A plain-English hub covering what offshore betting means, its risks, and online sports betting and casino status in 26 states, with a link to the DWZ guide for each.
Home » State-by-State Offshore Betting and Casino Guide
The online sports betting rules in the U.S. change from one state to the next, and offshore sportsbooks and casinos sit outside all of them. This hub gives you one plain-English map: what “offshore” means, what it risks, and a link to the Daily Wager Zone guide for each of 26 states, with the current sports betting and online casino status next to it.
By Maya Torres, Casino and Gambling Guides. Last updated: October 15, 2026.
Disclosure: this page has no affiliate links. Daily Wager Zone earns commissions from some offshore brands that we feature on other pages. That has no effect on the status notes below, which come from the named sources in the Trust box.
The Quick Version
Offshore means licensed outside the U.S. No U.S. state regulator licenses these sites or handles your complaints.
Of the 26 states below, 14 have statewide online sports apps live, 4 allow only in-person or on-site betting, and 8 do not allow regulated sports betting. Count based on Action Network and CBS Sports, checked Oct. 15, 2026.
Online casinos are rarer. Only 4 of the 26 states have regulated online casinos live, according to CBS Sports: Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Our take: if your state has a regulated app, start there and compare it with any offshore option. If it does not, read your state guide before you deposit anywhere, and read the risk section on this page first.
Trust & Authority
Item
Details
Sources
Action Network, “Online sports betting status by state” (updated Oct. 15, 2026); CBS Sports, “U.S. sports betting: Where all 50 states stand” (Oct. 2026) and “U.S. online casinos: where all 50 states currently stand” (Oct. 2026); Washington State Legislature, RCW 9.46.240. All checked Oct. 15, 2026
Original analysis
A 26-state status table that puts sports and casino status side by side, plus two counts we made ourselves from those sources. Sports status is shown only where Action Network and CBS Sports agree. The casino column comes from CBS Sports alone.
Author
Maya Torres, Casino and Gambling Guides, Daily Wager Zone
Disclosure
This page has no affiliate links. DWZ earns commissions from some brands on other pages. Status notes come from news and data sites, not from state regulators, so they are a starting point and not legal advice.
What Does Offshore Mean for Betting?
Offshore means the company is licensed and based outside the United States. Offshore sportsbooks and casinos take U.S. players over the internet, but no U.S. state regulator licenses them, audits them or steps in when something goes wrong. A regulated U.S. app, by contrast, must follow its state’s rules.
That gap matters in a few simple ways. If an offshore site delays a payout, changes its terms or closes your account, you have no state gaming commission to complain to. Your deposit is not backed by a state-run player protection system. Taxes on winnings are a separate issue, and our guide to sports betting tax rates by state covers how they work.
Is it legal for you to use one? The answer depends on your state and is not always clear. Some states say little about players. Others have broad rules about gambling information sent over the internet. Washington is a clear example. RCW 9.46.240 says that anyone who “knowingly transmits or receives gambling information” by the internet or similar means commits a class C felony, with an exception for activities the chapter authorizes, including sports wagering under Washington’s own rules. We are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. Read that statute and our state guide, and ask a licensed attorney if you are unsure.
Which States Allow Online Betting and Casinos in 2026?
Here is the status of online sports betting and online casinos in the 26 states where Daily Wager Zone has a published guide. “Status” means regulated, state-approved betting. It does not describe offshore sites.
Sports betting status: Action Network and CBS Sports agree on every row above, checked Oct. 15, 2026. Online casino status: CBS Sports, October 2026. Both sites are media trackers, not regulators. Always confirm with your state gaming agency before you deposit anywhere.
Online sports betting status in the 26 states DWZ covers. Sources: Action Network and CBS Sports, Oct. 15, 2026. Count by DailyWagerZone.com.
How Many of These States Have Online Casinos?
Far fewer than have sports betting. Here is the count for the same 26 states, according to CBS Sports: four have legal online casinos running (Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island), one has authorized them but has not launched (Maine), one allows online poker only (Nevada), and 20 do not allow them. That means players in most of these states have no regulated local option for online casino games, which makes the risks above matter even more.
Online casino status in the same 26 states. Source: CBS Sports, October 2026. Count by DailyWagerZone.com.
How Do You Use This Hub?
Find your state in the table. Open the DWZ guide for the details, including laws, taxes and what changed this year.
Check the status columns. If your state has regulated apps, compare their offers and protections with any offshore site before you pick one.
Read the terms before you deposit anywhere. Our casino bonus terms guide explains rollover and expiry in plain English.
Look for your state’s official regulator page. It is the best place to confirm current rules.
Do not see your state? DWZ does not have a published guide for it yet. Our state-by-state gambling news page may still have coverage. Check your state gaming agency for the current rules.
Maya Torres writes casino, iGaming and gambling guides at Daily Wager Zone. Her work covers how casino games and offshore casinos work for U.S. players, with a focus on plain-English math and sourcing.
Written by
Maya Torres
Maya Torres is a sports betting legislation analyst and regulatory writer covering the state-by-state legalization of sports betting across the United States. With a background in policy research and legal media, Maya tracks active legislation, ballot initiatives, and regulatory changes in every US state — giving bettors and industry observers the most current picture of where legal wagering stands nationwide.
Her work at DailyWagerZone focuses on comprehensive state pillar pages, bill tracking, and breaking news around sports betting law. Maya approaches regulatory content with the same depth and sourcing standards applied to legal journalism — citing official bill text, legislative calendars, and statements from gaming commissions rather than recycling secondhand reporting.
Before joining DailyWagerZone, Maya covered gambling law and public policy for independent legal and sports media outlets. She has tracked sports betting legislation since the Supreme Court's 2018 PASPA ruling opened the door to state-by-state legalization and has documented every major legislative development since.
Maya is based in Austin, Texas — a state still fighting for legalization — which gives her a personal stake in the coverage she produces. She can be found on Bluesky at @mayatorres-betting.bsky.social and Reddit at u/MayaTorres_DWZ.