Utah is one of the few US States that doesn’t have a lottery. As you can therefore conclude gambling is restricted and limited in Utah.
Online casinos however continue to accept Utah players, with no precedence of any penalties laid against a player.
Online casinos are all based offshore at regulated and licensed jurisdictions and therefore are a safe option of playing online casino games.
Other gambling opportunities in Utah are extremely limited. There are no land based casinos either commercial or tribal. And although sports betting is gradually becoming legalized at various states in the US, it remains illegal in the state of Utah. There are no forms of horse or greyhound racing and betting, and Daily Fantasy Sports remains illegal, even though FanDuel and DraftKings do accept players from Utah.
The only legal form of gambling that is onshore is raffles and pull tabs that is governed by the Charitable gaming laws. Bingo is technically illegal, however there are some small venues that offer free bingo along with a meal that has been purchased.
Just recently from 2018 to 2020, there were unregulated slot machines that were being hosted at various venues. Due to the ambiguity in state law, many were able to host these slot/bingo machines without any risk of law enforcement agencies taking action. In 2020, the Governor passed through legislation explicit laws that directly prohibit the hosting of any form of slot machines. As a result, unregulated slot machines are no longer offered in the state.
Online Gambling
- Online offshore regulate and licensed operators accept players from Utah.
- There are no state regulated land based or online operators.
- No licenses are available for lottery or casino activity
Best 5 Utah Online Casinos
If you are wanting to get started with online casinos or are looking for a new one to try, how about choosing from our recommended list of Utah Online Casinos?
| CASINO | RATING | BONUS | PLAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
El Royale Casino
|
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
|
250% up to $12,500 Welcome Bonus |
Play Now |
| 2 | 
Bovada
|
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
|
100% up to $3,000 Welcome Bonus |
Play Now |
| 3 | 
Vegas Casino Online
|
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
|
400% up to $10,000 Welcome Bonus |
Play Now |
| 4 | 
Slots Empire
|
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
|
220% up to $12,000 Welcome Bonus |
Play Now |
| 5 | 
Red Dog Casino
|
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
|
225% up to $12,250 Welcome Bonus |
Play Now |
Our recommended Utah online casinos are all vetted for safety and security, customer service and payment methods.
El Royale is by far the leading online casino for Utah players. Once you step inside the lobby you can feel the difference. State of the art graphics, excellent themes and story lines, and a user friendly lay out. I particularly enjoy the roaring 20’s theme. But what makes El Royale is its partnership with RealTime Gaming. RTG is the leader of online games, and together they deliver quality gaming for their Utah Players.
The other four casinos – Red Dog, Slots Empire, Vegas Casino Online and Bovada – are all very good online casinos in their own right. At the core are their ability to be safe and secure, their customer service and payment methods. Their game variety and design may differ, hence if you are a player that is looking for something specific, say like slot games or Live Dealers, then delve further into the sites and review whether the games they offer are to your liking.
Utah Online Live Dealer Casinos
Our recommended online casinos all offer live dealer games. For those who are new to this concept, live dealer online casino games stream live HD video to your playing device. In essence, you are playing with a real live dealer online and in real time. The live deal deals the card, spins the wheel or rolls the dice as you would have at a land based casino.
There is no RNG involved. We understand that some players do not trust RNG driven games, and therefore online live dealer games fills the void nicely. Fair game play can be trusted, especially with the multi viewing angles that are made available to the player.
In addition, players can use innovative feature that are only available online. These include unlimited back behind betting which allows are play to bet with another player – this often occurs if a player is HOT and other players want to be with him/her. Blackjack also has advance decision submission, so that when it is the players turn, the dealer already knows what their decision is – hit or stand. The game can proceed extremely quickly without delay.
Of course, online live dealer casino games, are part of an online casino and therefore you will find that online casino bonuses are available. Just make sure you do use the correct bonus code, because not all types of casino bonuses can be used on online live dealer games.
Slot Machines and Land Based Casinos
There are no land based casinos in Utah. However, in recent years there has been an increase in unregulated slot machines (Bingo based logic) being hosted at smallish venues. Such as clubs, sports bars and the like. In 2020, the government ruled that slot machines are definitively illegal and are not to be provided to Utah residents. This closed down the any loophole that slot machine operators were exploiting and thus removed any slot machines in Utah.
Slot Machine Ownership
On a slight tangent, Utah is one of a handful of states that does not permit the private ownership of slot machines as a form of a hobby. Most other states will allow a slot machine that is at least older than 25 years to 30 years old to be owned as an antique or as a collectors item. In Utah there are no exemptions to the ownership of slot machines. Any ownership of a slot machine, whether it be for private purposes as a collector item or not, is illegal.
Salt Lake City Casinos
Salt Lake City is Utah’s capitol. Whilst it is a beautiful city with many forms of entertainment, it unfortunately has no casinos. Nor are there any other forms of gambling such as greyhound and horse racing, sports betting, lottery or even bingo.
The nearest casino is due west across the border to a town called West Wendover in Nevada. The distance is approximately 120 miles with a 2 hours drive. At West Wendover, there you will find 5 casinos offering slot machines, video gambling machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, bacarrat, sic bo and various other games.
