Are offshore casinos legal?

What does federal law say about offshore casinos?

The main law is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, or UIGEA. It defines unlawful internet gambling as a bet placed, received or knowingly transmitted online that is illegal under federal or state law where it is made or received. It does not make online gambling illegal by itself, so it depends on those other laws.

It works through money. Gambling businesses cannot knowingly accept payments for such bets, and Regulation GG requires banks and payment processors to have policies to identify and block them, according to the law firm Nelson Mullins.

Are players breaking the law?

Whether players break the law by using an offshore casino depends on the state, and we cannot answer it for you. The UIGEA definitions section places no duty on players, and its payment ban is aimed at gambling businesses. State gambling laws are separate and vary. Your state page says what we found, and a lawyer licensed in your state can advise you on your own situation.

What are the practical risks of using an offshore casino?

The clearest risk is having no US state agency to turn to. In practice that means:

• No state agency checks the games, payouts or complaints.
• A dispute over a withdrawal has no state regulator behind it.
• State protections such as the separate player-funds account in New Jersey do not apply.
• Attorneys general say these sites fail to verify ages effectively and expose users to fraud.

Is the government enforcing the law against offshore casinos?

Not much at the federal level, according to the states. In 2025, 50 attorneys general said Justice Department actions had been extremely limited since 2013. They asked it to seek UIGEA injunctions against illegal sites and payment processing, and to seize servers, domains and proceeds.