Sports Gambling Legal

Posted on 4/10/2022 by admin

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Legislative Tracker: Sports Betting States can now legalize sports betting if they choose after the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban in 2018. Interest in the legalization of sports betting has been ramping up in the US recent years, even prior to that decision. 2021 sports betting bills. In other words, making sports gambling completely legal can directly help people that have problems with their wagering addiction. As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why sports gambling should be made completely legal considering that governments do not exactly have an explanation keeping it illegal.

Sports Gambling Legal States
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There are dozens of countries all over the world offering legal sports betting to their residents. Global sports betting is a roughly $150 billion yearly industry, and dozens of countries have either recognized or begun to recognize its potential economic benefits. While legal sports betting in the U.S. (outside of Nevada) is still in its infant stages, it has been a cultural mainstay in other countries for decades that is only expanding as move forward in 2021. Some companies from other countries have even parlayed all that experience into lucrative partnerships with U.S.-based sportsbooks—English company William Hill has been at the forefront of this trend.

Online sports gambling will be worth $250B by 2024: Sportsgrid co-founder. Sportsgrid president and co-founder Lou Maione discusses the growth in New Jersey’s online sports gambling, the future.

At Legal Sports Betting, we aim to provide readers from all over the world with all the sports betting information they need. Avid sports bettors from all corners of the globe can find information relevant to their own sports betting experience throughout this page. The sports betting industry is constantly evolving and expanding all over the world, and our expert staff is always monitoring for updates and regulatory changes. Whether you are a resident of a country with legal sports betting or just looking for a foreign vacation destination with some sports betting action, this page can direct you to the information you need.

Find Your Country:

Argentina

Sports betting is indeed legal in Argentina, but there are some serious limitations. The state of Argentina sports betting is similar to the US before the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Horse racing is considered legal in all parts of Argentina. Gambling on horse races was established in the 1880s but it was banned and re-established multiple times, ending on legal status. If you go to Buenos Aries, you have more options. Online sports betting is legal in Buenos Aries and you can bet on esports, horse races, and most other sporting events. The main thing that you cannot wager on in Buenos Aries (or the rest of Argentina) is political events. But for now, sports betting on non pari-mutuel sports is restricted to Buenos Aries. You cannot go to the rest of the country and bet on the same sports. The tax revenue collected from sports betting and horse wagers go back into fueling sports being played in Argentina.

Australia

If you are looking for a country with one of the most developed sports betting markets, then you should check out Australia. Horse races were legalized in Australia back in 1810 and the full sports betting market eventually came in the picture in 1980. Australia has sports betting parlors all over the country. Online sports betting is allowed as well. The only restriction they have is a ban on how many sportsbook ads are aired. Other than that, sports betting has no real restrictions on the land down under.

Australia does not just have a presence within their own country. As the United States has fresh new sports betting market, sportsbook providers from Australia have begun to set up shop in the US. Australian companies are helping to provide sportsbook operations to various casinos in the US. This allows casinos to have sportsbooks with years of experience even though sports betting is new in the US.

Brazil

Much like the United States, Brazil sports betting is rather new. Back in December of 2018, Brazil sports betting was formally legalized. The new law allows both retail and online sportsbooks to be active in the country but there are some legal challenges to Brazilian sports betting. The individual states want control of taxation and distribution. Due to the massive size of the country, Brazil sports betting will attract many sportsbook operators from around the world. For now, most of the Brazilian sports betting will happen through online offshore sportsbooks as the country works towards creating their own brand of sportsbooks.

Canada

To put it simply, Canada does offer sports betting. But it is not just as simple as that. Sports betting is not federally restricted in Canada. Canadian sports betting laws are through both the federal government and the government of each province. For example, Alberta sportsbooks can only operate through a setlist of gambling brands but Alberta currently does not have online sports betting websites.

