And so, what you are left with is the state lottery, pari-mutuel betting, bingo, and raffles. The latter two must be organized by registered charities for the purpose of raising money for a good cause. From what we have said so far, it becomes clear that gambling is against public policy in the state of Idaho.
There hasn’t been significant pressure on the legislature to change that course, even though other states report huge success after having legalized gambling. We’ll have to wait to see if things the current policy will reap more positives than negatives for the Gem State or, but for now, let’s focus on the present.
The Official ID Gambling Regulator
Legal gambling in ID is safeguarded by two official bodies – the Idaho State Lottery Commission and the Idaho Racing Commission. Sports betting and casino gambling are not accounted for because they are not legal under the gambling laws in Idaho. Unless we are talking about Native American casinos in the state. The complicated situation necessitates more than one regulatory body. To give an answer to the question of who oversees Idaho gambling laws, we’ve provided short but concise information on the two current regulators.
| 🏰 Regulator | 🗺 Area of Authority | 📖 Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho State Lottery Commission | Bingo, Raffles, The State Lottery | It was established on the basis of Idaho Code Title 67, Chapter 77 Charitable Gaming. This commission oversees the lottery, and bingo and raffle events. |
| Idaho Racing Commission | Horse Racetracks, Pari-Mutual, Simulcasting | It protects the integrity of legal horse race betting in Idaho. It’s funded through license fees and betting events. |
The Idaho Racing Commission sees to it that all six horse racetracks operate in line with the Idaho state gambling laws. The Commission was established in 1963 after the Idaho Horse Racing Act was passed. It’s a commission of three members appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate. As for the state lottery – it was founded in 1989, and so the first Lottery Commission of five members was appointed. It is, again, assembled by the Governor, but each member serves for exactly four years.
What Are the Legal Forms of Gambling in Idaho?
As we hinted throughout the article, there are ways to experience legal gambling ID. It’s not as much as the New Jersey online casinos have to offer, but it’s a good start. Your best bet is the lottery, as it has both draw games and scratch card games. Since its establishment, the lottery has distributed more than $2.7 billion in prize money. Horse race betting is an alternative to sports betting you could try. You can do so in-person at a licensed venue or via simulcasting betting. You still must be of legal age, though.
Tribal casinos are protected by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which laid the groundwork for the Tribal Gaming Commission. In short, there are legal tribal casinos in Idaho where you can find the games and amenities you can expect from a full-blown commercial casino. We’ll discuss this at length in the next section.
All Legal Casinos of Idaho
It’s often the case that native American casino gambling will remain untouched, regardless of the state policy on commercial casinos. The gambling laws in Idaho respect the right of Native American tribes to build and operate casinos. For now, there are five such great venues in Idaho where you can try the newest gaming machines. Here’s a list of all legal ID casinos.
- Coeur d’Alene Casino
- Clearwater Casino
- Fort Hall Casino
- It’se Ye Ye Casino
- Kootenai River Inn and Casino
Lottery Gambling in Idaho
Created in 1988, the state lottery has been a true catalyst for charitable gambling. As such, it’s fully legal in terms of what the Idaho gambling laws have to say about it. The lottery was voted for by the people of Idaho with a view of establishing an organization that can dispense revenue money to the education system and fund infrastructure improvement projects. In addition to being a legal gambling outlet for small-budget bets such as buying a ticket or two. The lottery is one of the most stable and trustworthy institutions in any of the best gambling cities in the USA.
Idaho’s Laws on Slots Gambling
Possessing, operating, or exploiting in any other way functional slot machines is an offence in the state. This ties in with the fact, games of chance are not considered legal in Idaho. There is a section in the gambling laws in Idaho that talks specifically about antique slot machines. By definition, such machines date back to before 1950. Because they are a piece of history, the law was tweaked to make room for antique slot machines. However, owners can only display them for their aesthetic qualities and not with a view of gaining anything from their operation.
Illegal Gambling Activities in Idaho State
To the discontent of many gamblers who live in Idaho, the state law places extensive regulations on the gambling industry. One of the biggest downsides of this is that no commercial casinos can be found anywhere in the state. That is, not including the casinos owned by Native American tribes. Sports betting in the state also takes a big hit from the current laws. Neither can you bet at sports betting shops, nor can you do it online. These are the three illegal activities by the definition of Idaho gambling laws:
Idaho Sports Gambling Law
Even after the Supreme Court’s decision on sports betting came to pass, the Gambling laws in Idaho have a lot of catching up to do. In short, sports betting is not legal in the state, even after so many other US states started adopting a positive outlook on it. The history of betting laws in the USA is long and a little hard to follow, but we hope that it eventually will see the state of Idaho with legal sports betting at some point in the future
Online Gambling Laws of Idaho
The online gambling laws Idaho has, so far, work against the establishment of a healthy industry. To place wagers online is still illegal pursuant to the current law, but only if your wagers are accepted by an operator based in the state. You can, in theory, explore the gambling sites that are operated by non-Idaho based firms. Many are doing so already, but we have to say in advance that the best gambling sites in the US will not accept anyone from the state, no matter how strong their desire to gamble is.
Pursuant to the Idaho gambling laws that are in effect, the situation with gambling is cut and dried. Anyone who’s risking their money with the intent to get financial gain is guilty of a misdemeanor. You could imagine this definition carries over to online gambling, although not explicitly stated. So, while some European gambling sites might welcome you, if you accept the invitation, you will be doing it at your own peril. Even the best online casinos in the US are not an option if you are playing from Idaho.
History of Idaho’s Gambling Laws
The framework of Idaho state gambling laws has gone through many changes. The Idaho gambling law history remembers times when legal gambling in ID wasn’t even a thing. It all led to the current state of the law, where at least some forms of gambling are legal for Idaho residents. If you want to follow how things developed, you can take a look at the next table, with which we summarized the most important events in the history of gambling laws in Idaho.
| 📅 Year | 🧾 Event |
|---|---|
| 1957 | First horse racing legislation |
| 1963 | The Racing Act comes into effect |
| 1987 | The Horse Racing Act is amended |
| 1988 | The Idaho Lottery Act becomes law |
| 1989 | The first lottery ticket is sold |
| 1990 | Simulcasting is authorized by the Legislature |
| 2011 | Expanded simulcast law comes into effect |
| 2016 | Daily fantasy sport are outlawed. DraftKings and FanDuel leave the market. |
Gambling Age in Idaho
The legal gambling age in the state is 18 years. Being at least eighteen allows you to take part in charitable raffles and bingo games. You can also bet at a pari-mutuel event at that age. What you can’t do, though, is visit one particular Indian casino – Clearwater Casino. The minimum gambling age of visitors there is 21 years.
If you want to take your gambling passion to the online space, remember to check what the gambling age requirement is of the sites you visit. It’s safe to say that the majority of them will accept clients 18 and above if they are not regulated by the US law on gambling age.
FAQ About Idaho Gambling Laws
Have more questions about what to gamble on in Idaho? Take the time to go through the final section of this page. Here, we’ll give answers to commonly asked questions such as who oversees Idaho gambling laws. Check out this comprehensive breakdown of the situation in the state.