For many years, gambling laws in the United States were fairly complicated. Nevada, of course, had legal gambling – famously one of the reasons behind the growth of Las Vegas – and New Jersey followed suit in the 1970s, and there are smatterings of tribal casinos across the country.
Today, it’s still rather complicated, but there is a direction of travel. In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the PASPA Act, which effectively kept sports betting illegal at the federal level. The decision by the Supreme Court effectively paved the way for each state to decide its own gambling laws.
Many states have acted fast, legalizing sports betting and online casinos, though there are more states that have the former than the latter. Nonetheless, several states do have legalized online casino gaming, with big brands like DraftKings Casino offering real-money blackjack, slots, roulette, and more on their platforms to players legally.
But where is it permitted?
Right now, eight states have legal online casino gaming. They are New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Maine and Connecticut. A note, though, that Maine has only recently passed the legislation to legalize online casino gaming. The first platforms are expected to launch in the coming months.
Why not everywhere?
Well, for a few reasons. For a start, it is up to the individual states to decide, and some lawmakers are not keen on the idea. In a state like New York, for example, they are building three mega casinos to cater for in-person casino gaming, but there does not seem to be much momentum behind the online sector, at least for now. Similarly, in Nevada, there is – perhaps surprisingly – no legal online casino gaming. That is mostly down to the fact that the state wants to protect its casino tourist economy.
Will things change?
In some states, sure. Several have bills waiting to go through, though it is not always certain that they will. Sometimes lawmakers reject the idea based on player protection issues. However, it has been well noted that states can make a lot of tax revenue from these platforms, so some lawmakers are trying very hard to push bills through. Note, though, that it may take years in some states.
Are you locked out if you don’t live in one of the ‘eight’?
Basically, yes. Some people use VPNs to access offshore and unlicensed casino accounts, but that comes with a lot of risk. If your state allows casino gaming, it will provide a license to the platform, and that, in turn, provides numerous protections to you as the player. It’s about more than entertainment. In short, if something goes wrong, you have legal redress. That’s not the case for an unlicensed or illegal casino platform.
The state of play and the future
The iGaming sector has had a sudden rise, transforming into a multi-billion-dollar economy, despite only being available in eight states – seven before Maine goes online. As mentioned, the tax take can be significant, so it has caught the eye of other lawmakers. The industry is healthy, though it’s worth noting that it remains immature, as the big brands jockey for position in states where, just a few years ago, the idea of legalized online casino gambling would have felt far-fetched.
