Idaho Online Casinos – An Inside Look At The Gem State’s Casino Gambling Industry
Idaho represents an interesting conundrum in the US gambling industry. There are seven Indian casinos in Idaho, but despite being operated by federally recognized tribes with Class III gambling status, they cannot offer Class III games! As such, ID online casinos operating outside of US borders are your only option to play real-money “Vegas-style” gambling games in the state.
If you want access to the best legal Idaho slots, blackjack tables, roulette wheels, and more, the brick-and-mortar casinos in Idaho state simply can’t offer what you’re looking for. However, all the online casinos recommended here can, and state residents are welcome at just 18 and up. To help you learn more, we’ve ID’d the best online casinos in ID.
★ Top Rated Online Casino For Idaho Players In 2024
Bovada Casino – A Real Cut Above The Rest
If you want the online gambling diamond without the rough, Bovada is the best choice for first-time players. As the number-one all-in-one online Idaho casino, Bovada doesn’t just offer hundreds of real-money online slots, table games, and live casino games. The site also features a legitimate Idaho online poker room, allows for legal ID sports betting on national and international contests, and even has a racebook for fans of the ponies. Sign up today to take advantage of the Bovada Casino Welcome Bonus worth up to $3000!
- Established in 2011 (Costa Rica)
- Bitcoin/crypto + credit/debit deposit options
- Guaranteed withdrawals - Has never missed a single payout!
- 100s of real-money online casino games
- Full live-dealer online casino
- 1 account for Casino, Sports, Poker, Horses
- All ID residents welcome at 18+
Is Online Gambling Legal In Idaho?
Domestically, Idaho casino venues are not authorized to offer online gambling games to state residents. Even if you’re physically on the grounds of the various Idaho casino resorts, there are no real-money mobile gambling options.
That said, you can legally and safely gamble online if you do so at legitimate casinos that operate offshore. The sites recommended here are all legitimate and safe to use, and there are no Idaho online gambling laws barring your participation.
Are There Legal ID Online Casinos That Are Safe To Play At?
Yes! The best online casinos in Idaho – or, rather, the best international online casinos that offer legal gambling in Idaho – are all safe and trusted venues. All the ID gambling sites we recommend here have been in the industry for years and have been accepting state residents for just as long.
That said, we strongly suggest that you stick to one (or more!) of the sites specifically featured in our ID gambling guide, as most other online casinos are less than reputable. The sites we recommend, however, abide by all gaming industry best practices in providing their players with the following:
Idaho Mobile Casinos
If you want to gamble at a tribal casino in ID – whether you’re looking for casinos in northern Idaho or casinos in southern Idaho – you’re likely in for a pretty long drive. And even if you live close enough to the casinos near Boise or the casinos in Pocatello, remember: These are all Class II venues, and most of them require players to be 21 and up.
However, you can actually play real Class III-style games at just 18 and older – and play them from anywhere inside the state or throughout the USA – when you gamble online with the mobile casino sites featured here.
There’s nothing to download or update, either, as these aren’t restrictive casino apps. Instead, they’re 100% web-based and compatible with any make and model of smartphone or tablet – regardless of screen size.
For the best iPhone casinos and Android casinos in Idaho, just follow any link on this page!
Online Casino Games In Idaho
Retail casinos can’t offer most of the classic online Idaho casino games you expect. Despite each venue being a Class III Indian casino, state law – pursuant to the federal IGRA law – only allows the tribes to host games that aren’t specifically outlawed by existing state statutes.
Since ID has long banned most forms of gambling – including slot machine gambling, table games, and poker gambling – these Class III casinos are limited to Class II electronic gambling machines (EGMs) and video lottery terminals (VLTs). That said, the tribes did manage to redefine “slots” in Idaho back in 2002, getting the following exception added to ID gaming laws:
“[As] long as the [slot]machines do not have a lever or dispense coins - only cash out tickets - then they [cannot] be defined as a slot machine and nor are they a simulation of casino gambling.”
As such, slots in Idaho aren’t traditional slot machines, but they’re also not total electronic slot sims, either. They’re somewhere in between.
Of course, outside of slots – or modified slots – you’re still mostly out of luck at retail ID casinos. To play any of the following real casino games for real money, you’ll have to join one of our recommended online ID gambling sites.
- Online Slot Machines (3-Reel, 5-Reel, 3D, iSlots, Progressives)
- Online Blackjack (Single-Deck, Double-Deck, 6-Deck, 8-Deck)
- Online Roulette (American + European Variants)
- Online Baccarat + Mini-Baccarat (aka Super 6)
- Online Video Poker Machines
- Online Keno Games
- Online Craps Games
- Online Bingo Games
- Online Lotteries/Raffles/Scratch-offs
- Online Live Casino Tables
Idaho Online Live-Dealer Casino Games
Just as there are no real casino games in Idaho (and no state-based casinos opening anytime soon that will legally offer them locally), there are also no live-dealer casino games in the state.
However, thanks to the advent of ubiquitous Internet access and 4G/5G cellular data, you can actually play live casino games from anywhere, anytime.
The Idaho betting sites featured here all host full live-dealer casinos with real-time streaming video, audio, and chat capabilities. You can interact with your dealer as well as other players at your table, and if the felts are full, the best sites also allow for unlimited bet-behinds when playing these games:
- Live Dealer Blackjack
- Live Dealer Roulette
- Live Dealer Baccarat
- Live Dealer Super 6
Note: Because live-dealer online casinos pay real dealers and croupiers to host their tables, free online casino games are not available in your site’s live gambling section. Similarly, live casino gambling usually won’t fulfill casino bonus rollover/playthrough requirements.
Brick-And-Mortar Casinos In Idaho
While we love online casino gambling, we also occasionally like to visit brick-and-mortar casinos – even if they’re comparatively feature-limited.
After all, Idaho tribal casinos do offer things that online gambling can’t: great food and drinks, big-name entertainment events, sophisticated settings, and that all-important social element. For these things, compared to online gambling, Idaho retail casinos are vastly superior.
That’s the irony of in-person casinos today: They’re better at the non-gambling stuff than the gambling stuff!
So even though online ID gambling is more convenient and feature-rich, don’t be afraid to bust out that map of casinos in Idaho every so often and hit up the local hotspots.
Gambling Resources For Idaho Residents
Idaho gambling laws are fairly straightforward in what they allow and disallow domestically. But in case you’d like more information or wish to study these laws in more detail, the following links feature most of the relevant information:
- Constitution of the State of Idaho Article III, Section 20 – “GAMBLING PROHIBITED”
- Idaho Statutes Title 18, Ch. 38 – “Gaming”
- Idaho Statutes Title 54, Ch. 25 – “Horse Racing”
- Idaho Tribal Gaming Compacts – Federal Register (select “Idaho” from US State dropdown menu)
Note: In 2001, the proposed SB 1211 bill sought to formally specify that any ID Indian casino gambling covered by federal Class III designations would specifically not be defined as “gambling” under state gambling laws. The bill did not pass.
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, help is available at no cost through the Idaho chapter of the National Council on Problem Gambling.