Gambling is a popular past time that many people all around the world enjoy. The gaming industry has gone through many changes and the impact of the internet has been a game-changer. The internet allows people to play gambling games that hey wouldn’t have known about otherwise. It provides a quick and easy way to enjoy gambling without having to drive to a casino miles away.
It’s no secret that gambling is also regulated by federal and state law. Online gambling and sports betting are no exception. Each state has a different way of regulating online gambling and the federal government has its own laws regulating it. Let’s take a look at how some of these laws differ and how they impact the gaming industry.
The federal side of things
The federal laws that regulate online gaming and sports betting can be a little confusing. The idea is that placing bets online as an action is not illegal. It’s perfectly fine to place a bet and gamble online. The issue is where the website is hosted.
What’s not legal is to place a bet on a site that is located in the United States. This can be very confusing for players to understand at first. Some people think that placing a bet on a gambling website that’s hosted in a foreign country would be illegal or an issue. This isn’t true.
There does exist a small chance that players could get into trouble placing bets online, but this extremely rare. The last known case of someone running afoul of state law was back in 2003. The person involved had to pay a small fine of about 500 dollars but he did win over 100,000 dollars. So it can be seen as worth it.
Some people think that federal law makes online gambling illegal because of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. This act has more to do with how money is transferred and wired. It’s a complicated issue and most online gambling places get lawyers with good qualifications like Douglas Healy involved. Lawyers will often market their services using websites to give themselves an online presence.
State laws and how they vary
Laws that regulate online gambling and sports betting also vary state by state. The first thing that someone should do is to check their local laws for their county. Then they need to check their state laws to see if they would run into any trouble for gambling online. Some states have made online gambling outright legal and others handle it in such a confusing way that players really don’t know what to do. The same is true for sports betting.
More and more states are coming around and allowing online gambling and sports betting. It’s becoming a popular past time and the federal government really doesn’t have an issue with it anymore. One possible reason for the confusion may be how brick and mortar places are regulated. They require a state license and have certain onsite requirements like only allowing certain games.
Can you get into trouble?
As mentioned before there is a slight chance but many states don’t want to waste the time to do it. The federal government feels the same way. This doesn’t mean that a player should just throw common sense out the window. Some states may fine you up to 500 dollars and you might face up to 90 days in jail in severe cases. You also might get fined based on the earnings you won.
Whether or not a player wants to risk this is really up to them. The odds of the state actually pursuing charges for someone violating an obscure law is again very low. It’s always best to do your due diligence before doing anything like sports betting or online gambling.
Should you play?
Online gambling and sports betting can be very fun, exciting, and profitable. The laws that govern online gaming and sports betting are split into federal and state laws. The federal side is easy to understand once it’s explained. If a gambling site needs legal assistance, then they can use the Douglas Healy example to find a good lawyer. The stateside is where a lot of confusion comes in. Some states are lax and others have laws that are very confusing. If you’re in a state that’s lax with online gambling, then give it a chance and place a few bets
