Your Guide to Casino Regulators

As with any industry, casinos are regulated throughout the world. From the massive mega resorts of Las Vegas to USA online casinos, gambling is heavily regulated in the United States which can result in a confusing and mixed patchwork of laws across the country. While some states endorse a liberal approach to gambling, embracing everything from online sports betting to real money online casinos, other states are completely devoid of gambling in any form whatsoever.

Gambling regulators establish a wide variety of rules regarding gambling. Everything from whether or not a casino can offer a casino bonus, to which (online) casino games are available. Indeed, your in-person gambling options are linked to your place of residence but most Americans can still enjoy gambling online at any of the sites recommended in our casino reviews.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about gambling regulators in the US, including legal online gambling. Find out how gambling is regulated across the country and learn which states don’t have a single casino!

Who Regulates Gambling in the US?

The US is one of the most active countries in the world when it comes to regulating gambling, both in-person and online. Indeed, the United States is one of the few countries in the world in which has embraced gambling as a way to alleviate economic depressions and raise money for charitable organizations.

Since the Great Depression, states across the country have recognized the opportunity afforded by gambling towards stimulating economic recovery. Bingo in church halls was a popular way of raising money for charity during the Great Depression. Nevada legalized most forms of gambling in 1931 as a way of stimulating an economic recovery in the state. This trend continued throughout the Twentieth Century, in the 1990’s Michigan legalized gambling in Detroit to help revitalize the city’s economy.

Native American reservations have become oases of gambling since the 1970’s. After the creation of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988, the annual revenue of Native American casinos catapulted to an estimated $27 billion in 2011. Gambling in Native American casinos is regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), which remains the only federal regulatory agency focused on gambling.

What are the Three Layers of Gaming Regulation in the US?

The regulatory overview of gaming in the US is conducted by government at three principal levels: federal, state/tribal, and city/county.

Federal Gambling Regulation

US gambling regulation is decided by legislation at State Capitols across the country.

At the federal level, legislation has focused more on financial transactions rather than (online) gambling specifically. The Federal Wire Act of 1961, for instance, sought to prohibit some forms of sports betting with the purpose of inhibiting organized crime. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 focused on preventing financial transactions going towards gambling, making it harder for Americans to deposit at an online casino. Beyond that, the regulation of gambling has been primarily left up to the states.

State & Tribal Gambling Regulation

State and tribal regulation is absolutely the most important level of gambling regulation in the US. At the state level, gambling is regulated in a wide variety of ways depending on the legality of gambling. 48 out of 50 states permit gambling in some shape or form, meaning that each state has a different approach to regulating gambling whether that be a state lottery, tribal casinos, or fully fledged casino gambling.

In Nevada, for example, gambling is regulated by the Gaming Control Board and the Gaming Commission. The Gaming Control Board is involved in the licensing and auditing of gambling in the state, while the Gaming Commission is appointed by the Governor to vote the recommendations of the Gaming Control Board. While Nevada has a fairly robust regulatory agency, other states are more limited.

Denizens of Salt Lake City need to head to nearby Nevada for casino gambling.

Tribal casinos based on Native American reservations can be found in some 30 states right across the country. These are regulated by at the federal level by the NIGC and based on Tribal-State compacts with the state government. While these agreements have led to the successful establishment of tribal casinos across the US, other states have prevented casinos on Native land based on state laws. Utah is the main example which has outlawed all forms of gambling within the state, even on Native reservations.

County & City Gambling Regulations

Probably the least influential of the three layers of gambling regulation, in some instances city or county governments can also regulate gambling. An example of this would be Cook County in Illinois which sought to tax video poker and slot machines. Overall, the state level remains the main level of gambling regulation in the US.

Which US States Don’t Have Casinos?

Only eight states do not have any land-based casinos, either commercial or tribal casinos, namely;

• Georgia
• Hawai’i
• Kentucky
• New Hampshire
• South Carolina
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia

Unless you’re in a state with plenty of gambling options, you’ll need to do some research before you start gambling either in person or online. Whether you’re looking for the best land-based casinos in Las Vegas or you want a no deposit bonus at a safe online casino, Gamble Online is your home for the latest and most accurate information on gambling online in the United States.