Is Bac Bo Legal in the US? State Rules and Safety

There is no single federal answer to whether Bac Bo is legal in the US, because federal law points back to state law and the rules that count are the states’. This guide reviews seven state systems that license online casino play, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island, and the minimum age is 21 in all seven. We found no text from any of them that names Bac Bo, so whether a licensed operator offers the game is something only that operator’s lobby can show. Every legal fact below comes from a page we read in October 2026, and you should read the page again before you rely on it. This is general information and not legal advice.

Federal Law Points Back to the States

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), 31 U.S.C. 5362, defines unlawful Internet gambling around a bet or wager that is “unlawful under any applicable Federal or State law in the State or Tribal lands” where it is initiated, received or otherwise made. The federal definition therefore borrows its answer from state law. It also excludes some bets “initiated and received or otherwise made exclusively within a single State”, where state law expressly authorizes them and includes age and location verification.

The Wire Act is the other federal law that comes up. In January 2021 the First Circuit held in New Hampshire Lottery Commission v. Rosen that it applies only to interstate communications related to sporting events or contests. That is the holding of a single court of appeals. The UIGEA text we read does not name Bac Bo, dice or baccarat.

Seven State Systems and One Age Limit

Each system has its own regulator and its own text. The table lists the regulator and the page or law we read for each state, and the full rules are longer in every case.

Connecticut’s page says online casino gaming is authorized through affiliation with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Mohegan Tribe. Michigan’s board says only operators it licenses may legally offer online gaming. Other states may run systems of their own, and this guide does not cover them.

What the Rules Say About Live Table Games

Bac Bo is a live table game played against the house, so the closest rules are the ones written for table games. New Jersey has a section on exactly that: 13:69O-1.6, titled Table game simulcasting. Its first subsection says “A casino licensee shall obtain Division approval to simulcast authorized table games”. The table sets out the parts that matter to a player, with our reading beside each.

The section sets no list of games and does not name Bac Bo, dice or baccarat. It also says nothing about the studio or place where a game is conducted. Whether a given Bac Bo table counts as an authorized table game in New Jersey is a question for the Division and the operator, and no text we read answers it.

The other systems use broad definitions. Michigan’s act defines an internet game as “a game of skill or chance that is offered for play through the internet”. West Virginia’s law describes authorized interactive games as “computerized or virtual versions of any game of chance or digital simulation thereof”. The Pennsylvania iGaming FAQ calls licensed games casino-style games which are also offered at Pennsylvania casinos. None of these texts names Bac Bo, dice or baccarat.

Four Checks Before You Deposit

A license is what separates a regulated table from an unregulated one, and the seven systems above grant them state by state. These four checks work in any of them, and the first two lean on the regulators’ own lists.

1. Start from the regulator’s list. New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement keeps an Internet Gaming Permit Holders list, Pennsylvania’s operators page tells players to verify that a site is regulated before they bet, and Michigan’s legal vs illegal gaming page has a Legal Operators section. We did not confirm a published operator list for West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware or Rhode Island.
2. Read what the list excludes. New Jersey says any site not included on its list is NOT approved to offer Internet gaming in the State of New Jersey. Michigan’s page lists operators that received cease-and-desist letters and says that list is not exhaustive, so a site missing from it has not thereby been approved.
3. Be wary of offshore sites. The Pennsylvania FAQ says a site that originates offshore is considered illegal in Pennsylvania, and it warns that there may not be guarantees on payment of winnings or access to money placed in your account.
4. Confirm the game in the lobby. No text we read names Bac Bo, so the proof that a licensed operator offers it is the game itself, with a rules panel that shows payouts and the tie rule before you stake.

What Licensed Systems Must Do

The New Jersey internet gaming rules are the most detailed text we read, and Michigan and Pennsylvania add pieces of their own. Together they describe what a licensed system has to build around the game.

