USA ONLINE GAMBLING
Licensed and Legal: We only list legal gambling sites that are in compliance with state gambling law.
Welcome to GambleUSA! Legal online gambling is exploding across the country, and it can be difficult to manage all the opportunities that are happening near you. This site provides you with the latest news, reviews and information on states allowing online gambling, and those that are next in line.
GambleUSA also covers online casino, poker and sports betting sites, with pages dedicated to how to bet and bonus offers. This allows you to compare the best gambling sites in the US. You can try demos of popular Vegas slots here, too.
How We Shortlist the Best Casinos for US Players
As our aim is to guide you to the best US online casinos, we avoid choosing online casinos at random. Instead, we spend several hours exploring each online casino. Our reviews are, therefore, based on first-hand experience.
We consider the following criteria before reviewing, rating, and recommending an online casino for US players.
7th December 2023Licensing
GambleUSA is licensed for the American market. In other words, we only recommend legal online casinos, operating under a license issued by their respective state gaming authority. In order to obtain a valid US iGaming license, an online casino must comply with all the strict regulations. This also includes having a land-based partner, which offers additional guarantees to the players. Outside US, this is different, and even in Europe you have sites like NorgesCasino.com where they do not regulate online gambling at all. This is in contrast to Ireland Online Casinos where everything is legal with no license needed.
If you live outside the regulated states, then there is no way to play online casino games for real money. The legal alternatives available are sweepstakes casinos and social gambling. Some players might consider offshore casinos. While you probably won’t run into any problems for doing this, we advise that you stick to online casinos operating under an American license. Certain offshore gambling authorities do not have particularly strict requirements, which leaves some question marks hanging over them.
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State-by-state Gambling Guides
Get the status of online gambling and sports betting in each state and the broader climate for legal gambling in each state with our Guide to Gambling in the US.
Hoping for action
A serious amount of players in the white colored states are hoping for regulated gambling soon.
Legalized some form of sports betting
WHERE IS ONLINE GAMBLING LEGAL IN THE U.S.?
Arizona – After approving HB 2772, Arizona authorized online sports betting, and the first betting sites went live in September of 2021. On the other hand, online casinos are still illegal across the state. The residents of the Copper State can only play their favorite casino games in person at one of several tribal casinos.
Colorado introduced its regulated sports betting industry in May 2020, six months after voters legalized retail and online wagering in the Centennial State. With its entry, Colorado became the 18th state with operational and legalized sports betting.
Connecticut: The Connecticut House overwhelmingly voted to authorize online gambling in May 2021. This made Connecticut one of the latest states to join in on the wave of online gambling legalization. Retail sports betting began in September of 2021, followed by online sportsbooks and casinos a month later.
Illinois became another one in the line of states with legal and regulated sports betting when the first sportsbooks launched in June of 2020. Both online and retail sports betting is allowed, but casinos only operate in land-based form. SB 690 did not make online casinos legal, but the new Internet Gaming Act might add online casinos to the market as soon as 2022. Other legal forms of gambling in Illinois include lottery, poker, and DFS.
Indiana launched retail sports betting in time for football season as retail sportsbooks opened in September 2019, followed two months later by the states first betting apps. The Hoosier state certainly benefits from its location, in the heart of the Midwest, as well as not requiring in-person registration to set up sports betting accounts.
Iowa launched online betting in August 2019, allowing remote registration in January 2020 – giving players access to Iowa Online Sports Betting Apps. Before that, the state had retail sportsbooks, and online betting if you visited a physical casino to sign up. While the state features over 20 land-based casinos, online casinos are yet to be authorized.
Maryland – Since HB 940 easily passed the state’s House in March 2021 and was signed by Gov. Larry Hogan two months later, Maryland has become yet another state with legalized sports betting. Sportsbooks such as BetMGM and TwinSpires launched their online products in December, with more expected to join soon. Retail sportsbooks are also available throughout many of the state’s casinos.
Michigan gave its residents a memorable Christmas gift in 2019, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed off on legislation that legalized sports betting, online casinos and online poker. As a result, Michigan became the fourth state to legalize all three verticals. The retail sports betting portion launched on March 11, 2020, and online betting and online gambling both kicked off Jan. 22, 2021. Take a look at our list of MI online casinos to get going.
