Since U.S. regulation was relaxed in 2018, sports betting and online casino play have increased across the country. Many individual states have opened up to online gambling and the United States public has largely welcomed the move.

Revenue figures are impressive, and clearly this has provided a significant boost to the economy, but where in the United States can you bet on horse races and play at an online casino?

Best of Both

We’ve reached a point in the U.S. where some, but not all, states have legalized both online casinos and sports betting. These are regions where it’s possible to enjoy both options, but the progress is quite slow, and there is more headway to be made.

Sports betting is currently more accessible around the country with a higher percentage of states accepting operators from the U.S. and overseas. A fraction of those states have also opened up to digital casinos. Where it’s possible to play at US casinos online, it’s likely that you will also be able to register an account with a sportsbook. In those places, you can bet on the horses while also enjoying casino games.

The process is fluid and is changing every year, but it’s essential that each potential customer establishes exactly what is allowable in their own state, before they attempt to sign up with an operator.

How it works

The way this works will depend on the operator in question. Some will accept you as a customer across all platforms once you have completed a single sign up. When this happens, you will be able to switch easily from the casino platform to the sports betting pages.

Many operators will provide a link for you to click when you want to change between the two options.

Others will virtually treat their casino and sports betting bases as two separate companies. This means completing a sign up and verification process at each one. Technically, you are still placing a horse bet with your regular casino provider, but the process is slower.

The Evolution of Online Play

It all began in 2011, when officials in New York and Illinois sought clarification on the law, as they had planned to sell their state lottery tickets online. This allowed each individual state to pass its own laws on whether or not casino play should be open to its residents.

Тhe law regarding sports betting changed in 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court passed a key ruling. From that point, it was down to each individual state government to decide whether or not to allow the practice. In the six years that have passed, many states have legalized sports betting, and some of those also allow online casino play.

The State of Play

So, where in the U.S. can you place horse racing bets while also playing at an online casino? As of 2024, there are six states where both practices are available.

The six states that have legalized online casino play to date are Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Each of those states also is open to sports betting, so you can bet on the horses and also play online casino games here.

It’s a relatively small selection at the moment, but there is a very strong chance that position will change in the near future. For now, however, those six states are open to horse racing betting and online casinos.