• Age and identity: New Jersey’s rules say the operator must verify that you are of the legal age of 21, not self-excluded and not on the exclusion list, and must verify your identity. Michigan’s act requires a system designed to reasonably verify that you are 21 or older.
• Location: New Jersey’s rules require the system to detect where the player is, and internet gaming occurs only within the state unless an exception applies. The Pennsylvania FAQ says GPS and IP checks restrict licensed play to users inside the state.
• Software and testing: New Jersey’s rules call for software designed so the Division can approve all game software installations, and the system must authenticate all control programs on demand and at least once every 24 hours. Michigan’s act tells the board to develop and enforce testing and auditing requirements for internet gaming platforms.
• Limits: New Jersey’s rules say deposit limits and spend limits must be offered on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Michigan’s act says players can set their own periodic deposit and wagering limits.
• Withdrawals: In New Jersey the terms must state an estimated time period for withdrawing funds from your account, and a bank transfer goes to your own account after the operator confirms with the bank that it is valid.

These are requirements on operators. They describe how a licensed system is built and say nothing about how any one Bac Bo table has performed.

When Something Goes Wrong

These routes are for licensed operators. Pennsylvania’s board describes a complaint as a disagreement between the licensed gaming entity and the patron, New Jersey’s Casino Control Commission says the Division handles disputes regarding Internet casino permit holders, and Michigan sends you first to the relevant operator or platform provider.

Sites that operate without a license are a different matter. In a release dated June 13, 2025, Michigan’s board gave 1-888-314-2682 for reports of illegal gambling and warned of unreliable payouts, unfair gaming practices and that players have no legal recourse in a dispute. For fraud, the FTC points to its ReportFraud site and to your state attorney general, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center describes itself as the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime.

Self-Exclusion, Help Lines and Taxes

Licensed systems have to offer ways to step away, and each state sets its own terms.

• New Jersey: the rules say a suspension requested by the player cannot be shorter than 72 hours.
• Pennsylvania: the board runs four programs, one of them for iGaming, and its FAQ requires licensed software to block anyone on its self-exclusion list. The board’s self-exclusion FAQ says online requests for early removal or removal from a lifetime exclusion are denied.
• Michigan: you choose 1 year or 5 years, the board says it can take up to 45 days to confirm, and the board removes your name automatically when the period ends. You complete it in person at a board office or by notarized form.
• Help lines: the National Problem Gambling Helpline number is 1-800-MY-RESET, and the line takes calls and texts. The number was announced in January 2026. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission’s FAQ points callers to 1-800-GAMBLER.

On tax, IRS Topic 419 says that gambling winnings are fully taxable and that you must report the income on your tax return. It allows a deduction for losses only if you itemize, up to the winnings you report. This summarizes what the page says and is not tax advice.

Other Guides in the Series

This is the last of the eight guides. The Bac Bo hub lists them all, and the others cover the following ground.

• How Bac Bo works: a round from the bets to the payout, with ten example throws.
• Bac Bo payouts and rules: what each bet returns and how the tie rule works.
• Bac Bo house edge and RTP: how 1,296 dice combinations produce every figure.
• Bac Bo tie bet odds: the five payout groups and how often each one lands.
• Bac Bo streaks and road maps: why road displays record history without predicting it.
• Bac Bo betting systems and bankroll: three staking plans put through the same test.
• Bac Bo vs baccarat: how the dice game compares with the card game.

What a License Does Not Change

A license decides who may offer the game and where complaints go. It does not change the price. On the standard rules the house edge on Player or Banker is 1.13%, so 1 chip a round for an hour is expected to cost 1.35 chips, and 5 chips a round 6.76. Set a limit before you start, and use the deposit limits that licensed operators have to offer. The US responsible gaming page collects support services and explains how to use them.

Author:

Lucas Portela

Owner, BoldGambler • Avanhandava/SP

Oddsmaker, affiliate and content creator in the iGaming industry.

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