New Hampshire legalized sports betting in July 2019 with the passage of H480. As a result, the first betting site went live in December 2019. Eligible NH bettors are allowed to place wagers online and at licensed land-based venues. As it stands, DraftKings is the only sports betting operator in the Granite State. The Boston-based juggernaut offered to pay 51% of its mobile sports wagering revenues to the state for being awarded a monopoly. Betting on local college teams is not permitted, and online poker and online casinos remain off-limits for residents of New Hampshire.
New Jersey is currently the largest market for regulated online gambling in the US. Over a dozen NJ approved online casino sites and poker rooms compete for an overall market that is worth more than $225 million a year. There are a number of sportsbooks and online sports betting apps live in the state.
New York introduced a limited-operator, government-run online sports betting model in 2021. The New York Gaming Commission gave the go-ahead to two groups and a total of 9 operators to launch their online betting products. Four of them went live on January 8, 2022 and the rest went live in time for the Super Bowl on February 13, so now players can enjoy many different NY Sports Betting Sites. Recently, there have been a few attempts to legalize online poker, albeit unsuccessful. Also, there aren’t any online casino bills on the table at the moment.
Oregon – Legal sports betting has officially been up and running in Oregon since August 2019. Online sports betting is currently available only through one operator — The Scorecard app, as the gambling legislation gave the monopoly to the State lottery. The first (and currently only) retail book is at Chinook Winds tribal casino. Gov. Kate Brown has recently supported a new bill (HB 2127) that would bring mobile sports betting to a new level and make it possible for more operators to apply for a sports betting license.
Pennsylvania is the fourth and biggest state to legalize and regulate online gambling. Sports betting (retail and online) and online casinos are all legal and live. And in early November, PokerStars kicked off legal online poker in the state. You can check our list of the best PA online casinos with in depth reviews of each site.
Rhode Island – Land-based sports betting in Rhode Island was authorized only a month after the Supreme Court struck down PASPA in May 2018. The state’s legislators passed SB37 in 2019 to allow online sports betting, although through a solitary, lottery-owned app only. The app is powered by William Hill (recently purchased by Caesars) and runs on IGT software. RI residents can also indulge in sports betting at two retail sportsbooks — both operating under the Twin River brand.
Tennessee holds a unique place in the US gambling hierarchy as one of the two states with an online-only sports betting system in place. The Volunteer State legalized online sports betting in 2019, and the first books went live in November 2020.
Virginia – Sports betting was legalized in Virginia in April 2020; the first online operators went live in January 2021. Currently, there are 7 licensed online books in VA, although there could be as many as 18 in the future. Horse race betting is also available at various retail venues and online through the TVG app. Retail sports betting will also be available at brick-and-mortar casino properties which are set to open their doors toward the end of 2022.
West Virginia was among the first states to legalize sports betting post-PASPA. At the moment, there are five retail and online sportsbooks housed within the Mountain State, and more will arrive soon. Each of the five eligible casinos is allowed up to three online skins. The state also permits betting on DFS contests.
WHAT STATES ARE CONSIDERING LEGALIZING SOME FORM OF ONLINE GAMBLING?
Arkansas – There are no legal online casinos in Arkansas. Casino gambling and sports betting are permitted but can only be practiced in a couple of land-based casinos. The state has adopted new regulations regarding online sports betting. Implementing these laws is expected to start sometime in 2022, although there are currently no mentions of authorizing online casinos.
California: The state has been trying to pass a bill to regulate online poker for the better part of the last decade. Online casinos have never been part of the conversation, though sports betting has been. Observers aren’t that optimistic about gambling expansion in the state in the near future, though lawmakers have made strides in finding common ground with state tribes, which enjoy gaming exclusivity.
Florida – Online gambling was live in Florida for a while, but it got shut down in December of 2021 after the agreement between the Seminole Tribes and the state failed in the federal court of appeals. There have been new initiatives to re-launch online sports betting that may result in a ballot in late 2022.
Georgia doesn’t have any legal casinos or sportsbooks, and it doesn’t even permit tribal casinos or horse race betting. The only form of legal gambling in the state is the lottery. A few bills have been made in an attempt to legalize sports betting, but none of them passed. However, yet another bill is expected in 2022.
