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Online Poker in Idaho - Is It Legal in 2025?
Idaho is one of the most restrictive states in the US when it comes to poker. The Gem State has some of the toughest gambling laws around, with poker banned in every form. This means you can't possibly find a legalized online poker room to play for real money. Let’s take a closer look at the gambling laws in the state, the history behind them, and the limited choices of the best poker sites for Idaho players in 2025.
Top online poker sites for Idaho players
Idaho is against any kind of gambling, including poker. So, naturally, poker fans in the state can only choose between offshore online poker sites and sweepstakes platforms for their gaming experience. Even so, finding the right site for your gaming needs and preferences may be challenging.
Thus, we’ve carefully reviewed the top poker sites accepting Idaho players and made a list of the best ones with top-notch security measures, a variety of cash games, and locally supported payment methods. All these sites have been in the industry for a long time and have a solid reputation among players.
| WA poker site | Bonuses | Rakeback |
|---|---|---|
| BetOnline Poker | 100% up to $1,000 | VIP |
| ACR Poker | 100% up to $2,000 | 27% flat or up to 65% |
| Ignition Poker | up to $3,000 | up to 20% |
| CoinPoker | 150% up to $2,000 | 33%+ |
| Everygame Poker | 200% up to $1,000 | 36% |
BetOnline Poker
BetOnline is the flagship poker room of the Chico Network, licensed offshore in Panama. The site offers a wide range of cash games (Texas Holdem, Omaha PLO, PLO5/6, Boost) with stakes up to $5/$10, as well as a large tournament range with a monthly guarantee of several million dollars.
New players at BOL Poker can enjoy a 100% welcome Bonus for the first deposit up to $1,000, as well as a special rakeback deal from our affiliate.
Players from Idaho can deposit and withdraw winnings at BetOnline Poker using cryptocurrency (19 coins available in the cashier).
CoinPoker
Cryptocurrencies are popular in the US, and CoinPoker is the perfect solution for players who want to combine poker and crypto
Registration is via email or web wallet, no verification is required, and all transactions are processed in USDT and CHP. The poker room's RNG runs on the blockchain, and players' funds are stored on external wallets, which ensures a high level of security and transparency.
CoinPoker has a large selection of active cash tables for Texas Hold 'em, Omaha Poker and PLO5 with stakes up to $200/$400. The tournament selection includes MTTs with guarantees up to $100K and buy-ins up to $5K.
The welcome bonus for new players is one of the most generous in the industry - 150% up to $2,000, in addition to rakeback and exclusive promotions from our site.
Bovada Poker
Bovada is one of the oldest online poker rooms that accepts players from Idaho. Bovada has the largest selection of cash tables with stakes up to $10/$20, there is Fast Poker (Zone Poker) up to NL500. There are many MTTs in the tournament lobby. The top Sunday tournament has a guarantee of $150K.
The welcome bonus is 100% up to $500, after the bonus is wagered, rakeback is only possible in the form of exchanging points for tournament tickets.
Deposits and withdrawals are possible in BTC and other cryptocurrencies, meaning Bovada is an easy and convenient way for Idaho residents to play online poker without unnecessary complications.
Online Poker in Idaho
Online poker is practically in a gray zone in Idaho. As of now, the state hasn't regulated online gambling in the region, unlike other states such as Michigan and New Jersey. That said, the activity itself is prohibited in the state, but Idaho players can still engage in online poker through the offshore poker sites we mentioned above without any penalties.
These platforms are outside US jurisdiction and have been operating in the market for 20+ years. They are safe and trustworthy and work legally in their jurisdictions with Curaçao or other licenses.
Another option players in Idaho can consider is sweepstakes poker rooms. These platforms work with virtual currencies and are a more secure alternative to real-money rooms. However, even in this aspect, Idaho has stricter rules and is one of the four states, along with Nevada, Michigan, and Washington, that don’t fully permit promotional sweepstakes.
So, for residents who enjoy poker, traveling to a neighboring state with regulated poker laws is currently the only fully legal way to play.
Online poker laws and regulations in the State of Idaho
Idaho is one of the few states in the US with a near-total ban on all kinds of gambling activities. Off-track betting on horses is the only type of online gambling allowed in the state. All other forms of betting and gaming, including online poker, are against the law.
To be more specific, Section 20 of Idaho’s state constitution bans all gambling except for the lottery, legal pari-mutuel betting, and some charitable gaming allowed by law. This means poker is considered a restricted form of gambling in Idaho, as it falls under the category of activities where people can risk money to gain valuable rewards.
If you play poker or similar games, it’s a misdemeanor under Section 18-3802. Sports betting is considered a misdemeanor, too. Interestingly, Idaho’s penalties for running illegal gambling operations are lighter than in many other states, possibly because there are very few legal casinos (only seven) in the Gem State. For example, for bookmaking, you can face six months in jail or a max fine of 1,000 USD or both.
