Regulated vs Unregulated Online Gambling Sites in the USA
With gambling regulations continuing to remain in a state of flux across the United States, it can be difficult to find regulated betting sites. There are plenty of unregulated options out there, but they can be risky to use for customers seeking a safe and legal place to have a bet.
After the landmark ruling from the Supreme Court, betting across America is slowly being legalised but the process is not happening at a fast pace. Being able to tell the difference between regulated and non-regulated online gambling sites is therefore a must.
Many Americans like to gamble and improvements in technology have made it easier than ever to have a bet, even when on the go or out and about. Mobile technology makes it simple to take a seat at the blackjack table or place a bet on the big game even when away from home.
There is a growing number of online gambling sites that are hosted and regulated in the United States but there are plenty of offshore sites that are used by Americans regularly as well.
On this page, you will be able to find all the information you need to know about the difference between regulated and non-regulated online casinos and other gaming sites.
Featured US-Friendly Online Casino Sites
Casino | Bonus Info | Code | Software | Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() ![]() ![]() |
100 Free Spins
on Hyper Wins ![]() |
NDB365
|
Realtime Gaming | 18 Apr 2022 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
100 Free Spins
on Copy Cat Fortune ![]() |
NDB365
|
Realtime Gaming | 18 Apr 2022 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
150 Free Spins
on Hyper Wins ![]() |
PERPETUAL150
|
Realtime Gaming | 20 Jan 2022 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
$60 No Deposit
![]() |
NDK60FB
|
Saucify + 1 | 5 Dec 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
50 Free Spins
on Bubble Bubble 3 ![]() |
50SPINS
|
Realtime Gaming | 3 Feb 2022 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
$66 No Deposit
![]() |
66VEGAS
|
Realtime Gaming | 5 Dec 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
50 Free Spins
on Bright Star ![]() |
ND50FB
|
Saucify + 2 | 6 Dec 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
50 Free Spins
on Bubble Bubble 3 ![]() |
50SPINS
|
Realtime Gaming | 3 Feb 2022 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
$55 No Deposit
![]() |
NDK55FB
|
Saucify + 6 | 7 Dec 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
140 Free Spins
on Monte Carlo Heist ![]() |
ONASIS140
|
Saucify + 2 | 24 Dec 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() |
$10 No Deposit
![]() |
UPTOWN10
|
Realtime Gaming | 11 May 2018 | Claim Bonus |
![]() |
$75 No Deposit
![]() |
FREE75
|
Realtime Gaming | 13 Oct 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
$25 No Deposit
![]() |
NDH25
|
Realtime Gaming | 13 Oct 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
$25 No Deposit
![]() |
ND365FREE
|
Realtime Gaming | 13 Oct 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
$25 No Deposit
on Panda Magic ![]() |
NDK25FREE
|
Realtime Gaming | 13 Oct 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
$25 No Deposit
![]() |
NDR25
|
Realtime Gaming | 13 Oct 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
$30 No Deposit
![]() |
NDK30FREE
|
Realtime Gaming + 1 | 13 Oct 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
79 Free Spins
on Cool Bananas ![]() |
NDK79COOL
|
WGS Technology | 13 Oct 2021 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
10 Free Spins
on I Zombie ![]() |
Y3BC4M
|
Realtime Gaming | 25 Nov 2020 | Claim Bonus |
![]() ![]() |
$25 No Deposit
![]() |
25BANKROLL
|
Realtime Gaming | 9 Nov 2018 | Claim Bonus |
Click this link for a full list of the Best No Deposit US Casinos.
Regulated USA Online Gaming Sites
The number of states in America where online gambling sites have been given the green light is growing, but in most of the country it is still illegal to bet online.
Regulated online gambling in the USA therefore refers to the handful of states where it is possible to log into an online gambling site and have a legal bet or two.
Fully licensed and regulated online gambling sites might only be available in a handful of US states right now, but laws are being relaxed in various parts of the country right now.
For now, here is everything you need to know about regulated online gambling sites by state.
Regulated US Online Gambling Sites by State
There are currently only three states in America with regulated online gambling industries – Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware. Here is a list of the regulated remote or igaming sites offered by each of the licensed gaming firms:
![Nevada Regulated Online Gambling Sites](/wp-content/uploads/nevada-state-gambling.jpg)
It should come as no surprise to see Nevada as one of the states where some online betting is allowed. Las Vegas is widely considered to be one of the gambling capitals of the world, while betting is very popular in the nearby city of Reno as well.
Online gambling has been legal in Nevada for a few years, but it is only applicable for poker and online sports betting. The legal online poker sites in Nevada are as follows:
South Point Poker LLC
RealGaming.com
Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc.
wsop.com
Click this link for more on Nevada Online Gambling Law.