Louisiana – The age of legalized sports betting in Louisiana is just around the corner. The new sports betting bill was signed into law in June 2021, and the official launch is expected to happen sometime before the end of the NFL season. Meanwhile, people from Louisiana can gamble in land-based tribal casinos, although online casinos are still not authorized.
Massachusetts: The state has foated a few bills to legalize and regulate online gambling in recent years. The state Gaming Commission has become increasingly vocal on the issue, as has the Lottery, suggesting that momentum may be approaching critical mass. The state also has land-based properties from Wynn (Encore Boston Harbor) and MGM Resorts (MGM Springfield). Although mobile and retail sports betting has not yet begun in Massachusetts, the situation is likely to change in 2022.
North Carolina passed legislation in 2019 to allow retail sports betting at two tribal casinos operating under the Harrah’s brand. SB 688 is a step closer to passing — it was approved by the Senate and House Commerce Committee. However, it still needs to get the green light from three more committees, hopefully sometime in 2022. If passed, the bill would legalize state-wide online sports wagering for residents aged 21 or over.
Ohio: became the 33rd state in the US to legalize sports betting in some capacity after Gov. DeWine signed HB29 into law in December 2021. Eligible bettors will be able to place wagers on professional and college teams, as well as esports, by 2023. However, the Ohio Casino Control Commission may expedite the process and work out the rules sooner. The law allows up to 46 online sports betting apps and 40 retail books, in addition to a slew of betting kiosks in bars, restaurants, and grocery stores across the Buckeye State.
Only top rated and licensed sites
At GambleUSA our aim is to bring you up to date with honest reviews of the different gambling sites available on the US market. To be able to compare each site, we go through every aspect of the gambling websites and apps and pull out the most important details from a players point of view. Just like you can read in our Unibet Casino Review – where you will find all the details you need to make an informed choice. In the same regards we go through all the popular apps like we also did in our BetMGM Online Casino review and many more will follow.
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Online Casino
Legal online casinos are currently available in New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Keep in mind that you must be physically located within these states in order to play for real money.
Sports Betting
Legal sports betting is currently active in these states: Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Colorado, Tennessee, Washington DC, West Virginia, and Virginia. Currently, several other states have active bills and 2021 legislation in progress to create additional land-based and mobile US sports betting options. Here is a complete guide on where to bet. Plus, find out which states are in the process of legalization.
US Online Lottery
While a majority of US states offer a form of lottery play, only a select few offer the addition of an online lottery. These states are Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Get a brief history of the online lotteries in these states and an overview of the types of games offered.
Online Poker
Legal, regulated online poker is available in Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. New Jersey has the largest number of poker networks, while Nevada’s only regulated online poker is through World Series of Poker (WSOP). Similarly, Delaware has one sole poker site, 888 Poker. As for Pennsylvania, PokerStars entered the online poker world in late 2019.
Horse Racing
Horse racing is one of the oldest forms of gambling and is legally available in most states. Not only can you go to racetracks around the US, you can also bet on your phone or online in more than half of the states in the country. Learn more about your options for legally bet on the ponies and how to wager.
Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, are available for play in most US states. However, many states come with legal, gray areas and operators that only serve select states. More states, including New York, have gone through various DFS legal battles and/or have legislation in progress. Get a full rundown of where to play and new promotions.
MORE ABOUT LEGAL ONLINE GAMBLING OPTIONS
Can you gamble online in the United States?
Online gambling in the United States is a tricky topic. Following the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, many online casinos stopped accepting US players. At GambleUSA, we only recommend legal, licensed US online casinos.
In order to operate in the US, online casinos must follow some strict rules. Currently, the only states offering legal real money online casinos are Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan and West Virginia. Outside these states, the only forms of legal gambling available are social gaming and sweepstakes casinos. While it isn’t necessarily illegal to play at offshore casinos, we recommend that you avoid them. Certain offshore license providers have questionable standards, which hurts their confidence level. GambleUSA recommends that you stick to the best online casinos operating under a license issued by the respective state gaming authority instead.
Where is online gambling legal?
