If you’re thinking about gambling online, you may have some questions about whether you can do so legally. While many states now allow residents to place wagers at regulated online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites, other types of online gambling are still prohibited in some jurisdictions. Read on to learn more about the legality of online gambling, including the specifics of each state’s regulations.
The first step to legally gamble online is to familiarize yourself with your local gambling laws. To help you out, we’ve compiled this handy table of state-by-state gambling laws. The table shows what types of online gambling are permitted and which are not in each state. This can help you make the right decision when it comes to placing your bets.
While it took longer than some had hoped, the US has finally begun to legalize online casino games. In fact, more than half the country now offers some form of iGaming, from slots and table games to online poker and lottery-style games like Powerball and Mega Millions. With more options and more players, iGaming is booming, and it’s likely that the growth of online gambling will continue to accelerate as states pass new laws and regulators get more experience.
Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey became the first states to introduce legal iGaming in 2013, followed by Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Kentucky also has a unique approach, as it groups online gambling into parish-by-parish categories rather than addressing it on a statewide basis.
Washington only just made sports betting legal on tribal lands, so it could be some time before online casinos are available there. In order to operate, top operators like BetMGM and DraftKings would need to partner with native tribes, and that could be a major hurdle to overcome in the state.
Connecticut and West Virginia have both passed legislation that allows for legal online casinos, with Connecticut’s launch occurring in 2021 and the latter launching in late 2022. West Virginia’s law includes some of the best online casino games available, with options from top operators such as FanDuel, Caesars, and DraftKings.
Currently, Arkansas only permits sports and horse racing-related gambling activities, so online casinos are not available in the state. California has the highest number of tribal casinos in the nation, but despite efforts to legalize iGaming, voters turned down the effort in early 2022.
Louisiana is another interesting case, as it has allowed sports and racebook gambling but doesn’t allow online casinos. In a similar vein, Mississippi only recently launched its first online casinos. However, New Orleans is home to Churchill Downs, so there’s a possibility that the city will one day offer online wagering.