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US Gambling Sites / US States / Legal Gambling States: Which States Allow Gambling in 2024?

Legal Gambling States: Which States Allow Gambling in 2024?

Last Updated on 12/03/2024
Fact checked by: Drew the DFS Guy

Hello and welcome to our review of the legal gambling states in the US. Here, we take you through which states allow gambling in the US right now and which don’t.

If you have ever felt unsure about the laws in your own state or surrounding states when it comes to legal gambling, you have come to the right place to shore up your confidence. Check out the rest of our review to learn more about legal states for online gambling in the US.

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Planned
Illegal
Alabama
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Alaska
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Arizona
See full length article: Online Gambling Arizona 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
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Arkansas
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
California
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Colorado
See full length article: Online Gambling Colorado 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
Bet365
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Connecticut
See full length article: Online Gambling Connecticut 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
FanDuel Sport
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Delaware
See full length article: Online Gambling Delaware 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Florida
See full length article: Online Gambling Florida 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Note
Racetracks, national lotteries and tribal casinos are legal. Sports betting and all other casino gaming is illegal.
Georgia
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Hawaii
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Idaho
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Illinois
See full length article: Online Gambling Illinois 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
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Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
BetMGM Sportsbook
Visit Site
Indiana
See full length article: Online Gambling Indiana 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
Bet365
Visit Site
Iowa
See full length article: Online Gambling Iowa 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
Bet365
Visit Site
Kansas
See full length article: Kansas Gambling Guide
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
BetMGM Sportsbook
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Kentucky
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Top Operator
Bet365
Visit Site
Louisiana
See full length article: Online Gambling Louisiana 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Planned Legalization Date2021
Top Operator
Bet365
Visit Site
Maine
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Maryland
See full length article: Online Gambling in Maryland 2024: When Will Online Gambling Be Legal in Maryland?
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
BetMGM Sportsbook
Visit Site
Massachusetts
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
BetMGM Sportsbook
Visit Site
Michigan
See full length article: Online Gambling Michigan 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
BetMGM Sportsbook
Visit Site
Minnesota
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Mississippi
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Missouri
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Montana
See full length article: Online Gambling Montana 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age18+
Nebraska
See full length article: Online Gambling Nebraska 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Nevada
See full length article: Online Gambling Nevada 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
New Hampshire
See full length article: Online Gambling New Hampshire 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age18+
New Jersey
See full length article: Online Gambling New Jersey 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
Bet365
Visit Site
New Mexico
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
New York
See full length article: New York Online Gambling Sites 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age18+
Top Operator
BetMGM Sportsbook
Visit Site
North Carolina
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
Bet365
Visit Site
North Dakota
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Ohio
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
Bet365
Visit Site
Oklahoma
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Oregon
See full length article: Online Gambling Oregon 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Pennsylvania
See full length article: Online Gambling Pennsylvania 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Note
All forms of gambling are legal in Pennsylvania at present.
Top Operator
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Rhode Island
See full length article: Online Gambling Rhode Island 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age18+
South Carolina
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
South Dakota
See full length article: Online Gambling South Dakota 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Tennessee
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
BetMGM Sportsbook
Visit Site
Texas
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Utah
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Vermont
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Top Operator
FanDuel Sport
Visit Site
Virginia
See full length article: Online Gambling Virginia 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Top Operator
Bet365
Visit Site
Washington
See full length article: Online Gambling Washington 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age18+
Washington, D.C.
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
West Virginia
See full length article: Online Gambling West Virginia 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Wisconsin
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age21+
Wyoming
See full length article: Online Gambling Wyoming 2024
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Legal Age18+

The history of gambling in the US has been a rollercoaster ride for every state involved. You can trace any form of gambling back to as far as when the first settlers began to arrive in the New World. However, the first real gambling games and wagering came about in the colonial era.

