To legally gamble online, it is crucial that you know all of the state and federal gambling laws applicable in your area. Furthermore, it’s also essential that you understand how they interact with each other as well as which types of gambling activities are allowed within each state. Hopefully this article can provide answers to all your queries so you can feel assured when making decisions for gambling ventures.
Legality of online gambling varies drastically among countries. Some have fully embraced online gambling with robust regulatory frameworks in place, while other have implemented strict restrictions or bans against specific forms of gambling.
The United States has an uneven track record when it comes to legality of online gambling, boasting some of the strictest gambling laws while also permitting some popular forms of gambling such as horse and dog racing and state lotteries. Although previous federal government attempts have failed, attempts at completely prohibiting all forms of online gambling continue today.
Recent years have seen the U.S. government significantly alter their position regarding online gambling legality. In 2011, the Justice Department issued a memo which limited sports gambling under the Wire Act and made legal sports betting possible in more states; though before placing bets it is important to check your local laws first.
Nevada and New Jersey established legal sports betting services in 2013 and have steadily expanded their offerings since. Delaware, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia and Mississippi also offer legal sports betting; Delaware also recently added online poker gaming as legal alternatives. Legality regarding casino and poker online gaming remains more complicated; New York was one of only a few states which approved such forms of gambling (though only for sports betting and lottery). Meanwhile a bill to legalize casino and poker gambling remains to be passed in New York.
Online gambling is legal in some US states and provinces, most European Union nations, and some Asian nations. Although different regulating bodies have different advertising restrictions in place for advertisements pertaining to gambling sites, many major search engines have removed such advertisements in response to pressure from US law.
Online gambling is legal in Australia and New Zealand, where it contributes to their economy while offering consumers with more options. Utah and Hawaii prohibit money-gambling entirely – only physical casinos or racetracks are considered legal places of gambling there – making these states two of only seven US states where online gambling isn’t permissible.