What is the current policy around gambling in the US?

You may be in the belief that gambling rules in the US aren’t that strict. Hollywood movies seem to give that impression and areas such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City are 24/7 gambling paradises. However, when it comes to sports betting and online gambling, it has been a very different story.

The more relaxed rules that are currently being employed in the US have come after a long struggle. 2018 was a pivotal year for the American gambling industry. Before then, the opinion in the US was that it was a federal decision over whether or not to legalize gambling. This was particularly the case when it came to betting on the sport. America may love its baseball, basketball, and American Football but they weren’t able to be placing bets on them legally.

To do that, they had to join offshore gambling sites but then the situation changed. A US Supreme judge ruled in 2018 that it’s the individual states that should make the decision on gambling. New Jersey had been fighting hard for that change meeting a great deal of opposition, even from those who were running the sports. They weren’t the first state to legalize gambling though, that was Delaware.

Since that decision was made, state after state have legalized gambling. It’s not that they all love the gambling industry, often it’s more a case of loving the tax revenue it can deliver to them. 

Many casinos have now extended the service that they give to their customers. In addition to the usual fare of roulette and blackjack, they now have sportsbooks. These offer odds on all the major sports for events taking place all around the world. The number of online casinos has also increased since that ruling.

Bovada is a highly respected online sportsbook and casino. It isn’t actually based in the US though. Is Bovada legal in the USA? Is Bovada legal?  The fact they aren’t US-based means that they do not break any of that country’s laws. Its members aren’t breaking US laws either due to it not being resident in the US.  

There are still some states in the US that haven’t introduced new gambling legislation. One of these is New York, much to the pleasure of neighboring New Jersey.  The state has been looking into finding out what revenue legalization could bring the state. 

Local campaigners are hopeful that some movement may be made in the right direction this year. The current economic climate may well persuade struggling states to seek additional revenue by changing their laws.

Washington passed a new gambling law in March of this year. This legalized sports betting in the state’s tribal casinos. It’s seen as an initial tentative step dealing with casinos, they are familiar with, rather than new ones.

The tide has turned in favor of legalizing gambling in the US. There is still a lot of work to be done before every state changes its laws.