British Columbia also has legal sports betting as well, but they will only allow sports betting at six different websites. Each site is free to enforce restrictions, such as what game odds they offer and betting sizes. In Ontario, online sportsbooks are allowed, but single-game wagering is not. So much like with the United States, you cannot paint a broad brush on Canadian sports betting. Each province has their own situation to deal with, and they vary on how they offer sports betting to people in Canada.

China

China is basically the country that invented gambling. The Chinese people have been gaming since ancient times and they have developed many different games. Although now, the Chinese government does look down on gambling and has restricted most forms of it. But sports betting is up and active in Hong Kong and Macau. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is the only legal bookmaker in Hong Kong. Macau does allow sports betting, but they are lacking proper facilities.

China’s sportsbooks are usually done by a sports lottery. That is when sports bettors place pooled bets on either European soccer or American basketball. The reason this is allowed is that the Chinese government does not consider lotteries as a form of gambling. Not everyone in China is satisfied with only this. Most of the Chinese sports bettors take their money and go to online sportsbooks. Although the Chinese government has blocked many sites, the sports bettors know how to get around the online blockade and are good at finding alternatives.

Colombia

If you are living in Colombia or are planning a trip to the South American country, you should know that sports betting is regulated and legal. Retail sports betting has been going on since 2001, but it was not until 2016 that online sports betting became legal. But the sports betting operator, Coljuegos, has put a blacklist on 325 sportsbook operators in Colombia. The blacklist includes companies such as William Hill, Betfair, and Ladbrokes.

The regulations have softened since 2017, so more international sportsbook operators can join in. Once Coljuegos stepped in to regulate Colombian sports betting, betting on sports became much safer. Soccer definitely the number one sport to bet on while you are in Colombia, but that is not all they have to offer. You can bet on a number of international sports such as baseball, American football, and other major sporting events.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica sports betting is both legal and licensed. However, there are a few catches that you need to be aware of. Costa Rica might have legal sports betting, but the government does not allow for land-based sports betting. Most of the sports betting in Costa Rica is done online in a server. So, although you cannot bet on sports at a retail location, online sports betting is thriving in Costa Rica.

Many famous online sportsbooks set up shop in Costa Rica due to the progressive views the country has on sports betting. Costa Rican online sportsbooks take action mostly on American football, soccer, and baseball. Since famous sportsbooks are based here, you can bet on a large number of sporting events around the world. We highly recommend you give Costa Rica sportsbooks a try.

Ghana

In case you did not know, sports betting is completely legal in Ghana. In fact, sports betting has been established in Ghana for a long time. Ever since 1960, the residents of Ghana have been betting on a variety of sports. People living or visiting Ghana are free to bet on nearly all sporting events. This can be done in two different ways. You can either go to a sports betting parlor or you can use an online sportsbook in Ghana.

Sports betting has been very good for Ghana. There are a couple of different soccer clubs that are based in the country. Some of the clubs used to be strapped for cash but some of the sportsbooks have sponsored these clubs. Major sporting events in Ghana also receive advertisements and funds in connection with sports betting. Although low-income populations in Ghana suffer from addiction problems, sports betting has been overall good for the country.

India

India does have some sports betting, but it depends on where you are. Much like the United States, India has states within their country and they are all operated by local governments. So, it really depends on location. As far as sports betting, do not have too many options in India. Horse racing is going to be the main form of sports betting in India. There are only around 10 race courses in India. But there are some lotteries and casinos that you can use as well.

At the moment, retail sportsbooks are completely against the law in India. The only state in India that has any form of regulated sports betting is Sikkim. There is a lot of underground sports betting that happens in India, though. Most of the time, they bet on cricket matches. If you are looking for safer sports betting option in India, online offshore sportsbooks are what most of the tourists and locals use.

Kenya

Although sports betting in Kenya is available, it is not the safest to navigate. Gambling has been legal in Kenya since 1966 and a couple dozen casinos exist in the country. At the moment though, there are only three retail sportsbooks in Kenya and one racebook in the entire country. Kenya is not a small country, and so many people have difficulties accessing these sportsbooks. So, many looks towards online sportsbooks to bet on sports in Kenya.

