Arizona online poker options are limited to sweepstakes and social poker sites as online poker for real money is not legal in Arizona.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1998 permitted the creation of casinos on tribal land. This was great news for Arizona as the state has more tribal land than any other in the United States. Poker players have eleven poker rooms to choose from in the state, though no-limit hold ’em is currently prohibited.
Oddly, the question of online gambling in Arizona has been largely unaddressed. There are currently no regulated poker sites within the state. Although Arizona sports betting is legal (and booming!), online casinos and online poker were not addressed in the legislation.
In addition to poker at tribal casinos, residents of Arizona also have the option to play sweepstakes and social poker which is a legal alternative to real money poker that can yield cash prizes.
Other Sweepstakes Sites Available in AZ
The Best Online Social Poker Site In Arizona
Global Poker
By far the most popular social poker site in Arizona is Global Poker. Global Poker is also available in most other US states, except California, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
On Global Poker, players can use Gold Coins (GC) to play several variants of poker against other players from around the country. You can also play video poker, slots, and blackjack. If you play with Gold Coins, you are basically playing for fun.
Players can also choose to play with Sweeps Coins (SC). Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for cash prizes. You get Sweeps Coins in a variety of ways, such as when you make an account, as an added prize when you purchase GC, and as a daily login bonus.
Five Minute Guide To Social Poker In Arizona
How Social Poker Works In Arizona
Social poker is basically free poker that offers players the chance to redeem winnings for cash prizes. First, you will need to sign up for an account, which is easy and can be done in several ways. Players can register via Facebook, Google, or with an email address to confirm their information.
Next, you will create a Screen Name and password, confirm your email, and register your new account. You will then be ready to hit the tables! At Global Poker, you can play Texas hold ’em, Omaha, and a few other exotic poker variants. You also have your choice between ring games, sit-n-go’s, and multi-table tournaments (MTTs).
Winning Cash Prizes
As noted earlier, Global Poker has a dual coin system. Their “freemium” model allows players to purchase Gold Coins (play money). When players purchase certain amounts of Gold Coins, they will be gifted a corresponding amount of FREE Sweeps Coins. Sweeps Coins CANNOT be purchased directly.
Unlike Gold Coins, Sweeps Coins can be used to redeem cash prizes. Also, as with Gold Coins, players can win Sweeps Coins by facing off with other players in ring games, sit-n-go’s, or multi-table tournaments.
After you have accumulated enough Sweeps Coins, you can switch the token type to start playing with SC. All you need to do is click the “switch” button near the top of the home screen after logging in.
Once you decide it’s time to redeem your winnings, you will need to verify your account. You can do this earlier, though it is not required until redemption. Verifying your account not only makes sure that you are who you say you are but also increases your purchase limit. This lets Global Poker know where to send your cash prizes.
Verifying your account is much like creating an account on real-money online poker sites. You will need to show proof of identity with a picture of a photo ID. You will also need to show proof of address with a bank statement, driver’s license, government-issued ID, or utility bill. All of this is done in the “account” section on Global Poker.
To redeem your Sweeps Coins, you will need to go to the “Store.” Here, you will click the “Redeem Prize” button to submit a redemption request. You will need to choose between the “Prizeout a Gift Card” and “Cash Prize Redemption” options. If you choose the gift card option, you will be redirected to a new screen where you will select your gift card.
If you choose the cash prize option, you can redeem your winnings with a Skrill account or a bank account. If you choose the bank account option, you will first need to verify your bank account information by providing a picture of a bank statement.
Accessing Social Poker Sites
Currently, Global Poker does not offer an app. Arizona players looking for some social poker fun will need to play on Global Poker’s website. This does not mean, however, that you cannot play on mobile. You will just need to open the site on a search engine on your smartphone. Playing Global Poker on your smartphone is very similar to playing online poker on an app, though the software is not as advanced as a site like PokerStars.
Purchases On Social Casino Sites
At Global Poker, purchasing is literally a click away. You will see a “Get Coins” button on the main screen after logging in. After clicking, you will see a pop-up screen listing several purchase options ranging from $2 to $2,000. (You will also see a daily login bonus where you can get SC and GC every day for free just by logging in.)
Global Poker accepts debit and credit cards as valid forms of payment, as well as the online wallet Skrill.
The Difference Between Social Poker And Legal Online Poker Sites
The main distinction between a social poker site, like Global Poker, and a real-money online poker site is that you can always play on a social casino site absolutely for free. That is why social poker sites are legal in almost every state in the US, except Washington.
Legal real money poker sites like PokerStars accept direct deposits and play with US currency. On a site like PokerStars, a new player will sign up for an account, deposit money, and play with real money on legal and regulated servers against other players in the same jurisdiction.
Global Poker deviates from this model in a few ways. Most importantly, the sweepstakes and social poker model does not accept cash deposits. Players on Global Poker do not sit down and play for US money. Instead, they play for Gold Coins or Sweep Coins. Because players can redeem Sweeps Coins for cash prizes, Global Poker can be seen as a real alternative.
The social poker model carries an advantage over legal online poker sites. Sites like PokerStars or WSOP have limited or no ability to share player liquidity. In other words, in states with legal online poker, players can only play against opponents in their same state. On Global Poker, you can face off against people from all over the US and Canada, except for those living in Washington or Quebec, respectively.
Status Of Online Gambling In Arizona
Currently, online gambling is limited in Arizona. The state has recently started allowing online Keno and online sportsbooks launched in September 2021. This change came when Governor Doug Ducey was able to negotiate a new tribal compact–a set of regulations dealing with gambling in Arizona.
