Online Sportsbooks That Are Legal For U.S. Residents
There are many legal online sportsbooks available to the U.S. sports fan; the trick is simply finding the right one. You will find our picks for the top online destinations elsewhere on this site. For now, we are going to be focusing on the legal aspects of online sports wagering. There are many confusing laws with regard to sports betting. However, these are not confusing if you know where to start. We will walk you through the legalities of these sites, and our hope is that by the time you have finished reading this section your mind will be at ease.
In this article, we will cover some of the laws concerning the online gaming industry. We will also check in on the state laws, and finally, review one of our picks of a top U.S online sportsbook. You will benefit from this page whether you are new to sports betting, or a veteran. It is never a bad idea to gain knowledge, and we guarantee you will learn something. Get ready to feel more confident in your wagering endeavors, and discover new options.
The answer to this question depends heavily upon choosing the correct online sportsbook to wager with. In general, the answer is "yes," however you are going to want to find one that follows all the laws regulating online sports wagering. There are certain Federal and State sports betting statutes dealing with these sportsbooks and as long as they are following the rules, they are safe and legal for you to play. There are three main laws that regulate online sports wagering. We will take a look at them and show that our recommended sports betting sites are safe because they follow these rules. There are two different jurisdictions when looking at the law in this case, state and federal. We will cover federal first and then explain why state laws are not that important in this industry.
The greatest online sportsbooks have one thing in common; they are all legal. While many sites fulfill this simple criterion, there are plenty of incentives that certain books offer that place them in a league of their own. A sports fans, we understand what other fans want, and are therefore are very picky. We have picked out a select few legal sportsbooks that offer the best action on the web, and we would like to share them with you.
As an online betting enthusiast, you have many options of sites available for you to play. We would like to introduce you to our favorite BetOnline Sportsbook. Millions of USA citizens call BetOnline home for all of their online sportsbook needs. BetOnline has been around longer than most and was started in 1991. That’s over 2 decades of track record and they receive glowing reviews from major sports and entertainment outlets. BetOnline offers the most deposit and withdrawal sources of any other site we review. They take all credit and debit cards for loading your account and thanks to UIGEA they have many safe and legal ways of paying you when you win.
This very extensive sportsbook is still user friendly. BetOnline also gives you sign up and reload bonuses. This free money is there to help fund your online adventure. Simply signup and enter the code that the site gives you and you will get an extra 25% on your deposit up to $1,000. You get the same 25% when re-loading your account. They have a mobile betting site that is tops in the industry. You can access a full-fledged sportsbook from the palm of your hand. No more waiting to get to the computer to place a bet. With all of this going for it, we think you will be happy joining the millions of other online players that call BetOnline their home for online sports betting in the U.S.
If you conduct an internet search for the best USA online sportsbooks, you are bound to come across Bovada in the first few hits. This is no accident, as this company has been around for over two decades, and players from all over know that there is no better name in online sports wagering. The site has a huge player base from all over the world, and is legally able to accept players from almost every state in the US. If you live in New Jersey, Delaware, Nevada, or Maryland, you will need to head to another legal online sportsbook, of which there are plenty.
Bovada is now offering a heck of a deal to new members. If you join today, you can receive up to $250 in bonus cash just for making a first US sportsbook deposit. This welcome bonus can add some great padding to your initial bankroll. You do need to be aware that these bonuses don’t automatically apply, there are some rules. There is a 5X rollover, which means you must wager the bonus amount plus the deposit amount five times before the bonus cash becomes available. If you plan on wagering often, this bonus will be right up your alley. Visit Bovada today to learn more!
Established in 1996, 5Dimes is one of the oldest and most well respected online sportsbooks for US players. The site is run out of sunny San Jose, Costa Rica, and you will feel like you are on vacation at an island paradise when you place bets here. The site is legally able to accept residents from all 50 states, and millions of American’s use it every day to have fun and escape the hubbub of their everyday troubles. Did we mention that the sportsbooks at 5Dimes is so great that professional bettors use it exclusively? Yes, that is a fact.
One great thing about 5Dimes is the fact that they have more legal funding methods than almost any other online book. While most players use credit/debit cards to deposit, and checks or cash wires to withdrawal, there is a myriad of other options to choose from if you want. You can avoid using banks altogether if you want by depositing via money order, gift cards, or bitcoin. Similarly, you can request a US sportsbook payout in the same fashion via many of the same methods. Check out 5Dimes today, and get your account up and running in a heartbeat.
Technology is constantly changing and the world of US online sportsbook is ahead of the curve when it comes to the legalities concerning online betting. They have to be. We will go over some of the federal regulations concerning online sports wagering in this section. Once you see what the laws that pertain to online gaming, you will see that there is no problem for players having fun in the good old USA.
Wire Act - The Federal Wire Act of 1961 is a decades old law that nonetheless helps to regulate the industry. The intent of the Wire Act was to help curb the organized crime element that dominated betting in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. The law states the transmission of information to be used for betting purposes is not allowed across state lines. Therefore, if you want to bet with a sportsbook located in Nevada, you must be in Nevada; you cannot legally phone in your wagers to bookmakers located inside the United States. Because this law only applies to sportsbooks located in the U.S., many of the best sports wagering sites for U.S. residents function overseas, and outside of U.S. federal jurisdiction in countries where it is legal to operate. The Wire Act doesn’t extend to the countries where these online sportsbooks are legally located, and therefore doesn’t apply to them. This all means that any American sports fan can use these a sports betting site without fear of the law, as long as it is operated from a country where it’s is legal to facilitate an online sports betting venue.
PASPA - The Professional and Amateur, Sports Protection Act of 1992 is a law that limits land based sports wagering to only four states. Nevada, Oregon, Delaware, and Montana all have the ability to host land-based sports betting venues because they were operating some form of sportsbook for over a decade prior to the legislation passing through senate. PASPA doesn’t really have anything to do with online sportsbooks; it only deals with restricting land-based options. Several states, New Jersey in particular, have come out in favor of repealing the law because, as they state, the law discriminates against the other 46 states that are not able to have land based gambling options.
UIGEA - The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is a more recent piece of legislation that deals with the electronic transmission of funds from American banks to known offshore betting sites. It is worth noting that the UIGEA passed simply because it was attached to the Safe Port Act, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said that no conference committee member had seen the final language before it went through. This law says that American banks are prohibited from facilitating financial transactions with sportsbooks...not that U.S. residents are breaking the law when they attempt to deposit, or withdrawal funds. Because of this, many banks will block any attempt to send money to an online sportsbook when using your credit or debit cards. Don’t worry though, as all of the sports betting sites shown here use several methods to get around this, and keep the process of making a deposit convenient. Furthermore, you will have no problem receiving your winnings through these sportsbooks because each has extensive experience with paying players despite restrictions in place by the UIGEA.
State Laws - Most states do not have laws on the books that expressly prohibit unregulated sports betting because federal laws, like PASPA, which address the legality of the activity on land. Since we have already noted that PASPA is ineffective against offshore sports betting sites, the act of placing a wager with an online sportsbook falls into a gray area, as far as the state is concerned; unless something is expressly prohibited it can be assumed the activity is safe for residents of that state to do.