Currently, online gambling is legal in the following US states: New Jersey, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Iowa, Virginia, Maryland and Arizona. You must be physically located within these states in order to play.
How do I know that a site is a legal online casino site?
If you want to find out whether a casino site is legal or not, you can check for their credentials. Legal casino sites must operate under a valid license issued by the respective state gambling authority. Scroll down to the bottom of the casino home page and you will find its license. We recommend that you avoid sites that aren’t licensed by your local gambling authority, especially if they operate under a license issued by a gambling authority from overseas instead.
What kinds of games do legal online casinos offer?
If you sign up at one of the multi-vendor online casinos in our US online casinos list, you can choose from thousands of slots, table & card games, video poker games, scratch cards, and instant-win games such as bingo, keno, and lottery games. They have all been developed by the best software providers in the gaming industry. Since slots are by far the most popular among US players, they make up the vast majority of games.
Our recommended online casinos also offer live dealer games. Enjoy an authentic brick-and-mortar casino experience anywhere you want, at any time. Live blackjack, live roulette, live baccarat, live poker and game show style are some of the options available at US online casinos.
How good is the payback for legal online gambling games?
Payback for legal US online casinos depends on what game you play. Online slots offer different return to player (RTP) rates. Low volatility games offer better chances of winning at the cost of smaller payouts. High volatility slots on the other hand offer bigger payouts at a higher risk. Table games also have varying house rates, so it all comes down to how big of a risk you are willing to take.
No matter which game you choose, you can take two things for certain: the first one is that legal online casinos offer you a fair chance of winning. The games are tested and approved by state gambling authority, ensuring that there is no rigging. The second one is that you are going to get paid if you win. There is no risk of getting scammed at a legal online casino.
Do any sites offer all major types of online betting?
Yes, the major betting sites operating in the US offer almost if not all types of betting. It is worth checking out the types of betting on offer at each site before signing up.
Do any legal online casino sites offer free bets?
Legal online casino sites that also offer an integrated online sportsbook usually offer promotions for their players. This way, you can get a free bet bonus. Check out the site’s promotions page to find out the bonuses and promotions available.
How do i deposit to play for real money?
In order to deposit and play for real money at US online casinos, you need to sign up for an account first. After doing that, you need to open the cashier tab in your account page and select the deposit option. Go through the necessary steps, choose your preferred payment method and the cash will become available as soon as the transaction is completed, which usually happens instantly. US online casinos also offer you the option to deposit at the cage of their land-based casino partner instead.
ADVANTAGES OF LEGAL ONLINE GAMBLING SITES
Is it safe to gamble online?
In order to operate in the US, an online casino must comply with state gambling legislation. Obtaining a license is not an easy process, which ensures that all legal online casinos meet these strict requirements. Additionally, all online casinos in the US must have a land-based partner in order to obtain a valid license.
Your money is secure at legal online gambling sites
Legal online gabling sites must provide their players with top security features. Since gambling sites deal with sensitive information and data, they must employ the latest encryption technology in order to protect their users. This way, you can rest at ease knowing that all financial transactions as well as your financial details are well-protected behind a secure connection and safely stored in the servers.
Games are tested and fair
All licensed US casino sites use random number generators (RNG). Games running a RNG are tested and regulated by state gaming authorities. Our recommended US online casinos partners all comply with fair gaming regulations. Their games are thoroughly tested to ensure fair play.
You’ll get paid if you win big
Legal gambling sites are absolutely going to pay their players if they score a big win. Since these sites operate under strict standards from state gambling authority, they must comply and pay their players accordingly. There is no risk of getting scammed out of a potential win if you play at a legal casino site.
Earn land-based casino loyalty points
Online casinos in the US require a land-based partner to operate. In some cases, this adds quite a few benefits. Some online casinos will allow you to use the same loyalty points to claim exclusive benefits at the land-based casino as well. Check the respective loyalty program page for additional information.
You know where the money goes
In order to offer their services for US players, all online casinos must provide the respective gambling authority with detailed information on their operations. In other words, these casino sites undergo heavy scrutiny before obtaining a license. This means that you will be depositing your money while also knowing where it goes. There is no risk of getting scammed out or having your information fall into the wrong hands. Playing at legal casino sites provides players with additional security in every single aspect.