter, Missouri surprises many when they learn of the state’s varied connections to some of poker’s biggest stories. Two World Series of Poker champions have ties to Missouri. Greg Raymer attended college there, and 2006 winner Jamie Gold was born in the state.
Gold isn’t the only poker notable to come out of Missouri. One of the original stars of poker, Mike Caro, is a native of Joplin. Noted for his books and videos, Caro crafted the first AI-based poker opponent, which he debuted at the 1984 WSOP.
All Poker and Gambling Laws by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Missouri in the News
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Illinois and Missouri Lawmakers Each Try to Expand Gambling in Their States
Legislative efforts are underway in Illinois and Missouri to expand gambling. Both initiatives seek to expand the number of places
Russian Casino Cheats Targeted Slot Machines in US Casinos in 2014
Russian casino cheats engineered a software program which made American slot machines go haywire in June 2014, according to a
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