KEY TAKEAWAYS
Online casino games are legal in the United States only where a state has authorized and licensed them. According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), an industry trade group, seven states allowed a full range of online casino games at the end of 2025: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia. As of October 2026, Maine has also enacted a law, but it limits licenses to the state’s tribes and was still in rulemaking.
There is no federal online casino license, so each state writes its own rules on who may operate, which regulator oversees the market and how players are verified. This article explains how those state laws came about, how they differ, what is pending in 2026, and which common assumptions about online casino legality are wrong. It addresses online casino games only; sweepstakes-style games raise a separate legal question that this article does not resolve.
Why Online Casino Law Is Mostly State Law
The Wire Act and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) are the federal statutes most often discussed in this area, but neither one itself licenses online gambling. UIGEA, enacted October 13, 2006, is aimed at payment processing for unlawful internet gambling, and the Wire Act’s scope was limited to sporting events or contests by the First Circuit in January 2021. For background on the second statute, see how the Wire Act applies to interstate wagering.
Because the federal framework leaves room for in-state activity, states took the lead. New Jersey’s Internet gaming law, P.L. 2013, c. 27, took effect on February 26, 2013, and it provides that internet gaming is deemed to take place where a casino’s server is located in Atlantic City. Delaware’s Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012 had already authorized the state lottery to offer internet versions of table games and video lottery through its video lottery agents.
Later laws followed the same idea of in-state play under state control. Pennsylvania added Chapter 13B on interactive gaming to its gaming law on October 30, 2017, and West Virginia’s Lottery Interactive Wagering Act passed in 2019. Michigan’s Lawful Internet Gaming Act, Act 152 of 2019, took immediate effect on December 20, 2019. Connecticut’s Public Act 21-23 followed in 2021, and Rhode Island enacted its law on June 20, 2023, with an effective date of March 1, 2024.
The States With Online Casino Laws, as of October 2026
The AGA’s 2026 State of the States report says iGaming was regulated and legally available in eight states at the close of 2025. Seven of them allow a full range of online casino games, while Nevada permits online poker only. The report says Maine’s legislature passed a bill in 2025 that the governor had not signed by year end. Maine’s legislative record shows the bill became law without the governor’s signature on January 11, 2026.
The table lists each state with its authorizing law and regulator, based on the official sources reviewed for this article. It reflects the status as of October 2026 and is not a ranking of any operator.
| State | Authorizing law | Regulator or operator of record |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | P.L. 2013, c. 27 (Casino Control Act, Article 6C) | Division of Gaming Enforcement |
| Delaware | Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012 | Delaware Lottery |
| Pennsylvania | Act 42 of 2017 (4 Pa.C.S. Chapter 13B) | Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act (2019) | West Virginia Lottery Commission |
| Michigan | Lawful Internet Gaming Act, Act 152 of 2019 | Michigan Gaming Control Board |
| Connecticut | Public Act 21-23 | Department of Consumer Protection |
| Rhode Island | 2023 R.I. Public Laws, ch. 135 | State Lottery Division |
| Maine | LD 1164 (P.L. 2025, c. 538), enacted Jan. 11, 2026 | Gambling Control Unit; rules in development |
Trackers sometimes count these states differently, because Maine is authorized but had not launched in the sources reviewed, and Nevada’s authorization covers poker only. CBS Sports, for example, counted eight states including Maine in August 2026, while the AGA counted seven with full casino games at the end of 2025.
How Licensing Works in Practice
States use three broad models. In casino-linked systems, a state licenses existing casinos to offer online games. Pennsylvania’s statute lets its gaming board authorize slot machine licensees to conduct interactive gaming, directly or through a licensed operator, and New Jersey requires a casino licensee or its internet gaming affiliate to hold a permit from the Division of Gaming Enforcement.
In lottery-run systems, the state itself owns the games. West Virginia’s act provides that interactive wagering games are West Virginia Lottery games owned by the state, with up to five operator licenses. Delaware’s statute has the lottery office operate internet table games through video lottery agents, and Rhode Island’s law has its State Lottery Division operate iGaming at two Twin River facilities, with Bally’s named as the exclusive vendor.
A third model is tribal licensing. Maine’s law defines an operator as a federally recognized tribe in the state and allows each tribe one internet gaming license at a $50,000 fee. Across these models, statutes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia set the minimum age at 21 and require players to be physically located in the state, while Delaware’s statute sets 21 as the minimum age for internet table games.
