The rise of online casino gambling in the US has been extraordinary as many states have been regulating and legalizing these platforms. These regulations and laws can differ between states and affect online casino experiences. That is why we’ll be classifying these state laws based on the stance each territory has taken in this article. Let’s see what these categories are.
State-by-State Comparison
Online casino experiences in the US are largely determined by the type of legal status each state has adopted. These legal statuses can have three categories which are namely, fully legal, unregulated, and partially legal. The main difference between these categories is the regulations they come with. For example, states in the fully and partially legal categories may need operators to partner with local land-based casinos to get licenses, which has had an impact on the kinds of games that players can access.
Unregulated States
Even though online casinos have been getting increasingly popular, there are still several states that haven’t passed any regulations for this sector, making players miss out on local options. Let’s see two states that fall in the unregulated category and discuss how their inaction has affected players in those regions.
Texas
First, we have Texas, a state famous for its complicated relationship with games of chance. For this state, there is good news as there are ongoing efforts to legalize casinos, however, as players wait for news, online casinos remain unregulated. However, players can still enjoy their favorite games at Texas online casinos hosted in offshore jurisdictions, according to the Sportscasting team. These sites are typically registered out of state, or even out of country, by governments that are more lenient on gambling, but accessible by Texans and others.
Alabama
In Alabama, various forms of gambling are prohibited by state laws, which have made launching an online casino in the state illegal. However, there have been talks about expanding these laws to include sports betting and other types of online gambling, but there’s been minimal progress.
Legal States
There are only six states in the US at the moment that fall under the fully legal category. In these states, players can enjoy various games, such as classic table games like poker, craps, and blackjack, along with many slot games at the best online casinos available locally. Let’s see which states have adopted this progressive approach.
Delaware
Delaware was the first state to legalize online casinos back in 2012, and in this state, these casinos are overseen by the Delaware Lottery.
New Jersey
New Jersey quickly followed in Delaware’s footsteps to become the second state to make online casinos legal in 2013, and the body that enforces online casino regulations in this state is the Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Pennsylvania
Four years after New Jersey legalized online casinos, Pennsylvania followed suit and gave the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board powers to oversee this sector.
West Virginia
In March 2019, online casinos became legal in West Virginia, and the West Virginia Lottery Commission was put in charge of regulating the industry.
Michigan
Michigan also legalized online casinos in December 2019 after West Virginia and appointed the Michigan Gaming Control Board to enforce regulations.
Connecticut
Connecticut is the newest state to get into the fully legal category, as they legalized online casinos in 2021 and made the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection the regulatory body in charge of these platforms.
Partially Legal States
Many states are starting to fall under the partially legal category as lawmakers relax their regulations. Let’s see a few of these states already in this classification.
Arkansas
Arkansas got into the partially legal category by letting online casino operators offer sports betting services in February 2022. For many states in the fully legal category, the legalization of sports betting usually led to online casinos following suit.
Arizona
In Arizona, sports betting was legalized in 2021 when the state gave native tribes licenses. Many players are hoping that this move will lead to the future legalization of online casinos.
