Legal Online Gambling - Learn How To Bet Real Money Online Safely And Legally

Yes, there are now over 6 U.S. states that have legalized and offer some form of state regulated online gambling.

States That Have Legalized Online Gambling And Offer Regulated In-State Options:

Connecticut
Delaware
Michigan
Nevada
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
West Virginia

It’s simple, actually: If the online gambling site you’re using is based on US soil and is operating without a license from the state, it is an illegal gambling enterprise that should be avoided.

Additionally, you’ll occasionally see “Internet cafés” pop up that serve illegal access to real-money online gambling. (Since the last big gambling busts in Florida in the early 2000s, however, the Internet café phenomenon has died down considerably.)

So, as long as you avoid local unlicensed operators and so-called strip mall Internet café venues, you’re good to go.

If you’re gambling online with a state-licensed service, you’ll have to be whatever minimum age your state’s gambling laws require.

In most cases, this is 21+ for online casino gambling, online sports gambling, and online poker gambling.

However, the majority of legit online betting sites recommended here have set the minimum age to join and play at just 18 years old.

When it comes to what states allow online gambling, the answer is fairly varied.

Most states have laws legalizing at least some form of online gambling, whether that’s legal online lottery games, legal online horse betting, legal online sports betting, legal online casino games, or legal online poker.

However, very few states – just a small handful as of 2022 – allow all these markets at the domestic level. These include

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

Nevertheless, with the exception of Washington state, all US states actually allow offshore gambling. This market is not addressed by federal laws in any way, either, and all the top sites adhere to international gambling laws as required to do business in the marketplace.

That being said, please remember that legal online gambling is not tax free, and these sites do not operate as tax-exempt clearinghouses or tax shelters.

Remember, as long as Uncle Sam gets his cut, you’ll get to keep (most) of your winnings!

Legal Gambling States

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• Washington, D.C.
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

If you’re wondering what online gambling sites are safe, you’re probably not alone. This is one of the most important questions – if not the most important question – for all new online gamblers.

From a legal standpoint, all the sites we recommend are perfectly safe. They’ve been in business for years (some have even been operational for decades), and they have millions of satisfied active members between them.

These sites also comply with all legal standards in the US and internationally, and they employ all the cutting-edge technologies you expect of any top-tier online service.

As long as you stick with a serious gambling vendor, you are guaranteed a safe, secure online betting experience.

Just How Safe Is It?

The safety of your online gambling experience depends entirely upon the vendor you choose.

Not all online betting venues are created equal, and some offer a full suite of banking-grade encryption technologies (SSL/TLS) and KYC standards while others have virtually no safeguards in place at all.

Naturally, it’s important that you stay away from these latter sites and play only with operators that employ the latest in cybersecurity and have firm policies in place about maintaining player privacy.

As is the case with safe online gambling sites, legit online gambling sites do exist, but they are the exception, not the rule.

In other words, you have to be careful about the venue you choose to do business with.

All the sites we recommend here – regardless of the type(s) of gambling they offer – are 100% tried and true. They’re the most legit venues on the Internet, and they’ve been setting the standard for reputable and trustworthy online gambling for years.

All the top sites employ cutting-edge audited online casino software, sports betting software, and poker software, and they have dedicated customer support teams standing by 24/7.

These are fully staffed, attentive businesses that go the extra mile to secure your business, and they’re the only sites we recommend.

It isn’t illegal to gamble online in the US!

Or, rather, it isn’t if you use a reputable vendor like a state-licensed gambling operator or a vetted offshore operator.

There are only really two cases in which it is unambiguously illegal to gamble real money online in the United States.

The first is if you live in the state of Washington, which has outlawed all forms of Internet-based real-money gaming. (Even though WA doesn’t enforce these laws and all legit international sites accept members from WA, it’s still technically against the law to bet online there, and we must recommend that you refrain from doing so.)

The second way in which online gambling is against the law in the US is if you play online with a local or US-based operator or “Internet café” that isn’t licensed to host real-money betting services.

These days, black-market gambling houses or “local bookies” typically offer their products in an online capacity through a non-indexed custom betting interface.

While players and bettors themselves aren’t typically targeted by law enforcement, the fact that these service providers are operating illegally means that open bets or pending payouts could be confiscated and lost permanently at any time.

Not only is it legal to gamble with cryptocurrency at the best online betting sites, it’s something we recommend for all players!

Even if your state has full online gambling including iGaming, sports betting, and poker action, domestic operations do not accept cryptocurrency deposits or support cryptocurrency payouts.

Since crypto is a much better investment than fiat money – and since crypto has massive earning potential and scratches that “gambling” itch in a fundamental way – this is a major leg up for the international gambling market compared to the domestic gambling market.

Being able to bet with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Solana, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and other major crypto coins is a huge perk that can’t be overstated.

If you’re interested in online gambling, real-money payouts are probably what you’re after.

However, many players go looking for free online casino games, and many of the top offshore sites cater to such players by providing “demo” or “practice” versions of their online casino games for free.

Not all venues offer these amenities, of course, and free online sports betting and free online poker don’t exist in any capacity at the sites featured here.