3/28/2022

Online Casinos Based In The United States

  • Any type of gambling game can be addictive. Whether playing online, or in a land-based establishment, gambling addiction is a real problem to be aware of. The United States has various support groups available to help players with a gambling problem. If you, or someone you know, are addicted to online slots, seek help immediately.
  • Land-based casinos refer to the typical casinos that people often think of when they think of a casino. An example of this would a popular casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Casino gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931 and it was the only state to offer that type of gambling until 1977 when New Jersey legalized casinos for its seaside.

In the United States, both the Federal government and individual state governments are responsible for regulating gaming within their jurisdiction. The Federal government has designated some forms of gambling as prohibited within the US and has created laws that are non-negotiable in the regulation of such prohibited activities. On this subject, the Federal government may outlaw any form of gambling and states must abide by their law as Federal regulation will always trump state laws. It is important to any country’s gambling laws in order to stay within the country’s legal guidelines.

States, however, are permitted to maintain their own regulations and prohibitions on acceptable forms of gambling as dictated by Federal regulations. So long as state laws align and do not challenge or disobey Federal gaming laws they are free to control, oversee, and manage to gamble within their state. Usually, states create and employ gaming control boards or special gaming commissions to supervise gambling activities within their state borders. State laws are subject to their specific state and do not have jurisdiction or power to control laws in other states. Therefore, gambling laws can differ greatly between states.

Active Federal Laws And Regulations In The United States That Affect Online Gambling

The United States maintains several significant federal gambling laws that greatly affect how gambling is regulated and permitted throughout the nation. Each law provides its own in-depth explanation, reasoning, and history behind its creation and implementation. On this page we summarize the laws, however, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the background of each federal law simply follow the highlighted links to resource guide that provides a greater depth of explanation.

The payment options: If one aspect of online wagering could be described as a major pain for US-based casino players, it’s getting money into your online casino account. All US financial institutions are banned from sending money to online casinos, making online play extremely difficult for players based in the United States. We always recommend that the player examines the conditions and double-check the Are There Any Online Casinos Based In The United States bonus directly on the casino companies website. 18+, T&C Apply, New Customers Only.

Federal Wire Act – To combat prolific organized crime surrounding illegal bookmaking, then President John F. Kennedy enacted this law which effectively outlawed betting businesses from using phones to accept, place, or transmit interstate or foreign wagers on sports. At the time, this federal law greatly minimized domestic mafia bookmaking operations. The law has recently been interpreted by the US Department of Justice as effectively prohibiting U.S. based online sportsbooks from operating within the nation’s borders. Therefore it is a crime to operate an online sportsbook on US soil. The law does not prohibit USA residents from engaging in online sports betting at a legitimately licensed and regulated sportsbook that is legally operating outside of the United States.

DOJ Formal Opinion – In 2011, the DOJ and the Office of Legal Counsel released a memo that explained their formal interpretation of the Federal Wire Act that countered against the previous position the Criminal Division of the DOJ had taken. The memo stated that their prohibition on US-based Internet gaming only applied to online sports wagering. This clarification effectively allowed U.S. states to determine their destiny regarding online gambling as long as it doesn’t entail betting on sports. Therefore online casinos and poker sites are now legally permissible should a state decide to legalize these forms of betting entertainment.

UIGEA – This federal law is specifically aimed at online gaming operators and online gaming payment processors to curb illegal financial crimes, fraud, and money laundering through internet gaming activities. Financial institutions were thus barred from permitting direct transactions to online gaming service providers and given specific regulations on how they may process such transactions. In essence, the law provides regulatory oversight regarding how the online gambling transactions of USA residents are processed. The law does not make online gambling illegal.

PASPA – Once acted as the governing law over the prohibition of brick and mortar sports wagering throughout the US, with the exception of four exempted states. These four states had already implemented some type of active sports wagering or had pending sports legislation in place by a specified deadline and therefore were deemed exempt from the restrictions enacted by PASPA. The exemption was also offered to New Jersey due to their thriving Atlantic City gambling entertainment market, however, the state failed to take advantage of this option and allowed the deadline to pass. However, in 2018 SCOTUS reviewed PASPA and on May 14th ruled it unconstitutional and void. This law is no longer effctive in the land of the free.

