What States Allow Casinos?

Unlike in the UK, where both online and offline gambling is legal, the United States has a much more tumultuous relationship with betting and casinos.

Moreover, although the US federal government has its own set of laws concerning gambling, most states also have their own gambling legislation which covers everything from age restrictions to what kinds of gambling are permitted.

Add to this the fact that the US boasts a wide array of casino types, each with their own rules, and it can all quickly become very confusing.

Luckily for you, if you're looking for clear and precise information about which states allow casinos and other forms of gambling, then you're in the right place.

On this page, you can find out all about what gambling activity is legal and at what age you can gamble in each US state.

We'll also take a brief look at the different types of casinos in the US, including online casinos, and how legislation varies between types.

Gambling In the US – Key Facts

➡️ 48 of 50 states permit some form of live gambling

➡️ Only 39 of the 48 where gambling is permitted allow casino venues

➡️ Hawaii and Utah are the only states with an outright gambling ban

➡️ Online gambling is only regulated in 3 states

➡️ The US has different types of casinos, which each have their own regulations

Different Types of Casinos in the United States

Before we dive right in and tell you about what kinds of casinos are permitted in each US state, we thought it would be a good idea to first discuss the different types of casinos in the US and how they differ from each other

In the United States there are five main types of casino and, depending on which state your visiting, you could be permitted to play at just one or a mix of the following different types:

Native American/Indian Casinos

These casinos, which may also sometimes be referred to as Tribal casinos, are located on federally recognised Indian reservations. These are areas of land managed by a recognised Native American tribe, rather than the state government.

As these reservations possess tribal sovereignty, the laws within the reservations are different from the surrounding state. This means they can permit legal casinos.

Native American casinos can vary in size, yet they must adhere to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. In this act, casino games were split up into three classes, each with their own regulatory scheme:

• Class I – Traditional Indian gaming and social gaming for minimal prizes
• Class II – Non-banked card games (games which are played exclusively against other players rather than against the house) and bingo
• Class III – All forms of gaming that are neither class I or II. This includes slot machines, blackjack, craps and roulette)

Which class of gaming a Native American casino can offer is dependent on the agreement reached with the state where the casino is located.

Pari-Mutuel Casinos

Some states, such as Pennsylvania or Lousiana, will only allow pari-mutuel wagering. This is a form of gambling in which all wagers are placed together in a pol, and then the pool is shared between the winning bets.

The parimutuel system is used in gambling on horse-racing and greyhound racing. This has led to the creation of ‘Racinos', which are combined racetracks and casinos.

In most cases, a Racino will offer only video slot machines, although some now offer table games such as  blackjack, poker and roulette too.

Land-Based Casinos

These are the regular casinos which most people will be familiar with. They are the types of casinos which can be found in Las Vegas and Atlantic City and they are similar to casino venues in the UK.

Riverboat Casinos

As their name suggests, riverboat casinos are casinos which are located inside boats. Riverboat casinos were originally approved in the late 20th century, when gaming was prohibited on land.

The original riverboat casinos left the dock and gambling was only allowed when the ship was sailing. Nowadays, riverboat casinos do not need to sail, nor do they even have to be located on a boat.

Instead, they must simply be located near a waterway and so the regulation is used to limit the area where casinos can be constructed.

Online Casinos

Online casinos, as your probably aware, are those which exist from a website page. They allow players to wager on casino games through the internet and often offer higher odds and payback percentages than land-based casinos.

In the US, there are currently only four states (Delaware, Nevada, New York and New Jersey) where online casinos are officially legal. You need to be within these states, therefore, in order to access and register at online casinos.

State By State Gambling Laws

Below, you can find out more about the 48 states where gambling is permitted. This will include what age you must be to visit a casino and what kinds of casinos and gambling activities are legal.

We've also included a clear key. States with a tick (✔️) do boast casinos, whilst states with a cross mark (❌ ) only permit some other type of gambling.