Laws for Sports Betting in the U.S.A.
If you have been exploring this site, you have probably learnt a lot about safe USA sportsbooks already. You are probably eager to go join one now so you can get in on the highly profitable action. However, before you sign up and place a bet on your favorite team, you should learn a bit about the laws that govern sports betting in the United States. Information is king in this day and age, and the more you know about what you can and cannot do, the more free you will feel when wagering. Let’s take a look at the U.S. sports betting laws.
We are going to cover the main laws that dictate how sportsbooks can operate in the USA. You will probably be surprised by how harsh some of these laws are, but you will also be relieved to find out how many excellent options you have to place bets on anything from football to ice hockey, and even entertainment and politics. It’s time to learn something about the current state of sports betting in the U.S. so you can be confident next time you place a bet at a legal venue.
Yes, but there are lots of complications, ins and outs, and what-have-you’s involved. As it currently stands, the only two states that allow state-approved sports betting are Nevada and Delaware. Anyone in any state can go and bet on sports in Nevada or Delaware. Those two states also have their own online sportsbooks, but the caveat is that only in-state residents can use them. This is because of a law called the Wire Act, which prevents money or wagering information from being transmitted across state lines using a wire communications device. All non-Nevada or Delaware residents must use a legal sports betting site that is based outside the United States. Using an overseas site is legal because these sites are not governed by US law.
There are three laws that relate to sports betting in the United States. They are the Wire Act, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Together, these laws confine sports betting to just two states, Nevada and Delaware. If you live in either of these states, you have free reign to bet on sports till the cows come home (Nevada), or you can get in on some limited action during football season only (Delaware). Anyone in any state can visit Nevada or Delaware and use the sportsbooks. These states also have online betting sites, but out-of-state residents are not allowed to use them. If you don’t live in Nevada or Delaware, you have to go to an offshore site to be in compliance with the law.
In 1961, organized crime was beginning to gain a major foothold in the sports betting industry. Underground betting operations and ruthless bookies were becoming a major issue. In order to stem the flow of illegal activity, Congress passed the Wire Act, which criminalized the transmission of currency or wager information across state lines. Because of the Wire Act, any site operating within the boundaries of the US could not accept players from other states. This is kind of a moot point anyway, though, because the only states that have state-sanctioned sports betting sites are Nevada and Delaware. The Wire Act basically makes it so online sportsbooks must operate outside the country.
The Wire Act is not the most popular of laws. It has been added to and rewritten several times in the more than five decades since it was passed. There have been recent attempts to restore the Wire Act to its original meaning. This rollback attempt is called the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, known by the acronym RAWA. Not everyone in Congress is in favor of RAWA, and it is unlikely that it will make much headway.
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is the primary law that deals with sports betting. Under PASPA, the only states that allow sports betting are Nevada and Delaware. These two states were allowed to draft their own laws governing sports betting. The reasoning behind this was that these states already had sports betting before PASPA was passed and that sports betting was important to their state economies. A lot of critics think it is not fair that two states are allowed to have sports betting. Critics maintain that the law is unfair and biased. PASPA is the reason that sports betting sites have to be based outside of the United States in order to serve us legally.
Yes, the UIGEA does affect sports betting sites that are based in the United States. The UIGEA limits the ways in which sports betting sites can transfer money to and from accounts. The way it affects legal overseas sites is that credit cards cannot be used to make sportsbook withdrawals. Other than that, the UIGEA doesn’t really affect overseas sites that all that much. Like the other two laws, the UIGEA has been steeped in controversy from day one. It was rushed through Congress after being attached to the end of a completely unrelated bill, the Safe Port Act, and was not read by anyone in Congress before it was passed. It seems only a matter of time before the UIGEA is done away with.
No, it is very unlikely that you will get in trouble for betting on sports in the United States. There are several reasons for this. First, sports betting is not illegal. There are certain kinds of sportsbooks you can use, and certain kinds of sportsbooks you can’t use. Anyone can legally use a land-based sportsbook, but they only exist in Nevada and Delaware. Residents of Nevada and Delaware can use safe online sportsbooks based in their state, but out-of-state residents cannot. If you live outside of Nevada or Delaware, your only choice for online sports betting is an offshore site. Luckily, these sites offer amazing odds and the fastest lines on every sport you can think of. You won’t be missing out on anything by joining a safe online sportsbook.
Federal and state laws often conflict. This is no different when it comes to betting. The three federal laws we’ve talked about (the Wire Act, PASPA, and the UIGEA) regulate what the states may do. Federal law (PASPA) gives Nevada and Delaware the right to have their own sports betting laws. They did not grant this privilege to any other states. Every state has its own law when it comes to casino gambling. Currently, about thirty states have some form of legal gambling. Age varies from one state to another. In some states, the age is as low as 18, and many others it is 21. Alabama is the one state that sets the betting age at 19. A handful of states do not have any age laws at all, or if they do, they are very vague. If you are not sure how old you have to be to bet legally in your state, check your state age law just to be on the safe side.
U.S. sports fans looking for a legal and safe online betting option could do a whole lot worse than BetOnline. This site is historic amongst longtime sports bettors, as it has been going strong for the better part of a decade, and only gets better with age. You don’t only get an industry-leading sportsbook; you can also play real money poker, bet on the horses, or visit the virtual casino for hours of fun while you wait for your tickets to come in. This site has it all and more, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
BetOnline operates out of the Republic of Panama, where owning and operating an online sportsbook is legal. The reason there are so few sports wagering options on U.S. soil is because of a federal law called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Luckily, this law only targets American bookmakers, not bettors, so anyone over 18 can sign up and use BetOnline with impunity. For a safe and legal sports betting extravaganza, sign up at BetOnline today.