Gambling Illegal States
States classified as “Legal – Not Yet Operational” have authorized sports betting, but have yet to launch. “Active or Pre-Filed Legislation” denotes jurisdictions where bills to legalize single-game sports betting have been pre-filed/introduced in the state legislature or where a voter referendum is scheduled.
- Gambling Illegal States For Covid Deaths
- Gambling Illegal States For Marijuana
- Online Gambling Illegal United States
Aside from the land-based games in French Lick, Indiana's overly-broad definition of gambling and overly-harsh penalties for the act of illegal gambling (which is a felony on a first offense in most cases) make it a very un-friendly state for people who bet. Gambling in North Carolina is run exclusively through the Cherokee tribe, and the state passed a bill in July of 2019 that will permit sports gambling (including horse racing) to be part of that.
We've compiled this legal online betting guide for US players arranged by state, to provide accurate and up to date information on the legal online gambling status and gaming options available within each US state. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive state gambling directory which will empower players with the information to make informed decisions about online gambling.
This state-specific data will include a look at the state laws governing online gambling opportunities from online casinos, online poker, to online sports betting.
Each individual state is approaching the legalization of online gambling differently, thus it is necessary to detail lawfully available state-licensed options, and sanctioned licensed offshore online gambling opportunities. We also address some of the most commonly asked questions about gambling in each state and provide some helpful resources for players to access. This information can only be covered in depth within each of the state pages we offer, which you can find listed within this guide.
Gambling Laws And Regulations. Gambling laws vary in every country and state. Some jurisdictions have federal laws that prohibit online gambling, while others have passed laws legalizing it. In addition, some countries have laws that contradict each other such as banning gambling on the federal level while allowing states to pass their own laws. At least gambling that doesn't cross state lines isn't. Placing a bet with a bookie in another state, or your bookie laying off some of his action with an out of state organization is illegal under US Federal Law, specifically the Wire A.
Is Online Gambling Legal In My State?
To avoid confusion, we have marked US states which offer state-regulated gambling options in the table below with a check mark. At this moment in time, eight US states have legalized and regulated online gambling in some form. For example:
Online Poker & Casinos:
- Delaware - Online Poker and Online Casino gambling
- Nevada - Online Poker
- New Jersey - Online Poker, Online Casinos
- Pennsylvania - Online Poker, Online Casinos
- West Virginia - Online Poker, Online Casinos
Online Sports Betting & Fantasy Sports
- Illinois - Legalized Online Sports Betting**
- Indiana - Offers Online Sports Betting
- Iowa - Offers Online Sports Betting
- Massachusetts - Fantasy Sports Allowed
- Mississippi - Online Allowed At Casinos Only
- Montana - Legalized Online Sports Betting**
- Nevada - Online Sportsbooks State-wide
- New Jersey - Online Sportsbooks State-wide
- New York - Allows Fantasy Sports And Domestic Sports Betting
- Oregon - Offers Online Sports Betting
- Pennsylvania - Offers Online and Domestic Sports Betting
- Rhode Island - Offers Online and Domestic Sports Betting
- Tennessee - Offers Online Sports Betting Apps
- West Virginia - Online Sports Betting Allowed State-wide
** Legalized but Pending launch
Online Lottery:
- Georgia - Online Lottery Allowed
- Illinois - Online Lottery Allowed
- Kentucky - Online Lottery Allowed
- Michigan - Online Lottery Allowed
- Minnesota - Online Lottery Allowed
- New Hampshire - Online Lottery Allowed
- Pennsylvania - Online Lottery Allowed
Is Licensed Offshore Gambling Legal In My State?
While the above-mentioned states offer regulated online gambling, they still maintain the option to utilize licensed offshore online options. Nearly all US state residents, except those from Washington or Connecticut, can legally access licensed offshore online gambling platforms to play online casino games, poker, or bet on sports.
This is because no state laws in these other 48 states specifically prohibit or allow it - thus operating in a technical grey area, it is still considered safe to use because it is not likely these states will draft and pass legislation to specifically affect domestic access to licensed offshore gaming.
What Is The Minimum Online Gambling Age in the US?
There is no one minimum gambling age in the US as this is set and regulated by each individual state. The minimum gambling age within each state is affected by various factors such as game selected and licensor. By this, we mean state-regulated online gambling options require domestic players, whether residents or visitors, to abide by the state's minimum gambling age for that form of gambling on land within the state's borders.
