Online Gambling in the US: State-by-State Guide
There’s no federal online gambling regulator in the United States. Every state decides for itself whether to legalize online casinos and sports betting, and each one sets its own age, tax and licensing rules. That means “is online gambling legal in the US” has no single answer — it depends entirely on which state you’re in.
Written and fact-checked by the Gamblingcore editorial team. We keep this content independent of any single operator’s marketing claims — see our disclosure policy for how the site is funded.
Online Casinos: Live in Seven States
As of September 2026, real-money online casinos are legally operating in exactly seven states:
| State | Regulator | Legal age | Tax rate on operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) | 21 | 19.75% |
| Pennsylvania | Gaming Control Board (PGCB) | 21 | 54% (slots), 16% (table games) |
| Michigan | Gaming Control Board (MGCB) | 21 | 20–28% (tiered) |
| Connecticut | Department of Consumer Protection | 21 | 18% (rising over time) |
| Delaware | Delaware Lottery | 21 | State-run/shared model |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Lottery | 21 | State-run/shared model |
| West Virginia | Lottery Commission | 21 | 15% |
We cover New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan in full depth in dedicated guides: online casinos in New Jersey, online casinos in Pennsylvania and online casinos in Michigan.
Maine legalized online casinos in 2026 but hadn’t launched as of this writing. Its model is unusual: the state’s four Wabanaki Nations hold exclusive rights to operate online casinos, with commercial operators partnering under them rather than holding direct licenses. A realistic launch window is late 2026 into 2027.
No other state currently offers a legal, regulated real-money online casino. If you see a site claiming otherwise while accepting players in, say, Texas or Florida, it isn’t licensed in that state — full stop.
Online Sports Betting: A Much Longer List
Online sports betting is a different story. Since the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on state-regulated sports betting (PASPA) in 2018, most states have legalized some form of it — either online, retail-only, or both. The exact list of states offering live online/mobile betting changes often as new states launch, so treat any specific count as a snapshot rather than a permanent fact. Always check your own state’s gaming or lottery commission for the current status.
Age Requirements
- Online casinos: 21 in every state that offers them — there’s no exception.
- Online sports betting: 21 in most states, though a handful set the minimum at 18.
Payments
Unlike the UK, most US states allow credit cards for online gambling — a meaningful difference from Great Britain’s blanket ban. That said, some states restrict credit card gambling specifically, and individual banks can still decline gambling-related transactions regardless of state law. Beyond cards, look for e-wallets, ACH/online bank transfers, and operator-branded prepaid products such as Play+ or cash-based options like PayNearMe, which lets you fund an account with cash at a retail location.
Taxes on Winnings
Gambling winnings are taxable income under federal law and must be reported to the IRS, regardless of the amount and regardless of whether the operator issues you a W-2G form. Most states also tax gambling winnings as income, on top of the federal requirement. Keep your own records — see keeping records in our responsible gambling guide.
Self-Exclusion: State by State, Not National
There’s no US equivalent of the UK’s single GAMSTOP scheme. Instead, each state runs its own self-exclusion list, and it only covers operators licensed in that state. If you move or want protection across state lines, you generally need to check with each state individually. Typical programs — like Michigan’s Disassociated Persons List or New Jersey’s DGE self-exclusion program — let you choose a period (commonly 1, 2, 3 or 5 years, or lifetime) and cover both online and in-person casinos licensed in that state.
Sweepstakes Casinos: The Workaround Some States Have Banned
In states without a legal online casino, you’ll often see sweepstakes casinos advertised instead. These sites use a dual-currency model — a “Gold Coin” currency for play money and a “Sweeps Coin” currency that can be redeemed for cash prizes — and operate under promotional-sweepstakes law rather than a gambling license. That legal structure is what lets them advertise in states where real-money online casinos aren’t legal.
A growing number of states have banned or restricted them, including New York, California, Montana and Washington, with more considering similar action. Because they aren’t licensed as gambling operators, state gambling protections — regulator complaints, self-exclusion lists, funds-protection rules — usually don’t apply to them. We go into the mechanics, the legal arguments on both sides, and the current state-by-state restriction list in sweepstakes casinos explained.
Prediction Markets: A Legal Gray Zone
Platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket let users trade “event contracts” tied to the outcome of sports games, elections and other events. They’re regulated federally by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as derivatives exchanges, and argue that federal oversight lets them operate nationwide without state-by-state gambling licenses. Many states disagree, arguing that sports-outcome contracts are unlicensed sports betting by another name.
The dispute is genuinely unresolved: federal appeals courts have split, with the Third Circuit siding with Kalshi against New Jersey while the Ninth Circuit sided with Nevada, and New Jersey has petitioned the Supreme Court to settle the question. States including Nevada, Michigan and Washington have separately obtained court orders against Kalshi’s sports contracts. Availability can change from one week to the next — treat any specific state’s status as temporary until confirmed.
Offshore Sites: Not a Legal Alternative
If your state doesn’t offer a legal online casino, an offshore site licensed in Curaçao or elsewhere is not a substitute — it isn’t licensed by any US state regulator, has no obligation to follow US player-protection rules, and gives you no regulator to complain to if it refuses to pay. Federal law mainly targets the operators and their payment processing, but a few states — Washington among them — also make it a criminal offense for a player to gamble at an unlicensed site, even though enforcement against individual players is essentially unheard of.
How to Check Your Own State
- Search “[your state] gaming control board” or “[your state] gaming commission” — nearly every state regulator publishes a list of licensed operators.
- Confirm the specific product (online casino vs. sports betting) is covered — a state can legalize one without the other.
- Never rely on a casino site’s own claims about where it’s licensed to operate. Confirm independently. See our broader guide on how to check a casino’s license.
Where to Get Help
National Problem Gambling Helpline
Free, confidential, 24/7 — call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many US states have legal online casinos?
- Seven, as of September 2026: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia. Maine has legalized them but hadn't launched at time of writing.
- Why can I use a credit card to gamble in the US but not the UK?
- The UK banned credit card gambling nationwide in 2020. Most US states never introduced an equivalent ban, though individual banks can still decline gambling transactions and some states impose their own restrictions.
- Are sweepstakes casinos the same as real-money online casinos?
- No. They run under sweepstakes law using a dual-currency system rather than a gambling license, which is why they can operate in states without legal online casinos — and why several states have banned them.
Need help? UK: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133 · US: 1-800-MY-RESET · More support options →