Almost all states have some sort of legalized gambling.
20 states have legalized commercial casino gambling, that being non-Indian owned casinos: Colorado Delaware Illinois Indiana Iowa Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Missouri Nevada New Jersey North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Dakota Washington West Virginia Two US territories have also legalized commercial casino gambling: Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands
Your question is a bit misleading. Gambling is not legal on rivers in general. However, there are some states in the Midwest that have legalized gambling only on riverboats.The reason for this is based on history. During the 19th century, many riverboats that traveled the major rivers of the Midwest had gambling on board. In order to get gambling legalized, proponents pointed to this historical fact to convince legislators or voters to approve gaming in various states.
20 states have legalized commercial casino gambling, that being non-Indian owned casinos: Colorado Delaware Illinois Indiana Iowa Louisiana Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Mississippi Missouri Nevada New Jersey North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania South Dakota Washington West Virginia Two US territories have also legalized commercial casino gambling: Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands
EVERY US state Allows one form or another form of gambling ... the most common is the Lottery ... But if you mean in a casino read list below ...AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTexasVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
See below-
18+ States Legalized Marijuana.AlaskaArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareHawaiiMaineMassachusettsMichiganMontanaNevadaNew JerseyNew MexicoOregonRhode IslandVermontWashingtonWashingtonDC
18+ States have been legalized Marijuana. They are:CaliforniaAlaskaOregonWashingtonMaineColoradoHawaiiNevadaMontanaRhode IslandNew MexicoVermontMichiganArizonaNew JerseyDelawareWashington DCConnecticutMassachusetts
Riverboat gambling is legal in some states because of specific laws and regulations that were enacted to allow gambling on riverboats or other bodies of water. These laws often stipulate where and how gambling can take place on the riverboats, such as requiring boats to be in motion or restricting the types of games offered. Each state sets its own regulations for riverboat gambling.
13 US states have a legal gambling age of 18. They are:AlaskaIdahoKansasMaineMinnesotaNew YorkNorth CarolinaOklahomaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaVermontWashingtonWyoming
Gambling tends to be addictive, therefore, may people who gamble become addicted. That, just like any other addiction, can lead to problems. I've personally never verified it, but many people claim that bankruptcies increase in any area where there is legalized gambling. Regardless, if a person becomes addicted and loses most of his or her money, that affects the economy in various ways.
Between 1900 and 1909, over 8 million immigrants arrived in the United States. Many of these immigrants went through the naturalization process to become legalized citizens.