The online gambling industry is continually expanding at a high pace. Almost all countries,s including the U.K. and Europe have regulated online gambling. However, America is still waiting for the right moment to regulate the sector across all her states.
After the US Supreme Court revoked the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, it opened the door for the legalization of sports betting. Despite this decision, the Department of Justice concluded that the 1961 Wire Act extends to sports betting in the United States, without including online casinos.
To see what is the current state of online gambling in the US, continue reading the following article.
States That Permit Online Gambling
Speaking from the federal level, gambling is a fully legal activity in the United States. Nonetheless, every individual state is allowed to regulate its own sphere of both online and land-based gambling activities. At the moment, 20 states allow players to place bets on sporting events online, although the situation is not the same with casinos and online poker.
Some states have taken a liberal approach when it comes to online casinos, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, Nevada, and Delaware. New Jersey was the first US state to legalize online casinos. It resulted in the launching of dozens of casino sites that provide regular tax income to the state.
New Jersey residents are allowed to wager online on sports, poker, fantasy sports, lottery, and horse racing. Players can also test free casino games before switching to real money titles. However, they should stick to sites with casino licenses from reputable authorities.
States That Are Close to Legalizing
Six US states have adopted bills to approve sports betting. At the same time, there are twenty-two states who are working on preparing the legislative framework. As soon as online gambling becomes approved in these regions, it will be open an option for placing wagers via mobile or a desktop device.
As for games of skills and chance, legalization is slower than usual. There are many regions in the US with traditional gambling venues including tribal casinos, card rooms, and race tracks.
None of these venues allow interactive betting, but the situation is changing and lobby groups are currently pushing the legalization in the following states: California, Connecticut, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York.
It will be interesting to see what will be the direction of online casino regulation in these states.
States That Prohibit Online Gambling
While gambling is legal in some states and close to legalization in others, there are also states which ban the activity outright. Two states completely prohibit online gambling: Utah and Hawaii. Reasons for the prohibition are mainly related to religion or family value concerns.
At the same time, Wisconsin and Idaho are not interested in expanding their regulatory framework. There are also states which enable limited online gambling opportunities including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, and Missouri.
Players who reside in these states still have to wait for legalization which will enable casinos to obtain online betting licenses.
How to Gamble Online Safely
If you are looking to start online gambling activity, then you need to be careful. First of all, make sure to reside in one of the states which allow online gambling. Another step in the safe gambling process is choosing a casino with a license from the official authority.
Each state has a department or bureau that is responsible for issuing licenses, so you should check that before selecting the correct site. The next important element in ensuring a safe gambling experience is choosing a casino with high-security standards.
The level of security is demonstrated by encryption technology and additional certifications from auditing organizations such as eCOGRA. If you find the casino with both elements, you should keep wagering on it. Playing safely is only possible at online casinos which offer various bonuses for players.
Apart from welcome bonuses, you should look for no deposit bonuses that can be activated with bonus codes. It is followed by other promotions such as free spins, cashback, and reload bonuses. You also want to play at the casino with a selection of titles including fun betting games that come from the top software brands in the industry.
Conclusion
As you can see, the gambling industry in the United States is evolving and players from certain states can already place bets on favorite casino games. The future looks promising and we can expect more states to legalize online gambling.