The only problem is that there is only one Kenya regulated online sportsbook. So, what does that mean for sports betting in Kenya? Are they out of options? Thankfully, the Kenya government does not restrict access to online sportsbooks based outside of the countries. Sites like SportsBetting happily take bets from Kenya residents. Online sports betting is relatively new in Kenya, so it is possible that things could change in the near future.

Mexico

When it comes to legal Mexico sports betting, almost everything is allowed. Sports betting was firmly established in Mexico back in 2004. There are hardly any restrictions with Mexico sports betting. Thanks to that, Mexico has one of the fastest-growing sports betting markets in all of Latin America. You can easily go to any brick and motor sportsbook within Mexico and place a bet on your favorite teams from around the world. This includes any soccer teams that you want to bet on, or you can bet on American sports like football or college games as well.

The country also has established online sportsbooks as well. People visiting the country do not even have to go to a retail sportsbook. The only real restriction that Mexico sports betting has is that no one under the age of 18 can bet on sports. The online offshore sportsbooks we often recommend to you are extremely popular in Mexico as well.

The Netherlands

Sports betting in the Netherlands is legal in both retail as well as online and mobile forms. There is currently only one local casino operator that offers sports betting at this time. While land-based sports betting has been regulated for years, online and mobile betting only recently launched in 2019. The original petition for online sports betting was issued in 2016 and took three years for legislators to come to an agreement. The mobile sportsbook is provided by the land-based betting operator.

Residents and tourists are able to bet on sports without traveling to the land-based sportsbook, however, since international betting sites offer some of the best odds to all sports bettors in the Netherlands. Many online sportsbooks offer both English and Dutch language options as well for all players’ convenience

New Zealand

New Zealand sports betting is in an interesting spot. To put it into simple terms, sports betting in New Zealand is both regulated and legal. Retail sportsbooks are licensed and regulated by the New Zealand Gambling Commission and the NZ Department of Internal Affairs. New Zealand laws actually ban retail sportsbooks throughout most of the country, but six retail sportsbooks are allowed to operate.

Online sportsbooks are a different story. It is currently against the law to operate an online sportsbook based in New Zealand. But you are more than free to use an online sportsbook that is based outside of the country. Sites like SportsBetting and BetOnline are more than happy to take bets on rugby, soccer, and cricket. Sports betting in New Zealand is growing fast, so more retail sportsbooks are expected to come in the near future.

Nigeria

African sports betting has become much more prominent in the last decade as major African economies, including Nigeria, have seen explosive growth. Nigeria first launched sports betting in 2005 with the passage of the National Lottery Act. The Lottery Act legalizes sports betting across the country, with the only notable restriction being a minimum age of 18 years old. Nigerian sportsbooks accept wagers on almost any sport or league you can think of. Most Nigerian sportsbooks are hosted online, but there are a few retail locations open for those who prefer a more traditional sports betting environment. For Nigerian fans who don’t feel adequately covered by their domestic sportsbooks, online sportsbooks are also available for use to anyone in the country.

Peru

Sports betting became legal in Peru over 25 years ago. Online sportsbooks in Peru have appeared in the market in the last 10 years. To put it simply, Peru sports betting is thriving. There are plenty of casinos in Peru along with pari-mutuel horse race track that opens four days a week. Top sports betting operators have been applying for a gaming license in Peru ever since 2008. So that means there are plenty of different online sportsbooks operating in Peru. Not just online sportsbooks based in Peru, but offshore sportsbooks as well.

Peru sports bettors have access to great online sportsbooks such as SportsBetting. That means that you are free to bet on sports no matter where you are in the country. Feel free to bet on soccer, baseball, American football, and many more sports while you are visiting Peru.