RAWA – A preemptive bill yet decided upon intends to rewrite the Federal Wire Act of 1961 to extend prohibitions to include all forms of online gaming. If passed, this law would violently impact the current and future USA online gambling market as it does not include carve-outs for existing state-regulated online gambling platforms such as those initiated in Delaware, New Jersey, and Nevada – effectively making all online gaming in the USA illegal immediately.

State Gambling Laws

Individual states maintain the authority to allow or prohibit any form of gambling within their borders that are not expressly prohibited by US federal gambling laws. Due to the differing climate of states and their individual positions regarding legal forms of gambling entertainment, it is crucial to provide up to date information on what each US state permits and forbids in order to deliver the most accurate information for our readers. Therefore, we have specialized state focused pages to deliver the most current information on gaming laws and permissible gaming entertainment within their borders. Not only that, we provide here a state-specific gambling entertainment bill tracker to keep Americans updated on upcoming legal forms of betting entertainment in their state and inform them of newly enacted or retracted gambling laws.

Who Regulates Gambling in The United States?

At the federal level, there are multiple agencies that have a say in the regulation of U.S.A. gambling, these figures include the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Supreme Court, the House of Representatives, Congress, and even the President. All of whom communicate with one another and utilize the US constitution and precedent laws to determine the eligibility and legality of pending gambling legislation and regulations. At the state level, senators and congressmen in government positions lobby, direct, and discuss possible gaming legislation to either generate, permit, and regulate various legal forms of gaming entertainment in their state.

However, state governments often create sanctioned oversight boards such as Gaming Control Boards or Gaming Commissions to authorize, supervise and regulate legalized gambling activities within their state. Certain states in the USA may only have limited forms of legal gaming and therefore consolidate administrative power to existing commissions such as Lottery Commissions that are then tasked to regulate lotteries and limited forms of gambling such as charitable gaming in this case.

Forms of Legal Gambling in The United States

There are a variety of legal forms of gambling within the United States, however, these permitted venues are not uniform across state lines and players interested in engaging in these activities should check with local state laws to ensure lawful participation. As identified by the American Gaming Association the following forms of gaming entertainment are legal in the US: brick and mortar commercial casinos, tribal-run casinos, public and private poker rooms, bingo halls, various charitable gambling venues offering games such as raffles, pull-tabs, paddlewheel, punchboards, and casino nights, table games, on-track and off-track pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, exotic wagering, bookmaking, daily fantasy sports tournaments, skill-based tournaments such as billiards, darts, and fishing, and lotteries.

Forms of Legal Online Gambling in The United States

Within the U.S.A. there are legal forms of online gambling that citizens may participate in, however again, the permissibility of online wagering is not equal across state borders as individual states hold the authority to allow or prohibit various types of online gambling for their state residents. With this being said, a number of US states have permitted the legalization of online gaming platforms through the use of iGaming services providing online casino, poker and lottery initiatives that are thriving. As of this writing, Delaware, New Jersey, and Nevada all have state-based online poker available, and both Delaware and New Jersey also offer state-regulated online casino gambling as well.

At this moment in time, individual states are not eligible to provide state-regulated sports betting online due to current federal legislation blocking such access. Regardless, nearly all USA residents may participate in legally licensed and regulated offshore online sports betting sites that remain a legal online avenue for USA players.

What Is The Legal U.S. Gambling Age?

Generally, gambling is legally accessible to individuals above the age of eighteen. However, every state has its own laws on the minimum legal age for gambling within their borders and often it can vary by game type. Normally, lottery gambling, charitable gambling, parimutuel wagering and bingo are available to young adults who are at least eighteen. Often times poker and casino gambling impose a requirement for individuals to be at least twenty-one in order to participate. These norms vary by state.

What Happens If I Violate A US Gambling Law?

