Online gambling regulation in United States

Not confirmed. State criminal gambling promotion laws and federal statutes (e.g., Wire Act) can apply to marketing/offshore operators; precise sections differ by jurisdiction.

Many states restrict or criminalise promotion of illegal/unlicensed gambling; detailed provisions differ by state and are not comprehensively codified in national summaries.

No single national regulator; state gaming commissions, lotteries, and tribal regulators oversee online gambling; DOJ and federal agencies oversee certain aspects

No single federal online gambling statute; regulation is primarily state-based after PASPA repeal, with proposed SAFE Bet Act setting minimum federal sports betting standards.

Online casino: Partly allowed. Online sports betting: Licensed.

The regulator publishes a register of licensed operators. Multiple: each state regulator (e.g., state gaming commissions) publishes its own online register/whitelist of licensed operators.

• State-level: fines, licence suspension/revocation, criminal offences for illegal gambling.
• Some states use payment blocking or ISP/domain blocking against offshore sites.
• DOJ can prosecute illegal offshore operators and supporting payment/marketing partners under federal law.

• No marketing to under‑21s; all individuals in sports betting ads must be 21+ under AGA Code.
• Ban on “risk‑free” claim language in sports wagering advertising under AGA Responsible Marketing Code.
• Restrictions on college/university partnerships promoting wagering and on NIL deals with college athletes under AGA Code.
• Responsible gambling messaging and avoidance of targeting vulnerable groups per AGA Responsible Marketing Code.

• SAFE Bet Act (H.R.2087, 119th Congress) proposes federal minimum standards and DOJ approval/renewal of state sports betting programs.
• AGA’s 2023 Responsible Marketing Code updates, including banning “risk‑free” language and tightening college‑aged protections, continue to guide industry marketing practices through 2025‑2026.
• States continue expanding and adjusting online sports betting (e.g., 30+ states live online by 2026) with evolving tax and regulatory conditions.

• Exact statutory provisions criminalising advertising of unlicensed/illegal online gambling vary by state and are not uniformly identified in national summaries.
• Specific state laws on ISP or payment blocking are not comprehensively listed in accessible multi‑state trackers.
• Scope of federal liability for media platforms carrying ads from offshore operators depends on case‑specific application of federal gambling, wire, and consumer laws.
• Whether specific sweepstakes/social-casino operators are currently barred in some states
• Whether specific prediction markets are treated as gambling in each state
• Whether loot boxes are expressly regulated as gambling products in any U.S. state

1. americangaming.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/AGA_RMCSW_2023FINAL.pdf
2. legalsportsreport.com/sports-betting/states/
3. americangaming.org/marketing-code/
4. congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2087/text
5. rg.org/guides/regulations
6. actionnetwork.com/online-sports-betting
7. congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2087
8. wsn.com/sports-betting-usa/
9. legaluspokersites.com/
10. worldpokerdeals.com/is-online-poker-legal-us
11. pokerscout.com/guides/is-online-poker-legal-in-us/
12. deep.poker/learn/country/usa
13. gamblingsite.com/poker/laws/
14. gamblingsitesusa.com/poker/states/
15. thesiliconreview.com/2024/07/dealing-with-the-law-a-guide-to-online-poker-legality-in-the-us
16. pokernews.com/us-poker/
17. gammasweep.com/blog/sweepstakes-casino-regulations-by-state
18. wsn.com/sweepstakes/legal/
19. lines.com/sweepstakes-casinos/states
20. legalsportsreport.com/sweepstakes-casinos/chumba-casino/
21. sbcamericas.com/2024/01/19/michigan-regulators-stake-predictionstrike/
22. dentons.com/en/insights/alerts/2024/october/1/kalshi-v-cftc-effect-on-the-cftcs-rulemaking-and-a-new-era-for-event-contracts
23. robinhood.com/us/en/prediction-markets/
24. cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/8478-22
25. dlapiper.com/en/insights/publications/2022/1/cftc-settles-enforcement-action-against-defi-platform-polymarket
26. lowenstein.com/news-insights/publications/client-alerts/place-your-bets-for-now-kalshi-s-election-contract-market-goes-live-after-court-of-appeals-denies-cftc-s-motion-to-stay-im
27. tech-insider.org/mystery-boxes/are-mystery-boxes-legal-in-the-usa/
28. casinorankr.com/guides/are-mystery-box-sites-legal-us
29. tech-insider.org/mystery-boxes/mystery-boxes-vs-loot-boxes/
30. track360.io/blog/mystery-box-gambling-or-shopping-operator-compliance-guide
31. rec0ded88.com/statistics/loot-box-regulation/

Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.