Online Blackjack Sites By State

Illinois is often called the most likely state to legalize next, with estimates that iGaming could generate close to 400 million dollars a year in tax revenue. Companion bills (HB3080 and SB1963, with HB1167 also introduced) would put online casinos under the Illinois Gaming Board at a proposed 25 percent tax rate. The major obstacle is the state’s video gaming terminal industry, which fears lost revenue; one blunt assessment from industry meetings was that there is no path without their buy-in. No bill had passed as of mid-2026.

New York is the prize operators watch most closely, because a yes there would likely pressure neighboring states to follow, much as New Jersey’s 2018 sports betting law triggered a wave. Bills have been introduced in both chambers (led by the senator behind New York’s sports betting law), and hearings were held again in March 2026, but lawmakers remain divided over the tax rate (proposals range from 25 to 50 percent) and how many licenses to issue. Those disagreements have stalled what many see as eventually inevitable. New York also banned dual-currency sweepstakes casinos in late 2025.

Indiana has one of the better near-term chances, given its mature retail casino industry and established mobile sports betting. A 2026 bill allowing mobile casino gaming for existing licensed brick-and-mortar casino owners passed a Senate committee and had reasonable prospects of a floor vote. As in past years, the sticking points are tax structure and cannibalization concerns from land-based operators, which have repeatedly derailed Indiana bills. A realistic timeline is two to five years.

Maryland is constitutionally required to put any gambling expansion to a statewide voter referendum, which must first be initiated by the legislature. In the 2026 session, Senate Bill 885 received a committee hearing but failed to clear the Budget and Taxation Committee before the crossover deadline, with problem-gambling and cannibalization concerns cited, and the governor declined to include iGaming revenue in his budget. Online casino legalization is effectively dead in Maryland for the year, though lawmakers may revisit it.

Virginia advanced two iGaming bills (HB161 and SB118) in its 2026 session, but the House and Senate could not reconcile their versions in conference, mainly over problem-gambling funding and a proposed hold-harmless fund. Crucially, the bills include a reenactment clause requiring passage in both the 2026 and 2027 sessions before taking effect, so even under the best case a Virginia launch would not realistically happen before 2028.

Massachusetts has active companion bills in the House and Senate, but momentum stalled in 2026 when Representative David Muradian’s HB4431 was voted to study by committee, effectively sidelining it for the session, amid concerns over consumer protections and competition with land-based casinos. Observers still consider Massachusetts moderately to highly likely to legalize over the next three to five years, especially under tax-revenue pressure.

Several other states have seen discussion without meaningful progress. Hawaii reopened long-standing gambling debates in 2026 with multiple bills and a new Tourism and Gaming Working Group, despite deep cultural resistance. New Hampshire, Iowa, and Wyoming have floated proposals in recent years. Georgia is a two-stage state where online casinos could follow within 24 months of a sports betting launch, if that passes first. None of these are close.

Sweepstakes casinos use a dual-currency model to offer blackjack-style and other casino games for prizes in most states, operating under sweepstakes law rather than gambling law. They are the most widely available free alternative, present in roughly 40-plus states, though a handful (notably New York and California) banned the dual-currency model in late 2025 and early 2026 to protect tribal and in-state casino revenue. They are not regulated like real-money casinos, so protections are lighter, and most lean heavily toward slots, making blackjack selection thinner.