However, besides a part that talks about bingo and lotteries, Idaho’s gambling laws don’t offer much detail. So, while the constitution bans certain types of activities that could include online gambling, it doesn’t specifically mention the Internet.
| Type of Gambling | Is Eligible? |
|---|---|
| Online poker sites | ✅ Online offshore poker sites |
| Land-based poker rooms | ❌ Illegal |
| Sports betting | ❌ Illegal |
| Online casinos | ❌ Illegal |
| Land-based casinos | ✅ Limited (tribal only, no poker or table games) |
| Pari-mutuel horse betting | ✅ Legal |
| State Lottery | ✅ Legal |
| Charitable bingo & raffles | ✅ Legal |
| Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) | ❌ No regulation |
| Social poker games | ✅ Legal (no real-money wagering) |
Will Idaho legalize online poker sites?
While many Idaho residents would welcome a state-regulated online poker platform, there is little indication that lawmakers are currently willing to take the legislative steps required to make it a reality.
To date, there has been no meaningful progress on the matter within Idaho’s legislature. That said, the possibility is not entirely off the table. The state could eventually align with a neighboring jurisdiction that permits online poker, or benefit from a future federal initiative offering revenue incentives. Still, at present, there’s no sign that Idaho intends to pursue independent regulation anytime soon.
Payment methods
Idaho players can find a variety of deposit and withdrawal methods at online poker sites, from e-wallets and credit cards to crypto and bank transfers. These options can vary depending on the poker room site you choose. However, as Idaho has a strict policy for all gambling deposits, you can't possibly use e-wallets or other traditional payment methods for your gaming transactions.
The only accessible options for Idaho residents remain cryptocurrencies like:
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Dogecoin
- USDC
- USDT Tether and others
as they let you make transfers instantly without revealing your details.
Land-based poker rooms
Poker is banned anywhere in the state, even at land-based casinos. Even though brick-and-mortar venues are allowed to offer electronic games like slots, poker is strictly prohibited. Even home games, poker tournaments, and commercial venues are banned, so your best option for live poker may be to head to the neighboring states, where you can easily play poker games legally, like Nevada. Ontario, Oregon, is also a perfect choice for residents of Idaho.
Idaho's poker and gambling history
During the 1930s and 40s, gambling was very popular in Idaho, unlike today. At the time, the state let each city or town decide if gambling was allowed, and many clubs like the Sawtooth Club and Casino and Alpine took advantage of that. These clubs did well for over a decade until table games were banned in 1949. By 1953, slot machines and nearly all other gambling were outlawed, as the state Supreme Court ruled all these forms of gambling illegal, bringing them to a stop.
Over time, Idaho has allowed certain types of gambling again. The state eased up strict gambling laws in 1963 by allowing pari-mutuel betting on horse races, and charitable gambling came not long after.
In 1988, Idaho allowed the lottery as well, and there were changes in the constitution to permit bingo and charitable raffles. In the 1990s, several tribal casinos popped up in the state. However, they were limited to Type 2 gaming only, and poker was not included in their offerings. As of today, poker gambling is banned in the state, and there are only seven land-based casinos with restricted gaming options.
Famous poker players from Idaho
- Dylan Linde - $13,4
- Kevin MacPhee - $6
- Mike Kinney - $1,155,805
- Mike Allis - $1,032,461
- Victorino Torres - $586,659
Dylan Linde is the best player in the state of Idaho. According to The Hendon Mob, he has over $11M in live tournament winnings, which is twice as much as Kevin MacPhee, who is in second place.
Dylan started his poker career online, where he played SnG tournaments. His first success in live tournaments came in October 2016 - Winning the WSOPC Hammond earned him $348,269.
Dylan Linde's biggest win of $1,631,468 came from winning the Main Event of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic in late 2018. In total, he has won 4 WPT events.
The player has two WSOP bracelets for victories:
- In $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo/Limit Omaha Hi/Lo/Big O - Mixed Games (Event #21) in 2020
- In $500 No Limit Hold'em - Ultra Deepstack (Online Bracelet Event #6) in 2024
Dylan Lind published the book Mastering Mixed Games: Winning Strategies for Draw, Stud and Flop Games with a foreword by Phil Hellmuth in 2019. He was a coach and video author on RunItOnce.com
Conclusion
Currently, Idaho remains one of the most conservative states when it comes to online and offline gambling. With statutory and constitutional bans on any kind of gambling involving money deposits and real-cash rewards, poker enthusiasts have no access to online poker sites within the state. The only way they can play poker is through offshore poker sites or sweepstakes rooms.
As for live poker experience, heading to neighboring states where poker is legal is the main alternative you can consider.
Responsible Gambling
As gambling is not allowed in Idaho, you can only count on yourself when playing at offshore poker sites. This means that you can't possibly get back your deposits or resolve disputes with the website using state-level resources. For that purpose, make sure to keep a healthy balance when gambling and play only in safe online rooms to avoid negative consequences. In case you notice signs of problem gambling, take a break and seek professional help.
National Problem Gambling Helpline
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