Sports betting in Nevada is also available on special apps including:
B-Connected Sports | MGM Resorts | NV Sports | Station Casinos | South Point | Westgate SuperBook | William Hill | Wynn
![New Jersey Regulated Online Gambling Sites](/wp-content/uploads/new-jersey-state-gambling.jpg)
Home to gambling mecca Atlantic City, the state of New Jersey has a lot of legal online gambling options for Americans to use. Online sports betting is allowed and there are numerous online casino options for people to try out as well.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
BorgataCasino.com | BorgataPoker.com | NJ.PartyPoker.com | PlayMGMCasino.com | PlayMGMPoker.com | ScoresCasino.com
Caesars Interactive Entertainment New Jersey
CaesarsCasino.com | HarrahsCasino.com | WSOP.com | us.888.com | us.888Poker.com | us.888Casino.com
Golden Nugget Atlantic City
GoldenNuggetCasino.com | BetfairCasino.com
Resorts Casino Hotel
ResortsCasino.com | MoheganSunCasino.com | PokerStarsNJ.com
Tropicana Casino and Resort
TropicanaCasino.com | VirginCasino.com
![Delaware Regulated Online Gambling Sites](/wp-content/uploads/delaware-state-gambling.jpg)
Delaware was one of the first states to legalise online betting and gambling, but there are still only a handful of operators running in this part of America.
The licensed and regulated online casinos in Delaware run from the premises of three licensed ‘racinos’, which are race tracks with built-in land casinos.
Delaware Park
DelawarePark.com/igaming
Dover Downs
OnlineGaming.DoverDowns.com
Harrington
HarringtonGamingOnline.com
Click this link for more on Delaware Online Gambling Law.
Pennsylvania Regulated Online Gambling Sites
Pennsylvania is one of the most recent states to open the door to online gambling. DraftKings, FanDuel and Unibet are among the operators running online sports betting facilities here. There are a few online casinos also running in Pennsylvania, including the following:
Hollywood Casino Online | Parx Online | BetRivers | DraftKings
West Virginia Regulated Online Gambling Sites
Online sports betting apps are available to use in West Virginia, while online casinos and poker rooms could be set to open in 2020 thanks to the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act.
Rival companies FanDuel and DraftKings both run sports betting operations in the state.
Indiana Regulated Online Gambling Sites
Indiana is a little behind West Virginia, with no plans to offer online casinos and poker rooms at this stage.
There is a small group of online sports betting companies – DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetRivers – with others expected to enter this arena in the coming months.
Iowa Regulated Online Gambling Sites
It is a similar picture to Indiana in Iowa, where sports betting is the only possible online gambling allowed in the state at this time.
DraftKings, PointsBet and William Hill are some of the places people in Iowa can place bets online. However, people in Iowa who want to use these sites must register in-person to do so.
New Hampshire Regulated Online Gambling Sites
Online gambling is very new in New Hampshire, which like Iowa and Indiana has yet to give the green light to online casinos.
It is possible to bet on sports online in the state, though DraftKings is currently the only operator.
Oregon Regulated Online Gambling Sites
While Oregon has moved to legalise online gambling after the Supreme Court ruling, progress in the state has been slow so far.
The Oregon Lottery’s Scoreboard is currently the only place to bet online from within the state.
Colorado Regulated Online Gambling Sites
Online sports betting has been live in Colorado for a while, with BetMGM and BetRivers quick to launch in the state.
However, there are no legal online casinos or online poker sites available in Colorado just yet.
Rhode Island Regulated Online Gambling Sites
Sports betting is proceeding in Rhode Island, but there does not appear to be a great rush.
While moves to legalise online sports betting have been completed, no sites have launched yet.
It is expected that the first online sports betting site in Rhode Island could launch during 2020.
Montana Regulated Online Gambling Sites
Online sports betting is also legal in Montana, but operators are yet to move into the state.
Lottery company Intralot is set to stay in control of sports betting activities in Montana for the foreseeable future.
Michigan Regulated Online Gambling Sites
It was only recently that online gambling got the green light in Michigan.
No online casinos, poker sites or online sports betting companies have opened in the state yet.
Virginia Regulated Online Gambling Sites
2020 could be the year the first online gambling sites open in Virginia.
The state has legalised online gambling but this happened so recently that operators have not had a chance to launch their sites here at this time.
Tennessee Regulated Online Gambling Sites
Another state where 2020 is expected to be a big year for online gambling is Tennessee.
Here, online betting laws have been rubber-stamped but a large license fee is thought to have put operators off from moving into the state so far.
Despite this, rival sportsbooks FanDuel and DraftKings are thought to be eyeing up Tennessee.
Illinois Regulated Online Gambling Sites
Like in Iowa, people who want to bet online in Illinois will have to register in-person at first.
Online sports betting has been legalised here but the cost of licenses to run sites is even higher than in Tennessee, which explains why no operators have moved into the state yet.
Is Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Considered Gambling?
