Is Online Poker Legal? A Country-by-Country Guide

Information as of November 2026. This is a general overview, not legal or tax advice. Gambling law and tax rules change often and differ even inside one country, so check the official sources listed at the end before you play or deposit.

What "legal" usually means

• Licensing: in most regulated markets online poker is legal only on sites that hold a licence from the national (or state) regulator. A site without that licence is outside the legal system, even if it is well known abroad.
• Ring-fencing: some countries keep their players in a separate pool, so you can only play with other players from the same country or group of countries.
• Age: the minimum age is set by the local law and is often higher than 18.
• Tax: who pays tax on winnings, the player or the operator, differs from country to country.

At a glance

United Kingdom

Operators that serve players in Great Britain need a Gambling Commission licence, and the Commission keeps a public register where you can check a site. Betting duty falls on operators, not on players: gambling winnings are not taxed in the UK and you do not declare them. That treatment applies to winnings from licensed sites; an offshore site gives you no UK protection.

Germany

The Interstate Treaty on Gambling that took effect on 1 July 2021 made online poker legal with a licence. Permissions are issued by the Joint Gambling Authority of the Länder (GGL), which has worked as an authority since 2023. German rules include player limits and a central self-exclusion system. Playing on unlicensed sites is not allowed. Recreational players generally do not pay income tax on poker winnings, while professionals can be treated as earning business income; ask a tax adviser if you play for a living.

France, Spain and Portugal

These countries run licensed national markets with their own regulators: ANJ in France, DGOJ in Spain and SRIJ in Portugal. France, Spain and Portugal agreed to share player pools, so licensed rooms can offer larger tournaments across their borders; players still need a licence from their own country's regulator. Tax on player winnings differs and is not described the same way by different sources, so check the national tax authority or ask an adviser.

United States

There is no single national rule: each state decides. As of 2026 real-money online poker is licensed and operating in a small number of states, including New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia and Delaware, and several other states have passed laws without launching. Some states share player pools through the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement. You must be physically inside a state that permits it. Gambling winnings are taxable income at the federal level and many states tax them too, so keep records and check IRS and state guidance.

Canada

Ontario has had a regulated online poker market since 4 April 2022 under iGaming Ontario and the AGCO; you must be 19 or older and physically in Ontario. Most other provinces do not have a regulated online poker product. Recreational gambling winnings are generally not taxed in Canada, while professionals can be treated differently.

Russia

Organising online poker is prohibited under Federal Law No. 244-FZ. Online gambling for real money is allowed only for bookmakers and totalizators, and there are no licensed online poker sites for players in Russia. The authorities (Roskomnadzor and the Federal Tax Service) block unlicensed sites. Most sources say that the players themselves are not liable under the law, but the rooms that serve Russian players are licensed abroad, so you have no Russian protection and payments may be blocked. In January 2026 the Ministry of Finance proposed legalising online casinos; this is a proposal, not law. Public sources do not describe the tax on winnings clearly, so ask a tax adviser.

Belarus

Online casinos in Belarus can work only with a licence from the Ministry of Taxes and Duties, and operating without one is prohibited. Sources disagree about poker: some say online poker is allowed but local poker licences are rare, others say no licensed poker room exists yet. Many rooms serve Belarusians without a local licence. Check an operator in the Ministry's register and ask the Ministry about tax on winnings.

Kazakhstan

Under the Law on Gambling Business of 2007 gambling is allowed only in licensed gambling zones, organising online games is prohibited, and no local licences for online poker are issued. Whether a player may take part in an offshore room is described as a grey zone: some sources say there is no direct ban for players, others call the situation unclear. Rely on the text of the law and the revenue authorities, not on review sites.

India

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 and its Rules came into force on 1 May 2026. They prohibit online games played for money, with no exception for games of skill, so real-money online poker is banned and the ban also reaches foreign operators. Free-to-play games and e-sports are treated differently, and live poker is a matter of separate state laws. Read the official text for penalties and details.

Other Asian countries

China bans online gambling, including poker. Thailand and Malaysia also treat online poker as illegal. The rules in Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and other countries differ and are sometimes unclear. Do not rely on a room's "available in your country" list: it shows the company's licensing choices, not the law. Check your national law and the official regulator.

Ukraine

Online poker is legal in Ukraine with an operator that holds a Ukrainian licence under Law No. 768-IX "On state regulation of activities on the organisation and conduct of gambling" (2020). The licences were first issued by the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries (KRAIL). According to law firms' reviews, Law No. 4116-IX of December 2024 liquidated the commission, and since 2 June 2025 the State Agency for Control of Gambling and Lotteries, known as PlayCity, supervises the market.

• Age: at least 21 to play with a licensed operator, which is higher than the 18+ shown on this site.
• Tax: winnings are taxed under paragraph 170.6 of the Tax Code. Ukrainian tax publications quote 23%: 18% personal income tax plus a 5% military levy. The levy was raised from 1.5% to 5% at the end of 2024 and is tied to martial law, so confirm the current rate. A licensed operator withholds the tax when it pays you, so you file nothing, and your stakes and earlier losses are not deducted.
• Foreign sites: without a Ukrainian licence no operator withholds tax. Published guidance says the player must include the winnings in the annual return (filed by 1 May of the next year, tax paid by 1 August). You also lose the protections of the Ukrainian regime, and banks may block such payments.

A checklist before you deposit

1. Find the operator in the regulator's public register for your country.
2. Check the age requirement, verification, and withdrawal terms.
3. Understand who pays tax: the operator or you.
4. Read the bonus conditions: welcome bonuses in depth and rake and rakeback.
5. Set your limits in advance and read our responsible gambling page.

Compare rooms in the sites hub and see how we rate them.

Official sources

• UK: Gambling Commission
• Germany: GGL
• France: ANJ; Spain: DGOJ
• USA: IRS and your state gaming regulator
• Canada: iGaming Ontario
• Russia: Federal Tax Service
• Belarus: Ministry of Taxes and Duties
• India: MeitY
• Ukraine: Law No. 768-IX, Tax Code, State Tax Service