It is illegal to play at online casinos while living in Idaho. So illegal in fact that the law mentions specific casino games. This, however, hasn't stopped residents from periodically pushing the boundaries of those limitations.

Dating back to 1949 when Boise criminalised casino games, the ban then quickly spread across the state. In 1953, the state declared slot machines to be unconstitutional, but a decade later, pari-mutuel betting was permitted at horse racetracks.
In 1988, Idaho approved a State managed lottery after a lengthy battle, but it was almost 20 years later before video style slot games were allowed at tribal casinos.

More recently, an Idaho attorney general spoke out about daily fantasy sports games in 2016 and, as a result, no daily fantasy games are available to Idaho players for real money.

The Idaho Statutes (title 18 chapter 38) defines gambling as “risking any money, credit, deposit or another thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, the operation of a gambling device or the happening or outcome of roulette, poker, baccarat or keno.”

Given the amount of revenue generated by the small portion of gambling allowed in Idaho, such a ruling seems short-sighted and overly conservative. The fact that residents push the boundaries every decade or so indicates that there is a desire and opportunity for growth in the gambling sector with the possibility of even more revenue getting created for the state.

Gambling may be a misunderstood pass time but to limit the residents of Idaho to so few choices is frustrating and stifling. The very idea that Blackjack, craps, roulette, poker, baccarat and electronic versions of these games are illegal, even when operated by Native American casinos is a step too far.

While you could get arrested for playing casino games online, it is highly unlikely. Exact penalties and punishments are unclear but there is a possibility of jail time to make you think twice.

To date, no Idahoan resident has ever been prosecuted however, being brought before the law could earn you a criminal record, which will no doubt have a negative effect in all areas of your life. It just isn't worth the risk.

To start the application for an Idaho Gaming/Gambling License, you would need to approach an authorized government agency. Further regulations may apply depending on the type of business and where you're doing business, so prepare to liaise with multiple government agencies at various levels of government, including federal, state, county and local level offices.

Aside from completing a Multi-Jurisdictional Personal History Disclosure form and a Business Entity Disclosure form, this is just the start of a lengthy process of assessment and evaluation that can lead to indefinite costs dependent on the specific needs of your business.

Just using the example of the application to run a raffle in the state of Idaho will give you some idea of the complexity you will face should you want to launch a new casino.

Should your raffle prizes total over $5,000, whether the prizes were donated or not, you will need to apply for a license. Your application pack will include a completed Charitable Gaming Initial Qualification Application, the Idaho State Police Background Check, the Charity and/or Non Profit form and the Charity Received Funds form. This, together with your non-refundable $100 annual application fee, will start the process for you to run a raffle for the first time. Should your charity have a larger turnover, the annual fee then works on a sliding scale for future applications.

So, even though this may seem like an impossible task, the law does make an exception for games of skill, speed, strength or endurance. Lucky draw competitions and promotion competitions run by merchants are excluded from the legislation around gaming, which means that, while you can take a chance to win a prize, you can't play a game of chance in Idaho.

When it comes to online poker and other casino games, there have been no attempts to legalize online poker or casino games to date. The poker rooms in the Indian-run casinos located throughout the state, including The Coeur D’Alene tribe, tried to offer poker tournaments in addition to its cash games. But the state took the tribe to court, at which time the judge ruled with the state that there was too much chance involved and said, “Idaho law does not leave room for [a chance versus skill predominance] inquiry.”