Oregon Online Gambling Laws
Players in Oregon have a fantastic choice of options for legal gameplay, with everything from sports betting to the lottery, social casinos, and sweeps. This means that all of the popular casino games are available including slots, table games, bingo, poker, and more.
However, currently licensing laws only permit online games to be offered at social casino sites where players use free coins to participate. Oregon hasn’t legalized online casino sites and doesn’t provide any licensing for operators.
Although it’s unlawful to run an unlicensed gambling site, it’s not illegal for players to use them. There are many offshore casino sites that are accessible to Oregon players. However, these are not covered by Oregon law or protected by a local regulator.
In addition to the social casinos, there are other types of online gambling that are legal. This includes sports betting, horse racing, and playing the lottery.
How Does Oregon Regulate Gambling?
As there are multiple types of legal online gambling in Oregon, as well as land casinos, there are multiple regulatory bodies involved. These bodies monitor gambling activity within the state, both online and in person.
The Oregon Lottery Commission (OLC) is responsible for the regulation of the online state lottery, plus the sports betting that Oregon casinos offer.
The Gaming Enforcement Department within the State Police also contributes to the oversight of the lottery as well as overseeing the social gaming sites. This means that all casino activities such as slot games, bingo, live blackjack, and other table games that are played with free coins fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice. Yet another body, the Oregon Racing Commission, is responsible for online and offline betting on the horses.
There are no real money online casinos in the state but land tribal casinos offer an alternative. There are a number of tribal sites available, and they are regulated jointly by their respective tribal commissions within the Tribal Gaming Alliance plus the State Police.