Utah Online Gambling
Utah holds the distinction of having some of the nation’s most restrictive gambling laws. The state constitution and legal code prohibit nearly every form of online gambling, including online casinos, poker sites, and sports betting.
Despite Utah’s uncompromising stance on online gambling, players do have alternatives in the form of sweepstakes casinos and daily fantasy sports apps. The Utah online gambling landscape is dry, but it’s not an absolute desert.
Read on for a straightforward, plain-English guide to online gambling in Utah. Below, we discuss legal alternatives to online casinos in Utah, the laws that impact players, where to find help for problem gambling, and the answers to frequently asked questions.
Legal Utah Gambling Sites
21+ and present in UT. T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700.
Utah Online Gambling Overview
| Type of Gambling (minimum age) | Legal Status | Notes |
| Online Casinos (n/a) | Illegal | Prohibited by Utah Const. Art. VI, § 27 and UT Code § 76-10-1102 |
| Sweepstakes Casinos (18+) | Gray Area | Operate in a legal gray area under U.S. sweepstakes laws; not explicitly prohibited |
| Online Poker (n/a) | Illegal | Prohibited under the same constitutional and statutory provisions as online casinos |
| Online Sports Betting (n/a) | Illegal | Prohibited by the state constitution and criminal code |
| Daily Fantasy Sports (18+) | Legal/Unregulated | State law is silent on DFS; operators are active but without explicit legal authorization |
| Fantasy Pick’em Contests (18+) | Legal/Unregulated | Treated the same as traditional DFS; neither authorized nor prohibited |
| Online Lottery Sales (n/a) | Illegal | No state lottery; sales prohibited under Utah Const. Art. VI, § 27 |
| Online Horse Racing (n/a) | Illegal | State law prohibits all forms of pari-mutuel wagering |
Utah Online Casinos
Online casinos are illegal in Utah.
Both the Utah Constitution and the state’s criminal code prohibit operating or participating in online casino games.
Utah’s statutory definition of “gambling” is expansive, covering any activity where a person risks “anything of value” upon an outcome that is based on an “element of chance”.
This definition clearly includes casino games like online slots, blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, all of which contain a fundamental element of chance. Under Utah Code § 76-10-1102, participating in unauthorized online gambling is a class B misdemeanor for a first offense.
Will Utah Legalize Online Casinos?
Realistically, the odds of Utah legalizing online casinos are infinitesimal.
Utah has adopted a uniquely proactive and hostile stance toward online gambling. In 2012, the legislature amended the criminal code to explicitly add “Internet or online gambling” to its list of prohibited activities.
More significantly, the amendment included a provision stating that if federal law ever authorizes internet gambling, Utah shall opt out. This forward-looking clause demonstrates a legislative intent to maintain the state’s ban regardless of any shifts in federal policy.
Any change would require a constitutional amendment, a process that demands a two-thirds supermajority vote in both legislative chambers just to place the question on a statewide ballot for voter approval. Given the state’s deeply ingrained cultural opposition to gambling, there is no political momentum to pursue such a measure.
Sweepstakes Casinos in Utah
Sweepstakes casinos operate in a contested legal environment in Utah.
Many prominent sweepstakes casinos are accessible to Utah residents, but they operate on perilous legal ground. State law contains specific language that appears to directly target and prohibit sweepstakes casinos, placing them in a legally hostile territory despite their current availability.
Nonetheless, most of the nation’s most established sweepstakes casino brands are available in Utah:
Legal Considerations
Sweepstakes casino operators assert that their platforms are legal because they offer methods for players to participate for free, which eliminates the element of consideration (risking something of value).
However, Utah has enacted specific statutes that appear engineered to dismantle this legal justification. The state code outlaws “fringe gambling” and the use of “fringe gaming devices.”
Specifically, Utah Code § 76-10-1110 makes it a crime to derive economic benefit from a device that exhibits characteristics nearly identical to online sweepstakes platforms, including being server-based and using a “simulated game terminal as a representation of a prize associated with the results of a sweepstakes entry”.