The 19th century

The 1800s is where gambling really started to expand and flourish as states like Louisiana, and more specifically, the city of New Orleans, had a massive influx of games of chance and skill. Throughout the 1800s states would both legalize and outlaw all forms of gambling as gambling was in a fairly constant state of flux. However, by the end of the century, most forms of gambling were frowned upon and had ultimately been made illegal by just about every state in the US.

The 20th century

The first state to really open its doors to legal gambling in the century that followed was Nevada. You really can’t talk about gambling in the US without thinking about the state that has Las Vegas as its crown jewel. In response to the Great Depression, Nevada legalized casino gaming in the early 1930s. This dovetailed perfectly with the lifting of prohibition laws, so there was plenty of reason for tourists and gambling fanatics to venture out to Nevada. You may ask “how many states have legal gambling in the US at that time?” There were other states at this time that allowed some legal horse racing betting and charitable gambling but none of them went as far as Nevada. It was during this time that Nevada started to build on what would later become known as the Strip.

Up until the 1970s it was the federal government that was controlling the laws related to gambling activities for all states. However, by 1976 with the Gambling in America report, the federal government decided to allow each state to make its own laws when it came to legalizing or outlawing gambling. A number of states would go on to legalize national lottery but only a handful of states by the end of the 20th century would legalize casino gaming.

The 21st century

As states can pass bills to alter gambling laws themselves, the industry has been in a constant state of flux. Almost all of the states that have legalized most forms of gambling have in no way, shape or form gone backwards with their legislation. However, some states are either wholly against the legalization of gambling or at the very least against large portions of it. Each of the US states has gone through their own process to either outlaw or legalize all forms of gambling.

The states that have allowed gambling have also typically been on board with internet gambling as well. You only need to look at the plethora of Iowa gambling sites and sites for online gambling Indiana to see just how much these states are on board with the idea. There are still plenty of states that are on the brink of changing their laws and some that won’t budge. We will touch on each state’s current gambling laws in later sections. As far as the question of how many states have legal gambling, the answer is simply, far more than there has ever been.

The state-by-state legislative approach explained - how laws are passed

There are plenty of different laws to follow in the US and this is for one specific reason: each state can dictate its own gambling laws. Let’s take a closer look at how these laws are drawn up.

Gambling laws in the US were exclusively defined by the federal government right up until 1976. It was in this year where the government, after careful consideration, decided to allow each state government to make its own laws pertaining to the legality of gambling. Now this may have seemed like the right idea, but in truth it can make following each of the state laws and any subsequent changes they make quite tricky. Either way, these gambling laws are decided by the state’s government and are either given the go ahead for changes or shut down through the proposing of bills. These bills decide whether or not gambling legislation is changed in each of the states of the US. And that is how we come by legal gambling states in the US.

The flexibility of these gambling laws

Now, you may be wondering about the flexibility of these gambling laws in each state or how many states have legal gambling available at all. The latter we will touch on later but as far as flexibility goes, there is none. If your state has made online gambling or any gambling for that matter illegal, then that is the end of it. There are a few states who have legislation that is pretty vague, however, it is best to err on the side of caution by no means attempt to play at risky offshore casinos from one of these regions.. Instead, play it safe, and wait for your state to make the necessary amendments to their gambling laws. Then you can gamble safely with state regulated online casinos.

Stay up to date with CaptainGambling

There are likely going to be plenty of changes to the future of online gambling in the US. Here at CaptainGambling, we keep you updated with all of these changes as we update our reviews and comparison regularly to match the latest news and developments so you can confidently answer the question, how many states have legal gambling? There is plenty more you can learn on our site like how to find the best online betting bonus or the best online casino bonus as well.

