Concerning booming business spheres, online gambling ranks at the top of most analysts’ lists. That should be no surprise, as this sector raked in $61.5 billion in annual revenues in 2021 and is now on track to hit a yearly turnaround of $114 billion in the next five years.
Although betting on games of chance over the internet came into existence in 1994, when the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda decided to enter this market by becoming the initial country to legalize this arena, in the US, the Interstate Wire Act stopped operators from exploring this landscape. The Act was a criminal statute signed into law by President John F. Kennedy, aimed to limit the mob from prospering by running illegal gambling schemes. It tried to do this by forbidding the passing of betting-related instructions and information across state lines through electronic wires. Most US law authorities believed that this piece of outdated legislation applied to online gambling, as the internet is a network of computers that operates throughout the US. However, a 2011 interpretation issued by the Department of Justice stated that the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 only applied to sports betting, opening the doors for regions to permit internet casino gaming to their residents.
Offshore casinos are legal to play for Americans through mobile casinos. Be it with an iPhone or Android device. That has been a possibility since the mid-1990s when this industry got birthed. However, many US residents are still unaware of this option, and a sizable chunk of those that are unjustifiably fear foreign operators, looking at them as shady, though they barely differ from US-based ones in virtually all departments.
It is paramount to point out that different forms of gambling require specific laws. There is no one all-encompassing legislature regarding betting fun. In more than thirty US states, sports betting entertainment is now legally permitted, with over twenty allowing online wagering. But when it comes to online casinos, only six American territories allow this pastime, and the same number of states also have legalized online poker. Below, we rattle them off.
New Jersey
The Garden State is home to Atlantic City, the second-most-famous US gambling hub, a city also renowned for its boardwalk and beaches. Gaming fun in Atlantic City became a thing in the 1970s after New Jersey voters passed a referendum approving casino gambling. In 2013, the state chose to take advantage of the DOJ’s new view of the Interstate Wire Act, and it began to allow in-state online gambling via a bill that restricted the operation of gaming websites to Atlantic City’s casinos and imposed a higher tax for online gambling revenues than the land-based one by 7%.
Connecticut
When Americans think of casino territories, Connecticut is not among the first few regions that pop to mind. Yet, The Constitution State houses two of the nation’s most vast gaming complexes, the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard and Uncasville’s Mohegan Sun. Both are Native American establishments run by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes. In 2021, Connecticut chose to relax its rules on online casino action, and in October of that year, two casino-style gaming sites soft-launched in the state.
Delaware
After New Jersey pioneered online casino operations in the United States, the first region that chose to follow in the footsteps of the Garden State was Delaware. Its Lottery Commission oversees the functions of the region’s licensed casino and poker platforms that offer their services over the internet. These hubs run under a unified system managed by 888 Holdings and Scientific Games.
Michigan
In January 2021, Michigan chose to join the US online casino fold, and a week later, internet poker went live in the Great Lake State. Now, Michigan bettors can freely test their luck on traditional games of chance remotely at more than twenty regulated websites running from within Michigan’s borders.
Pennsylvania
While it may shock some, Pennsylvania customarily pulls in slightly more annual gaming revenues than New Jersey. In 2017, one of the nation’s most important industrial centers legalized online gambling through a bill signed into law on October 30th by Governor Tom Wolf. Eighteen internet gaming platforms are now up and running in Pennsylvania, licensed and monitored by its Gaming Control Board.
West Virginia
West Virginia is best known for its unmatched outdoor recreation opportunities and scenic mountain beauty. Yet, it is also renowned as one of the first US states to legalize online sports betting and one of the few that authorizes online casino operations. West Virginians can also buy lottery tickets over the internet if they do not wish to see if Lady Luck is on their side on online table games and slots, something that became possible through the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act passed by state officials into law in March 2019.