Nearly all states criminalize gambling in some form and contain various penalties and punishments set for engaging in illegal forms of gambling. Violations of any US gambling laws, whether federal or state, can lead to imprisonment, hefty fines, and/or probation. Each violation case is different, and penalties vastly change based on the state or jurisdiction the violation took place in and circumstance. Imprisonment can vary based on a misdemeanor or felony offense in which case can result in up to a year in county or local jail for misdemeanors and a year or more in prison for felony offenses.

Criminal cases involving organized crime and professional gambling can result in up to a 10-year sentence in federal prison or more. Fines can vary on a state by state basis, generally, misdemeanor fines can range from $100 up to a $1,000 or more. Felony fees are relatively handled the same way and they can reach up to $20,000 or more. Fines can be separate punishments or in addition to jail or prison sentences. Probation sentences often ask offenders to serve 12 or more months either in a gambling addiction treatment facility or refraining from participating in gambling activities alongside with judge recommendations for community service or similar.

Is Illegal Gambling a Problem in the United States?

In the past, illegal gambling rings were run by threatening mobster figures who would often commit violent crimes against individuals and families of persons with unpaid debts. Today, the seedy dark figures of the past are no longer so prevalent but that is not to say that there are no underground gambling activities taking place in the US. In fact, several cases of violent threats and acts occur to this day due to gamblers placing wagers and falling into debt with the wrong type of individuals.

Illegal gaming remains a huge black-market business in the U.S. and every day individuals can place illicit wagers through bookies, backdoor casinos, and illegal online portals while operators, owners, and bookmakers take their cut of this lucrative business. No one is sure how much money is exactly wagered illegally but some estimate that the numbers are close to $88 billion a year. Other than the issue of states being unable to tax this money and legal venues losing money to illegal platforms, the greater issue of possible gambling addiction remains the most threating as addiction can lead to serious problems concerning an individual’s financial welfare, home-life, and possible crimes committed.

Which States Consider Gambling Illegal?

Gambling is wholeheartedly illegal in Utah and Hawaii, as they are well-known for their gaming prohibitions and strict anti-gambling laws. These two states have often reasoned that gambling would destroy their religious values, moral family structures, and harm their communities. Certain states that do not oppose gambling on moral grounds still limit gaming within their borders and only provide minimal gaming entertainment access; a move that often forces interested bettors into illegal gambling activities. One state in particular that engages in this type of limitations is Alaska, however, other states employ similar limitation tactics. These types of restrictions have driven the legal online gambling industry to gain momentum.

How Do I Know If I’m Gambling At An Illegal Destination?

Often a red flag for any gambler is the location of the said gaming site. Look around: is the setting of the business in a rundown location hidden from legal oversight? Do you have to enter through a special backdoor? Is the lighting poor, hygiene of the venue dissatisfactory, and do the patrons and staff give off a suspicious feeling? The one sure fire way to determine the legitimacy of any type of gambling business either offline or online is through their credentials. Legally sanctioned gambling businesses have no problem being transparent regarding their licensing, regulatory oversight and compliance certifications.

All licensing credentials should reflect the name of the agency or gaming commission that issues licensing for any given jurisdiction, and can easily be verified through the relevant regulatory body. If you find yourself in contact with a gambling business of any kind that acts defensive or is elusive when you attempt to question their credentials, you can speculate that their legitimacy is questionable. Illegitimate gambling businesses, which in turn are illegally operating, are usually focused on predatory acts, such as theft and fraud. We strongly caution against sharing any information with any gambling business that you are not sure is operating legally within the industry.

Who Do I Contact About Illegal Gambling Operations?

Once you have come in contact with an illegal gambling operation that attempted to entice you to wager on or participate in illicit activities, contact a lawyer, report the illegal operation at ic3.org, and follow up with filing a report with the FBI, local law enforcement, the American Gaming Associations Illegal Gambling Advisory Board, and/or Internal Revenue Criminal Investigation Department.

States

Help With Gambling Addiction In The United States

Our experts have compiled information regarding states who legalized online casinos and details about all legal USA online casinos.

