Can’t speak for other jurisdictions, but here a casino might be forced to have table games but they definitely not forced to include poker.

Must depend on the state then. The states I've played at the gaming regulation is very strict about x% of sqft has to be used for slots, x% for table games, x% for poker etc on their license and if they don't follow it the whole license is absolved so they can't just put 100% slots in.

Indian reserves are different they don't answer to state gaming commissions in my state at least.

That's different... Are you merely saying they can't change the allocation easily or that the state dictates the original allocation they apply for?

Fwiw in Washington state one of the many tribal casinos to close their poker room liquidated the poker jackpot fund by paying poker-themed table games! So it really depends on the tribal gaming compact and/or who runs the gaming commission, and in WA the tribals get to do whatever they want pretty much.

In California and Arizona I believe about half the casinos have poker and half do not. In California there is still far more poker played in stand alone poker rooms than in casinos.

They can't change allocation without reapplying for a new license (there's some leeway built in to allow small renovations/expansion but can't just remove part of the gaming offering). Them getting a license is dependent on them offering a good variety of gaming and is very strict where I've played and in certain locales like Florida they must have Parimutuel betting so I figured other states had similar requirements. It probably does vary a lot though realistically.

California used to be like Texas is now so had like no regulations and a lot of licenses were given out of the years so I can see that not all are as strict but I would be surprised if most states were like that. A lot of california rooms that don't have poker are indian reservations even if you wouldn't think they are as well. I thought all Arizona's were Indian reservation like Colorado but I could be wrong. It's pretty common in North West as well that's what all of Eric Persson's are to get around strict regulation. I think Louisiana or Mississippi had loose regulations though I remember passing by a gas station that called itself a casino and just had like 6 slots off I10. Idk Florida isn't even giving new licenses anymore and Maryland was very strict about who they gave licenses to. Massachusetts is also fighting with Wynn over making them offer poker last I heard so I just assumed all states were very demanding about what a casino offered but I guess not all.

I think the only full casinos in CA, OR and WA are tribal, but there are separate poker rooms which also have table games, plus in OR (and I think WA) also there are video poker machines run by the state lottery in bars and even some supermarkets.

Most Colorado casinos are in in old mining towns, not on reservations. And most of them don't have poker, as of last time I checked.

Garick is correct. Four poker rooms in Black Hawk. Apparently Midnight Rose in Cripple Creek is still open too.

Only casinos in CA are tribal casinos.

If CA was like TX regulation now, it was 25 or more years ago. Since cardrooms are not even recognized by the state in TX so the is literally no poker room regs beyond general biz regs.

Actually LA has fairly strict gaming regs and strictly limited number of casino licenses (12 or 13 statewide non Indian casinos, iirc. Btw per LA state constitution gambling is not allowed in the state. The casinos legally are gaming halls. Also while fairly strict regs, the process to award the limited licenses was corrupt as heck esp. while Edwards was in office. ) while gaming regs fairly strict, I can promise you the casinos have no requirement to offer poker. And they can reallocate gaming space. Definitely do not have fixed space %’s

If the gas station casino you saw was in LA, it was not a casino. It also did not have any slots. Gas stations in LA with a certain number of pumps can have up to 50(iirc) video p9ker machines. I have never seen a gas station in MS with slots or video poker.

The Fla parimutuel link was a way for the state to limit the number and location of non Indian casinos. But even these are not full fledged casinos. They offer slots and poker. Although now, some/all offer other card games using a wo4karound like CA where a prop pays house a fee to act as the house. Thus it isn’t players vs the casino. But none I am aware of have craps or roulette or the money wheel. Here also, casinos are allowed re allocate space including closing poker completely.

What is your state that fixes the gaming space allocation? It isn’t CA, LV, TX, LA, MS, FL, IN. Pretty sure not MA as Encore might have been forced to reopen poker (I consider that claim unproven) but they definitely altered relative gaming space. I guess it might be NY since they h@ve a overregulation history in general.

But when it comes to overnight poker, assuming it is legal to offer, I think most states leave that up to the casino to decide.