Sports Betting Laws In The United States

There are several key laws that have an effect on the sports betting market in the United States. The main law, the PASPA, prevented states from regulating their own market and hosting betting odds for locals, taxing sports betting. This was repealed in 2018 which essentially kicked off the sports betting market. In addition to PASPA, the Wire Act is why sportsbooks can only accept odds from within their designated states, and the UIGEA effects major banks, prohibiting them from accepting transactions involving online gambling companies. Each of these core sports betting laws will be further explained in their given sections on this page.

In addition, each state has its own sports betting laws when the market is regulated. Some states allow bettors to wager from 18 years old while most others require bettors to be at least 21. Some markets allow regulated online sports betting while others only allow for bets at physical locations. Sports betting laws effect the regulated market in many ways, but no law outright prevents players from getting in on the action. No matter what federal or state laws there are, individuals can always legally bet on sports in the United States.

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Bovada Sportsbook

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Bovada Sports Betting

Arguably the top, if not already the top online sportsbook, Bovada has certainly lived up to that name with the elite features that they have to offer. They have some of the top bonuses that can earn you anywhere between $250 and $750, an easy to use platform from your computer or mobile device, and a wide variety of accepted financial methods for you to pick and choose from to make your deposits.

BetOnline Sportsbook

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With cryptocurrency one of the top financial methods in today’s world, BetOnline has done a very solid job in adapting to that. You can make deposits and withdrawals and bet on sports with up to 17 different forms of cryptocurrency ranging from the biggest in Bitcoin and Ethereum to smaller coins in Dogecoin and Avalanche. The great thing about betting with crypto on BetOnline is that they have the quickest processing time and no fees associated with them.

MyBookie Sportsbook

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MyBookie Sports Betting

Safety is a top priority on MyBookie and they have made that known with the different safety features that they have in place. The first major thing that they do to secure your online betting experience is put two encrypted links in place that secure their servers holding all of your financial information as well as your web browser that holds your personal information. In addition, their customer service has been deemed one of the best as they run 24/7 and will help ease your safety concerns even more.

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Bonuses are a major part of your reasoning behind signing up for a specific online sportsbook and SportsBetting has some of the best new user bonuses to offer. First, for those that are making their first deposit with anything other than crypto, you can take advantage of their 50% first deposit match worth up to $1,000. For those that are using crypto to make that deposit, they’ll offer you a 100% first deposit match also up to $1,000.

Xbet Sportsbook

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If you are looking for simplicity from an online sportsbook, XBet is the one for you as they make their platform very easy on the eyes. From the moment you log in and gain access to their homepage, you’ll find all of their features from financial methods, to bonuses, and all of their odds and several different sports. All of them can also be taken advantage of in a matter of seconds. Their platform can also be used from any smartphone or smart device that has access to the internet.

Legal Sports Betting Across The Nation

There are now more than two dozen active sports betting states in the US with over 30 states (and washing DC) either live, pending launch, or working on legislation to regulate sports betting. With so many markets, there are a bevy of laws to understand across the US sports betting landscape. Additionally, players in all 50 states have legal access to sports betting thanks to sports betting sites. These legal online sportsbooks can be accessed across the nation regardless of states regulations. These sportsbooks are licensed outside of the US and are thus unaffected by US regulations. Offshore internet sportsbooks are safe and legal while also supplying some of the best odds for players.

Legal Sports Betting Age In The United States

There is no universal legal sports betting age in the United States. While most markets require bettors to be at least 21 years old or older, some markets accept players who are at least 18. Several regulated sportsbooks are attached to in state land based casinos. These casinos tend to have bars and legal gambling age requirements even before sports betting is in place. Because of this, once sports betting is regulated in a market like New Jersey for example, the same 21 year old requirement set by casinos is then transitioned over to sports betting. A market like Wyoming, however, that has no physical locations and launches only online sports betting sets its legal sports betting age at 18. Many horse racing tracks also accepts wagers from players who are at least 18.

Of course, internet sportsbooks licensed outside the US accept players from 18 regardless of state regulations. These sportsbooks are online only therefore there is no land-based casino or outstanding gaming compact that would affect the sports betting age. Those who are looking to bet on sports as soon as possible are better off logging onto sportsbooks like Bovada and getting in on the action out the gate.

How Old Do I Need To Be To Play NCAA Tournament Bracket Games For Cash?

Playing bracket games or Super Bowl squares may come off as gambling and, in a technical sense, it is. For those playing for smaller prize pools and are entertaining a group of friends, it is unlikely that anything will happen to you when setting up and playing these types of games. Nobody’s going to call the feds on your office pool. Even if large prize pools are involved, the state can determine the game to be considered gambling. However, in most cases, these setups are considered social gambling, where states may limit how much a buy-in or how much the total winner can collect from the game.

The basic rule is that as long as the house isn’t taking a cut, there should be no issues when looking to play NCAA tournament bracket games for cash. Similarly, there are plenty of online sportsbooks that offer NCAA tournament bracket games, and those sportsbooks are generally legal to use. When it comes to age, you’ll want to be above the legal gambling age in your state. If your state does not define that age, assume it to be 21. Most states do have a defined legal gambling age, however, and it is usually either 18 or 21. If you’re older than 21, you’re good - just make sure you’re obeying the law.

Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, known widely as PAPSA, was a federal prohibition on state run sportsbooks, with the exception of Nevada, Delaware, and Oregon with Nevada being the only market to offer single game betting. Outside of these locations, states were unable to host their own local sportsbooks and gain tax revenue from sports betting. PASPA was repealed in 2018 following a major federal case spearheaded by New Jersey. This kick started the regulated sports betting market in the US, with more than half the country having a taxable betting market active.

Federal Wire Act And The Effect It Has On Internet Sports Gambling

The Federal Wire Act of 1961 was initially only towards horse racing betting. This law was put in place to disrupt the mobs stronghold over racetracks which was used for money laundering. Tracks were no longer allowed to accept wagers across state lines over the phone. This would later be amended to include all sporting events and then further amended when online sports betting began to rise in popularity. This law only affects sporting like events as gambling contests like the lottery are pooled nationwide. The Wire Act is the reason why regulated sportsbooks are geolocked by state and why players cannot access their odds when they travel across state lines. Sports betting sites are unaffected by this law.

Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) does not affect players directly as it is more of a law for major financial institutes. The UIGEA essentially prohibits the transfer of funds between major US banks and online gambling operators. This law is why it is difficult to fund your betting wallets directly through banks and why internet sportsbooks can’t directly deposit your winning straight to your bank account. Because of the UIGEA, sports betting sites have adjusted and now host many ways for players to fund and withdraw from their betting wallets. These methods include cryptocurrenceis like Bitcoin, Money Orders, echecks, checks, and many more.

State Sports Betting Laws In The United States

Each state with its own regulated sports betting market has its own set of sports betting laws. This can vary from whether or not mobile betting is allowed or simply just retail sportsbooks. There are also two markets, Tennessee and Wyoming that only offer regulated mobile sportsbooks. The laws also vary with how much tax revenue each state takes in from regulated sportsbooks. While most states run through 8%-15% while markets like Arkansas and New York take 50% of the revenue. The tax rate is a major debate amongst legislators when they are looking to launch sports betting. Who regulates the market is also a major point. Some markets are run by the states local lottery, many are run by local tribes. As more states continue to launch sports betting there will be more state laws with variations.