What Is Pending or Changing in 2026
Maine is the main state-level development. The Maine Gambling Control Unit’s rulemaking page shows a notice of rulemaking dated May 6, 2026, with a public hearing notice dated July 15, 2026, so the market’s rules were not final in the materials reviewed. As of October 2026, this article does not rely on any report of a launched online casino in Maine.
Beyond Maine, the AGA’s report says Maine was the only state to pass iGaming legislation in 2025. Other states may consider bills, but a proposal is not law until it is enacted, and this article does not assess any pending bill that was not verified in an official legislative source.
Enforcement is also active. In October 2026 the Michigan Gaming Control Board announced cease-and-desist letters to 33 offshore operators, following letters to 45 operators announced in April 2026. The table summarizes the status of the items discussed, as of October 2026.
| Item | Status as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Seven states with full online casino games | Counted by the AGA at the end of 2025 |
| Nevada iGaming | Online poker only, per the AGA |
| Maine LD 1164 | Enacted January 11, 2026; rules in development |
| Michigan enforcement | 33 cease-and-desist letters announced October 8, 2026 |
Common Misconceptions About Online Casino Law
Misconception one: online casinos are legal nationwide. They are legal only in states that have authorized them, and the AGA counted seven with a full range of games at the end of 2025.
Misconception two: a site that accepts a player is legal where that player lives. Michigan’s regulator said in 2026 that companies must be licensed by the board to offer internet gaming in Michigan, and it issued cease-and-desist letters to operators it found offering games without a state license.
Misconception three: licensed and unlicensed sites offer the same protections. The Michigan Gaming Control Board said licensed operators must honor its self-exclusion database, while offshore operators have no such obligation.
Misconception four: authorization means games are live. Maine enacted its law in January 2026, but its rules were still in development, so a statute can precede a launch. Another common assumption is that federal law alone decides the question, when in fact the state licenses and regulates these games.
Where to Find the Official Rules
The authoritative source for any state is its regulator and its statute. A state regulator’s website lists the operators it has authorized, and the Michigan Gaming Control Board, for example, points to its published list of authorized platforms. Statutes appear on legislature websites, such as the Michigan Legislature and the Pennsylvania General Assembly sites cited here.
Because rules, ages and licenses change and differ by state, anyone with a question about a particular situation should consult a licensed attorney in the relevant state. This article describes the law in general terms and does not assess any individual circumstance. Regulators including Michigan’s list the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER for anyone concerned about gambling.
Related Laws to Read Next
Online casino law overlaps with other areas. Online poker law has its own compact and history, which USGamingLaw covers in its explainer on which states allow online poker. The routes states use to authorize betting, such as legislation, ballot measures and tribal arrangements, are covered in how states legalized sports betting after Murphy v. NCAA, and the federal statute discussed above is explained in the Wire Act article linked earlier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Legal disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Gambling laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently; the information above reflects our research as of October 2026. For advice about your own situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state and check the official sources of your state’s gaming regulator.
Sources & References
- American Gaming Association (industry trade association) — State of the States 2026
- New Jersey Casino Control Commission — Casino Control Act, Article 6C: Internet Gaming
- New Jersey Office of the Attorney General — Division of Gaming Enforcement, Internet Gaming Information
- Delaware General Assembly — The Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012
- Pennsylvania General Assembly — 4 Pa.C.S. § 13B11, Authorization to conduct interactive gaming
- Pennsylvania General Assembly — 4 Pa.C.S. Chapter 13B, Interactive Gaming
- West Virginia Legislature — West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act, W. Va. Code § 29-22E
- West Virginia Legislature — House Bill 2934 (2019), enrolled text
- Michigan Legislature — Lawful Internet Gaming Act, Act 152 of 2019
- Michigan Legislature — MCL 432.311, Internet gaming operator duties and age verification
- Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Online Gaming Laws, Regulations, and Technical Standards
- Rhode Island General Assembly — 2023 Public Law, Chapter 135 (H 6348 Sub A)
- Maine Legislature — LD 1164, Text and Status
- Maine Legislature — Public Law 2025, Chapter 538 (H.P. 769, L.D. 1164)
- Maine Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Unit — I-Gaming Rulemaking
- Michigan Gaming Control Board — MGCB issues 33 cease-and-desist letters (Oct. 8, 2026)
- Michigan Gaming Control Board — Cease-and-desist orders to 45 illegal offshore gambling operators (April 7, 2026)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit — New Hampshire Lottery Commission v. Garland, No. 19-1835 (Jan. 20, 2021)
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York — Press release on U.S. v. Scheinberg et al. (April 15, 2011)
- CBS Sports — U.S. online casinos: Where all 50 states currently stand (Aug. 21, 2026)
