With legal online casinos now being a booming industry in the US, it is no surprise that states are beginning to get on board with legalizing them. Not only do they bring in more tax revenue, but they also provide a more regulated and safer environment for players than the illegal ones. The gambling sites allow US players to gamble at their leisure and without the hassle of going through all the red tape required to play in brick-and-mortar casinos.
The US government has changed how online gambling is permitted, meaning you can now play games in states that used to ban them. So, if you’ve been thinking about starting an online casino business or want to open an account to play in the best state, we’ve created a list with the help of Casino Reviewers that could help you get an idea.
Legal Online Gambling in the Particular States
The United States is gradually moving toward a situation where online gambling is legal. As of late, however, we have seen several states legalize other forms of internet gambling, including casino games, poker, daily fantasy sports, and lotteries, joining most states that have long allowed online horse racing betting.
The Department of Justice issued a new legal opinion on the Wire Act of 1961 in 2011. The Justice Department has determined that the Wire Act does not cover online gambling other than sports betting. This ruling opened the door for individual states to pass legislation authorizing and regulating innovative types of internet gambling.
Internet casino games, online poker, or both, are now lawful in the states of New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware, so long as the groups wanting to arrange these activities have been officially licensed and approved. In 2017, in Pennsylvania and 2019, West Virginia became members. Online gambling, poker, and sports betting all debuted in Michigan in early 2021.
With its 2018 decision, the Supreme Court effectively ended the federal ban on sports betting, paving the way for its legality and expansion. Some states, like Nevada, have approved laws that make sports betting legal.
To further complicate matters, in 2019, the Department of Justice unexpectedly altered its 2011 interpretation of the Wire Act. The current DOJ position is that all types of gambling are covered under the Wire Act. Although the decision’s ramifications remain unclear, many states are moving through with sports betting legislation despite the uncertainty.
States Where Sports Betting is Legal Today
All fifty states can now legally offer sports wagers. However, the regulations vary from state to state. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) has only recently been repealed, making it legal to gamble on sports in all but four states. Only Nevada was exempted entirely, making it possible for residents to wager on individual sporting events within the state.
Parlay-style “sports lotteries” were also allowed in the states of Delaware and Oregon, but only under certain conditions. Permitted in Montana, however, the squares for sports betting aren’t profitable. In addition, no state was allowed to host any sports betting.
When the Supreme Court declared PASPA illegal and struck it down in its entirety in May of 2018, everything changed. Even if PASPA was repealed, sports betting is not instantly legal everywhere in the United States. To reinstate sports betting, individual states must make necessary legal changes.
Thirty pieces of legislation to legalize and regulate sports betting have been introduced in state legislatures around the country. The following jurisdictions have approved legislation permitting sports betting and either currently provide or will soon offer sportsbooks:
- Wyoming
- Arizona
- Wisconsin
- Arkansas
- West Virginia
- Colorado
- Washington DC
- Connecticut
- Washington
- Delaware
- Virginia
- Illinois
- Tennessee
- Indiana
- South Dakota
- Iowa
- Rhode Island
- Kansas
- Pennsylvania
- Louisiana
- Oregon
- Maine
- North Dakota
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Michigan
- New Mexico
- Mississippi
- New Jersey
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- Nebraska
- Nevada
States Where Online Gambling is Legal Today
After the Federal Wire Act was broadly interpreted to include all kinds of gambling, states could not legalize and regulate internet gambling until 2011.
After New York and Illinois lottery officials requested clarification from the DOJ on how to proceed with selling lottery tickets online, things began to shift.
Online lotteries prompted the initial request from the states of Illinois and New York; nevertheless, the Justice Department’s interpretation of that request allowed for virtually any type of online gambling.
Several regions have jumped on the opportunity to legalize, regulate, and tax online casino games and poker. This list includes all of the states where either online casinos or online poker are permitted by law:
- Nevada
- West Virginia
- Connecticut
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- Michigan
USA cannot regulate online gaming worldwide. They lack power to enforce federal gambling prohibition against foreign operators.