Oregon Online Casinos
Oregon offers gamblers numerous options throughout the state, including several tribal casinos, thousands of legal video lottery machines with slots and video poker, and online sports betting administered by the state lottery. But what you won’t find in Oregon are legal online casinos or poker sites. It’s what makes online gambling in Oregon a limited affair.
There are ways to gamble online in Oregon, but the sites you find in legal online casino states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere are prohibited. Here is an overview of gambling in Oregon from us at Playin USA that explains the many options available in the Beaver State while also assessing the prospects for Oregon online casinos going forward.
Play online casino games or slots in Oregon
Are online casinos legal in Oregon?
No, real money online casinos are not legal in Oregon. Section 167.109 of the Oregon Revised Statutes explicitly identifies “internet gambling” as unlawful in the state. The state has carved out a few exceptions to the statute, but in a nutshell, no real money online casinos are legal in the state.
As noted, sweepstakes online casinos do accept Oregon players. The games featured on these sites are similar to those you might find at a traditional online casino or land-based casino, but the sweepstakes model makes them different as a whole from online casinos like BetMGM and BetRivers.
Is online gambling legal in Oregon?
Technically, yes. There is one specific way you can legally gamble online in Oregon. The Oregon Lottery has given its license for online sports betting to DraftKings Sportsbook and the sportsbook offers access via its website or app.
There also are other online gambling options in which those in Oregon can take part. Many online daily fantasy sports sites allow players from Oregon to enter their contests, albeit in a legal gray area. You can also wager on horse racing via online sites like TVG and TwinSpires. Additionally, there are sweepstakes and social casino sites, such as Chumba, LuckyLand Slots and Funzpoints. While Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots are considered social casinos, Funzpoints is under the sweepstakes casino platform.
Beyond the examples above, state law strictly prohibits other forms of real money online gambling in Oregon.
Can you play online poker in Oregon?
No, you cannot play online poker in Oregon. The law forbidding online casinos also makes it illegal for online poker sites to accept Oregon players. You might discover certain sites that will invite Oregon players to play in their online poker rooms, but these sites are not legal according to Oregon law.
An alternative online poker room for Oregon players is Global Poker, which has cash games and tournaments like PokerStars but operates similarly to Funzpoints and Chumba Casino. You can find a table to play on Global Poker easily, plus a few unique games like Crazy Pineapple.
Will Oregon regulate online gambling in the future?
At present, there does not appear to be much interest from Oregon lawmakers to expand online gambling and regulate online casino sites in Oregon any time soon. During the 2021 legislative session, a sports betting bill was introduced that, if passed, would have transformed Oregon from a single-operator sports betting state to one that would accept multiple online sportsbooks. The bill gained no momentum, however, and did not advance.
Oregon would need for the state’s lawmakers, its tribes, and the Oregon Lottery all to find common ground in order for any expanded online gambling legislation to have a fighting chance of moving forward.
Legal OR online gambling sites vs. offshore sites
As we noted earlier, gambling online in Oregon is limited to sweepstakes and social casinos, horse betting, the lottery sportsbook app, and DFS contests of a sort. Anything beyond that is not permitted. But a quick search online might yield links to sites that accept players from Oregon and that purport to offer “legal” real money online gambling. These sites operate outside of the US and do not abide by US or Oregon laws. Often called offshore gambling sites, they are not licensed to operate in Oregon nor are they under the oversight of any regulatory body in Oregon.
That means if people from Oregon deposit money and play on these sites, they are taking a significant risk, multiple risks in fact. Should there be any problems involving their funds, improprieties with the games, or other types of fraudulent activity, the players would have no legal recourse. They would just have to hope the site responded to their complaints or queries satisfactorily, and if the site did not, there would be nothing the players could do.
Players in Oregon should be wary of such sites and avoid risking their money by playing on them.
Who regulates gambling in Oregon?
The Oregon Lottery oversees its lottery games, including sports betting. The Oregon Racing Commission is the regulatory body for horse racing in the state, including off-track betting and horse betting sites. Meanwhile both the tribes and the state together oversee tribal gambling in the Oregon casinos.
The Gaming Enforcement Division of the Oregon State Police provides additional oversight over both the Oregon Lottery and tribal casinos in the state. The division ensures all gambling is conducted fairly and in accordance with applicable statutes and gambling compacts.
What is the legal gambling age in Oregon?
The minimum age for many types of gambling in Oregon is 18 years old. People who are 18 or older can play the lottery, bet on horse races, enter daily fantasy sports contests,
engage in charitable gaming, and even gamble in tribal casinos that do not serve alcohol.
In some situations, however, the minimum age to gamble is 21 years old, such as when a casino serves alcohol on the casino floor. The casinos that offer poker generally require you to be 21 or older to play. You have to be at least 21 to place bets using the Oregon Lottery online sportsbook. A few tribal casinos have begun to offer sports betting, as well, and they also require patrons to be at least 21 to wager on sports.
Are there retail casinos in Oregon?
Yes, at present Oregon is home to nine tribal casinos but no commercial casinos. The largest is the Spirit Mountain Casino in Grande Ronde. It features 90,000 square feet of casino space, over 2,000 slot machines and a 250-plus room hotel.
Few of the casinos have poker rooms, although there are a number of standalone poker rooms scattered throughout Oregon. As noted, these rooms present themselves as “social gaming clubs,” charging fees rather than taking rake from cash games or collecting tournament fees. The clubs have endured various legal challenges, but many are still open for business.