We have provided knowledge on gambling specifics for each state and what types of casinos are legal in each particular state.

On American Casino Guide, you will find detailed lists of every US casino resort, riverboat casino and Indian casino in the country.

Just choose a state from the below list of US casinos-by-state in order to bring up detailed information on what types of casinos are available in the respective state, a list of all casinos within the state borders, and slot machine payback statistics for all US casinos.

Based

Online Gambling Guide

The states who have now moved forward with legal online gambling are as follows:

States with legal online casino:

  • Delaware
  • Michigan
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • West Virginia

States with legal online poker:

  • Nevada
  • Delaware
  • Michigan
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • West Virginia

USA Online Casinos

The online casino USA market is definitely starting to grow. The domino effect is taking place, now that states are seeing the financial benefits of legal online casinos.

The laws surrounding USA online casinos are specific to the state where they are licensed. Ultimately it is up to the state to decide whether or not to legalize online casinos.

We have seen the biggest impact of legalizing online casinos in the state of New Jersey thus far.

In New Jersey, the online casino market is flourishing. There is a long list of legal online casinos – all of which are remaining competitive in this flourishing market.

The current list of legal NJ Casinos are as follows:

Legal online casino gambling is also permitted in Pennsylvania. The full list of online casinos in Pennsylvania are as follows:

  • PlayLive! Casino
  • Wind Creek Online Casino

Players who reside in Delaware, Michigan, and West Virginia will also find online casinos available to enjoy.

Here at American Casino Guide, we have thorough reviews on each legal online casino in the USA. In our comprehensive online casino reviews, you will find useful information about each site and how it affects you as a player.

Review briefs on the game selections offered at each site along with some of their most popular game titles. Learn about the software providers and interface design of these sites as well as their mobile apps and how efficient each application runs.

See the banking options allowed at each site so that you can be sure your preferred withdrawal and deposit methods are available on your favorite online casinos.

And finally, see what kinds of casino bonuses and special promotions are being offered at these casinos so that you can achieve the maximum amount of free play on your favorite casino games!

American Casino Guide – Land-Based Establishments

There are many different kinds of casinos throughout the United States. Depending on your location in the country, there could be a mix of the following casinos:

  • Indian casinos
  • Pari-mutuel casinos
  • Land-based casinos
  • Riverboat casinos
  • Casino boats

Just choose a state from the American casino guide below, organized by state, and have a look at the detailed information of each. The information provided includes:

  • List of every casino in the state
  • Details about each casino
  • Forms of casino gambling available in that state
  • Slot machine payback statistics for all U.S. casinos

Each casino listing will explain its hours of operation, games offered, hotel rates, buffet prices, minimum gambling age, photos, maps, directions and more! You can even read and write your own review for each casino.

Listed below are links to all casinos in every state:

See a List of all U.S Casinos by City

Use our list of U.S. casinos by city to find detailed information on every US casino resort, riverboat casino, and Indian casino located near major U.S. cities.

Get the scoop on Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Reno, Laughlin, Tunica, Biloxi, and many other casinos in the major gaming cities across the U.S.

We give you a detailed list of every U.S. casino in each major gaming city, plus we explain what kind of casino gambling is legal in that particular city.

Different kinds of U.S. casinos in different cities

In some cities, casino gambling may only be legal at Indian casinos located on reservation land. Therefore, if a casino is on Indian land we explain if that casino offers Class II, or Class III gambling.

Class II slot machines are different from the slots that you would find in a regular casino, such as in Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

Class II gaming machines are based on bingo and you are actually playing a very fast game of bingo against other players in the casino.

However, if the casino offers traditional Class III gaming, then you are playing a slot machine that operates in the same manner as the slot machines you would find in Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

In some cities, it may only be riverboat casino gambling that is legal, while in other cities, such as Las Vegas, Reno or Atlantic City, traditional land-based casinos could be the only casino gambling option.

Just choose the city you want from the below list of U.S. casinos by city.

