Americans are no less adventurous than, say, the British. After all, a large part of their population is made up of descendants of colonists from great Britain. Las Vegas, this Mecca of excitement, only confirms the above. Ordinary Americans go to Nevada as if on vacation, and realizing that they will leave a lot of money there. The huge gambling market is languishing under a bushel.
Bookmakers are prohibited In the United States, sports are considered nothing less than a national treasure. The leading players of national Championships are known all over the world. The NHL is the best hockey League in the world, the NBA is head and shoulders above any basketball draw in the world, Boxing in the United States is a cult sport, fighters from all over the world strive for America’s rings, American football and baseball, little understood in Europe, have a huge impact on the life of an ordinary American.
But it is forbidden to bet on the outcome of all these, certainly fascinating, events. Moreover, bookmakers are even fighting specially organized agencies for this purpose. But the state does not manage to keep the emotional impulses of its citizens to the full.
Why is it forbidden America of the 30s is still alive in memory, when the mafia controlled the underground sweepstakes, which affected the purity of sports, primarily Boxing. The big bosses of American sports leagues don’t want the stain of suspicion to fall on the reputation of their offspring. They are afraid that a great interest in sports will grow into a great interest in betting, hence from the vacuum of today there will be a lot of money bettors, some of which can go to the organization of match-fixing. No one wants to criminalize sport, but the UK has done it.
Meanwhile, the Americans are ready to play A country with 330 million inhabitants can bring untold revenues to its budget. Gambling Brits spend almost $ 18 billion a year on games, but the UK population is more than five times smaller. Up to a hundred billion dollars could be spent by players in the States, without releasing this raging flow abroad and into the economic shadow.
Previously, one of the main arguments against legalizing sports betting was that players and officials would be tempted to rig games. But this began to look controversial after the boom in illegal gambling through online bookmakers. Many sports organizations and law enforcement agencies argue that the best way to combat match — fixing is to bring sports betting out of the shadows. Whatever the risks, the potential tax gain from legalization may be too attractive to miss. By legalizing betting in 2018, the US launched the largest experiment in the history of sports gambling.
Situation Sports betting is legal from Australia to Western Europe. But they thrive even in places where gambling is banned. Information the Swiss company Sportradar AG monitors the markets for fraudulent activity. They estimate the annual volume of bets at 1.5 trillion euros (1.7 trillion dollars). And most of them pass through unregulated markets. In the United States, where a 1992 law banned betting everywhere except in Nevada, annual illegal sports betting is estimated at $ 50-150 billion. However, the situation changed after the us Supreme court overturned the 1992 law, exempting new Jersey from the ban on sports gambling and other States followed suit. 13 States currently have legal sports betting and this number is growing.
Prehistory The Internet has made betting modern. Players can now bet at home or on the road using their smartphone. You can bet on almost any professional sport, not only on winners and losers, but also on small details: the number of fouls or the winner of the third set in a tennis match. This allows players to earn on their Providence, but also expands the opportunities for bribery.
Match-fixing scandals have stirred up not only football, but also cricket, tennis, and even sumo. It’s been a century since eight Chicago white SOx players were banned from baseball for life after the 1919 World series. To counter such threats, sports organizations such as the international Olympic Committee and the NBA have partnered with data collection companies to track suspicious bets.
Arguments The strongest argument in favor of legalization is that sports betting continues regardless of whether the law allows it, so why not regulate and tax it? This gives players greater confidence that they will not be deceived, and brings money to the state budget, which is still going into the pockets of illegal bookmakers or even organized crime. Opponents say the benefits don’t justify the social costs of gambling, from gambling addictions to falling into debt. according to research, four out of ten Australians who bet on sports have a gambling problem. Skeptics argue that bookmakers should be subject to the same advertising restrictions as tobacco and alcohol to protect vulnerable young people.
Athletes and scientists also warn of a growing gambling culture around sports, in which the focus is on betting rather than the pleasure or frustration of sporting events themselves. Fatalists are convinced that betting cholera can no longer be stopped, it turns all matches into agreements and poses the same threat to the purity of sports as doping.