Philippines

Philippine sports betting is extremely popular and very lucrative in the country. The Philippines has many sportsbooks all over the country. You can bet on most sporting events that happen in the world, but the majority of bets are placed on basketball and soccer. But Philippine sports betting is not so simple. If you are a foreigner visiting the Cagayan region, you are free to bet on sports. But locals from the area are not allowed to bet on sports. In other regions, everyone is free to bet on sports. The only restriction is that locals must go to a Philippine Amusement and Gambling Corporation (PAGCOR) to place their bets. Sports betting in their own houses is against the law.

Russia

Sports betting is legal and regulated in Russia. Interestingly enough, during the last days of the Soviet Union, sports betting was formally legalized in Russia. But sports betting laws have become pretty complicated in Russia since then. With the increase of taxation in Russia, retail sportsbooks in the country have begun to decline. Not only that, but the Russian media and telecommunications ministry has an ongoing blacklist against many popular sportsbook providers.

In 2008, Roskomnadzor was created to determine which online sportsbook is legal and which is not. William Hill, Betway, and Betfair are all popular online sportsbooks that are banned in Russia. But there are a few options available. SportsBetting and BetOnline are taking bets from Russian sports bettors. We highly recommend you do not use any sportsbooks that have been banned in Russia. Russia is known for severely punishing those who go against the country.

South Africa

In case you were wondering, sports betting is indeed legal in South Africa. Sports gambling was formally established in the country back in 1994. Ever since then, retail sportsbooks and online sportsbooks have appeared all over South Africa. In South Africa, horse betting and sports betting are tied into each other. So, the laws created for sports betting will affect horse race betting as well.

There are an estimated 300 sportsbooks currently taking bets in South Africa right now, so there is a lot to choose from. Much like Canada or the United States, South Africa has nine different provinces in the country. Each province has its own regulatory board for sports betting and horse races. Each regulatory board can add regulations to South African sports betting as well.

United Kingdom

Although the United States is now giving it a run for its money, the United Kingdom has long held the distinction of being the most developed sports betting market in the world. Major betting companies like William Hill are so well-entrenched that they are publicly traded on the UK stock market, and there are numerous sports betting parlors across the country eager to take consumer bets. Additionally, there are a wide variety of online sportsbooks available for UK residents. The UK sports betting market was so strong that major UK-based companies like William Hill were able to establish a foothold in the United States after the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018.

What Countries Have Sportsbooks With Live In-Game Betting?

It really depends on the country. There are some countries that do have live in-game betting, but there are others who do not. For example, even though Australia has one of the most developed sports betting industries in the entire world, they do not allow for in-play betting. But Nigeria, on the other hand, does allow for live betting to happen. The United States is the perfect example of this. Some states restrict what live-bets can be made in their state while other states allow for all in-play betting to happen. Make sure you check out the local laws of the country to discover if live-betting is an option to you and if it is not, online offshore sportsbooks will always have live-betting options.

How Many Countries Have Legal Sports Betting?

We have a list of about 20 countries that offer legal sports betting options to its residents and tourists alike. That is a small sample size, however, as there are even more countries that offer sports betting. Sports betting is embraced all over the world in different countries and is regulated in different fashions. The best thing to do is to research a country before you attempt to bet on sports there to fully understand a countries sports betting laws. With the advent of legal online sportsbooks, even more, locations are able to offer sports betting access to locals and tourists.

Which Countries Bet The Most Money On Sports?

The countries that bet the most money on sports are countries that have the easiest access to sports betting. Countries like the US, UK or Australia are at the top of the list. From numbers before the recent worldwide sports betting expansion, The UK had over $13.9 billion wagered on sports in 2017 while Australians won over $1.06 billion in wagers during 2017 as well. As for the US, a few billion is bet on the NFL in New Jersey alone, showing just how much money some countries bet on sports.

Most Bet On Sporting Events Around The World?

