Gambling is legal in several states across the United States. The first legislation for sports betting in the United States was drafted in the late 1990s. It was a bill to curb gambling in the United States except for horse racing and dog racing. However, these bills were not passed into law.
One of the main US laws that regulates online gambling is the Federal Wire Act, of 1961. The statute prohibits the use of wire communications to place sports wagers across state lines. The intention of this law at the time it was made was to curb the fraudulent practices of bookmakers.
However, following an internal review, the Department of Justice concluded that the Wire Act only prohibits sports betting across state lines, not other types of betting.
Since the US is a federal state, gambling ages vary from state to state. Anyone can gamble in the United as long as they are either 18 or 21 years and above depending on the state.
Most states have authorities and bodies regulating gambling in the United States.
Although most casinos accept individuals that are 21 years and above, tribal casinos in the US may admit people who are 18 years. This is because they enjoy sovereignty.
The table below highlights the required age for gambling in the US.
STATES | CASINO | POKER |
Alabama | 21 | 21 |
Alaska | 21 | – |
Arizona | 21 | 21 |
Arkansas | 21 | 21 |
California | 18-21 | 18-21 |
Colorado | 21 | 21 |
Connecticut | 21 | 21 |
Delaware | 21 | 18-21 |
Florida | 21 | 18 |
Georgia | 18 (on cruise ships) | 18 |
Hawaii | 21 | 21 |
Idaho | 18 | 18 |
Illinois | 21 | 21 |
Indiana | 21 | 21 |
Iowa | 21 | 21 |
Kansas | 21 | 21 |
Kentucky | – | – |
Louisiana | 21 | 21 |
Maine | 21 | 21 |
Maryland | 21 | 21 |
Massachusetts | 21 | 21 |
Michigan | 18-21 | 18 |
Minnesota | 18 | 18 |
Mississippi | 21 | 21 |
Missouri | 21 | 21 |
Montana | 18 | 18 |
Nebraska | 21 | 21 |
Nevada | 21 | 21 |
New Hampshire | 21 | 18 |
New Jersey | 21 | 21 |
New Mexico | 21 | 21 |
New York | 21 | 21 |
North Carolina | 21 | 21 |
North Dakota | 18-21 | 18-21 |
Ohio | 18-21 | 18-21 |
Oklahoma | 18 | 18 |
Oregon | 21 | 18 |
Pennsylvania | 21 | 21 |
Rhode Island | 21 | 21 |
South Dakota | 18 (at tribal casinos) | – |
South Carolina | 21 (on cruise ships) | 18 |
Tennessee | – | – |
Texas | 21 | 21 |
Utah | 21 | 21 |
Vermont | 21 | 21 |
Virginia | 21 | 18 |
Washington | 18 | 18 |
West Virginia | 21 | 21 |
Wisconsin | 21 | 21 |
Wyoming | 21 | 21 |
It is also important to note that casinos have a minimum age for entering casinos. The minimum age for most casinos is 21. However, some casinos allow individuals who are 18 to enter. This is mostly dependent on whether or not alcohol will be available at the casino since the legal age for alcohol consumption in the US is 21.
Signing up for online casinos in the United States is quite easy. Most platforms have virtually the same processes for registering a new account. These steps will be highlighted below:
1. Visit the casino’s mobile app or website
2. Click the register/login button displayed on the website.
3. Fill in the following details:
4. Create a username for your casino account and use a strong password
5. If you have a bonus code for the app, you can enter it when you are prompted to do so.
6. Click ‘Create’ after reviewing all information supplied.
7. Log in and check your account.
Online casinos can be accessed on desktops or mobile devices such as phones and tablets. The websites are mainly for desktops while the apps are for mobile devices. Most online casinos have sports betting apps for both Android and iOS users. These apps are available on Google Play Store and the Apple store respectively. Playing on desktops and mobile devices has its pros and cons which will be listed below.
The main advantage of mobile devices over desktops is that they are convenient and portable. It is just like having a casino in a person’s pocket.
To have an excellent online gambling experience, it is better to have a big screen; a big screen is equal to a good online gambling experience. This is why many gamblers prefer to gamble on their personal computers than on their mobile devices. Another perk of gambling with a desktop is the fact that a gambler can play several games at a time and this makes it a preferred choice among gamblers.
Choosing the best online casino to play will largely depend on our needs. The following are some useful tips that can help you in reaching the right decision.
Research the casino’s reputation
The first rule of thumb while searching for a good online casino is to check the casino’s reputation. It is important to read reviews from other gamblers and independent review websites.