Current state-by-state legality of igaming - gambling laws by state

Once you have checked out our detailed list below you should be able to easily locate the best Florida gambling sites and sites for online gambling Arizona. For now, let's see which states have legalized gambling and which states do not allow gambling:

Regulation within the Top5 US States by Population

California
Yes
No
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California
Texas
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
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Horse Betting
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State Sports Betting Casino Poker Horse Betting DFS Social Casino
Texas
Florida
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
State Sports Betting Casino Poker Horse Betting DFS Social Casino
Florida
New York
Yes
No
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Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Visit Site
State Sports Betting Casino Poker Horse Betting DFS Social Casino
New York
Visit Site
Pennsylvania
Yes
No
Sport
Casino
Poker
Horse Betting
Daily Fantasy Sports
Social Casino
Visit Site
State Sports Betting Casino Poker Horse Betting DFS Social Casino
Pennsylvania
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The Northeast

  • Maine - No legal sports betting or online casino gaming. Lotteries and racetracks are legal.
  • New Hampshire - Sports betting and online casinos legal. No legal race tracks.
  • Vermont - Only the national lottery is available. No legal sports betting or online casinos.
  • Massachusetts - No legal sports betting or online casino gaming. Lotteries and racetracks are legal.
  • Rhode Island - All forms of gambling are illegal in RI, aside from land-based casinos on tribal reservations.
  • Connecticut - No racetracks or online casino gaming. Only lotteries and tribal casinos are available. Online sports betting is now legal.
  • New York - Sports betting at local establishments and online licensed sportsbooks is legal. As are racetracks and lotteries.
  • New Jersey - All forms of gambling are legal in New Jersey at present.
  • Pennsylvania - All forms of gambling are legal in Pennsylvania at present.

The Midwest

  • Ohio - Online casinos are illegal at present. National lotteries and racetracks are legal. Online sports betting is also now legal.
  • Michigan - All forms of gambling are legal in Michigan at present.
  • Indiana - All forms of gambling are legal in Indiana at present, except online casinos and poker rooms.
  • Wisconsin - Sports betting and online casinos are illegal in Wisconsin. National lotteries, tribal casinos, DFS and horse betting are legal.
  • Illinois - All forms of gambling are legal in Illinois at present,. except online casinos and online poker rooms.
  • Minnesota - Sports betting, online and land based casinos are all illegal. Racetracks, national lotteries and tribal casinos are legal.
  • Iowa - All forms of gambling are legal in Iowa at present.
  • Missouri - Online casinos, sports betting or racetracks are illegal. Land based casinos and national lotteries are legal.
  • North Dakota - Sports betting, online and land based casinos are illegal. Racetracks, tribal casinos and national lotteries are legal at present.
  • South Dakota - Only horse betting, Social casinos, and horse betting are allowed. No online gambling is legal.
  • Nebraska - Only social casinos and DFS is legal. Sports betting, casinos (of any type) and poker is not regulated.
  • Kansas - Kansas is open to all forms of gambling except online casino games and online poker. Sports betting is growing well.

The South

  • Delaware - Sports betting and casino games are illegal in the state. You can, however, enjoy poker, horse betting, DFS, and social casino gameplay.
  • Maryland - Online casinos are illegal, but online sports betting is allowed now. Land based casinos, racetracks, DFS, social casinos, and national lotteries are legal.
  • Virginia - Sports betting, racetracks and national lotteries are legal. No legal online casino gaming or land based casinos available, aside from social casinos.
  • West Virginia - All forms of gambling are legal in West Virginia at present.
  • Kentucky - Only racetracks, DFS, social games, and national lotteries are legal. No sports betting or casino gaming available.
  • North Carolina - All major forms of gambling are illegal. Social casinos and Daily Fantasy Sports are permitted.
  • South Carolina - All major forms of gambling are illegal. Social casinos and Daily Fantasy Sports are permitted.
  • Tennessee - National lotteries, social casinos, and sports betting are legal. All casino gaming is illegal.
  • Georgia - Only national lotteries are legal. All other forms of gambling prohibited. Social casinos and DFS are permitted.
  • Florida - Racetracks, national lotteries and tribal casinos are legal. Sports betting and all other casino gaming is illegal. Social casinos and DFS are allowed.
  • Alabama - Only pari-mutuel horse racing betting and tribal casinos are legal. All other gambling is illegal. Social casinos and DFS are allowed.
  • Mississippi - Online casinos and racetracks/horse betting are illegal. Sports betting, land based casinos and national lotteries are legal. DFS and social casinos accepted.
  • Arkansas - Online casinos/poker and sports betting are illegal. National lotteries, land based casinos and racetracks are all legal. You can enjoy DFS and social casino games.
  • Louisiana - Online casinos and online poker are illegal. Land based casinos, racetracks and national lotteries are legal. DFS and social casinos are available.
  • Texas - Only national lotteries and tribal casinos are legal. All other gambling is prohibited. Social casinos and DFS are permitted.
  • Oklahoma - Racetracks, tribal casinos and national lotteries are legal. All other casino gaming and sports betting is illegal, except for DFS and social games,

