Rather than the federal government, each state has the autonomy to mandate its own legal online gambling. The federal government has tried to step in, but many see its tactics as outdated and inefficient. As a result, navigating the differences between each state’s laws can be challenging. However, progress has been made as states collaborate more frequently to create a unified and safe gambling experience for all players.
Federal Online Casinos Legislation
Over the last 50 years, the federal government has attempted to develop numerous forms of legislation to regulate the gaming industry, and has struggled somewhat in this endeavor. In fairness, it isn’t easy to keep pace with the rapid ascent of the Internet and online gaming. The most important legislative decision in recent years came when the DOJ allowed states to implement their own laws for legal online gambling.
State Online Casinos Legislation
Each state has its own rules about online gambling, and it can be hard for players to keep up with the differences. For instance, gambling is not allowed in Hawaii and Utah, but state like Pennsylvania and New Jersey let you gamble online on various games, sports betting, and poker.
Sports betting in the US has exploded since 2018, when the government overturned the 1992 PASPA act, and now states can decide for themselves whether they want to allow sports betting.
Currently, more states are allowing sports betting than online poker and casinos. Most likely this is because online casinos have taken a while to catch up with the law – even though the first legal online casino started more than a decade ago, only seven states have regulated online casinos:
- Connecticut: The Nutmeg State legalized USA online casinos in 2021 under the same House Bill that legalized online sports betting, poker, and Daily Fantasy Sports. Any player over 21 can choose between two legal casino sites regulated by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
- Delaware: In 2013, Delaware was one of the first states to offer players a legitimately safe online casino. The Delaware State Lottery is allowed to provide online casino games.
- Michigan: In 2019, Michigan lawmakers passed the Lawful Internet Gambling Act, allowing online gambling and casinos to be legal. However, it was another two years before the first online casino launched in the state. A few years later, there are no more than 15 legal real money online casinos in MI.
- New Jersey: New Jersey is and always has been one of the homes of legal gambling in the US. The legal online gambling bill was passed in 2013, and there are currently more than 20 online casinos operating in New Jersey.
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania began permitting online casinos to operate legally in 2019, nearly a year after the governor signed HB271. Influenced somewhat by the neighboring New Jersey, PA residents have the luxury of more than 20 safe and secure online casinos.
- Rhode Island: One of the newest states to allow legal online casinos, Rhode Island’s governor signed the bill in June 2023. Like Delaware, the State Lottery is allowed to operate online gaming sites.
- West Virginia: WV also runs its online gaming operations through the State Lottery. The first online sites were launched in 2020, and four sites are currently running.