To learn more about legal gambling and current restrictions, click on the U.S. states below. All 49 U.S. states except Utah permit some form of legal gambling. Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania is the only U.S. state to legalize all three forms of internet gambling (online casinos, online poker, sports betting) except for New Jersey and Delaware. While the states are home to internet lottery sites, other forms of internet gambling where you can win real money, such as online casino games, remain unlegalized in these states.
Below, you will find the top-rated online gambling sites (complete list) featuring casino games, sports betting, and poker. In the United States, there are numerous ways to gamble online, and the differences can be stark. You’ll struggle to find a casino in Washington where you can play without putting real money down. This is one of the biggest drawbacks of being outside the network of online casinos. For example, playing at a real-money online casino is illegal in New York State, but offshore betting sites still offer this option.
Online casino players are generally not targeted by law enforcement agencies, and while it is true that casino operators are targeted, it is always wise to check and understand your state’s laws regarding online gambling before participating. Most online gambling laws pertain to companies providing betting and gaming services over the internet, and it is highly unusual for a state government to explicitly prohibit the use of such services. Because online casinos are completely illegal in Washington, there are still no clear regulations or protections for internet gambling. Through this review, we will delve into what is legally happening within Washington’s online casino industry and explore the background of Washington’s gaming culture and infrastructure in greater detail.
For detailed information on what forms of betting are currently legal in each state and what types of online gambling might be considered under gaming-friendly laws, please visit the state-specific pages below. As the years pass, many U.S. states have begun paying attention to online gambling sites, and a handful have established their own robust regulations allowing gambling sites located within their borders to operate legally if they apply for and receive a gambling license. The exemption clause specified in federal gambling laws allows a horse racing betting operator licensed in one state to offer services in another state.
The confusing element in all this is that many state laws are outdated and ambiguous about the legality of internet betting on horse racing. Therefore, individual operators can interpret each state’s laws and decide whether they are comfortable offering services there. Land-based casinos generally have the option to partner with gaming operators to obtain licenses before launching online-only operations, but Illinois has not yet fully embraced legal online gambling. While this bill does not address online casino gaming, Illinois maintains a strong position with nearly a dozen land-based casinos and fully legal sports betting. Online and mobile retail sports gambling, off-track horse betting, online lotteries, daily fantasy sports, gambling at land-based casinos, and social casinos are all legal in Illinois today.
While most U.S. states have offered legal internet horse racing betting for years, we are now seeing individual states begin to legalize additional forms of internet gambling, such as casino games, poker, daily fantasy sports, and lotteries. Interestingly, it was the push to legalize online lotteries that gave states the authority to regulate online casino games and poker. Since then, many states have competed to establish legal sportsbooks at existing casinos and racetracks.
Retail sportsbooks have already begun accepting legal wagers in Illinois, having started earlier than offshore casinos. In 1996, an indigenous group based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, established a gaming commission and began issuing licenses to operate internet poker and casino sites in North America. Within a week, New Jersey became the third state to legalize internet gambling by granting licenses for both internet poker and internet casinos to Atlantic City casinos.
Unfortunately, only six U.S. states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Delaware) offer legal online casinos. For internet poker, you can legally play online in New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.
Indiana – Like Pennsylvania, Indiana is currently only legal for online sports betting. At the time of writing, only online sports betting is technically legal in this state. Regarding legality, some states may permit casinos and poker but prohibit sports betting, while others may allow sports betting but ban the other two. In most countries, casinos, whether offline or online, are subject to strict regulation.
If you’re a hardcore gamer and find yourself abroad for a while, using a VPN could be an option to still access your favorite casino or gambling games online.
Online gamblers in Illinois can still enjoy their favorite table games and online slots through our list of recommended social casino sites. These pages include a map of local casinos, along with legislation surrounding online gambling, state lotteries, and social gaming.