The Changes Reshaping Online Game in Nevada

Nevada became one of the first states to legalize online poker back in 2013. Regulated by the Nevada Gaming Commission and the Nevada Gaming Control Board, online poker is a convenient alternative to real-life gameplay in the state’s many casino establishments. Still, despite being the home of gambling and poker chips, the Silver State’s poker industry outlook is up for debate.

In 2024, Virtual Gaming World announced its plans to shutter Global Poker operations in the state. The announcement informed players that the brand’s sweepstakes offering in the state would no longer be available to players as of April 15, 2025. As such, Global Poker customers will no longer have access to their accounts and any personal data associated with them. Players will also no longer be able to make redemption or withdrawal requests in April.

To help players ease out of the process, Global Poker’s sweepstakes offering was shuttered using a roll-out system. In early 2025, players could not purchase the platform’s Gold Coins. Later, players could no longer play Global Poker’s games but still redeem their sweepstakes coins for prizes.

Following in Global Poker’s footsteps is social poker site PokerBros, which recently announced it was withdrawing from the state’s online poker market. This move was likely due to the state’s increasing regulatory constraints.

The state of poker in Nevada

For a long time, Nevada’s gaming and resort industry has proven the state’s most vital sector. Aside from boosting economic output, casinos support more jobs and pay higher wages and salaries. As of 2024, the state’s gaming and resort industry contributed $98 billion in economic impact, making up 37% of Nevada’s total gross domestic product while keeping 436,600 workers employed.

2024 also marked the fourth straight record-breaking year for Nevada’s casino revenue. The Gaming Control Board’s findings credit the industry’s constant growth to casinos in downtown Las Vegas, Reno, and Clark County’s unincorporated areas. In fact, Nevada’s gaming revenue has grown by almost 30% since 2019, while the reported numbers for Strip gaming establishments specifically are up nearly 34% over the last four years. For gamblers who enjoy the thrill of in-person gambling, casinos are, of course, the best option.

Meanwhile, despite the recent news of online poker establishments pulling out from the state, players in the state still have options for online poker gameplay. This includes the sole fully regulated platform, WSOP NV, and subscription-based operators like ClubGG and ClubWPT. However, as the state’s regulatory landscape continues to shift, there’s no telling if these operators will stick around or take the cue from operators like Global Poker and PokerBros.

The future of online poker in Nevada

Nevada’s online poker movement started when the Department of Justice clarified the Wire Act in 2011, giving states the right to legislate online lottery sales and gambling as they saw fit. The Nevada Gaming Commission capitalized on this opportunity and drafted Internet poker regulations by December 2011. The bill was passed through the legislature, legalizing online poker in the state as of February 2013.

While Ultimate Poker was the country’s first state-regulated online poker site in 2013, WSOP.com soon became the only state-regulated site for Nevadans after Ultimate Poker closed down in late 2014.

Still, players interested in online poker in Nevada can do so on reputable international platforms. Winning Poker Network brand Americas Cardroom is one of the longest-running and most trusted poker sites available to players across the US today. The site’s variety of cash games and tournament schedules means that players can access a wider and more active online poker player base beyond state-run options. Americas Cardroom promises fast, reliable, and crypto-friendly cashouts and security features like 2FA account protection and SSL encryption.

As online poker regulations in the state evolve, more relaxed rules can help attract more state operators to provide players with flexibility and options. This is especially considering the growing demand for online poker in the state and across the country. In 2024, for example, WSOP announced a new online WSOP bracelet series exclusive for US players. The schedule included 33 bracelet events, which would be held on the shared liquidity network featuring New Jersey, Nevada, and Michigan. The online poker room marketed it as “the largest online prize pools of the year”.

If you liked this post, you can check out our post on how Nevada’s gold mines help make the US the fourth-highest gold-producing country in the world.