That will bring up detailed information on what forms of casino gambling are available in that particular city, including a detailed list of slot machine payback statistics for all US casinos. There will also be a list of every casino in that city.

Each casino listing will give details about that casino, including hours of operation, games offered, hotel rates, buffet prices, minimum gambling age, photos, maps, directions, and more!

Also, you can read and write reviews for all of these US casinos.

Indian Casinos

Indian casinos, also known as Tribal casinos, are usually located on federally recognized Indian reservations. They range in size from small truck stops and convenience stores to some of the largest casinos in the country.

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At a small truck stop casino, you would generally find a handful of machines and these would be located in places such as Oklahoma or Wisconsin. Connecticut is home to one of the world’s largest casinos – Foxwoods Casino.

Different states have different legal agreements regarding Indian casinos. Depending on the agreement made, these Indian casinos can offer either Class II gaming or Class III gaming.

Class III (Class 3) gaming is what most people would describe as “normal” casino gaming. This is the kind of casino gambling you would find at the majority of casinos in the country, such as Las Vegas.

Class III gaming involves the player playing against “the house” like in blackjack, craps, roulette, or any other table game, as well as slot machines.

Class II (Class 2) gaming, on the other hand, is slightly different. These are games where players compete against other players such as in poker and bingo.

Over the years, casinos have found ways around this to offer other casino games similar to Class III games, however, adhering still to Class II rules. A

great example of this would be Class II slot machines that closely resemble a normal, Class III machine but you will notice a small bingo card in the corner of the screen.

So, in essence, you are actually playing a quicker version of virtual bingo against other players in the casino. The reels spin and you can see winning combinations.

The reels, however, are “for entertainment purposes only” and your chances of winning are based entirely on the bingo card in the corner.

Another example of Class II games would be player-banked table games where a player would compete against other players rather than against the casino.

These look identical to traditional table games. The difference lays in the fact that players have to pay an ante of around $0.50-$1 per hand.

In most cases there is someone who supplies the money to be the “bank” and the only money the casino receives is the ante made by each player.

Pari-Mutuel Casinos

Some states such as Arkansas or Delaware only allow casinos in pari-mutuel facilities. Pari-mutuel refers to locations with legalized wagering on horse or dog races; or in Florida, jai-alai games.

Since a vast majority of pari-mutuel facilities in the United States are racetracks, these types of casinos are often also known as “racinos,” a combination of the words racetrack and casino.

Besides having legal on-property betting on horse racing, dog racing, or jai-alai, these casinos are almost identical to most other land-based casinos. However, depending on the laws of the states where they are located, some may not offer live table games, or may only have slot machines.

A somewhat new development at pari-mutuel facilities in states where traditional casino gambling is illegal is something called “historical racing machines.”

These are considered Class II machines similar to the bingo-based machines at many Indian casinos but instead of being based on a bingo card, the results of these games are based on racing results from previous horse races.

Land-Based Casinos

Land-based casinos refer to the typical casinos that people often think of when they think of a casino. An example of this would a popular casino in Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

Casino gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931 and it was the only state to offer that type of gambling until 1977 when New Jersey legalized casinos for its seaside resort town of Atlantic City.

It is these land-based, stand-alone, casinos that were the original forms of casinos until riverboat and Indian casinos came along in the 1990s.

Riverboat Casino Locations

Riverboat casinos are exactly what they sound like – casinos located inside riverboats. These are found in many states throughout the South and the Midwest such as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Mississippi.

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However, they have evolved over the years as the laws and regulations have been quite relaxed. Originally, they were required to leave the dock and cruise for several hours periodically throughout the day.

In the beginning, some states even required casinos to enact loss limits during these cruises.

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States

Eventually, the loss limits were lifted, as were the requirements for them to cruise periodically, and they began operations constantly docked on the river.

Some states later allowed the casinos to be built on floating barges in man-made lagoons fed from the rivers. That is where most of the states are now, however some states such as Mississippi have now allowed their “riverboat” casinos to operate on land.

As much as that does not make sense, the rules still require these facilities to be built within a certain distance from the water.

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