A number of states have already passed laws to allow online betting and others are following suit, though there are still a few that are weighing the pros and cons.
United States Gambling laws
Gambling laws are always changing in the United States and some major changes have taken place in the past few years. In 2011, individual states were legally allowed to pass online gambling legislation to allow residents a legal way to engage in online betting. The first online casino and poker rooms were introduced in the US in 2013 when New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada passed state laws for online gaming.
As for online sports betting, this was illegal across the country until 2018, when the US Supreme Court overruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992. This had prohibited single-sports wagers from being placed online. The repeal of PASPA allows states to pass sports betting laws and to start to offer operating sites within state borders for residents to engage in betting on sports and events, not only played in the US, but around the world.
Current States with Legal Online Gambling
Today, there are more options to enjoy online casinos than ever before and many states are now offering access to gambling and sportsbooks. However, the process has been slot for online poker rooms and at this time, there are just 4 states that feature poker rooms for residents. Most states are turning their attention to the legalization of online sports betting, though there are some states where players can find operating online casinos to enjoy their favorite games.
Here, we take a look at what states have passed legislation to allow legal online betting as of 2020. We include information on what types of gambling activities are legal in each state.
- New Jersey – online casinos, poker, DFS, sports betting, lottery, horse racing
- Delaware – online casinos, poker, DFS, horse racing
- Nevada – poker, sports betting, horse racing
- Pennsylvania – sports betting, online casinos, poker, DFS, lottery, horse racing
- West Virginia – sports betting, lottery
- Michigan – poker, online casinos, sports betting
- Rhode Island – sports betting
- Iowa – sports betting
- Mississippi – sports betting
- Colorado – sports betting
- Indiana – sports betting
- Illinois – sports betting
- Michigan – sports betting
- New Hampshire – sports betting
- Oregon – sports betting
States Considering Online Gambling Regulations
Ever since the first US states legalized online gambling, other states have been following suit and there are still many individual states that are considering regulating gambling activities online. Many states took the stance of waiting to see how others performed and whether it would be beneficial to go ahead with legislation. After the first year of legalizing online gambling, New Jersey was hugely successful and generated a massive amount of revenue for the state. This was enough to get other states on board, and today, even more are considering adopting laws to allow legal access to online casinos or sports betting sites.
As you have seen, there are very few states that currently offer legalized online poker. Luckily, the options will increase as New York is working to pass a bill for online poker rooms. Florida and California are two other states that have land-based poker rooms and are slated to offer legal online poker by the end of 2020.
Many states have introduced bills that would regulate gambling online, including sports betting and casino games. While not all of thee will have launches by the end of 2020, these are the states to watch. Some of these will have their laws approved quickly and may be able to be up and running by the end of 2020 while others will be launching platforms in 2021.
- Vermont
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- California
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
Benefits of Regulating Online Gambling
Legalizing and regulating online gambling has been a topic of debate in many states, but most are now looking at the many benefits that this type of legislation could bring about. A number of states have already passed laws to allow online betting and others are following suit, though there are still a few that are weighing the pros and cons.
Experts believe that in the near future, all states in the US will adopt laws that will allow for sports betting so they can take advantage of these super benefits.
Legalizing online gambling will generate revenue for individual states that will help to boost the economy. It will also provide assistance to casinos that are dealing with bankruptcy across the nation. Based on prior studies, the legalization of sports betting along could generate profits between $11 and $14 billion to the US GDP. In addition to boosting revenue, online sites would generate jobs, helping with unemployment rates.
Tax revenue is one of the great benefits as states will avoid losing tax money to neighboring states that already have legal gambling available. By legalizing online betting, states will retain customers and will benefit from tax revenue as well as a significant boost to the economy, which will benefit all involved.
New sites that would emerge due to new regulations would also provide great opportunities for investors and there will be significant chances for economic growth. With these great benefits, it only makes sense for states to push forward with passing bills and working on regulating online gambling. Will it happen in all states? That is yet to be determined, but it is believed that the sports betting industry will see a huge increase in new regulations in the coming year.