Although widespread enforcement against online sweepstakes operators has not been a public priority, Utah law provides the Utah Attorney General’s Office with solid legal footing for future action.
Utah Online Poker
Online poker is illegal in Utah.
Real-money online poker sites are prohibited under the same comprehensive constitutional and statutory bans that outlaw online casinos. Utah law does not distinguish between peer-to-peer games like poker and house-banked casino games.
The state’s broad definition of gambling applies directly to online poker. Because real-money online poker involves consideration (e.g., tournament buy-ins and cash game wagers) and an element of chance, it qualifies as illegal gambling in Utah.
There have been no serious legislative efforts to create a specific carve-out for online poker, and its legal fate is tied to that of online casinos. The path to legalization would require a constitutional amendment, a formidable hurdle that lacks any political support in the state legislature.
Sweepstakes poker sites remain the closest alternative available in Utah today, but their legal status could change without warning for the same reasons as sweepstakes casinos.
Utah Online Sports Betting
Online sports betting is illegal in Utah.
The Utah Constitution and criminal statutes unequivocally prohibit sports betting. The ban is comprehensive, applying to retail sportsbooks, online betting apps, and any other form of wagering on athletic events.
Sports betting falls squarely within Utah’s constitutional prohibition of any “game of chance” and its statutory definition of “gambling”. After the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which allowed states to legalize sports wagering, Utah officials quickly reaffirmed their commitment to the state’s existing ban.
Utah’s opposition to sports betting is further solidified by its pre-emptive 2012 law that requires the state to opt out of any federal legislation that might authorize online gambling.
Will Utah Legalize Online Sports Betting?
The prospects for legalizing sports betting in Utah are nearly zero.
The slow but steady expansion of professional sports in Utah, including the Utah Mammoth, has generated public interest but has minimal bearing on the legal and political realities of legalizing online sports betting.
Overcoming the constitutional ban, prohibitive statutes, and deep-seated cultural opposition presents a massive barrier to legalization for the foreseeable future.
Utah Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports contests are legal but unregulated in Utah.
Major fantasy sports apps like FanDuel and DraftKings accept customers from Utah but function in a legal gray area because state law neither explicitly authorizes nor prohibits their activity.
The legal basis for DFS operations in Utah rests on the argument that the contests are predominantly games of skill rather than games of chance. Operators contend that this distinction exempts them from the state’s definition of illegal gambling.
More importantly, fantasy sports brands have operated in Utah for years without legal interference. Although state law is unclear on their legality, the current status quo seems to be an unofficial policy of “unregulated but tolerated.”
Legal Considerations
Fantasy sports apps operate on firmer legal footing than sweepstakes casinos because the latter have faced significant regulatory backlash in numerous states. In contrast, DFS is widely accepted, and the major fantasy sports brands have operated in states like Utah since their emergence in the mid-2010s.
That said, Utah law poses some risk for fantasy sports platforms. Utah law defines gambling as any activity with an “element of chance,” a much lower threshold than the “predominantly chance” standard used in many other states.
Because factors like player injuries and unexpected weather introduce an undeniable element of chance into DFS contests, a prosecutor could make a credible case that they violate existing Utah law.
Despite this legal vulnerability, Utah authorities have thus far adopted a policy of inaction. The Utah Attorney General’s office confirmed in 2022 that it had never been asked to investigate the legality of DFS contests.
Utah Fantasy Pick’em Contests
Fantasy pick’em apps are legal but unregulated in Utah.
In fantasy pick’em contests, users predict whether athletes will achieve more or less than their projected totals for in-game stats (e.g., “Will quarterback X pass for more or less than 250.5 yards?”).
Fantasy pick’em apps serve as a close alternative to online sports betting in Utah and are widely available to fans statewide. Some of the most reputable fantasy pick’em apps available in Utah include:
Legal Considerations
Fantasy pick’em operators use the same skill-game argument that traditional DFS platforms use to justify their operations in Utah. They maintain that making accurate statistical predictions requires more skill than chance, thereby placing their contests outside the scope of state gambling prohibitions.
