The numbers
Seven states license online casino games: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. Nevada allows regulated online poker but not house-banked games.
Mobile sports betting is a different map. Roughly thirty states plus the District of Columbia allow it, and a further group (Mississippi, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin) allow retail betting only. The remainder, including California and Texas, have no legal sports betting at all.
Why the gap exists
Casino expansion is harder politically than sports betting. It competes with existing tribal and commercial casino interests, raises concerns about problem gambling, and requires a tax and licensing framework that legislators are reluctant to build.
Sports betting arrived after a federal court decision in 2018 removed the national ban, and states moved quickly because the tax revenue was new rather than reallocated. Casino bills have repeatedly failed in large states, including California and New York.
What it means if you are reading this
The operator you can legally use depends on the state you are physically in, not the state you live in. A New Jersey casino licence does not permit play from Pennsylvania, and a sportsbook licence does not automatically include casino games.
That is why every operator page on this site lists its licensed states, and every state page states what is legal there. If your state is not on the list, there is no licensed product to recommend.
How we keep it current
Each state page carries a verification date and links to the regulator. We update statuses when a bill passes, a regulator issues rules or a market launches. If nothing has changed, the date stays where it is.
Sources
Primary record, 3 sources