Online gambling is a fantastic thing that allows you to enjoy gambling from the comfort of your home — provided that the home isn’t in America. Now, this may sound like a bad joke, but unfortunately, it’s true. I’ve had the opportunity to meet many Americans who rushed to the haven of offshore casinos after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed in 2006. It would be a serious understatement to say they were angry; they were bitterly disappointed and furious about the state of things related to online gambling in their homeland. However, my dear American friends, there are still states that offer legalized online casinos where you can gamble for money. If you want to know what states allow online gambling and what kind of games you can find at their online casinos, keep on reading.

Online Poker Sites

Let’s see what states have legalized sites for playing Americans’ all times favorite poker games.

Before I start naming the states that offer legal poker sites, I must look back on the Black Friday when the Department of Justice crushed all hopes and dreams of poker players throughout the United States by shutting down all the poker playing sites in America. The worst thing about this government’s action was that many online casinos went out of business without returning the funds to their customers. Some of these sites were even accused of not warning their customers about the shutdown so that they couldn’t withdraw their money in the end. Even some of the most famous poker players at the time were dragged into this scandal and had to later clear their names.

However, the situation seems to be better nowadays. Here are the US states that have legalized online poker sites.

Nevada

It is only logical to start with the state that made gambling the essential resource that filled the state’s budget during the Great Depression in the 1920s. Online poker is the only form of online gambling allowed in Nevada. Their first poker playing site started operating in April 2013, only to be followed by the launching of the WSOP’s site that soon became the most popular and the most profitable poker site. Powered by the 888 Holding software, this site advertises its services during the widely popular World Series of Poker tournaments. Moreover, the site is widely popular and well-known as one of the hosts of online WSOP bracelet events.

New Jersey

It is yet another US state that rushed to pass an online gambling law and make gambling on poker sites possible. Atlantic City casinos were able to obtain an online gambling license in 2013 and offer their hospitality to various gambling events on the Web. Moreover, New Jersey holds a lucrative record in the profit from online poker sites, which exceeded an incredible $200 million in 2017.

Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey merged their poker playing scenes to create a mutual poker-playing market, also known as the Multistate poker.

However, Delaware is the first state that made steps toward legal online gambling by passing the state law in 2012. They used the state horse tracks for hosting three online casinos. These casinos provided various table games, as well as online slot machines and Video Poker games to players.

Sports Betting

Another form of online gambling that is legalized in America is sports betting. This legalization was a result of the Supreme Court ruling that suspended the PASPA from 1992, thus allowing the sports betting sites to operate across the United States.

This was a small step towards regulating online gambling in America in general, but it gave some hope that the things were improving on the online casino scene.

However, Delaware was the first to break the ice by legalizing betting on sporting events and by launching the first online sportsbook in 2018. Other states swiftly followed. New Jersey welcomed the online sportsbooks in 2018, offering nine different betting sites, as well as nine sports betting apps that you can download on your mobile devices. Sports betting soon turned out to be an extremely profitable form of gambling on the Net, bringing the initial income of $9 to an astonishing $208 million when the football season kicked off in September.

There are also a couple of other states like Pennsylvania and West Virginia with casinos that have applied for obtaining the license for online betting and are still in the middle of this process.

Even though sports betting is a lucrative gambling market thanks to its widespread popularity, there still aren’t enough places where you can place your online bets in America. Hopefully, for numerous sports betting fans, this situation will change in the near future.

Let’s Wrap This Up

So my Yankee friends, the situation may not seem so bright right now when gambling in America is in question, but some encouraging voices can be heard. These voices claim that maybe 2019 will be the year that will change things for the better for American gamblers.

Sports betting can be used as an incentive for taking steps towards regulated online gambling across America

Many states that haven’t considered passing gambling laws will start craving for generous revenue the online sports betting provides. They may use the regulation of the sport betting sites as the first step in legalizing the entire online gambling market.

But until that day comes, you can always rely on the hospitality of countless offshore online casinos that are American friendly. Therefore, you can still enjoy playing your favorite casino games until the situation gets better at home.