Online casinos are only legal in six US states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Michigan, and Connecticut. While you don’t have to be a resident there, you must be located in the state when playing. Geolocation software will determine if you are, whichever device you're on. Any play outside these states is illegal, other than sweepstakes-style casinos.
Once you’re in a legal US state, you can take advantage of bonus offers. To get the best online casino deals and the most out of your experience, we recommend that you browse through the sites that are available in regulated states so that you can get an overview of the offers available.
Here is a more detailed rundown of where you can play legally and find casino welcome bonuses in the US.
New Jersey
When it comes to a spread of legal gambling options, New Jersey is perhaps king of them all. It was the first state to legalize online casinos (in 2013), it pioneered the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), and has more active online casino operators than any other state. There are around 30 NJ casinos online, plus poker operators, offering a mind-boggling amount of choices for every player.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is frequently hot on New Jersey’s tail, as it was also an early adopter and produces staggering revenue numbers. The active list of PA online casinos is also quite long. Plus, companies are still acquiring licenses in PA, so there are new launches sporadically.
Michigan
In addition to being very gambling-friendly, Michigan has the benefit of location. Whereas other legal US online casino states are more clustered together, bordering each other and fighting for players crossing state lines, Michigan isn’t a quick drive to a competitor state. It gets the benefit of visitors traveling there solely to gamble. The list of Michigan online casinos is at around 20 operators, so it’s on par with Pennsylvania.
West Virginia
West Virginia may not be as metropolitan as the other three mentioned above, but it’s an online casino powerhouse that secured quite a few A-list brands – all partnered with retail casinos – plus legal online poker. The West Virginia online casinos list features more than a dozen operators.
Connecticut
Think of Connecticut online casino offerings as boutique. The state lacks a few of the major players – BetMGM and Caesars are not active – but the two live CT online casinos are decent. Two area tribes each partnered with a gambling powerhouse, which was a smart move. Mohegan Sun Online Casino is powered by FanDuel Casino and DraftKings Casino in Connecticut is via a partnership with Foxwoods Resort Casino, which is owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.
Delaware
Delaware is a small state with a big amount of legal gambling options. But when it comes to online casinos in Delaware, it is the only state where the online casinos are overseen by the state Lottery (in partnership with 888), so options are more limited. This unique set up means that only 888 affiliated partners are allowed, each paired with one of the three racinos in the state. However, the state does also boast legal online poker.
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Online casino bonuses are an incentive for players to sign up and keep betting. When bonus offers can boost your bankroll without driving to a land-based casino, it's more of a reason to wager online and play real money slots.
Casinos also use bonuses to get a leg up on the competition. Some operators undercut playthrough and deposit requirements to generate loyal users. Others go all in on a flashy welcome bonus to attract new players. At the end of the day, everyone wants to turn a profit. If an online casino offers bonuses with a fair house edge and wager requirements, it's a win-win.