Legal aspect of online gambling is the only hurdle American gambler stumbles upon when deciding to gamble online. This article aims at shedding light on the regulation of online gambling in United States.

Though it is technically illegal in most parts of the U. S, its residents can play all the casino and poker games as the respective bill only targets fund transfer mechanisms and companies that carry out financial transactions prohibiting them to carry out online gaming transactions.

US Gambling Laws and Regulations

Online gambling in the United States operates in a bit of a grey area. On the one hand, it is not expressly illegal federally; but on the other hand, it is not legal either. In fact, in 2006 legislation was passed which made it illegal for banks to participate in transactions between online casinos and financial institutions. The existing federal laws prohibit operating an online casino or sportsbook from within the states, and it’s against the law for banking institutions to process transactions between US citizens and known gambling operations, but there’s very little explicitly said about individual bettors. Gambling Laws And Regulations. Gambling laws vary in every country and state. Some jurisdictions have federal laws that prohibit online gambling, while others have passed laws legalizing it. In addition, some countries have laws that contradict each other such as banning gambling on the federal level while allowing states to pass their own laws. The US government has more stringently regulated online gambling. Some of the federal laws that encompass online gambling include the Federal Act Wire of 1961 and the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) of 2006. The former outlaws interstate wagering on sports but fails to address the other forms of gambling.

Online gambling is regulated by three federal laws:

  • The Wire Act of 1961 (Federal Wire Act) prohibits the use of electronic wiring to transmit funds to the certain types of wagering business.
  • The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) prohibits the majority of states to legalize sports gambling. This Act is applied to operators only and not players.
  • The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) outlaws the online gaming transactions carried out by financial institutions.

The Federal Wire Act. In fact, the Act is quite ambiguous. The Act states that 'the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.' First, this means that this Act can be applied exclusively to sports betting and not any other form of online gambling. Second, the 'wire communication facility' can only be used concerning transmissions that use wires and the proliferation of wireless Internet access is not controlled by the Act.

Concerned with the problem of online gambling, US Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that was signed by George Bush on Oct.13 2006 thus marking the beginning of the end of US online gambling industry. Although the measure did nothing to change the players' right to bet online, it eventually forced American banks and other financial institutions to block some types of electronic transactions to Internet gambling businesses making it impossible for the USA gamblers to deposit and withdraw money in online casino. In response, most online casinos banned US players from playing at their casinos although USA was the most prolific provider of online casino players in the world. Read more

Is Online Gambling Illegal In Us

The Act itself leaves room for interpretation. The UIGEA outlaws the transfer of money to an online gambling site by financial institutions but online gambling itself is NOT prohibited. Under the Act, to be legal the wager has to be permitted both by the customer's place of residence and the operator. The wager falls under definition of staking anything value conditioned on the outcome of a game of chance, a sporting event, or any other form of contest where the outcome is uncertain. Stock trading, online video games and most fantasy sport are beyond the scope of the Act. The law is applied to the games of pure chance like online slot-machines, any kind of wager on the outcome of sporting or election events and the games of skill like online poker.

As operators don't have right to carry out an US based business many online casinos are located outside the US and work under a license given out by Antigua, Gibralta, Kahnawake or Malta. Some operators closed US player accounts and stopped to accept US players and others continued to accept US players offering them a number of payment options available to US gamblers like UseMyBank.

Payment methods that are available for US gamblers are: Visa, MasterCard, Western Union, Wire Transfer, MoneyGram, Amex, eWalletXpress, eCheck, Solid Debit, NetPay, Diners Club. We strongly recommend to each player to check if the option is valid before trying to make a transfer.

Payment methods that are NOT available for US gamblers: PayPal, ePassporte, FirePay, Instadebit, Neteller, MoneyBookers, EcoCard, UseMyBank, Central Coin, PaySpark, Gift Cards, Quick Tender, Citadel and myCitadel, Instacash, ATMOnline, Nexum, Click2Pay, PayPal.

When European online gaming operators left the American market, American economy suffered heavy losses. US used to reap billions in tax revenues from the online gambling industry. The studies carried out by Price Waterhouse Coopers show that US can collect at least $8.7 billion and up to $17.6 billion in as little as 10 years. These numbers can make some lawmaker change their mind concerning online gambling, especially taking into account the recession US economy undergoes now.

Another problem arises from the fact that each of the 50 states may have different legislation on Internet gambling. US gamblers are recommended to keep a constant watch on amendments, repeals, and new legislation on UIGEA under state law. To check the law aspects in your state see http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Laws.

On May 6, 2009, Senator Barney Frank challenged the UIGEA with an Act designed to overturn it - what many see as a welcome first step towards regulation, although this could take years. The Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection & Enforcement Act will establish federal regulatory as well as enforcement framework for online and land-based gaming. Read more

The Internet Gambling Regulation Consumer Protection & Enforcement Act would establish the framework under which US-based companies online gaming operators could get licenses to be able to accept bets from US residents legally.

Gambling operators would be subject to reviews of how the entire operation is run. Department of Treasury will have the right to review anything from financial history, to employee background checks. Under the Act, the operators are supposed to have appropriate safeguards in place to avoid underage gambling, protect the privacy and security of the players, combat compulsive gambling and fraud.