If you are looking for the most bet on sporting event in the entire world, it would have to be the Super Bowl. American football is already one of the most bet on sports not only in the United States but around the world as well. That makes the Super Bowl an extremely popular event to bet on. Following that, is the World Cup. Soccer is a top sport in countries outside of the US, with teams from those countries represented in the tournament every four years.

Do I Have To Exchange My Money To Bet At An International Sportsbook?

It depends. Let’s say that you are in Australia. You will mostly have to use the Australian dollar to bet on sports. But you are also allowed to use the American dollar and Euros to bet on sports as well. But if you are in Mexico, you can only use Pesos and American dollars, no Euros or British Pounds. You will have to know what is commonly accepted as currency in the country you are in to figure out what money you can or cannot use to bet on sports.

Which Online Sportsbook is Available In The Most Countries?

Online offshore sportsbooks such as BetOnline and SportsBetting has the widest availability in most countries. These sportsbooks have been not only accepting bets from US players for decades, but they have been accepting bets from people outside of the US as well. If you are looking for an online sportsbook that is available in most countries, the sites we recommend on LegalSportsBetting.com is your best bet.

Do I Have To Pay Taxes On Sports Bets In My Country?

Once again, it depends. If you are in a country with legal sports betting, then you are likely going to have to pay taxes. But that is not always the case. Online sports betting in Canada is not taxed. That means more money for you to win. But in Australia, fixed odds sports betting has a 19.11% tax rate that you have to pay. If you are in a country with legal sports betting, make sure you look up the local laws to see how much in taxes you need to pay when you bet on sports.

When discussing legal online sports betting, the majority of America's government has a very regressive, prohibition-style attitude towards it, buying into a negative perspective concerning the morality of gambling entertainment. This is what has led to a variety of state gambling laws in the past.

There are no US federal laws that make it a crime for Americans to place bets at offshore sportsbooks that are operating legally within the industry. There are two states that legally prohibit all online gambling, domestic or offshore, leaving residents in Connecticut and Washington without legally sanctioned online betting options, though they have yet to start enforcing those restrictions.

For the most part, state lawmakers are becoming more progressive concerning betting entertainment and recognize the value that this type of revenue stream can bring to a state. Individual states are actively analyzing what the legalization of domestic sports gambling can provide them with in terms of opportunities, tourism, and tax revenue, and many have already taken action one way or the other through new legislation.

Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia currently permit state-regulated online sports gambling, with nearly two dozen additional states having launched land-based sportsbooks. Individual territories began embracing sports betting the moment that PASPA was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the infamous NJ case, with multiple states having had their legislation ready and waiting should the ruling go in the Garden State's favor.

Below we'll take a look at the relevant US federal gambling laws, and explain how state gambling laws intersect with federal laws to impact online and brick and mortar sportsbook gambling, as well as what these laws have to say about the legal status of offshore sports betting entertainment.

The Federal Laws on the Books

The sections below will detail and explain how each major federal law affects domestic gambling opportunities in the US.

The Federal Wire Act

Passed back in 1961, the Federal Wire Act was made law in an effort to curtail the illegal gambling activities taking place over the phone by organized crime syndicates. It prohibited the transmission of wagers or betting information from being carried across state lines via telegraph or telephone. The Federal Wire Act targeted these illegal bookie operations as a means to curb the mafia from manipulating games and making a profit through these tactics.

This law was strictly focused on interstate gambling, and only targeted those accepting bets and not the individuals placing the bets. The goal was to crack down on illegal gambling services, not prosecute bettors. Between the DOJ Legal Opinion of 2011 and the repeal of PASPA, today's application of the Wire Act prohibits any gambling business from accepting bets across state lines or from foreign sources.

With the changes still being implemented, we are not sure yet how this will affect those states that had entered into interstate gambling pacts with one another, sharing player pools for their online gambling initiatives. Once that aspect of the legal situation becomes more clear we will update that information here.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act

Also known as the Bradley Act, or just PASPA, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was a sweeping federal regulation that passed in 1992, with the supposed intent of protecting the integrity of sports by making sports betting illegal.

