As online gambling continues to proliferate in states across America, their approaches vary significantly. Some have adopted it fully while others take a much more restrictive stance. Here’s a breakdown of which states permit online gambling and how this has changed over time.
Since the Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018, more than 30 states now offer sports betting. New Jersey currently leads in terms of total betting handle; other big players include Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois – though some states still lack regulated online sports gambling altogether.
Massachusetts stands out as an outlier among states when it comes to accepting online gambling, though several land-based casinos do exist there. Massachusetts does not regulate any form of online gambling whatsoever, although DFS and horse race wagering are legal in Massachusetts.
North Carolina is another state with a restrictive anti-gambling stance; however, they recently legalized sports betting at two tribal casinos located far from major cities and plan to launch an online sports betting market by early 2024.
Oklahoma stands out as being among the more accommodating states when it comes to gambling laws, allowing residents to wager on various sporting events using state lotteries and charitable bingo as well as pari-mutuel wagering on horse races and other forms of gaming of chance. Oklahoma ranks second only to Nevada when it comes to casino count.
Colorado was among the first states to legalize sports and casino iGaming online in 2019, legalizing sports and casino gaming online with some limitations; specifically when it comes to college sports – with player prop bets on in-state teams being prohibited.
Michigan is an innovative state when it comes to iGaming, being one of the first states to legalize sports betting after PASPA was overturned. Michigan’s operator-friendly rules have led it to remain at the top of lists of best performing sports betting markets over recent years.
Michigan currently lacks any regulated online casinos, yet there is hope for their implementation in the near future. A bill being considered would create an iGaming market and the state gambling commission has shown interest in working with operators to build an industry quickly if this bill passes. If passed, it could transform Michigan’s gambling landscape significantly – for now residents can access a limited selection of offshore gambling sites that accept players from Michigan; additionally there are land-based casinos located throughout Motor City available for those wishing to try their luck here.
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