Online Casino Gambling in the United States – Fast Facts
Online gaming continues to evolve and gain more popularity all over the world. It includes online casino gambling, which has been around since 1994-the year when the first online casino came into existence. Despite the increasing number of people playing online games, however, online gambling has yet to be legal in every U.S. state. In fact, many people believe that it is still illegal to do online gambling in the country.
But that no longer holds true, as you can now legally play online casino games in certain parts of the United States. You just have to know where and learn the rules before you start so you don't get in trouble later. Here, we'll tell you some of the more important things you need to know before you dive into the world that is online gambling.
Gamer Statistics
According to Statista.com, as of August 2015, 33% of online casino gamers were male between 21- to 35-years old. 22% of the gamers were female in the same age range.
Via: Statista.com
States Where Online Gambling is Legal
New Jersey. New Jersey was the first state to pass a bill legalizing certain forms of online gambling. Now, it's the biggest market for regulated online casino gambling in the country. Several legal and licensed online gambling sites compete for a market that's worth over $225 million a year.
Nevada. Nevada was the first state to legalize online poker in 2011. Seven years have passed and it still doesn't have any other online gambling offering, except sports betting using mobile apps, which currently is only available in Nevada.
Delaware. While Delaware can't beat New Jersey's online gambling market yet, it's now starting to pick up the pace after a slow start.
Pennsylvania. The fourth and biggest state that has legalized and now regulates online gambling, Pennsylvania has some big plans for gambling expansion that is expected to be seen later in 2018.
States That are Considering Legalizing Online Gambling
California. In the past decade, the state has been trying to legalize online poker but to no avail. There haven't been any talks of legalizing online casino yet.
New York. The state may finally legalize online poker this year, but it's unlikely that online casino will be legalized, seeing as the state's constitution doesn't allow expansion of gambling without a public vote. But as poker is a game of skill, it's technically not gambling.
Massachusetts. After having drafted a few bills to legalize and regulate online gambling in the last few years, with the state Gaming commission becoming increasingly vocal on the issue as well as the Lottery, online gaming may very well be legalized in the state soon.
Michigan. An online gambling bill was introduced in 2017 but it unfortunately didn't pass.
Online Gambling Laws By State
New Jersey
Online casino games, including slots, can legally be played by both residents and visitors within the state. Players don't need to have permanent residency to play.
As gaming activities are restricted to Atlantic City proper, online slot companies in the state have to partner with land-based operators within the city limits. On top of that, gaming servers should be located within the borders of Atlantic City. Online casinos also need to be licensed with one of the major New Jersey casino operators (Borgata, Caesars, Golden Nugget, Tropicana, and Resorts).
Right now, online casino gamers can play at any of the 20 authorized sites although only 13 of them are reliably in service for now.
Nevada
There are many land-based casinos in Nevada, and you can even find slots at laundromats, gas stations and restaurants. Unfortunately, online casino isn't yet legal in the state, and so you can only play online poker or any social games or other games that are only played for fun. Fortunately, there's sports betting which you can do using your smartphone-you just need to download the right apps.
Pennsylvania
Online gambling was legalized in Pennsylvania in 2017. An expansive gaming package authorizing online poker, online slots, online table games, sports betting, daily fantasy sports and more was signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf. As online gambling was legalized here very recently, online gambling won't launch until the second half of 2018.
Delaware
The state legalized online gambling in 2012, beating both Nevada and Pennsylvania. It only has one online gambling platform, which is managed by 888 Holdings. Basically, the land-based casinos are licensed to offer online gambling games only through this one system. Because Delaware's law offers a broad interpretation of what can be offered, residents of the state have a favorable set of online gambling options.
The Safety of Online Gambling
The charm of online gambling comes from the fact that you are able to do it using your own computer. As long as you're in the state where online casino is legal, you can do it from the comforts of your home or hotel room. But this is also a cause for concern by many. Online gambling is still quite a new concept compared to land-based gambling, so it's natural to be concerned about the safety of your funds as well as your personal information. However, as long as you stick to online casino sites that are licensed and have a good reputation, your funds and your personal information should be safe. Avoid gambling on sketchy casino websites so you don't get scammed and also so your personal information isn't stolen. If you're not sure whether a website is legitimate and licensed, you can always do some research on the Internet.
How to Deposit and Withdraw Funds
Depositing and withdrawing funds at online gambling sites can be quite difficult due to the current legal situation of online gambling in the U.S. Legislation has continuously made it hard for online gambling sites to process transactions from their U.S. customers. But this doesn't mean depositing and withdrawing is impossible.
There are several options to choose from to get money in and out of the online gambling site. Most sites now accept Visa and Mastercard, with some sites accepting American Express and Diner's Club. Apart from credit cards, other methods commonly used to deposit and withdraw funds are bank transfer, check and money transfer services like Western Union.