With state-run lotteries included, almost every state allows some form of gambling. As sovereign nations, American Indian tribes have used legal protection to open casinos based on the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.Īlthough gambling is legal under US federal law, significant restrictions exist in regards to interstate and online gambling. Some states restrict Casinos to ' riverboats', large multi-story barges usually moored in a body of water. All other states that allow Casino-style gambling restrict activity to small geographic areas such as New Jersey’s Atlantic City. Both state and local governments impose licensing and zoning restrictions. Nevada and Louisiana represent the only two states that authorize legal Casino-style gambling statewide. The US federal government allows each state to regulate or prohibit the practice within its own borders. Currently, online gambling is legal in Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey.United States gambling laws vary from state to state.
