What States can you Online Gamble

Do you want to know what states can you online gamble in 2022?

We list the US states where online bettors can have a wager in 2022.

According to research done in 2017, it was established that about 2.3 million users use their smartphones to bet and gamble online.

Top Offshore Betting Sites

The United States has not been left behind as the number of online players continues to grow.

Through USA online casinos, Americans are able to play various games like casino games, poker, lotteries, horse racing and others from the comfort of their homes.

Originally, most states were reluctant to embrace and legalize online gambling because of the Wire Act by the US Department of Justice.

The Federal Wire Act on 1961 claimed that local governments and states could not regulate online gambling activity.

This act banned interstate sports betting; however, it did not mention other types of gambling.

Similarly, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) did not outlaw online gambling, but it prohibited financial transactions undertaken by online gambling service providers.

The act exempts intrastate gambling that is allowed under the state law. Online gambling has therefore been a subject of court cases.

In the USA, the legality of online gambling varies between states. While some states have officially launched online gambling, some are still looking for ways to legalize it while others don’t have any plans to regulate it.

Each state has its own constitution that addresses the issue of expanding gambling for its residents.

States You Can Legally Gamble Online listed

In this article, we will look at some of the States in the USA that have legalized online gambling.

Delaware

Online gambling was legalized in Delaware in 2012 where brick-and-mortar casinos were authorized to provide online casino games and poker to Delaware residents. It was the first state to launch online gambling and poker after passing the Delaware Gambling Competitiveness Act.

Additionally, Delaware was among the first states to legalize sports betting for licensed brick-and-mortar casinos after the court’s ruling in 2018.However, online sports’ betting has not yet been fully authorized.

The state’s online casinos are currently authorized to host table games, video poker, player vs. player poker and real money slots.

There are three licensed casinos in Delaware that began taking bets in June 2018.

In order to enjoy the full casino experience at the various state-sanctioned offshore gambling sites you need to be at least 21 years and be within the state’s boundaries.

Nevada

Online gambling in the state of Nevada is entirely legal when done under operators who are state-licensed.

On February 22nd, 2013, the governor of Nevada Brain Sandoval signed into law the online gambling bill which legalized online poker.

It has authorized casinos to offer online poker as well as mobile sports betting.

Interestingly, Nevada is also host to some of the most popular casinos than others states in the US. For this reason, the number of gamblers that prefer online casinos and online pokers is not very large.

For almost two decades now, Nevada has enjoyed monopoly when it comes to offering sports betting. It was the only state offering sports betting from the era of PASPA in 1993 up to 2018 when it was repealed.

After its repeal on May 14, 2018, other states like Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Mississippi legalized sports betting. Nonetheless, Nevada is still the leader in sports betting.

New Jersey

New Jersey was the third US state to pass the legislation for legalizing online gambling on November 26th, 2013. The state authorized the issuing of online casinos and online poker licenses in the Atlantic City.

Currently, New Jersey is the largest market for regulated online gambling that takes place in the US.

The online gambling in New Jersey is worth more than $225 million a year.

It is one of the few states that have legal and licensed online casinos and the legal betting age in this state is 21 years. However, those who are 18 years can legally bet on horses races.

Sports’ betting is also legal in New Jersey, and this is so because of the Supreme Court decision in 2018.

Previously, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA) prevented sports betting from being legalized in most states like New Jersey.

However, the Supreme Court found this unconstitutional and New Jersey legalized it.

The first mobile bookmaker was DraftsKings who worked in partnership with Resorts Casinos. Online betting is expected to grow in New Jersey as most casinos have made online betting requests to the Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania was the fourth state to legalize online gambling in the United State on October 26^th, 2017. Online gambling in Pennsylvania has expanded through the years due to the major gaming reform bill that was enacted in 2017.

The House Bill 271 legalized online poker, online casino games, online sports betting, fantasy sports and other types of gambling across PA.

The state is now able to offer diverse forms of online gambling that were not available to residents before.

In fact, after Nevada, Pennsylvania ranks second as the state that collects more gambling revenues. This has made it a leader in the online gambling industry.

Sports’ betting was launched in 2018 while both online poker rooms and online casinos launched in PA in 2019.

The Gaming Control Board in this state made it a requirement for all sportsbooks to officially launch before participating in online gambling.

PA has several fully licensed states as well as casino states that provide real money gambling.

Sports betting in PA became effective after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed by the Supreme Court. HB 271 legalized sports betting as well as daily fantasy sports in PA.

Michigan

Online gambling in Michigan was legalized in December 2019 after the Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the Lawful Internet Gaming Act into law.

The signing of the bill opens doors for most online gambling options like casino gambling, sports betting, and online poker.

While the launch dates for Michigan online gambling have not yet been set, it is certain that online gambling is legal in the state. Casino, poker and sports betting are expected to launch in Michigan in 2020.