Legend has it that gambling existed in America before Columbus discovered it. The main gaming center at that time was not Las Vegas, but New Orleans. In New Orleans, in the early 18th century, there were all sorts of coffee shops and taverns where visitors played card games. It is said that in the 18th century, gambling in some States was so popular that well-behaved Americans asked the government to issue a law prohibiting gambling, as it is sinful and corrupting the soul. But the fight against the desire of Americans to take risks and play did not bring any results, despite all the prohibitions.
In 1823, the United States passed a law regulating the operation of gambling houses, then the authorities considered legal only those casinos that operate under a license that cost as much as $ 5,000. But, despite the huge price of the license (at that time, 5000 USD is a very large amount), casinos in the United States opened one after another. The most gambling city at that time was New Orleans, where players, mostly military personnel, played cards and dice around the clock. Not all gambling establishments were honest and calm, and often the players found out the relationship, which ended in fights and stabbings. It is for this reason that gambling was re-banned in New Orleans.
The second gambling city in the 18th century in the United States was Chicago. Gamblers came to Chicago to play poker for money, but often in this popular card game lost and won not only a substantial amount of money, but also entire estates and mansions. Many American gamblers really lived by gambling, the game brought them money and was the main meaning of their lives.
At the end of the 18th century, an important event took place in the United States that left a huge mark on the history of gambling – a young man from San Francisco independently assembled the first slot machine. Now America can be proud of giving the world such a popular game as slot machines. Americans simply love slots and consider them their national game.
In Las Vegas, gambling became legal only in 1931. Many gambling houses in Las Vegas were owned by the mafia and controlled by gangsters. Currently, gambling is officially banned in many US States. You can only legally play in American casinos in Las Vegas, new Jersey, Reno, and Indian casinos. Because of the bans, many players are forced to play in online casinos, especially since they feature all the favorite gambling entertainment of Americans: online slot machines, virtual poker, American roulette, video poker and other card and table games.
What has changed since the ban was lifted? Now that the Federal ban has been lifted, each state must determine the legal status of sports betting on its own. According to available information, 14 States will legalize sports betting within the next two years. Another 18 are preparing to legalize betting activities in the next 3-4 years. The situation in the remaining States remains uncertain. As a rule, local legislation that prohibits their activities in a particular territory puts a stick in the wheels of bookmakers.
Native Americans also began to fight for their share of the new market. Not so long ago, one of the “tribal” casinos in new Mexico announced the beginning of betting activities. According to state law, gambling and sports betting are prohibited, but this measure does not apply to Indian reservations. This precedent may give the native American population a good reason to look for loopholes in regional legislation.
Where can I already bet on sports? In addition to Nevada, sports betting has long been available in Delaware, Oregon, and Montana. However, in the form of a lottery. Mississippi and West Virginia foresaw the cancellation of PASPA in advance, allowing betting activities on their territory before the Supreme court’s decision. The same applies to Pennsylvania, but a license worth $10 million and a tax of 36% (4 times more than in neighboring new Jersey) do not attract businesses.
Rhode island in June this year announced that the launch of a regulated sports betting market in the state will take place in October, but later the deadline was moved to November.
New Jersey won the most from the repeal of the Bradley Law. It was the local authorities who were the most ardent opponents of PASPA, eventually achieving its final abolition. Atlantic city is the second gaming center in the United States after Las Vegas, so the reasons for new Jersey’s dissatisfaction with the monopoly granted to Nevada are quite clear. Now the betting market is developing dynamically in the state, the lion’s share of which is accounted for by playing online. For example, the volume of bets made in September was 184 million dollars, of which 104 million were on bets made on the Internet.
Online betting, by the way, is not available anywhere except in new Jersey: even in Nevada, only land-based operators operate. The total volume of bets in turn has almost doubled compared to 96 million dollars in August. In July, this amount was $ 41 million. Growth is expected in October, especially if you take into account the start of the largest North American leagues.
Gambling in the United States is legal, but with a huge number of possible “buts” and restrictions. Each state has the right to pass its own laws on gambling zones and the types of gambling allowed in them. Gambling includes everything that has anything to do with the possibility of winning: from playing “bingo” for money, lotteries and poker tournaments to roulette and sports betting. The most serious restrictions are imposed on commercial casinos.
