Legal Gambling States in the USA September 2024

Past, Present and Future: The legal history of online gambling in the US

Before we can even consider looking at US states where online gambling is legal, we need to take a look through the history books and find out how we got to where we are today.

To say that the history of gambling across the US has been turbulent at times would be a slight understatement. However, as you fast forward to 2024, you would never have thought that once upon a time, almost all forms of gambling were prohibited.

Today, almost all US states provide some sort of legal gambling option, and 49 states present residents over the age of 21 with the chance to play at a social casino for real money prizes. As you’ll soon see, things haven’t always been so accessible. We’ll share when experts think your state will officially legalize sports betting.

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Online gambling legal states in the beginning

We need to head back to 1800s Louisiana to witness the first real signs of gambling across the USA.

In New Orleans, players would gather round and enjoy placing their bets on various games of skill and luck. Ironically, despite being the birthplace of gambling in the US, Louisiana has only recently opened its virtual doors (Jan 2022) to the online gambling world!

During the remainder of the 1800s, US gambling states regularly chopped and changed laws and legislation surrounding all forms of gambling, creating a fairly unpredictable era. The eventual yo-yoing was brought to an end by the close of the 1800s, with almost all states prohibiting all forms of gambling activity.

Legalizing sports betting beyond the Great Depression…

The next bout of legal gambling did not arise until midway through the Great Depression when Nevada legalized casino gambling.

Although other states had slowly started to introduce charitable gambling and horse betting, Nevada quickly took hold of the crown and started to pave the way for The Strip we see today. With prohibition also now lifted, Nevada soon became a hot spot for many.

New Jersey was the next state to follow suit, leading Atlantic City to become a popular alternative to The Strip by the late 1970s. When state-specific laws were introduced in 1976, a small selection of gambling states introduced state lotteries, while Louisiana and Illinois waited to open up riverboat casinos until the 1990s hit. Due to the sudden rise and risks of gambling on sports around this time, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 was formed. By 2018, the same act was deemed unconstitutional and was overturned.

Modern technology and the online sports betting era

Before diving into the modern era, it is worth noting that the federal government and federal law does not prohibit online gambling. However, the legal standing is determined on a state-by-state basis. You have to differentiate the state and federal laws.

Poker was the first legal form of online casino options that came to the US and was legalized across Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware back in 2011. By 2013, Garden State was one of the first to legalize online casino gaming.

As we know, PASPA was overturned in 2018, leading to the release of US betting site bonuses and promotions across the Garden State, Delaware and Nevada.

Keep reading to fully understand what states have legal gambling.

Regulations within the top 5 U.S. states that legalize online sports betting

What are sweepstakes casinos and why are they so popular?

As we make our way to the present day, we see that the number of states that offer online sports betting has grown exponentially, and only a few states prohibit online gambling in its entirety. For the most part, sportsbooks, horse betting, daily fantasy sports, and poker are the most accessible forms of gambling, with only six states providing legal online casino action. Thankfully, for those residing in a state where online gambling is deemed illegal, sweepstakes casinos offer a great alternative.

You can play at a social casino for real cash prizes or just for fun. They do not require a purchase or deposit to play, and the best sweepstakes casinos will make use of top software and offer a range of great casino titles, too. They are deemed legal across 49 states and fall under the no purchase necessary laws, meaning anyone of legal age can play.

Although they work similarly to a traditional online casino, players cannot win in a traditional sense. Instead, they will stake special Sweeps Coins on promotional titles and can enter onsite competitions. Once a certain number of Sweeps Coins has been acquired, an exchange can be made. Generally, this comes in the shape of real cash, gift vouchers, or merchandise! For those who simply want to play for fun, we suggest taking advantage of a sweepstakes casino no deposit bonus and using any Gold Coins you unlock. These coins hold no real money value and cannot be withdrawn at a later date.

In which states is online gambling legal?

Now you’re up to speed on the available forms of gambling across the US and how we arrived at the current position today, it is time to take a closer look at the legal offering from each individual state.

We at GamblingGuy are passionate about keeping our readers in the know of the sports betting industry. You can expect this list to be updated regularly if any states legalize sports gambling options. Why not bookmark this page and make sure you head back soon? Without further ado, let’s have a look at the list of states that offer online casinos.

A list of the top 10 sought-after states and their online gambling regulations: Updated September 2024

Below are the individual gambling regulations for the rest of the US states: September 2024

How we judge the best operators across states offering legal sports betting

When it comes to judging online betting operators across legal gambling states, our experts know a thing or two. In fact, the bulk of our site is dedicated to finding the best gambling and sports betting sites USA has to offer! With this in mind, we thought it would be worthwhile sharing a little industry insight and highlighting a few key areas that we consider to be critical when hunting down the best online sports bet options across states with regulate sports betting.

How to ensure your online gambling experience remains fair and safe in states that allow gambling

With your newfound knowledge of how to locate a top operator under your belt, we now take a look at how you can ensure your betting experience remains safe and fair across states that allow online gambling.

Check for a random number generator

The use of a random number generator is one of the easiest ways to confirm that the online gambling site that you have chosen to visit is safe and fair. For those that are new to online gambling, a random number generator is a piece of casino software that makes use of an algorithm to determine the outcome of all online wagers placed randomly. In turn, this keeps both the operator and player safe from any unsavory strategies.

Review the return to player percentage

When looking once again at fairness, there are few arguments against the importance of the return to player percentage (RTP). The return to player percentage gives players a chance to check the current payout percentage of their chosen casino titles and better judge whether it is worth staking on. Any RTP over 94% is considered good; however, it is not uncommon to see slots with an RTP bordering 99% – especially those at a sweepstakes casino.

Ensure competitive odds are provided

Sports betting fans will want to make sure that their bets have been given the fairest headstart and the easiest way to do this is by checking the odds. Sportsbook odds are detailed in our dedicated sportsbook reviews, and we focus on comparing pre-match and in-play odds with the biggest competitors. Where possible, we would suggest making use of odds boosts and alternative bonuses to improve any pre-match odds and paying close attention to match stats and live streams before making the most of any in-play wagers!

Read the terms and conditions

Any credible online operator will allow players to review terms and conditions long before any registration has taken place or any bonus has been redeemed. Here, you will find all the relevant information relating to your chosen operator or bonus and will soon discover if the terms associated are fair and suited to your usual activity. If any complex terms, jargon, or unrealistic wagering requirements are put forward, we would suggest taking advantage of our operator reviews and looking elsewhere!

Use credible payment methods

When your hard-earned cash is involved, it pays (quite literally) to be careful about the ways you deposit and withdraw from your account. We would always suggest using trusted payment methods that are traceable and that you are familiar with. If you are unsure of how a particular method works, you can make use of the GamblingGuy platform and read through our payment method guides or visit the payment section of your preferred operator’s review!

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Conclusion: States where online gambling is legal will only increase

That concludes our latest guide on states where online gambling is legal. We hope that you are now fully up to speed on where, what and how you can wager from state to state. Once you’ve established the forms of gambling that are legal across your state, make sure that you pay attention to the licensing, available bonuses, betting markets and games, customer support, and user experience detailed in our operator reviews before making any real money deposits.

For those of you who fancy playing without ever making a purchase, it could be worth checking out our guides on sweepstakes casinos instead!  If the current form is anything to go by, we imagine the number of states where gambling is legal will only continue to grow. If you wish to stay updated on all the latest changes to laws and legislation, we suggest sticking with us here at GamblingGuy.com!

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