Is online gambling legal in the United States?

Legal overview

The United States has no national licence for online casinos. Gambling is mainly a matter for the individual states, and each state decides whether internet casino games may be offered within its borders. Federal law sits on top of this patchwork: the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 does not itself make any game illegal, but it bars businesses from accepting payments for internet gambling that is unlawful under federal or state law.

A small group of states has authorised and licensed online casino gaming: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Delaware, Connecticut and Rhode Island. In these states, operators need approval from the state regulator or state lottery, players generally must be at least 21, and geolocation checks make sure they are physically inside the state while playing. Michigan, for example, publishes a list of authorised platforms, each tied to a licensed land-based or tribal casino. In January 2026 Maine authorised the Wabanaki Nations to offer online casino gaming under LD 1164; as of August 2026 the market had not launched because the state's rules were still pending.

In every other state, online casino games are not authorised, even where sports betting, lotteries or online poker may be legal. Offshore sites that accept US players hold no US licence and are outside state consumer protection. Several states have also moved against so-called sweepstakes casinos; California's ban took effect on 1 January 2026. Because the picture changes state by state, the legal position always depends on where the player is located at the moment of play.