What Is Utah’s Status Regarding Online Gambling?

In the United States, individual states have the authority to regulate gambling within their borders. In Utah, all forms of gambling are strictly prohibited – this includes casino games, horse race betting, and sports wagering. The state doesn’t even offer a lottery. As a result, there are no physical casinos or legal online gambling options available.

Utah’s stance on gambling is largely influenced by its significant Mormon population, which views gambling as a moral vice. While this ban doesn’t mean that no residents engage in gambling, the illegal nature of such activities makes it difficult to track or gather reliable statistics on how widespread it is.

Online gambling

In 2025, only seven states permit gambling for real money at US online casinos. These states, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, are all in the east, while Utah is in the west. 

Residents of Utah who wish to play online often turn to offshore gambling sites. Since these platforms operate outside the United States, they are not bound by U.S. state laws. As a result, using them can be risky, as players have limited protections and may have no way to recover their money if disputes arise or casinos withhold their winnings.

Gambling at land-based casinos in neighboring states

Utah residents who want to gamble can do so in other states such as Nevada, which is west of Utah. Utah residents may decide to pay a visit to see the sights of Nevada and do some gambling at Las Vegas casinos. They can even take a flight that goes straight from Salt Lake City to Vegas.

Arizona is one of Utah’s neighboring states with many tribal reserves and some thriving tribal casinos. The tribes operate 24 casinos where Utah residents can choose to gamble.

In neighboring Colorado, the gambling laws are fairly liberal. They allow casinos, horse racing, and lotteries. The state has both commercial and tribal casinos.

In Wyoming, there are no state-licensed casinos, but it does have a couple of tribal casinos and some horse racing tracks.

Sports betting

Online casinos are being regulated at a slower pace than sports betting, which is currently legal in 30 states. In Utah, due to its deeply rooted ties to the Mormon faith, any kind of betting is illegal. Sports betting is possible, but only through offshore sportsbooks. It is not going to be legalized soon, so if you are a sports betting fan in Utah, the wait is set to be longer than in many other states.

If we talk about the states that are interconnected to Utah, the only form of online gambling available in Arizona is sports betting. Sports betting in Arizona has been legal in-person and online since 2021. 

Colorado does not allow online casino gaming, but sports betting is popular. When looking at gambling revenue in 2024, Colorado’s commercial sports betting continued to perform strongly. Commercial revenue was just under $142 million. Colorado’s online sportsbooks have been operating since 2020.  

Wyoming does not have any retail sportsbooks, but residents can bet in person at tribal casinos or bet at online sportsbooks. 

Playing poker and bingo

Free poker leagues run in bars and bingo cards are given out at restaurants in Utah. An example is the Wasatch Poker Tour. It organizes events throughout the county. These games are fun and sociable, and players may win small prizes. The bars and restaurants benefit from extra food and drink sales. This isn’t like real money poker or bingo, which the state doesn’t permit.

Poker includes an element of chance, which means it falls under the definition of gambling. The players don’t have to buy in to play and don’t lay down any money. This ensures that the establishments stay on the right side of the law.

It is unlikely that in-person or online poker for real money will ever be legal in Utah. Even if the federal government legalizes online gambling, Utah will choose to opt out. Playing poker online is considered a misdemeanor in the state.