Market Guide · United States
Online casino in the United States 2026: which states are legal and what comes next
Online casino in the United States is legal state by state, and in 2026 the map barely moved. Seven states run regulated real-money online casino; Maine has passed a law but is not live yet. Bills in Virginia and Maryland failed. This is where things stand, and what it means for anyone supplying content to the market.
The short version
- 7 live states: New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
- Maine legalised tribal online casino in January 2026; no launch date is confirmed.
- $10.73 billion US iGaming revenue in 2025, up 27.6%, according to the AGA.
- Virginia and Maryland bills failed in 2026.
- Every state licenses its own market; there is no national route.
The states where online casino is live
| State | Online casino since | Regulator |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 2013 | Division of Gaming Enforcement |
| Delaware | 2013 | Delaware Lottery |
| Pennsylvania | 2019 | Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board |
| West Virginia | 2020 | West Virginia Lottery Commission |
| Michigan | 2021 | Michigan Gaming Control Board |
| Connecticut | 2021 | Department of Consumer Protection |
| Rhode Island | 2024 | Rhode Island Lottery |
| Maine | Law in effect 2026, not live yet | Gambling Control Unit |
Nevada allows online poker but not online casino. In Connecticut, online casino is run by the state’s two tribes under the Department of Consumer Protection.
The numbers
The American Gaming Association’s State of the States 2026 report puts US iGaming revenue at a record $10.73 billion in 2025, up 27.6%, from the seven states with lawful online casino. Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania produced about 90% of it, and Pennsylvania was the largest market.
Maine: legal, not yet live
Maine’s LD 1164 became law in January 2026 without the governor’s signature, making Maine the eighth state to legalise online casino. Only the four Wabanaki Nations can hold licences, each with one commercial partner, and revenue is taxed at 18%. A mid-2026 launch target was missed, court challenges to the tribes-only model are pending, and trade reports now point to late 2026 or 2027.
The bills that failed in 2026
- Virginia: HB 161 passed both chambers in different versions, but the compromise never got a final vote before the session ended on 14 March 2026.
- Maryland: SB 761, which would have put online casino on the November 2026 ballot, was withdrawn; SB 885 missed its deadline. There is no ballot vote this year.
- New York, Illinois and Massachusetts: bills were filed, but none passed.
What it means for suppliers
The US is a state-by-state market for operators and for the content they offer. Each state approves the games and the suppliers behind them, so expansion means certification market by market rather than one national launch. Sweepstakes casinos, which sit outside this framework, have been banned in a growing list of states; see sweepstakes casino bans in 2026 and our sweepstakes game aggregator.
Sources: American Gaming Association, State of the States 2026; PlayUSA casino bill tracker; Gambling Insider (Maine, 9 January 2026); NEXT.io (Virginia, 17 March 2026); Southern Maryland Chronicle (8 July 2026).
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