New Hampshire

Although it is not fully legal, online gambling is somewhat legal in New Hampshire. Online poker and online casino are not legal in this state; however, other types of online gambling like iLottery, horse races. and sweepstakes are active in New Hampshire.

Unlike other states, the gambling laws in New Hampshire are less punitive.

In 1963, New Hampshire was the first to introduce state lottery which greatly contributed to the expansion of lotto gaming in the US.

So, although online gambling s not yet fully legal, this state has played a big role in ensuring that the gambling industry in the United States expands.

Maine

Although unlawful gambling is prohibited and considered a crime in the state of Maine, there are no penalties for players gambling online.

Nonetheless, lotteries, casino gambling and horse races betting are legal in Maine but are restricted to few venues.

A bill to legalize online casinos and poker sites was introduced to the legislature, but it didn’t make it past the committee.

Despite this, online poker players gamble in unlicensed offshore poker sites.

So far, none of these players have been prosecuted and the absence of penalties renders online gambling not illegal in Maine. 

Kentucky

The state gambling laws in Kentucky are very strict particularly with regard to age requirement.

Although the state of Kentucky is against online gambling, there are no written laws that prohibit it.

According to the Kentucky law, advancing gambling activity is prohibited.

However, this mostly applies to the gambling operators and not the players.

There are no specific laws that prohibit online gambling in this state; thus, the activity is considered legal.

With so many gambling sites to choose from, residents should research them to ensure that they are secure, and legitimate and accept Kentucky residents.

Also, there is a vast number of sports betting sites that operate legally in Kentucky.

These online sportsbooks accept Kentucky residents that have met the age requirements. In order to gamble in online poker rooms, online casinos and online sportsbooks, Kentucky residents need to be 21 years old.

Minnesota

Minnesota is another US state that doesn’t carry any penalties for online gambling.

Online casinos and poker are not regulated in Minnesota as there are no major efforts to pass the online gambling bill.

This is probably because land-based casinos are legal and Minnesota residents don’t find the need for online gaming.

Charity bingo halls and lottery betting are the only forms of gambling that are legal in the state of Minnesota.

For those who are interested in online gambling, unregulated offshore online cardrooms come to their aid. Although these cardrooms are not regulated under the Minnesota law, residents who participate in them are not prosecuted.

California

Online gambling is not illegal for residents of California who want to play online for real money.

Although the California state legislature passed the online poker laws, residents are not prosecuted by officials for gambling online.

Because of the unregulated online gambling industry in California, residents can safely gamble at offshore sites.

Residents are however required to attain the age requirement of 21 years to play in poker rooms, online casinos, bingo halls, and sportsbooks.

These gaming sites operate on a legal gray area. Also, gamblers need to pay taxes for revenue earned from the activity.

It is however illegal to operate a gambling business in California.

Also, online sportsbooks has not yet been legalized in California after the Supreme Court appealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA).

Players can bet at offshore online bookmakers without the consumer rights.

New York

In New York, any form of gambling that is not permitted by the state is considered illegal.

Online poker bills that were submitted by the retired State Sen. Jon Bonacic and Assembly man Gary Pretlow failed in 2015 and 2016.

The bill was submitted again the current State Sen. Joseph Addabbo in 2019, but it failed to make it past the legislature.

Despite this, New York is one of the states that are likely to legalize online gambling come 2020.

Besides, there are no regulations or prosecutions for those who engage in online gambling. Only those operating an online gambling site in New York have a high chance of prosecution and not individual citizens.

New York residents can play online, but they don’t have consumer protection or gaming resources.

Therefore, if you want to gamble online in New York, it is advisable to research extensively for trustworthy operators.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island allows numerous legal wagers except for online gambling.

Online gambling is prohibited in Rhode Island, but residents of this state can gamble online.

Rhode Island carries strong penalties for operators of online gambling; however, gamblers can enjoy playing without being penalized.

In 2018, the State Rep Charlene Lima submitted a bill with the aim to legalize online lottery ticket sales.

Although the bill failed, the sports betting bill passed which made land-based sports betting legal. However, mobile sports’ betting is still prohibited.

There is likelihood that online lottery sales might be legalized in Rhode Island.

When this happens, online poker rooms and casinos may also be legalized in Rhode Island.

What States can you Online Gamble – Conclusion

From this guide, it is evident that the gambling laws for various states in the US keep changing.

Currently, online gambling is legal for states like Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Nonetheless, players in all states in the USA can legally gamble online.

The long and complicated legislative process is a major contributor to the slow expansion of online gambling in the US.

The states consider factors such as type of game in order to determine the legality and illegality of a gambling.

Nevertheless, more states are expected to regulate online gambling in the coming years.

US citizens are safe to gamble online as most of these states don’t prosecute players.

You just need to identify a safe and reputable offshore site to play. However, there is a possibility that the regulations may change and states may call for law enforcement that prosecutes gamblers.