The West

  • Montana - Sports betting, tribal casinos and national lotteries are legal, together with social casinos and DFS. All other casino gaming and online poker are illegal.
  • Idaho - Only national lotteries, horse betting and tribal casinos are legal. All other gambling is illegal. DFS and social casinos are available.
  • Wyoming - Racetracks, tribal casinos and national lotteries are legal. Online sports betting, DFS, and social casinos are allowed. All other casino gaming is illegal.
  • Colorado - All gambling is legal except for online casino gaming and online poker.
  • New Mexico - Tribal casinos/sportsbooks, racetracks and national lotteries are all legal. Online casinos are not permitted and neither is sports betting outside of tribal casinos.
  • Arizona - Tribal casinos and national lotteries are legal. Sports betting is allowed, but not on horses. DFS and social casinos are allowed.
  • Utah - No gambling of any kind is allowed in Utah. Social casinos and DFS is available.
  • Nevada - National lotteries, horse betting, and online casinos are illegal in Nevada. All other gambling is legal.
  • California - Online sports betting and online casinos are illegal. Everything else is legal.
  • Oregon - National lotteries, tribal casinos and sports/horse betting are legal. Online casinos, commercial casinos are illegal. DFS and social casinos are allowed.
  • Washington - Only horse betting and DFS is legal in Washington state.
  • Alaska - All gambling is illegal. Social casinos and DFS are allowed though.
  • Hawaii - All gambling is illegal. DFS and social casinos are allowed.

There are states that are clearly nowhere near legalizing online gambling anytime soon such as Utah, Idaho and Wisconsin. In terms of what states do not allow gambling and likely won’t for the foreseeable future, these three are right up there. However, there are plenty of states that seem to be on the verge of making some significant changes to the legality of online casino and/or sports betting in their states.

The states that are currently the closest to making these changes include South Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota,  Nebraska, and Florida. Keep an eye on our site as we keep you updated on the changes in these states that are on the precipice. For now, we can also help you find the best Colorado gambling sites or the best sites for online gambling Delaware.

That brings us to the end of our review of legal gambling states in the US. After checking out gambling laws by state, we gathered that there is a clear trend towards legalizing at least some form of gambling in each of these states. You should now have a clear idea about the legality of gambling in your own state and gambling laws by state in the rest of the US.

Here at CaptainGambling, we do more than just clear up confusion about legal gambling states in the US. We can also help you find the best casino sites in the US or you can simply check out our diverse sports betting reviews and ratings to find legal states for online gambling. Either way you can always find out which states have legalized gambling on our site.

Following the gambling laws by state in the US can be a tedious task. It is not uncommon to hear people ask “Is online gambling legal in Louisiana?” or in any other state really. Our review will help to shed some light on the matter and learn more about which states allow gambling.

✅ Can you gamble online in Connecticut?

Our review gives you an in-depth look at all of the states in the US right now and what their gambling laws are so that you can clearly see which states allow gambling. So, if you’re wondering, can you gamble online in CT, you will find your answer right here at Captain Gambling.

❓ Are the gambling laws in the US going to change?

The gambling laws in the US have been changing for years so it can be difficult to stay in the know for which states allow gambling. Our review will give you some insight into what states we believe will most likely make amendments to their current gambling laws. You’ll be able to answer the question, “Is online gambling legal in Illinois?”.

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