While West Virginia has only a population of under 2 million, it passed legislation in late March to legalize online poker. If it were allowed to share its player pool with neighboring states, the state could become a major player in the online gaming market. The State Lottery of West Virginia is the entity responsible for issuing licenses and developing regulations. Late in 2019, the director of the state’s lottery visited Pennsylvania to discuss online poker. It may be a good idea to read about the process before you play.

The laws of online poker vary slightly from those of brick-and-mortar casinos. While the United States has a long-standing prohibition on online poker, newer forms are defying traditional US gambling laws. This challenge to decades-old gambling laws is playing out in courts across the nation. Legislators are reexamining these issues state-by-state to ensure that the industry stays competitive and generates revenue. In many cases, legal online poker is available.

Another major benefit of online poker is its speed. Live games often play a bit loosely, and the player pool does not contain as many true poker idn play talent. Online poker tables, on the other hand, deal at least 60 hands per hour – which can be very fast in shorthanded games. And because it can be multi-tabled, players are often able to play more hands in an hour than in a traditional game. That’s an added benefit that live poker games can’t match.