When it comes to legal online gambling, the answer to the question can you gamble online legally depends on your state’s laws. In addition to legal age requirements, state regulations govern everything from how you can access regulated sites to what types of games you can play there. If you’re thinking about gambling online, we encourage you to use our Online Gambling Legality by State guide to learn more about the specifics of your state’s laws.
Some states ban online gambling altogether, while others have strict rules about how it is conducted and where. However, in general, the vast majority of states have passed laws to allow for some form of internet gambling. The most common way that this is done is through a regulated casino website. These sites provide players with a safe and secure environment where they can make wagers on a variety of casino games. In some cases, these casinos may also offer sports betting and other types of gambling.
The state of Rhode Island became the latest US state to introduce a regulated online casino, with Gov. Dan McKee signing a bill to bring iGaming to the Ocean State in June 2023. The law will go into effect in March of 2024, and is designed to mirror the laws of its neighboring states. Like New Jersey and Delaware, Rhode Island’s iGaming industry will feature a mixture of real money casino games, including online slots, blackjack, and poker, as well as lottery-style games like scratch-offs and pulltabs. The state’s three existing casinos have partnered with 888 to launch their iGaming operations, and will work closely with the Rhode Island Gaming Commission to regulate the new market.
Another state that has a fairly liberal approach to iGaming is Pennsylvania. The Keystone State is one of a handful of states that have legalized online casino games, along with Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia. Additionally, the state has established interstate compacts with other iGaming operators to help pool player liquidity and make it easier for gamers to move across borders to access the best games.
Online casinos provide players with a lot of benefits that simply aren’t available at brick-and-mortar establishments. For starters, they’re much easier to regulate and provide an additional source of revenue for state governments. Additionally, the speed at which online casinos operate allows customers to play more hands, rolls, and spins in a shorter amount of time than they would at a traditional casino.
As of April 2019, iGaming is legal in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The exception to this is Iowa, which banned online casinos in 2023 despite its home to Churchill Downs and other major racetracks. Kentucky is a little more complicated, as the matter of legalizing iGaming in the state is being debated on a parish-by-parish basis.