![Is Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Considered Gambling?](/wp-content/uploads/daily-fantasy-sports.jpg)
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is a very popular derivative of traditional skill-based fantasy sports games in the United States conducted over briefer periods (like a day or a week) as opposed to an entire season
So popular is this category that the world’s leading DFS platforms – DraftKings and FanDuel – are billion dollar companies. However, their huge success caused lawmakers to question if DFS is skill-based (as both firms claim) or another form of online gambling?
In answer, most US states do consider DFS a non-gambling skill-based activity, some of which are proposing laws to cement Daily Fantasy Sports as a permitted online activity. A handful of states, however, have categorized it as gambling and banned it.
Here is a list of US States where DraftKings and/or FanDuel are available (as of July 2017):
State | DraftKings | FanDuel |
---|---|---|
Alabama | ||
Alaska | X | X |
Arizona | ||
Arkansas | X | X |
California | X | X |
Colorado | X | X |
Connecticut | X | X |
Delaware | ||
Florida | X | X |
Georgia | X | X |
Hawaii | ||
Idaho | ||
Illinois | X | X |
Indiana | X | X |
Iowa | ||
Kansas | X | X |
Kentucky | X | X |
Louisiana | ||
Maine | X | X |
Maryland | X | X |
Massachusetts | X | X |
Michigan | X | X |
Minnesota | X | X |
Mississippi | X | X |
Missouri | X | X |
Montana | ||
Nebraska | X | X |
Nevada | ||
New Hampshire | X | X |
New Jersey | X | X |
New Mexico | X | X |
New York | X | X |
North Carolina | X | X |
North Dakota | X | X |
Ohio | X | X |
Oklahoma | X | X |
Oregon | X | X |
Pennsylvania | X | X |
Rhode Island | X | X |
South Carolina | X | X |
South Dakota | X | X |
Tennessee | X | X |
Texas | X | |
Utah | X | X |
Vermont | X | X |
Virginia | X | X |
Washington | ||
West Virginia | X | X |
Wisconsin | X | X |
Wyoming | X | X |
Is Online Betting Permitted in the United States?
![Is Online Betting Permitted in the United States?](/wp-content/uploads/sports-betting-us.jpg)
No. While it isn’t illegal for American residents to place sports bets online, it is for US-based sportsbooks to accept interstate sports-related wagers remotely (via phone, the internet, TV or radio) as interpreted by the Wire Act of 1961, which is still valid today.
There is no federal law stopping US citizens from betting at offshore online sportsbooks. If their US bank or financial institution sees they’re making online gaming-related payments, they could forfeit their winnings, and/or have their account closed.
USA Unregulated Online Gaming Sites
There are two types of unregulated online gaming sites in the context of the United States; those that are unregulated in the US but licensed and regulated in recognised and reputable offshore online gambling jurisdictions, and those that are not licensed in any jurisdiction.
Always stay away from the latter whether you live in the US or anywhere else. We do not feature or recommended unlicensed or unregulated sites. We only highlight reputable and lucrative USA-friendly casinos that welcome US dollars and, in some cases, Bitcoin.
The Impact of UIGEA on Online Gambling in the USA
In late 2006 the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was signed into law, making it illegal for US banks and financial institutions to process online gambling-related payments.
The subsequent difficulty in making deposits and withdrawals is why so many US players stopped playing at offshore sites, and why said sites stopped accepting players from the US.
Since then there’s been a resurgence in US-friendly offshore sites including poker rooms (e.g. InterTops.eu), bingo halls (e.g. SouthBeachBingo.ag) and sportsbooks (e.g. Bet365.com) and casino sites that accept Americans and US dollars, like those we feature.
Our Featured US Casino Sites are Licensed and Regulated
All of our featured US online casino sites are 100% licensed and regulated by one or more of the world’s most respected online or remote gambling jurisdictions. These include the UK, Alderney, the Isle of Man, Antigua and Barbuda, Kahnawake (Canada( and Gibraltar.
These sites are closely monitored by their jurisdictions and accountable for amongst other things, their conduct, game quality, game suppliers (software vendors), random number generator (RNG) software, security levels and protocols, and 24/7 support facilities.
American Online Casino Sites Deemed Safe and Secure
When it comes to selecting the premier American-friendly online casino sites, our team of reviewers have a clear and concise brief; only seek out online casinos that are 100% safe and secure that being completely trusted by US players.
They do this is by rating every casino using a tried and tested range of criteria. Only online casinos that match all of these criteria are reviewed and featured on No Deposit Kings – no exceptions. Those that do not are ignored.
Here are some of the key criteria we use to rate the best American online casino sites:
Regulated vs. Unregulated Online Casinos – Pros and Cons
Whether you play at a USA regulated online casinos or the best US unregulated casino sites featured on this site, you should have an entertaining experience at both provided you play responsibly and always within your means.
Here are a few pros and cons of each:
Regulated Online Casinos – Pros
Regulated Online Casinos – Cons
Unregulated Online Casinos – Pros
Unregulated Online Casinos – Pros
Related Feature: Current State of US Online Casino Gambling Law