Licensing
Ensure that any online casino you choose has been duly registered and regulated by a gaming authority in the US.
Banking option
It is important to choose online casinos that offer multiple banking options. Most top casinos will provide prepaid cards, debit cards, credit cards, bank transfers, and even crypto. Also, ensure that the casino you are choosing offers real money options.
Bonuses and promotions
The best casinos in the US are known for their promotions and bonuses. Be sure to choose an online casino that has excellent bonuses and promotions for its players.
Affordability
Gambling is a game that involves money, be sure to look for a betting platform that is affordable for your options. Also, ensure that the betting platform you are choosing provides the option of responsible gambling to ensure that you are safe while gambling.
Yes, most online casinos have a withdrawal limit. A withdrawal limit is a limit placed on the amount of money that can be withdrawn at a particular casino at a time and in one transaction.
The rules for withdrawals are standard and are almost similar throughout online casinos in the US. The withdrawal limits for most US online casinos can be found in the terms and conditions section of the online casino website. For example, the maximum withdrawal for Everygame online casino is $3000 for every 5 business days. The platform also charges a 50 dollars withdrawal fee.
There are several withdrawal methods available in the US for online casinos. The best online casinos in the US provide four withdrawal options; these are bank transfer (ACH), PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard.
The best online casinos in the US will provide players with the option of withdrawing their money through bank transfers.
The option of PayPal is almost always available for players that want to withdraw their winnings for US sports betting and online casino gambling.
The best casinos in the US make use of this popular card company to ensure that players can withdraw their winnings from their platforms.
MasterCard is a preferred withdrawal method among players. It provides stress and hassle-free experience while depositing. However, it may prove difficult to withdraw to your MasterCard platforms on certain occasions. Some of the best online casinos in the US that accept MasterCard are Golden nugget, Caesars, BetMGM, and 888 casinos.
Yes, sports betting is legal in some states in the US. As of 2023, about 24 states in the US have legalized sports betting in the country. While online sports betting is legal in 23 states. These states include New Jersey, Alabama, Washington DC, Wyoming, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
US online Sports betting has gained ground over the years. Most bettors in the US place bets on games such as basketball, football, baseball, hockey, and track cycling among others through legitimate bookmakers. Not only this, bettors can place bets during major league tournaments such as NFL, NCAA, NBA, and MLB.
Basketball is an easy game to bet on in the US as it is a popular game. When betting on basketball, the team you are wagering on must win or lose by less than a stipulated margin of points.
Football is a sport that almost every US resident is passionate about and that passion is often shown through betting during football leagues. Thousands of football tournaments take place every week with bookmakers offering an array of different odds on different matches.
Betting on baseball requires betting on a money line. This means that wagering is based on taking money odds or laying money odds. Most bookmakers in the US provide odds for baseball matches.
Track cycling is one of the easiest sports to bet on. Most times, it involves just predicting the person that will win the cycling event. Most bookmakers in the US offer odds-on-track cycling sporting events. Some of the popular bookmakers are BetMGM, Bovada, and Golden Nugget. You can bet on weeklong events. Live betting is also available for some cycling events. This means that you can bet on your favourite athletes when the game has started!
Gambling online has a lot of perks; some of them will be included below.
Convenience
The greatest benefit of gambling online is the fact that it is convenient. You can play from the comfort of your home. Online gambling can be played on mobile devices and desktops. It gives you all the benefits of a casino without the crowd and the nuisance. Also, it is not subjected to the rules of physical casinos such as closing and opening hours. Most online casinos operate 24/7.
Inexpensive way of gambling
Gambling is an expensive hobby as it involves wagering with money. This is especially through physical casinos and sports betting houses. On the other hand, online gambling may not be as expensive as physical gambling. This is because there are certain structures put in place to regulate it.
For example, a gambler can regulate their spending limits while playing online. It is also possible to limit sessions while gambling. A gambler can set a cooling-off period of 3 days to a year on certain gambling platforms. The TwinSpires casino has a cooling-off period of up to 365 days.
Diversity of games
Online casinos are known for having a wide variety of games. A land-based casino is limited by space. An online casino may have up to 2000 games. This makes it a good choice for people who are new to gambling.
There are no wait times
One of the disadvantages of land-based casinos is the fact that a gambler may have to wait their turn before they can have a go at gambling. However, online casinos do not require any wait time. A player can log into their accounts at any time to play.
No social rules: Playing in physical casinos require a lot of rules and even superstitions that must be followed. For example, you may have to tip waitresses and tolerate the superstitions of other casino players.