Sports Betting
Sadly sports betting remains illegal in the state, even though the Supreme Court in 2016 over ruled the ban on States from setting their own gambling laws. Sports betting will remain illegal in Utah for the foreseeable future. Daily Fantasy Sports also remains illegal.
Online sports betting sites, however, do exist and they are based offshore. They accept Utah bettors, with no precedence of any bettor being informed of a breach in law, let alone charged with a misdemeanor or felony.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is growing fast in popularity. New to the gambling scene, it is considered a game of skill by many which requires bettors to create a fictitious team based on real players. The performance of the real sports players in real life determine how successful the fictitious team is. As a result, it truly is those with the most “skills” will win.
Read More: How to Play Daily Fantasy Sports
The two dominate daily fantasy sports providers is DraftKings and FanDuel. On this site, we do not actively promote daily fantasy sports as we understand that it is a game of “skill” which is being exploited by bettors who have the best risk modelling. That is, it isn’t nearly about how well you know your sport, the sport players etc, it is very much about who has the best statistical model and who has access to the most detailed sports player data.
As someone who may be a big fan of sport, and thinking that they would have a good chance of winning money in DFS, think again. You are pitted against statistical modelling experts who deliberately target games that mostly have new players to DFS. In fact, it has been alleged that those who are extremely good at DFS have been known to collaborate among themselves and not compete with each other. Thereby creating a sustainable winning formula shared by the experts.
We therefore want our readers to be aware that DFS is not what is appears to be. In fairness, DFS is legal in Utah and many DFS onshore operators accept Utah players.
Top 3 Utah Online Bingo Sites
Utah bingo laws are stipulated under Charitable gaming state legislation. These laws provide for the licensing of non profit organizations to operate bingo games. At present, these laws do not address nor permit online bingo by onshore operators. Accordingly, online bingo sites that do accept Utah players are based offshore (which is the same as online casinos and sports betting sites).
The recommended online bingo sites all accept players from Utah. They offer advanced features that include instant messaging, fun bingo games and protocols that ensures bingo participants play together in a civil enjoyable manner. Due to the social aspect of bingo, there is a cultural aspect to bingo which cannot be found with casino or sports betting. As an example, A LOT of acronyms form part of instant chat messaging. If you are not familiar with online bingo lingo, do not be afraid, learning it is one of the most fun parts!
Utah Lottery
What Utah Lottery? Utah is one of two US states (the other being Hawaii) that has no lottery commission and therefore does not offer any legal lottery games to the residents of Utah.
Charitable Gaming
The only real legal form of gambling onshore is charitable gaming, and even this is extremely limited. Bingo games cannot be offered, however there are some venues that slide in a few bingo games via a loophole by providing it for “free” with the purchase of a meal.
What can be offered are raffles and pull tabs.
Legal Minimum Gambling Age
The legal minimum age to play online is 21.
Gambling Laws
- Utah’s constitution does not authorize any game of chance, lottery or gift enterprise under any pretense or for any purpose;
- Very limited non-profit charitable gambling is authorized.
Gambling Taxes
N/A
Regulation and Governance
- Utah Police Corps
- Utah Department of Justice
Gambling Legislation
- Utah Constitution
- Utah Horse Racing Act 1992
Neighboring States
FAQ
Can Utah residents play at online casinos for real money?
Yes, Utah residents can play at online casinos. There are many online casinos that accept Utah players, that are safe and secure to play at.
Is it illegal to play at real money online casinos?
Technically it is illegal for Utah residents to play at online casinos. Having said that, there have been no occurrences of players ever being charged. There is however, stringent laws, against operating an online casino or gambling venue in Utah. If you are caught operating a gambling venue, you may be charged and fined.
What is the legal minimum age to play at real money online casinos?
The legal minimum age to play at online casinos in Utah is 21. Some online casinos are willing to accept players at the age of 18, however commonly it is the age in the jurisdiction in which the player resides in that takes priority.
Are there any land based casinos in Utah?
No, there are no land based casinos available in Utah.
I live in Salt Lake City, where is the nearest casino?
The nearest casino(s) can be found in Nevada, directly west of Salt Lake City. Within a 2 hour drive you will arrive at West Wendover, which host 5 casinos with exceptionally low minimums at some of the table games.
Can I play at bingo halls in Utah?
Technically there are no bingo halls in Utah, because bingo is not a permitted game under the Charitable gaming laws. However, you will find that some restaurants and other venues offer bingo as part of a meal or purchase.
Is online bingo available for Utah players?
Yes, along with online casinos, Utah players are able to join online bingo sites. These sites are a lot of fun to play on, with bingo sites becoming ever increasingly popular.
Is sports betting legal in Utah?
No. Sports betting is illegal in Utah. If you wish to place a bet, place one at an offshore sports book or head over to Nevada.
Is Daily Fantasy Sport legal in Utah?
No. Daily Fantasy Sport is illegal in Utah, hence DraftKings and FanDuel do not accept players from Utah.