The United States has long had an ambiguous view of gambling. Certain forms have been outright banned at various points throughout its history while others have found widespread acceptance. Compounding this complexity further is the fact that individual states control how gambling is regulated within their borders; with states often having little say over the matter of legality. As a result, confusion persists about whether online gambling is really legal in America today; therefore this article will explore where things stand currently.
Are Casinos Legal in Every State? In general, no federal laws prohibit any form of gambling; however, some state laws have specific prohibitions on certain forms such as baccarat or blackjack and set wager limits with stiff penalties if broken.
Illinois Law 720 5/28-1 makes it illegal to gamble for money or items of value knowingly; such conduct constitutes a Class A misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $2500 and/or one year in jail. Utah and Hawaii are two other states to ban all forms of gambling altogether.
Even though these laws exist, most states permit some form of gambling for their residents – this includes Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia among many others. Furthermore, some states even provide online casino services.
Iowa, Montana, Washington and Wyoming have passed laws making sports betting legal for residents living within these states; tribal casinos across the US also offer this form of wagering to their players.
While state laws on gambling are clear, federal gambling law can present complications. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 makes it illegal for banks to move money used for gambling purposes; however, this doesn’t prohibit individuals from gambling online; thus leading many foreign sites that accept wagers from Americans.
Multiple bills have also been proposed to ease federal law, by regulating, licensing and taxing online gambling businesses instead of outright prohibiting their operations from within US borders. If these proposals were to pass, it could dramatically cut back the amount of money laundered through offshore gambling sites. Unfortunately, however, such laws have yet to become reality, leaving the status quo to continue unchanged in the meantime. American Gaming offers an interactive map of sports betting laws across each U.S. state for anyone interested in betting online sports gambling, and also provides a blog that covers a variety of gambling-related topics. Visitors to their website can subscribe to their newsletter as well as download a sports betting odds calculator free.