The Department of Treasury will also be responsible for enforcing licensing, imposing fines, and or imprisonment or license revocation for those whom violate the provisions of this bill.

The Act also would automatically create an exception for poker to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

In order to gamble, deposit and withdraw money successfully and with minimum hassle at online casinos you need to follow the instructions given by the gambling site you have chosen. Each reputable online casino has 24/7 customer support so this will not be a problem.

USA Gambling Legislation

  • Federal Anti-Lottery Laws
  • The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)
  • Illegal Money Transmitting Business Act of 1992

Anomalies in the American's gambling law:

1. Californian casinos are prohibited by law from playing blackjack. Therefore they have added a twist to the game and the game is played to 22 rather than 21.

2. The UIGEA has provisions for betting on horse racing. During the bill's inception in 2006, horse racing was granted an exemption under the UIGEA in order to protect that industry.

Disclaimer

CasinosDoc is not a legal authority. We remind you the information presented should not be treated as a legal advice but we sincerely hope that it will be of use to you. To get accurate information or advice on online gambling, consult the laws of the country where you reside or jurisdiction in which you are playing.

When it comes to United States Online Gambling Laws, the water is a little bit ‘murky’ to say the least. There has been some legislation put in place which restricts credit card use in regards to online gambling transactions, however specific directives prohibiting online gambling at large are not in place that span the United States as a whole. This fact is actually one of the motivations for this site. It quickly became clear that the individual states were going to need to address how they feel about online gambling within their own borders.

Most USA gambling enthusiasts don’t have a problem with the ‘states’ rights’ approach on the topic as it is likely to lend more viability to a variety of solutions, allowing the people in each state to have a voice in the matter. While this may not guarantee that online gambling will be legal in every corner of the United States in years to come, it does make it more likely that those people who want access to it will have the opportunity to keep it or make it legal where they reside. Likewise, it gives those opposed a voice in rejecting the venue. After all, this is the American way. But when it comes to down brass tacks in the here and now, there are no United States online gambling laws which completely prohibit it. The many ‘gray’ areas and non-specific language have left the real focus on payment methods, and not the actual participation in online gambling itself.

Below you will find a listing of our favorite online casinos which adhere to USA Online Gambling Laws while providing a safe, secure, exhilarating and rewarding online gambling experience. They have all been examined by a team of highly trained online gambling experiences who know precisely what to look for when determining the value and legitimacy of any online gambling site. You will also find information on their current bonus offers to help you get the most bang for your buck!

Gambling Laws By State

Alabama Online Gambling LawsMontana Online Gambling Laws
Alaska Online Gambling LawsNebraska Online Gambling Laws
Arizona Online Gambling LawsNevada Online Gambling Laws
Arkansas Online Gambling LawsNew Hampshire Online Gambling Laws
California Online Gambling LawsNew Jersey Online Gambling Laws
Colorado Online Gambling LawsNew Mexico Online Gambling Laws
Connecticut Online Gambling LawsNew York Online Gambling Laws
Delaware Online Gambling LawsNorth Carolina Online Gambling Laws
Florida Online Gambling LawsNorth Dakota Online Gambling Laws
Georgia Online Gambling LawsOhio Online Gambling Laws
Hawaii Online Gambling LawsOklahoma Online Gambling Laws
Idaho Online Gambling LawsOregon Online Gambling Laws
Illinois Online Gambling LawsPennsylvania Online Gambling Laws
Indiana Online Gambling LawsRhode Island Online Gambling Laws
Iowa Online Gambling LawsSouth Carolina Online Gambling Laws
Kansas Online Gambling LawsSouth Dakota Online Gambling Laws
Kentucky Online Gambling LawsTennessee Online Gambling Laws
Louisiana Online Gambling LawsTexas Online Gambling Laws
Maine Online Gambling LawsUtah Online Gambling Laws
Maryland Online Gambling LawsVermont Online Gambling Laws
Massachusetts Online Gambling LawsVirginia Online Gambling Laws
Michigan Online Gambling LawsWashington Online Gambling Laws
Minnesota Online Gambling LawsWest Virginia Online Gambling Laws
Mississippi Online Gambling LawsWisconsin Online Gambling Laws
Missouri Online Gambling LawsWyoming Online Gambling Laws

USA Gambling Laws

The Federal Wire Act – This US federal laws was passed in 1961 to target illegal gambling operations being run by organized crime syndicates. The law has now been applied to Internet gambling and effectively prohibits US based online sports betting. This section of our guide provides insight into the application of this law and how it affected online gambling in the United States.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) – This law was passed in the early 90s as an effort to curtail the expansion of legal sports betting in the US. It effectively banned physical sportsbook businesses across the country. There are four states that were exempted from the restrictions of this law, including Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon. On May 14, 2018, PASPA was ruled to be unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court, who lifted the ban on US based sports betting. This page of our website provides insight into PASPA and the states that are challenging the constitutionality of it.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) – This law really has nothing to do with gamblers themselves, but rather is directed at gambling business operators and payment processors. This laws does not prohibit any type of online gambling and was passed to provide regulatory oversight concerning gambling related transactions and how they are processed. This page will explain the intent and application of this law and how it impacts the US gambling market.

Legislation

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