Games where gambling is involved do run the risk of getting their players into trouble since gambling is illegal in the state of California. Luckily, for most people, playing poker amongst family members and friends is legal. It is when a poker game is run for profit by the host, then it becomes illegal.

Legality varies by state. In some it's completely legal. In others it's completely illegal. Some bring in stipulations for a home game to be legal.

On April 15, 2011, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York seized and shut down Pokerstars and several of its competitors' sites, alleging that the sites were violating federal bank fraud and money laundering laws.

PokerStars currently has legal, regulated online poker sites in three US states  New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. On Jan 1, 2024, PokerStars combined their NJ and MI player pools, forming a single PokerStars US Network.