Despite the good news, real money online casino games like blackjack, poker, and slots are still not legal, though Arizona could pass a law to change this. At the moment, the state has taken the stance that gambling is illegal until refuted by new legislation.
For those disappointed, there are still some ways to play online casino-style games on sites that use a social model similar to Global Poker’s. One option is Chumba Casino. Here, players can also redeem Sweeps Coins for cash prizes after winning on online slot machines or table games.
Important to note: all online casinos claiming to offer real money online gambling in Arizona are not legal, regulated sites. Though counterintuitive, playing on these sites is not necessarily illegal. These sites will usually be offshore sites that carry certain risks. You should be careful with any unregulated sites, especially offshore ones, as the safety of your money and personal information is not guaranteed.
Is It Safe to Play Sweepstakes and Social Poker in Arizona?
Are Social Sites Legal In Arizona?
Yes, sweepstakes and social poker sites are legal in Arizona. Even though you can redeem winnings for cash prizes on social sites like Global Poker, you’re never playing with real money or required to make a purchase. Because of this model, Global Poker can operate in the US without running afoul of any laws.
Can I Trust Sweepstakes and Social Poker Sites To Pay My Winnings?
Yes. Global Poker will redeem your Sweeps Coins for cash prizes or gift cards. The site allows you to purchase Gold Coins of varying amounts before you verify your account and bank information. As a rule of thumb, though, you should verify all of your information before purchasing any GC offers to make sure you do not face any problems when you try to redeem your Sweeps Coins.
Also important to note: Global Poker can consider your account defunct if it is idle for over 90 days. So if you are going to invest your hard-earned money on Gold Coins, make sure you play at least somewhat regularly.
What Are The Types Of Games Available At Social Poker Sites?
Social poker sites offer many of the same gameplay options as real money poker sites. Players at Global Poker have their pick between several poker variants, as well as several modes of play.
Poker Variants
At Global Poker, players have the chance to play Texas hold ’em, Omaha, and Crazy Pineapple. These three variants give you the chance to showcase your poker skills and break up the monotony of playing the same game over and over.
Texas Hold ‘Em
Texas hold ’em is by far the most popular form of poker. Each player is dealt two cards they use along with 5 community cards to make their best 5-card hand. When people think poker, they think Texas hold ’em. Games of Texas hold ’em on Global Poker are plentiful, with blinds ranging from .05/.1 to 10/20 (in Sweeps Coins).
Pot Limit Omaha
The second most popular game at Global Poker is Pot Limit Omaha (PLO). In fact, Global Poker players will find almost as many PLO games as they will hold ’em games (with the same blind ranges). PLO follows the same basic rules as hold ’em except that players are dealt four cards instead of two. Players still need to make the best five-card hand they can (along with the 5 community cards), however, they can only use 2 of their 4 hole cards in any combination.
Crazy Pineapple
Crazy Pineapple is the oddball game at Global Poker. It can be very fun, but it is pretty rare to find a populated game. Pineapple poker is a version of hold ’em where players receive three hole cards, use only two, and are then forced to discard one of their cards after a round of play.
Ring Games
As stated above, players will find a slew of PLO and hold ’em games at Global Poker, with blinds ranging from .05/.1 to 10/20 Sweeps Coins. It is not uncommon to find populated tables even at the higher blind ranges.
Playing ring games on social poker sites is like playing on real money sites. Players can choose between their desired game variant, blind level, and table size. Global Poker offers 6-handed and 9-handed ring games.
Multi-table Tournaments
Perhaps Global Poker’s greatest attribute is its tournament schedule. The social site offers daily tournaments at a range of tournament entries with varying prize pools. Multi-table tournaments can be played with Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins. To see their daily tournament schedule, check out Global Poker’s live clock app.
Also worthy of note is Global Poker’s quarterly championship tournaments. Each quarterly championship is signified by a different animal. The Grizzly Games represents the first quarter series, which boasts a guaranteed prize pool of 1,100,000 Sweeps Coins.
Other Tournaments
In addition to MTTs, Global Poker offers two types of sit-n-go tournaments. A traditional sit-n-go is a single table turbo tournament, usually consisting of 6 players. The second type offered by Global Poker is called Jackpot sit’n’go.
Jackpot sit’n’go’s are 3 handed hyper-turbo tournaments that employ a multiplier that ranges between 2x and 10,000X. Once three players have registered, the game begins and a random prize multiplier is selected. These tournaments give you the chance to compete for big money without requiring a big tournament entry.
Sweepstakes and Social Poker FAQs
Poker players on social poker sites like Global Poker can redeem Sweeps Coins winnings for gift cards and cash prizes. Sweeps Coins cannot be purchased directly, but they often come included as a gift in Gold Coin purchases, as daily login bonuses, and as a gift for creating an account.
Global Poker’s terms and services state that players must be at least 21 years old to play on the site.
Yes. Global Poker is the top social poker site in Arizona and most of the US. In fact, Global Poker is available in 49 US states, with Washington being the lone exception.
No. You never need to make a purchase on social poker sites. On Global Poker, you can always play with Gold Coins. You can also receive free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins to play with by completing various challenges.
Absolutely. Playing social poker is the same as playing online poker except that you are not wagering US currency. That being said, the gameplay is the same and you can still win cash prizes by redeeming Sweeps Coins.
Yes. While Global Poker specializes in poker, it hosts casino-style games as well. The site offers slots, video poker, and blackjack.
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