No, North Carolina doesn’t license any online poker sites. Sweepstakes poker rooms such as ClubWPT Gold and Stake.us accept North Carolina players, and so does the offshore site CoinPoker. Live poker is legal at the Cherokee tribal casinos in the mountains.
Last updated: October 29th, 2026
Where North Carolina Players Can Play Online Today
North Carolina doesn’t have a state-licensed poker site, but three rooms on our list accept sign-ups from the state.
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Great casino offer CoinPoker is an offshore site. It runs cash games and tournaments around the clock, and you can deposit by card or crypto.
ClubWPT Gold is the World Poker Tour’s sweepstakes poker site. North Carolina isn’t on its list of restricted states.
Stake.us is a sweepstakes casino with a poker room. North Carolina isn’t on the list of excluded states in its terms.
The current offers and codes are in the boxes above.
CoinPoker is an offshore site. It isn’t licensed by North Carolina or any other US state, so no state agency can help you if you have a dispute. Only deposit what you’re comfortable having on a site without state oversight.
North Carolina Online Poker at a Glance
| State-licensed online poker | No |
|---|---|
| Sweepstakes poker | AvailableNo ban on online sites. ClubWPT Gold and Stake.us accept North Carolina players |
| Offshore sites | AvailableNot licensed in North Carolina |
| Live poker | YesLegal at tribal casinos in Cherokee and Murphy |
| Minimum age | 21 |
| Regulator | No state casino regulator. Tribal casinos are run under tribal compacts, and the North Carolina Lottery Commission oversees sports betting |
| Last change | March 2024, online sports betting launched. Nothing has changed for poker since |
How Sweepstakes Poker Works
Sweepstakes poker sites use two currencies. One is for fun only, and you can buy more of it in packs.
The other is a sweepstakes currency you get free with those packs, through promotions or by mail. Winnings in that currency can be redeemed for cash prizes once you’ve verified your account.
ClubWPT Gold works differently. It moved away from the two-coin setup in 2025 and now uses a single currency called Chips, tied to a poker training membership.
Because you never have to buy anything to play for prizes, the sites say they run legal sweepstakes rather than gambling. North Carolina hasn’t challenged online sites on that so far.
North Carolina Online Poker Law in Plain English
North Carolina has strict gambling laws on paper. G.S. 14-292 says anyone who plays or bets on a game of chance for money is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. The statute doesn’t mention the internet, and we couldn’t find a case of a player being charged for playing online.
The state also bans electronic sweepstakes machines under G.S. 14-306.4. That law was aimed at physical sweepstakes parlors. It hasn’t been used against online sweepstakes poker sites.
The only legal casino gambling is at tribal casinos run by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Nation. Online sports betting has been legal since March 2024, overseen by the North Carolina Lottery Commission.
Online poker and online casino games aren’t part of that law. We couldn’t find any 2026 bill to legalize them or to ban online sweepstakes sites. Source, Pokerfuse, September 30, 2026
Can I Play PokerStars, WSOP or GGPoker in North Carolina?
No. PokerStars, WSOP Online and BetMGM Poker only run in states that license online poker, and North Carolina isn’t one of them. GGPoker doesn’t accept US players at all.
You can play on licensed sites while you’re physically inside a state that has them. The closest is West Virginia, a drive through Virginia from the Triad. See our West Virginia poker guide.
Live Poker in North Carolina
Live poker is legal at tribal casinos, and the best room is in the far west of the state.
- Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, a large WSOP-branded room
- Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino in Murphy
Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain, near Charlotte, offers table games, but we couldn’t confirm a regular poker room there.
You need to be 21 to play at the Cherokee casinos.
Will North Carolina Legalize Online Poker?
Not soon. Lawmakers legalized online sports betting in 2023, and it launched in March 2024. There’s been no serious push to add online poker or casino games since.
Any change for poker would also involve the tribes, whose compacts give them the casino market today.
We couldn’t find an active online poker bill. We check this page every month and we’ll update it as soon as that changes.
Nearby States
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Most North Carolina players only get to a live room a few times a year, since the poker is in the mountains. Study between trips and you’ll get more out of every session.
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Is online poker legal in North Carolina?
North Carolina doesn’t license any online poker sites. Sweepstakes poker rooms and offshore sites accept North Carolina players, but none of them is approved by the state.
Can you play online poker for real money in North Carolina?
Not on a state-regulated site, because there isn’t one. Offshore rooms such as CoinPoker take real money deposits, and sweepstakes sites let you redeem prizes for cash.
Are sweepstakes poker sites legal in North Carolina?
The state bans electronic sweepstakes machines in physical parlors, but it hasn’t applied that law to online sweepstakes poker. No online ban or enforcement has been reported.
Can I play ClubWPT Gold in North Carolina?
Yes. North Carolina isn’t on ClubWPT Gold’s list of restricted states.
Is Stake.us available in North Carolina?
Yes. North Carolina isn’t on the list of excluded states in Stake.us’s terms.
Is CoinPoker legal in North Carolina?
CoinPoker isn’t licensed in North Carolina. It’s an offshore site that accepts sign-ups from the state. North Carolina’s gambling laws weren’t written with online players in mind, and we aren’t lawyers. What’s certain is that you don’t get state protection there.
Can I play PokerStars or WSOP Online in North Carolina?
No. They only operate in states that license online poker. You can play licensed sites while you’re physically in a state such as West Virginia.
What’s the legal gambling age in North Carolina?
It’s 21 at the Cherokee casinos and for sports betting.
Where can I play live poker in North Carolina?
At Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino in Murphy.
When will North Carolina legalize online poker?
We couldn’t find an active bill, so it doesn’t look likely soon.
21+ only. Gambling can be addictive. If it’s causing problems for you or someone you know, call the North Carolina Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-877-718-5543. This page contains affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through them. That never decides which sites we list, which only depends on whether a site accepts players from North Carolina.
