Play poker at home
Playing games of poker in your own home, between friends and on a non-commercial basis, is legal. However:
the rest of the participants must be your legitimate guests or friends
you cannot invite members of the public to join in
you cannot ask people to pay a fee, separate from the stake, to take part.
There is no limit on the stakes and prizes when playing poker at home.
Play poker at work
You can organise poker games or play poker in the workplace as long as you comply with the conditions for private gaming in the Gambling Act 2005, that is:
that there is no charge for participation (excluding stakes)
the public do not have access to the venue.
There are no limits on the stakes you can play or the prizes you can win, when playing poker at work with colleagues.
Play poker online
Playing poker and other forms of gambling online is legal in Great Britain.
However, there are some things that you will want to look out for when considering whether to gamble online and which company to gamble with. The Gambling Commission’s leaflet What to look out for when gambling online - November 2008 has more information.
Poker in casinos
In Great Britain, you can play poker in casinos licensed by the Gambling Commission. However, poker played as a casino game could mean that you have lower gambling odds than if you play poker as a game of equal chance.
Casinos can also run poker tournaments at temporary venues, for a limited amount of time, under temporary use notices (TUNs).
Poker in a pub or club
You can organise poker games and play poker in a pub or club. However, there are strict conditions on any gaming including limits on stakes and prizes. Licensing authorities can take action against individuals whose premises do not comply with these conditions.
You should seek independent legal advice if you are planning on organising any sort of poker scheme. We do not give legal advice on setting up poker games.
Poker in pubs
Poker can be played in pubs but there are limits to the stakes and prizes that can be played for.
Poker in clubs
Poker can be played in clubs as long as it takes account of the conditions that apply to gaming in clubs, including limits on stakes and prizes.
Illegal poker
If you offer poker in a pub which falls outside the rules for exempt gaming, or offer high stakes poker when you do not have a casino licence, you are breaking the law.
If you notice illegal poker taking place, you can take action by notifying the appropriate local licensing authority or by submitting an illegal activity complaint to us.
