Gambling is a popular form of entertainment, that goes back to the dawn of humanity. Throughout history, different cultures have innovated and changed gambling in different ways. In the 21st century, the big innovation in the gambling industry are online casinos.
What are Online Casinos?
Online casinos are exactly what they sound like; websites that host virtual versions of all the popular gambling games we are all familiar with. At online casinos, gamblers can play online slots, blackjack, poker, video poker, and even specially-tailored gambling games that you can’t find anywhere but at online casinos.
Accessing online casinos is both a simple matter, and one that is very complex. In order to play at a gambling website, all you have to do is visit the official website, and create an account. However, it can get complicated once you begin researching the local online gambling laws. In this article, we’d like to shine a light on US online gambling laws, just to give you an idea of how it all works.
US Federal Laws
If we go by the US Federal Laws, we need look no further than the Department of Justice’s official stance on the matter. According to the DoJ, online gambling is illegal in the United States of America, in accordance with the Wire Act. However, certain states have decided to take matters into their own hands.
As things stand, the Federal government has not passed any laws regulating the rights of states to decide whether iGaming should be legal or not. Which means, there are quite a few states that have legalized internet gambling, and have been met with great success.
US State Laws
Out of the 50 states that make up the United States of America, only seven have legalized online casinos. The most notable of these seven is New Jersey. Famous for Atlantic City, New Jersey is the gambling capital of the East Coast. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a shock to learn that the state has a vibrant and flourishing online gambling industry.
Following in New Jersey’s footsteps, Pennsylvania also legalized online casinos, shortly after NJ’s success. While the Pennsylvanian online gambling industry is not nearly as big as New Jersey’s, it is still the second most successful in the United States of America. Other states that have legalized online casinos include:
- Michigan
- West Virginia
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Nevada
The Future of iGaming
As things stand right now, most experts are predicting that online gambling will largely remain illegal in most US states. However, there are some positive signs for residents of California, Illinois, and Indiana. The New York government has also been looking into legalizing online casinos.
It is also worth noting that, there are still quite a few states across the United States where residents can gamble online at offshore casinos. While the US laws do prohibit operating an online casino on US borders, and playing at a US-owned online casino, they make no reference to offshore websites.
We can’t make predictions about the distant future. But, a lot of experts are predicting that the success of iGaming will not go ignored for long. Many online casino enthusiasts believe that, by the end of the next decade, online casinos will be legal throughout the USA.
