Legal gambling in the US involves many moving parts. To make sure that your activities do not violate state regulations, it’s crucial that you stay up-to-date on state law changes so as to not run afoul of any regulations. While certain states such as Hawaii and Utah have banned online gambling entirely (most notably Nevada and Oklahoma), others may permit it; still others have yet to embrace iGaming; therefore it’s worth making sure which states allow online gaming before starting to gamble online.
Nevada was the first state to legalize online casino games and sports betting, followed by New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Kentucky stands out as an interesting case as it may soon allow online sports betting but has yet to launch an online casino. Louisiana takes things a step further by regulating gambling parish by parish; currently 55 parishes exist within its boundaries with one having banned all forms of gambling altogether.
Massachusetts started sports betting in 2023, yet casino play wasn’t part of their legislation. There are three casinos open to residents within its borders that could possibly add iGaming at some point in time.
Rhode Island recently joined the ranks of states friendly to online gaming with their recent iGaming law, expanding Bally’s current monopoly of casino online gaming to cover sports betting and iGaming as well. Rhode Island will soon launch two online casinos offering real-money casino gaming to players 21 or over.
Michigan is one of two states to legalize both online sports gambling and casino gaming, having launched two regulated sites between 2021-2022; more may follow in future.
Illinois is on the cusp of launching its own online gambling platforms. Beginning in 2024, Illinois will license operators to provide real-money casino and sports gambling. Illinois lawmakers have historically been relatively conservative regarding gambling legislation; however, their legislators may now see an opportunity to increase tax revenue through this form of gambling.
California remains one of the most populous states, yet remains relatively conservative when it comes to gambling. Only licensed charitable gambling, such as bingo and pull-tabs, is allowed, while pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing can be done at racetracks and licensed off-track facilities; online gambling is strictly forbidden within its borders.
Oregon has traditionally been unfriendly towards online gambling, with only lotteries and state-regulated horse races officially approved by state regulators as forms of legalized iGaming. Nonetheless, experts predict that Oregon will likely soften its attitude toward gambling over time.