Gambling is sometimes referred to as 'gaming.' Depending on the language of state laws, gambling and gaming can mean different things, or the two terms can be used synonymously. Illegal gambling is any type of gambling that is specifically prohibited by state law.
Gambling is defined in numerous ways but generally requires:
All states have laws that prohibit at least some type of gambling. While some states have legalized certain types of gambling, other types remain illegal.
Today, more and more states have legalized various types of gambling, ranging from casinos to poker rooms and horse racing tracks. In decades past, gambling used to be a crime almost everywhere other than Las Vegas, Nevada, and Atlantic City, New Jersey.