At the time the bill was passed, there were sports lotteries in Delaware, Montana, and Oregon, as well as licensed and regulated sports betting in Nevada, so those four states were exempt.

The law effectively prevented the expansion of the sports betting market throughout the United States in what many categorized as a discriminatory law that favored a few states while restricting others.

New Jersey took on the mission of challenging the law and after several years of court battles, was given a favorable outcome by the highest court in the land as SCOTUS ruled PASPA as unconstitutional, nullifying the law.

As of May 14, 2018, each individual state now has the authority to dictate sports betting laws within their borders. They can now choose to authorize or prohibit sports betting at their pleasure. Following PASPA's repeal, we have seen multiple states move forward with legislation that legalizes sports gambling at the state level.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

This is the big one that shook the gambling industry to its core. Online gambling really started to explode during the early 2000's, especially in the realm of online poker. In 2006, then-President Bush signed into law the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, known all over as the UIGEA. In a nutshell, the UIGEA placed very stringent regulatory restrictions concerning how gambling-related transactions could be processed.

The most reputable sites started a countdown and allowed Americans to withdraw and closeout their accounts. Many trusted gambling sites left the US market at this time. After the dust settled, and the financial and gambling industries learned how to comply with the regulatory oversight provided by the UIGEA, many of these reputable gambling sites have returned to provide services to US sports bettors.

The UIGEA did end up making the online gambling market safer for both the bettors and the operators by imposing a more reliable and stricter regulatory structure for how gambling-related transactions are processed. Gambling sites invested in top tier payment processors while all parties implemented higher-level security protocols to ensure the validity and safety of those transactions that are processed.

While US online gambling funding options are still somewhat limited in some regards, things have stabilized. The emergence of cryptocurrencies have filled the void left by the elimination of US-friendly e-wallets and failed credit card transactions. The UIGEA does not make it illegal for Americans to gamble online. The law simply regulates how online gambling transactions are processed.

The 2011 Department of Justice's Interpretation of Federal Laws

With the growth of online commerce, several states became interested in offering lottery game services online. This raised questions concerning the application of the Federal Wire Act, driving the DOJ to issue a clarification of the law's reach.

The Department of Justice ruled, and accurately so, that the federal government had no right to tell states that they could not sanction online gambling and therefore established that each US state has the authority to determine their own fate concerning online gambling with the exception of sports betting.

The repeal of PASPA took care of freeing sports gambling as the last remaining federally prohibited form of state-regulated online gambling. As of now, all 50 states have the legal ability to legalize and offer online gambling such as casinos, poker, bingo, and sports wagering. To date, only a handful of states have taken advantage of legal domestic online gambling. However, many states have pending bills to allow various forms of sports betting.

The 2019 DOJ Interpretation of Federal Gambling Laws

Following the repeal of PASPA in 2018, the reach of the Federal Wire Act has again come into question. In a new interpretation, which many believe was coerced by anti-online gambling activist Sheldon Adelson, the Department of Justice has indicated that the Wire Act prohibits not only interstate wagers but also the sharing of information across state lines.

This determination will certainly harm those states that have entered into interstate gambling compacts to share player pools and resources with other states. The opinion is being formally challenged through a lawsuit headed up by New Hampshire. As the situation unfolds, we will provide updates here.

What You Need to Know Going Forward

All of this legal information is good knowledge to have under your belt, no doubt about it. However, all you really need to know going forward is that there are no federal laws making gambling illegal in the United States either online or offline, and this includes domestic and offshore sports betting. States now determine the legal status of all gambling entertainment within their borders. As a sports betting resource guide, we want to make this point clear.

For those of you interested in betting on sport but who live in a state that has not authorized state-regulated sportsbooks, you'll have to either travel to a state with legalized sports betting or use a legitimate offshore sportsbook such as the ones you find listed on this site. You can check out our list of states that allow sports betting here or follow our list of recommended online sportsbooks.

US Gambling Laws

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