Arizona is best known for the Grand Canyon, but it’s also a state where you can play sweepstakes poker online and win prizes that can be converted to real money 🌵.
Sweepstakes poker sites offer poker in a variety of formats, including sit & gos and ring games. Tournaments are held on a daily basis.
Mobile sports betting launched in Arizona in September 2021, but igaming hasn’t expanded beyond that. There are also about two dozen tribal casinos in the state but so far none are allowed to offer online casino gaming or real money online poker — they would first need to agree to an amended gaming compact with the state. There are no commercial casinos in Arizona.
State lawmakers could consider creating regulated markets for online casino and poker operators in the Grand Canyon State but have so far declined to do so.
We recommend free-play apps and free-play sites for Arizonans looking to play online poker for free. These are also great tools for beginning players because they can help with things like memorizing the strength of poker hands or learning how betting unfolds in poker games.
There are about two dozen tribal casinos in Arizona, each of which operates under separate gaming compacts with the state. Mobile and retail sports betting launched in September 2021, but igaming has not expanded further. Expansion could follow legislation in the Arizona State Legislature or by tribal casinos moving to amend their gaming compacts.
Can I Play Online Poker in Arizona?
Yes, you can play online poker from anywhere in Arizona! You can choose between playing for prizes that can be converted to real money or playing for free. We recommend sweepstakes poker for those looking to compete for cash prizes or for anyone looking for a true online poker experience.
On the other hand, if you’re entirely new to poker or you want to play for free, we recommend free-play apps and sites. These are great options because you don’t have to spend any money.
| Online Poker in Arizona: Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| 📢 What’s Legal | Social poker, which includes sweepstakes and free-play sites |
| ✨ Main Highlights | Sweepstakes poker has daily tournaments, players can win real money |
| 🔮Real Money Online Poker (Regulated) |
Legislation is considered unlikely anytime soon |
| 🃏 Available Games | No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and several mixed game variants |
| 🔞 Legal Age | Players must be 18 years of age or older |
| 👥 AZ Population | 7.4 Million (ranks 14th) |
The Best Online Poker Sites in Arizona
Looking to play online poker in the Grand Canyon State? We recommend sweepstakes poker, which offers players an experience that closely resembles playing in a ring game. If you’re looking to play online poker for free, we recommend free-play apps and sites.
“Sweepstakes poker” is used to describe two types of poker site: traditional subscription-based sites and so-called “modern” sweepstakes sites. Winnings from both types of sites are convertible to real money.
Subscription-based sites are easy to understand — for a monthly fee, players can access tournaments that offer prizes that can be redeemed for real money.
Modern sweepstakes work a little differently Under this model, players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Players need Sweeps Coins to enter daily tournaments that offer prizes convertible to real money. You can also get Sweeps Coins for free — no purchase is necessary.
In Arizona, we recommend Clubs Poker, a new modern sweepstakes poker site. Here are short descriptions of three online poker sites that operate legally under sweepstakes law in the state:
Clubs Poker
Clubs Poker is a new online poker site that follows the modern sweepstakes poker model. Although it’s a new site, we expect it will become popular for its many features, including bad beat jackpots, bomb pots, rabbit hunting, run it twice, and straddles.
Recreational players are expected to be drawn to the site, so there should be plenty of soft games. Beyond No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH) and Pot Limit Omaha (PLO), Clubs Poker offers mixed game variants like 2-7 Draw and HORSE. The platform is owned by Philadelphia-based KHK Games.
Read our full review of Clubs Poker »
ClubWPT
ClubWPT is a subscription-based online poker site that hosts tournaments on a daily basis. For a monthly fee, players have a chance to win access to events on the popular World Poker Tour.
Most of the tournaments on ClubWPT are either NLH or Pot Limit Omaha. California-based ClubWPT has sit-and-gos (SNGs) and ring games, but ring games are only available in play money mode, so players aren’t able to win real money prizes through ring games.
Read our full review of ClubWPT »
Global Poker
Global Poker also follows the modern sweepstakes model. Players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and receive Sweeps Coins as a gift. Players need a certain number of Sweeps Coins to enter tables that offer prizes convertible to real money.
The Australia-based operator offers regular multi-table tournaments (MTTs) with large guarantees. Global Poker also gives special prizes for winners, including custom trophies, swag, and unique avatars.
Read our full review of Global Poker »
Free-Play Poker in Arizona
Arizonans can also play online poker for free. There are free-play apps available for download and also free-play poker sites where players don’t have to spend any money. Free-play is our recommendation for anyone still trying to learn things like hand rankings or how betting works in a poker game.
Governor of Poker, Poker Patio, Replay Poker, and Zynga Poker are some popular free-play sites. Social media sites like Facebook also have online poker for free. Two of the world’s top real money online poker operators, PokerStars and WSOP, also have free-play sites — they are hopeful that players on their free sites will eventually migrate to their “paid” sites once they become more comfortable playing. That’s also assuming the players live in a state with regulated real money online poker.
Note that players who play exclusively on free-play sites won’t gain insight into developing a winning online poker strategy because there isn’t any real money at stake. Nevertheless, free-play poker is still recommended for anyone new to online poker.
Real Money Online Poker in Arizona
Arizona has a few gaming options, but igaming remains limited to online sports betting.
According to the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG), there are currently 25 tribal casinos in the state, collectively operated by 16 tribes recognized by the federal government. Each tribal casino is regulated by a local tribal gaming office and the ADG, under the provisions of individual gaming compacts between the tribes and the state. There are no commercial casinos in Arizona.
