Online gambling in America is still a growing industry. Sports betting, poker, and casino games are legal and regulated in several American states, but there is huge room for growth! Where in online gambling legal now? What states are about to regulate it? And which states have no chance of allowing them?
Sports betting, poker, and casino games are all moving into the digital age, and while nothing can quite replace being in a casino, or the feeling of the chips in your hands, or the complimentary alcohol they bring you… online gambling in America is the future! Or, at least a part of the future. 39 States and the District of Colombia have regulated betting on sports in America… 34 of those states allow online sports betting, which for all practical purposes is online gambling. And since America jumped into the 21st century back in 2018 states, sports leagues, and advertisers have all profited millions from it.
Still, there are states with no sports betting, including South Carolina. But they have tried to regulate it, and have a good chance of getting that legislation passed this year! Meanwhile, states from Minnesota to Texas have shown interest and support, but are probably still a year or two away from regulation. Then there are states like Hawaii and Idaho that seem to hate gambling… and Utah, of course. You’ll be seeing that name quite a bit under the “No Chance” section of this video.
And while 34 states have embraced online sports betting, only eight of those states are allowing online poker. Why? Part of it is ignorance, which I will explain in just a moment. But the other part is numbers. You see, more jurisdictions might join Michigan and Pennsylvania with legal online poker if they had bigger populations. If that seems odd to you then check out our US Online Poker Update from November of last year to learn why this is the case.
States that have at least discussed joining the ranks of the regulated include Illinois, Massachusetts, and the big one: New York. California and Indiana do have the activity on their radar, but legalizing web-based poker there is a long shot. Then there’s virtually zero chance for action in the remaining 23 States this year… and yes, that includes our friends in Utah. While we’re on the topic of poker and sports betting you should probably know that the federal government has taken a renewed interest in sports betting across America. It’s called the SAFE Bet Act… and yes, we did a video about that too (watch here). You can find it on our YouTube channel, and by following that link right up there. At least one US senator says that betting on sports is not just an addiction problem, it’s a mental health issue, a cause of unemployment, and a behavioral health problem. So you might want to go read up on that.
That brings us to online casino games: the redheaded stepchildren of online gambling in America. Only seven states currently regulate these games. Why the disparity? Well remember when I said we were going to talk about ignorance at some point in the show? Well, let’s get into this: There’s some ignorance coming from land based casinos who think online games will cannibalize their profits. And there’s some ignorance coming from confusion over how to regulate these games. However, states like New Jersey and Connecticut seem to have figured out that, while the types of bets are different, regulating them is almost exactly the same. That’s why New York and Virginia are taking a long look at online casino games now and have a shot at regulating them later this year.
And while there’s been no active legislation (or even discussion) about web-based craps, roulette, or Blackjack, 34 states do have at least some form of internet betting in place… so I’m saying there’s a chance! That leaves these states with virtually zero possibility of allowing online casino games, including Hawaii and (you guessed it) Utah! Last year the CEO of DraftKings said that he believed 2025 would be a breakout year for online gambling in America, but I’m pretty sure he meant everywhere except Utah! Man, you can almost feel their judgment, can’t you?
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