Legal U.S. Sportsbooks
On May 14, 2018, the United States Supreme Court reversed a federal ban on state-authorized sports betting, by declaring the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) as unconstitutional.
PASPA was a federal law and the single biggest obstacle to legal sports betting in the USA from 1993 until it was stricken down by the Supreme Court in 2018. New Jersey mounted a challenge to PASPA beginning with a law enacted in 2012 seeking to decriminalize sports betting. The NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL sued to prevent the law from taking effect. After a protracted legal battle, the Supreme Court finally ruled in favor of New Jersey and struck down PASPA.
Now each state has the freedom to legalize and regulate sports betting several states are expected to be operating by the end of 2018, with more than a dozen likely to be following by the end of 2019.
All the states that legalize sports betting are going to have slightly different rules and regulations for online sportsbooks to get a licence. Online sportsbooks will have to be tied to a physical location so they’ll have to partner with land-based casinos to set up. They will also need to be based in the USA and pay state taxes.
Legal U.S. Online Horse Racing Betting
It is legal for the majority of U.S. residents to bet on horse racing online; there are a few states however where it is not allowed. All the USA horse racing betting sites listed on this site are fully licensed, regulated and U.S. based websites, offering legal online wagering on horse racing.
Offshore Sportsbooks
Long have offshore sports betting sites accepted wagers from U.S. bettors but how safe are these sites. They do not have a U.S. licence from any state and so are illegal. David Rebuck, director of the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement said,”there will be significant consequences” for the offshore sportsbooks accepting U.S. bettors.
Will offshore sportsbooks have their Black Friday moment? Black Friday is the phrase used by the online poker industry to describe the day indictments were unsealed against PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker. Back in April 2011 the U.S. DOJ and FBI charged these sites with violating the UIGEA, bank fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling.
Players visiting the sites’ dot com sites were greeted with ominous-looking seizure notices appearing under the FBI and DOJ seals. Restraining orders were set up against 75 bank accounts used by the sites and the seizure of five related domain names. Players accounts were frozen for several months before they received refunds. Player refunds only occurred because a deal was done between PokerStars and the DOJ. We’re not sure the DOJ will accept any such deal with any of these offshore sportsbooks.
So when deciding where to bet select a U.S. licensed sportsbook.
Best U.S. Sportsbooks
When we review a US Players Welcome Sportsbook Site we are looking for:
Safe and Fair – all these betting sites are legally licensed.
Deposit and Withdrawal Options – USA players can easily deposit and withdraw winnings; playing in $.
Regular Promotions – that USA players can take part in.
Security – that your personal and financial data are safe and secure.
Customer Support – you can get help online when you need it, 24/7.
USA States Where Sports Betting Is Legal:
New Jersey was the first state to fully legalize online sports betting and these states look like they will closely follow:
Nevada, Delaware, Mississippi, West Virginia, Rhode, Pennsylvania, New York Sports, Connecticut, Michigan, Massachusetts.
Other states are following suit and it is estimated we could see legal sports betting in as many as 32 states within five years of the Supreme Court decision.
Legal USA Sports Betting Sites
Legal New Jersey Sportsbooks
Legal Pennsylvania Sportsbooks
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NOTE: Whilst we do our best to ensure the information we provide is up to date and accurate please be advised we are not lawyers and this information should not be considered legal advice. Online gambling laws differ in each country around the world and are subject to change. We thus urge you to check your local laws before engaging in online gambling, and we do not condone any gambling in jurisdictions where it is not permitted. BettingSites.bet is not a gambling operator, no gambling is offered on this site, and we cannot be held responsible for activities engaged upon third-party sites.