Here’s a list of the tribal casinos currently operating in Oregon:
| Name | Address | Phone | Tribe | Live Poker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook Winds Casino Resort | 1777 NW 44th St., Lincoln City, OR 97367 | 888-244-6665 | Confederated Tribes of the Siletz | Y |
| Indian Head Casino | 3236 Hwy. 26, Warm Springs, OR 97761 | 541-460-7777 | Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs | N |
| Kla-Mo-Ya Casino | 34333 Hwy. 97 North, Chiloquin, OR 97624 | 888-552-6692 | Klamath Tribes | N |
| Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino Resort | 146 Chief Miwaleta Lane, Canyonville, OR 97417 | 800-548-8461 | Cow Creek Band of Umqua Tribe of Indians | N |
| Spirit Mountain Casino | 27100 SW Salmon River Hwy., Grand Ronde, OR 97347 | 800-760-7977 | Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon | Y |
| The Mill Casino Hotel | 3201 Tremont Ave., North Bend, OR 97459 | 800-953-4800 | Coquille Indian Tribe | N |
| Three Rivers Casino Coos Bay | 1297 Ocean Blvd., Coos Bay, OR 97420 | 877-374-8377 | Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians | N |
| Three Rivers Casino Resort | 5647 Hwy. 126, Florence, OR, 97439 | 877-374-8377 | Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians | Y |
| Wildhorse Resort & Casino | 46510 Wildhorse Blvd., Pendleton, OR 97801 | 800-654-9453 | Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation | N |
Tribal gambling in Oregon
As noted, all of the casinos in Oregon are owned and operated by the state’s federally recognized tribes on their lands. Nine tribes have gambling compacts with the state. All of the tribes operate casinos except for the Burns Paiute Tribe, which previously operated the Old Camp Casino in Burns before it closed in 2012.
The compacts are effective in perpetuity, although they can be renegotiated. There have been efforts in the past to introduce non-tribal casinos in the state, such as a proposal in 2010 to build one near Portland. But lawmakers did not back that effort, and the tribes predictably opposed it, as well.
Horse racing in Oregon
Oregon horse racing dates back to the late 19th century, although pari-mutuel wagering on races wasn’t officially legal until 1933. The Portland Meadows racetrack opened in 1946 and for many years was one of the most famous tracks in the country, in part because it was thought to be the first to install lights for nighttime racing. The famed track closed in 2019.
The Grants Pass Downs track at the Josephine County Fairgrounds first opened in 1968, and recently reopened to host racing series at certain times during the year. The track additionally offers off-track betting on simulcast races and plans to add 250 slots-like historical horse racing machines.
Is horse betting legal in Oregon?
Yes, pari-mutuel wagering on horse races is legal in Oregon. The Oregon Racing Commission oversees horse racing and betting in the state. Pari-mutuel wagering on horse races is permitted at licensed racetracks like Grants Pass Downs. You can also bet on the horses at a number of off-track betting sites located throughout the state.
Those in Oregon can additionally bet on horse races via online sites like TVG racebook and TwinSpires. In fact, Oregon was the first state to make such sites legal back in the late 1990s. The state licenses nine companies for online horse betting.
Responsible gambling resources
The Oregon Council on Problem Gambling is a first stop for anyone in Oregon interested in learning about responsible gambling or seeking help with problem gambling.
The OCPG offers numerous prevention resources, guidelines and tips via its website plus information about meetings and treatment centers. You can also find contact information to dozens of prevention coordinator locations throughout the state. The OCPG operates a help line, 1-877-MYLIMIT, that offers free, confidential support. The OCPG also staffs both live chat and text support Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
There are national resources available to Oregonians as well. These include the National Council on Problem Gambling, which has a comprehensive website linking to many resources. The NCPG also maintains a help line at 1-800-522-4700.
Those needing help with problem gambling in Oregon can also contact Gamblers Anonymous for help finding local meetings and services. For friends and family members affected by someone’s problem gambling, Gam-Anon is another national organization that can provid
e support.
History of gambling in Oregon
Like many states, Oregon prohibited most forms of gambling until the late 20th century, even if some of those forms still took place. However, during recent decades legal gambling has expanded in significant ways. Here’s a quick look at some key dates in Oregon gambling history:
- 1971: Oregon lawmakers pass the “Happy Canyon Bill” allowing charitable organizations to offer numerous casino-style games like roulette, poker and blackjack.
- 1985: A year after receiving approval from the state’s voters, the Oregon Lottery sells its first tickets.
- 1989: The Oregon Lottery starts offering its parlay-based sports betting game, Sports Action. By doing so, Oregon is able to offer its limited version of sports betting even after PASPA becomes federal law three years later.
- 1992: Four years after the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act becomes federal law, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians opens Oregon’s first tribal casino in Canyonville. The casino originally offered bingo only, but added blackjack and video poker in 1993. That facility is now known as the Seven Feathers Casino Resort.
- 2019: The lottery launches Oregon Lottery Scoreboard, an online sportsbook available both via web browser and as an app. The site offers traditional sports betting odds, although it does not allow wagering on college sports.
- 2022: DraftKings takes over online sports betting operations on the Lottery’s behalf. Scoreboard is no longer active and DraftKings becomes the only legal online sportsbook in the state.