Hard to imagine in today’s age of online gambling and virtual gaming is that some states still forbid it outright despite realizing the potential revenue boost provided by legalizing such activities such as casinos, sports betting and virtual betting. Yet in a handful of states this remains illegal even as governments recognize new sources of revenue through such ventures.
Once controlled by the federal government, gambling landscape has since been transformed by advances in technology and interpretation of the Wire Act to become increasingly decentralized over time. States now regulate what casino games can be offered in their states – this resulted in gaming market being predominantly state driven; when one jurisdiction provides options others soon follow suit leading to lottery games, casinos, and finally sports betting being introduced as result of this domino effect.
Nevada was at the forefront of this revolution, but now online gambling is legal in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia – with another dozen states passing laws permitting sports wagering as well. Sports betting does not take place within traditional casino environments but instead requires dedicated sportsbooks or apps to be conducted successfully.
Reasons behind these failed efforts at legalizing online gambling include unfounded fears that such games will drive gamblers away from traditional brick-and-mortar casinos and attract criminals looking for new avenues of money laundering and fraud. Unfortunately, however, many states remain opposed to gambling of any sort despite attempts at legalization being put forth.
Few states, like Utah and Hawaii, prohibit all forms of gambling altogether; others, like Tennessee and Virginia, permit only limited forms such as lottery games, casino cruise ships and horse racing events; Georgia and Florida restrict games played to those that require skill without real-money betting options.
Alabama and Utah are currently the only two states that prohibit playing casino games online; all other US states provide some form of regulated casino gaming, some states allowing a wider variety of casino games while others restricting them to specific ones such as Keno or Bingo.
State governments that permit casino games online tend to be the most liberal when it comes to overall gambling regulations. New Jersey, for instance, boasts 22 licensed casinos–nine located in Atlantic City alone–in addition to offering various forms of gambling such as lotteries, daily fantasy sports wagering and horse racing betting.