However, regulators in numerous other states have moved to ban or heavily restrict pick’em contests, deeming them to be a form of de facto sports prop betting. In contrast, Utah authorities have taken no public stance or enforcement action against fantasy pick’em sites.
Utah Online Lottery Sales
Online lottery sales are illegal in Utah.
Utah is one of only a handful of states in the nation without a lottery, a prohibition that is mandated by its constitution.
The primary legal barrier is Article VI, Section 27 of the Utah Constitution, which explicitly forbids the legislature from authorizing any “lottery or gift enterprise”.
The section’s unambiguous language prevents lawmakers from establishing a state-run lottery without first amending the Utah Constitution. Utah’s statutory definition of a lottery further reinforces this ban, defining it as any scheme distributing property by chance for which participants have paid consideration.
In 2024, Representative Kera Birkeland introduced HJR24 to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize a lottery, but the bill failed to advance out of committee.
Proponents argued that Utahns spend hundreds of millions of dollars on lottery tickets in neighboring states, but this was not enough to overcome legislative resistance.
Online Horse Racing Betting in Utah
Online horse racing betting is illegal in Utah.
Utah regulates live horse racing but prohibits wagering on race outcomes. The prohibition includes trackside pari-mutuel wagering and advance deposit wagering (online betting) through platforms like AmWager and TwinSpires.
All past attempts to legalize horse racing betting in Utah have been unsuccessful due to the state’s longstanding aversion to gambling.
Lawmakers considered SB181 in 2019 to regulate horse racing events and wagering, but it died in the face of strong opposition from religious organizations and concerns about gambling addiction and negative economic impacts.
More recently, lawmakers considered SB 156 (2025) to authorize pari-mutuel wagering and advance deposit wagering. The 2025 bill failed for similar reasons as the 2019 attempt.
Utah Gambling Regulators
Because Utah prohibits nearly all forms of commercial gambling, it lacks a centralized gaming commission or lottery board dedicated to licensing and regulation. Instead, various state agencies focus primarily on criminal enforcement and the oversight of limited, non-wagering activities.
- Utah Attorney General’s Office: Investigates and prosecutes violations of the Utah Criminal Code, including illegal gambling operations. The office also takes a leading role in addressing the proliferation of unauthorized offshore gambling websites and may take enforcement action against any platform deemed to violate state law.
- Division of Consumer Protection: Handles public complaints about deceptive or illegal business practices. While not a primary gambling regulator, it may investigate schemes that are presented to consumers as legitimate but are in fact illegal gambling enterprises.
- Utah Horse Racing Commission (UHRC): Regulates the sport of horse racing. Its duties include licensing owners, trainers, and jockeys, and supervising live, non-wagering race meets to ensure compliance with the Utah Horse Regulation Act. The commission’s authority is strictly limited to the conduct of races and does not involve wagering.
Responsible Gambling Resources in Utah
As a direct consequence of its complete prohibition on state-regulated gambling, Utah does not operate or fund any state-specific problem gambling services. There are no state-run helplines, treatment programs, or public awareness campaigns, as there is no revenue from legal gambling to support such initiatives.
Despite the absence of state-funded programs, Utah residents affected by problem gambling can access a range of confidential national and private resources. These organizations offer support, treatment referrals, and peer-led recovery programs for individuals and their families.
Self-Exclusion Resources
Because there are no licensed gambling facilities or websites in Utah, the state lacks a formal self-exclusion program. Individuals seeking to limit their access to unregulated online gambling platforms must use the tools provided by each site or seek therapeutic support.
Responsible Gambling Organizations
- NCPG Utah: Provides a 24/7 confidential national helpline that can connect Utah residents with resources. Call 1-800-522-4700, text 800GAM, or chat live online.
- Gamblers Anonymous Utah: A fellowship program that offers peer support through regular meetings for individuals seeking to recover from a gambling problem. Local meeting information is available on its website.
- Birches Health Utah: A private telehealth organization that offers specialized and confidential online counseling and treatment for gambling addiction to residents of Utah.