Online Cleveland Poker Rooms in OH

Though located in one of the most populated US states, Cleveland isn’t the gambling mecca you might expect it to be.

Its home state, Ohio, was one of the few conservative Midwest states to keep most forms of gaming, including poker, illegal until the late 2000s. It only opened its first casinos and poker rooms a decade ago.

Today, Ohio boasts 11 land-based gaming venues, three in and around Cleveland. It has a state lottery and a few race tracks but still no state-licensed real-money online casinos or poker rooms.

From the legal point of view, the only category in which Clevelanders can bet real money on the web is sports. However, the lack of explicit prohibitions on internet gaming and offshore-based sites yields a way around the mentioned gaming laws.

Read on to learn more about this legislative gap, the legality of poker in Ohio, and the best CLE poker sites.

Best Online Poker Sites in Cleveland, Ohio

Ohio’s unregulated online gaming market leaves Cleveland poker fans with few local options. Those with no interest in sweepstakes and social sites tend to search for poker rooms based overseas.

Due to their geolocation and licensing, these platforms are immune to Ohio regulations, and their top-of-the-line poker content, diverse tournament formats, and up to $6,000 bonus packages make them attractive to players.

If these assets have convinced you to give offshore poker sites a try, you won’t have to look far. We’ve compiled the list of the best poker rooms in Cleveland and included it below. Use the attached links to visit their websites, check their offerings, and choose the right one for you.

My list of the best poker sites which I consider to be the best rooms to play in 2024:

Is Online Poker Legal in Cleveland, OH?

Ohio’s gambling landscape was barren for much of its history. This activity was widely popular but unregulated until the constitutional ban in the 19th century. By changing the law, the government closed the door to most forms of gaming for the next century. The only exception was the state lottery, which Ohio introduced in 1973.

The Buckeye State’s most significant gambling expansion occurred at the close of the first decade of the 2000s. In light of revenue flowing out to neighboring Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan, the authorities organized a ballot initiative called the Ohio Casino Approval and Tax Distribution, Amendment 3. Voters endorsed the measure, and Ohio authorized the construction of four land-based gambling venues in 2009. A year later, then-Governor Ted Strickland signed HB 519, creating a regulatory framework for casino gaming in the state. The first of the four establishments opened in Cleveland in 2012.

OH racetrack owners used this momentum to expand the gambling menu on their properties. The state passed the legislature that approved the placement of slot-like video lottery terminals soon after, and seven locations converted into racinos over the next three years. However, the Ohio gaming revolution ended there.

The 2021 sports betting legalization was the only expansion Buckeye State underwent in the following decade. The authorities approved the launch of 25 retail and online sports betting sites but have not shown interest in virtual casino gaming or web-based poker. Sweepstakes and offshore sites remain the only online poker platforms available to Cleveland residents to date.

If you’re interested in the latter and plan to join one of our top-rated CLE poker rooms above, don’t hesitate to speak to a legal counselor. These activities aren’t prohibited by law, but OH gambling legislation is pretty complex, so you must understand your rights before playing.

Cleveland, OH Poker Laws

To learn more about the legality of poker in Cleveland, review the following legal guidelines:

• Ohio Revised Code
• Ohio Casino Approval and Tax Distribution
• Video Lottery Terminals Amendment

How to Choose the Best Online Poker Room in Cleveland

The online gaming industry is booming, offering a wide array of sites that accept US players. On the surface, many of these platforms appear trustworthy and appealing to potential members, but that’s not always the case.

To navigate this landscape, our team of experts has developed a fixed set of criteria for online poker site evaluation, listed and explained in the following sections. Check them out and find the perfect poker site for yourself with ease.

Benefits of Playing Online Poker in Cleveland

Cleveland land-based venues offer some advantages, but offshore poker sites are many players’ first choice by a wide margin. The following list will shed light on the most prominent reasons for this preference.

• Cleveland, OH, doesn’t have the richest land-based poker scene. The city features a 30-table live poker room and a few video poker terminals. Offshore platforms are more numerous, thereby offering a greater variety of games and tournaments.
• Online poker rooms offer unparalleled convenience. With a computer or mobile device, you can enjoy virtual and live poker titles 24/7 without leaving your home.
• Unlike their brick-and-mortar counterparts, Cleveland online poker sites aren’t limited by space. They can organize several poker tournaments, offer hundreds of tables, and welcome millions of players at once.
• Burdened by taxes and regulations, land-based CLE poker venues don’t have the means to match offshore sites’ promotion and prize sizes. Best online gaming sites offer a chance to win a share of 5-figure prize pools and collect several thousand-dollar bonuses.

Famous Poker Players From Cleveland, OH,

Cleveland might not be able to compete with US’s biggest gambling centers like Atlantic  City or Las Vegas, but it has its strengths. Among them are its successful poker players:

Byron Kaverman — Ranking second in the entire state, Kaverman is one of the best poker pros C-town has ever had. He boasts 11 major tournament wins, including WSOP, WPT, and EPT. His current career earnings count over $18 million and include a gold bracelet.

Carlton Peake — CJ, as Peake is known in the industry, totals more than $500,000 in tournament winnings and 37 cashes. However, the global poker events mentioned above aren’t his niche. Peake’s had the most success in MSPT, DeepStack Extravaganza, and various US state poker championships.

Scott Palmer — As a Cleveland native who has been somewhat less active, Palmer ranks well on the list of the top OH players. As of today, he’s earned 11 tournament cashes and accumulated almost $400,000 in poker cash prizes.

Best Land-Based Poker Rooms in Cleveland, Ohio

The Cleveland area is home to three land-based gaming venues, about one-third of all the gambling establishments in Ohio. You’ll find poker options in two of these locations, one offering live poker games and the other featuring popular video poker titles. The table below comprises their addresses and offerings.

Name	Address	Number of tables	Cash games	Tournaments
JACK Cleveland Casino	100 Public Sq, Cleveland, 44113	30	Yes	Yes
JACK Thistledown Racino	21501 Emery Rd, North Randall, 44128	N/A	Yes	No

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