Gambling Illegal States For Covid Deaths
However, licensed offshore online platforms which offer casino games, poker, and sports betting can lawfully accept players who are at least 18 years of age or older. These licensed offshore online sites also offer players much more in the way of bonuses and perks and the platforms we recommend are all extremely reputable.
U.S. States Where You Can Legally Gamble At 18 And Up
Below you can learn more about the minimum legal online gambling age by state in the USA.
| AL Offshore Yes:18 | IL Offshore Yes:18 | NE Offshore Yes:18 | SD Offshore Yes:18 |
| AK Offshore Yes:18 | IN Offshore Yes:18 | NV Offshore Yes:18 | SC Offshore Yes:18 |
| AZ Offshore Yes:18 | KS Offshore Yes:18 | NH Offshore Yes:18 | TN Offshore Yes:18 |
| AR Offshore Yes:18 | KY Offshore Yes:18 | NJ Offshore No | TX Offshore Yes:18 |
| CA Offshore Yes:18 | LA Offshore Yes:18 | NM Offshore Yes:18 | UT Offshore Yes:18 |
| CO Offshore Yes:18 | ME Offshore Yes:18 | NY Offshore Yes:18 | VT Offshore Yes:18 |
| CT Offshore No | MD Offshore Yes:18 | ND Offshore Yes:18 | VA Offshore Yes:18 |
| DE Offshore Yes:18 | MA Offshore Yes:18 | NC Offshore Yes:18 | WA Offshore No |
| FL Offshore Yes:18 | MI Offshore Yes:18 | OH Offshore Yes:18 | WV Offshore Yes:18 |
| GA Offshore Yes:18 | MN Offshore Yes:18 | OK Offshore Yes:18 | WI Offshore Yes:18 |
| HI Offshore Yes:18 | MS Offshore Yes:18 | OR Offshore Yes:18 | WY Offshore Yes:18 |
| ID Offshore Yes:18 | MO Offshore Yes:18 | PA Offshore Yes:18 | |
| IA Offshore Yes:18 | MT Offshore Yes:18 | RI Offshore Yes:18 |
Online Gambling Laws in The United States
Gambling laws can be a rather complex topic these days as there are several US federal gambling laws to account for such as the UIGEA, and the Federal Wire Act, as well as, several individual state gambling laws. The reason for this is because the United States DOJ has said that states have the authority to determine their own destiny concerning both land-based and online gambling.
Afterward, several states moved forward with legalizing some forms of online gambling for their region. Multiple other states are currently in discussions amongst themselves regarding the possibility of embracing this virtual gaming platform in their own territories. As discussed earlier and from what can be read from our laws page, US players outside of WA and CT are permitted access to multiple licensed, certified, and regulated online gambling sites hosted outside of the United States. This is a nice alternative for those players not located in a state with its own regulated form of domestic online gambling.
States With Pending Online Gambling Legislation
US States That Offer Domestic Sportsbooks
US States With Passed Sports Betting Legislation (Pending Launch)
➝ Research Interactive Map: Sports Betting in the U.S.
AGA’s interactive sports betting map provides state-level detail on the types of wagering allowed, key regulatory details, legal retail sportsbooks and online/mobile, and more.
Sports betting activity
Live, Legal* (19 States + DC)
Legal - Not Yet Operational (6 States)
Active or Pre-Filed Legislation (5 States)
Inactive sports betting
- No Legislation in 2020 (6 States)
- Dead Legislation in 2020 (14 States)
Legal Landscape as of December 7, 2020
Gambling Illegal States For Marijuana
“Live, Legal” denotes states where single-game sports betting is legally offered to consumers through retail and/or online sportsbooks. States classified as “Legal – Not Yet Operational” have authorized sports betting, but have yet to launch. “Active or Pre-Filed Legislation” denotes jurisdictions where bills to legalize single-game sports betting have been pre-filed/introduced in the state legislature or where a voter referendum is scheduled. Sports betting provisions, revenue, and location data are sourced from state regulatory agencies.
Online Gambling Illegal United States
Sports betting activity
Live, Legal* (19 States + DC)
Legal - Not Yet Operational (6 States)
Active or Pre-Filed Legislation (5 States)
Inactive sports betting
- No Legislation in 2020 (6 States)
- Dead Legislation in 2020 (14 States)
Legal Landscape as of December 7, 2020