Mobile and retail sports betting launched in September 2021, but there hasn’t been any subsequent movement in the Arizona State Legislature toward expanded igaming.
Since there are no commercial casinos in Arizona, calls to legalize online casino gaming and real money online poker would likely emanate from the tribal casinos. Each casino has a gaming compact with the state that has a ten-year term. During the renewal process, a tribe could conceivably negotiate to add online casino and poker, but to date no tribe has done so.
State lawmakers could also decide to create a regulated market for online poker and have the ADG issue licenses not tethered to any tribal casino.
Multi-State Online Poker in Arizona
Whether Arizona lawmakers pass legislation to create a regulated market for real money online poker or the tribal casinos push for amended gaming compacts to effectively do the same, it would be smart for the state to join a multi-jurisdictional gaming compact.
Membership in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) would help Arizona grow online poker in the Grand Canyon State. That’s because operators in the MSIGA states can combine their player pools, which creates shared liquidity.
Shared liquidity is key because it leads to bigger prizes, bigger tournaments, and better competition. It also creates more tax revenue for states and results in fewer people playing on illegal offshore sites.
MSIGA currently includes Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia.
Poker Sites Likely to Launch in Arizona
Arizona has 7.4 million residents and ranks 14th in terms of population. It would be a small market for real money online poker — membership in MSIGA would make it more attractive for operators.
It’s likely that under an amended gaming compact with the state, a tribal casino would be allowed to partner with a real money online poker operator. On the other hand, if state lawmakers decide to create a regulated market for online poker, they’ll need to specify how many licenses can be issued.
Currently, the four real money online poker operators most likely to offer the game in Arizona are already live in the state for sports betting — but none are partnered with a tribal casino.
Arizona’s new gaming regimen allows sportsbooks to partner with professional sports teams and stadiums, and that is how BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, and PokerStars have market access to the Grand Canyon State. (FanDuel and PokerStars are both Flutter brands, while Caesars owns WSOP).
It would be extremely unlikely that Arizona would allow a pro sports team or stadium to offer online casino and poker, so expect to see state law changed to that effect at some point.
The following scenarios are how we believe Arizona will fit into plans for multi-state poker, assuming the state also joins MSIGA. These matchups are purely hypothetical:
| Operator | Current Sports Betting Partner | Hypothetical Network Plans |
|---|---|---|
| PokerStars USA | Phoenix Suns (NBA) [1] | PokerStars could potentially establish a three-state network of AZ-MI-NJ. |
| BetMGM Poker | Arizona Cardinals (NFL) | BetMGM could make a four-state network of AZ-MI-NJ-NV, but it first needs to launch in neighboring NV and combine its MI and NJ player pools. |
| WSOP Online | Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB) | A four-state network across AZ-MI-NJ-NV is possible for WSOP. |
| BetRivers Poker | Arizona Rattlers (IFL) [2] | Look for a network that includes AZ-MI-NJ and maybe DE. |
Notes: [1] The Phoenix Suns have a partnership with FanDuel for sports betting. FanDuel and PokerStars are both brands owned by Flutter Entertainment. [2] Indoor Football League.
Arizona Online Poker FAQ
Is online poker legal in Arizona?
Yes, you can play online poker today from anywhere in the Grand Canyon State! We recommend sweepstakes poker if you’re looking to win prizes that can be converted to real money, or free-play apps and free-play sites if you’re looking to play online poker for free.
Does Arizona have real money online poker?
No, Arizona does not have a regulated market for real money online poker, so operators like BetMGM Poker, PokerStars, and WSOP do not have a presence there. We recommend sweepstakes online poker instead — it’s a legal alternative where your winnings can be converted to real money.
Is sweepstakes poker available in Arizona?
Yes, there are modern sweepstakes poker sites in Arizona. Under this model, players use real money to buy play tokens (aka Gold Coins) and get Sweeps Coins as a gift — the latter are used for entry to sweepstakes tables that offer prizes convertible to real money. You can also get Sweeps Coins for free. We recommend Clubs Poker for modern sweepstakes poker.
Are there online ring games in Arizona?
Yes, Clubs Poker has ring games. Since it’s a modern sweepstakes poker site, players will need a certain number of Sweeps Coins to enter tables that offer prizes convertible to real money.
Does Arizona have subscription poker?
Yes, there are subscription-based poker sites available to players in the Grand Canyon State. For a monthly fee, players get access to tables with prizes that can be converted to real money. It’s a popular and legal option for players who live in states (including Arizona) without a regulated market for real money online poker.
Are there online poker tournaments in Arizona?
Arizonans can play in an online poker tournament every day! There are many tournament formats available. For example, Clubs Poker hosts bounty, multi-table (MTT), progressive knockout (PKO), and sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments on a daily basis.
What types of poker games are available online?
No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH) and Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) are considered standard fare. Clubs Poker has those games, plus mixed game variants like Omaha Hi-Lo, 2-7 Single Draw, 5 & 6 Omaha, and HORSE.
Is PokerStars legal in Arizona?
No, PokerStars and the other top real money online poker operators in the US — BetMGM Poker and WSOP — do not operate in Arizona. Those three operators, plus BetRivers Poker, could only launch in Arizona if the state sets up a regulated space for real money online poker — a prospect considered unlikely at this time.
Can I play online poker on offshore sites?
Playing online poker on offshore sites is not recommended. That’s because the sites don’t offer the same level of consumer protections as legal, regulated sites. Players also risk having their identity stolen when they disclose their personal information on such sites. Federal officials warn US citizens not to play poker on offshore sites because they have no legal recourse to collect any winnings owed to them.