Commercial casinos are allowed (with various types of restrictions) in the following States: Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, Oregon, California, West Virginia.
And only two States allow casinos throughout the territory: Nevada and Louisiana.
There are about 450 commercial casinos in the United States.
In another 30 States, there are several hundred casinos or places for various types of gambling on native American territories, that is, on Indian lands. Games there are regulated by the National Indian gaming Commission (The National Indian Gaming Commission) and coordinated with the Federal Commission.
Today, the largest gaming centers (with commercial casinos):
Las Vegas, Nevada Atlantic City, New Jersey Casinos on the water (not on land: on boats, pontoons) are legalized in Louisiana and Illinois. The rules and nuances of the game are governed by Federal laws, state laws, the Federal gaming Commission and the rules of the casino itself. Therefore, the rules may differ significantly in different casinos, even in the same city.
You can only start playing at the age of 21. In casinos, people younger than this age are usually not allowed at all. In some casinos (if it is located in the lobby of the hotel, for example, and you can pass through the casino from one building to another), those who are not yet 21 years old can walk along specially designated routes, but they can not stop or stay along the way.
Usually, you can’t take photos in a casino. In some areas, you can’t even carry a mobile phone.
Different casinos have different dress codes. In the hall with slot machines, you can sit in shorts, and in the halls with high stakes, where a separate invitation may be required, there is usually a strict dress code, close to black-tie.
Maximum bets in a casino are a matter for the casino itself. In Nevada, for example, there are no legal restrictions on the size of bids. The bigger and richer the casino, the higher the stakes it can afford. In some casinos, bets go up to $50,000 or even higher (unverified information). Usually in a high-Limit room, bids from $100 – $10,000 are accepted. A notable story is that of a businessman and billionaire from Omaha, Terence Watanabe, who lost about $ 100 million in a Las Vegas casino one night in 2007. And this is only possible at very high rates.
Serious players who make big bets and play regularly, hotels (at casinos) are happy to provide the highest level of rooms for free. Most casinos provide free alcoholic beverages for players. The quality and quantity also depends on the bids. But the casino has the right to refuse a player if it suspects him of a gambling addict with a strong addiction or considers his behavior inappropriate. In this case, the person is simply escorted out of the door and may not be allowed in again. This is exactly what happened to that Terence Watanabe as a result.
There are no restrictions on winnings. In Las Vegas, there are legends about million-dollar winnings and six-digit jackpots above slot machines confirm this possibility. For example, in 2013, a software engineer from Los Angeles (name not disclosed) won the Megabucks jackpot- $ 39 million-at the Excalibur casino.
The flow of US citizens leaving the country due to the ban on online gambling has not dried up for the seventh year in a row. Professional gamblers began moving to neighboring countries-Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and even more distant routes-in 2011, when the United States authorities launched a decisive offensive against companies that violate the UIGEA law (“to combat illegal gambling”), adopted in 2006, but until now ignored by almost all operators of gambling on the Internet.
This was especially painful for online poker players. “Black Friday” April 15, 2011 was marked for them by the fact that American intelligence agencies organized raids into offshore jurisdictions where the servers of the largest poker rooms were operating, and forcibly disconnected them from the network for allowing US citizens to play at their homes.
Gambling sites were able to resume operation only after they blocked the accounts of all American players, forbidding them to register and play from the territory of the United States in the future.
In October 2012, the alleged owners and major agents of the leading online bookmaker Pinnacle Sports were arrested in several cities in the United States. Although this bookmaker’s website stopped accepting direct bets from US residents back in January 2007, they could continue to play there through agents. The crackdown forced Pinnacle to abandon all methods of working with American citizens, and even a simple visit to its website from the United States leads to the automatic blocking of your account.
As a result of such measures, the inhabitants of this country, who earned their living by playing, were forced to emigrate. Who knows, perhaps soon their example will have to be followed by Russian professional players, to whom the authorities of the Russian Federation are increasingly tightening the screws, trying their best to cut off such Russians from the sources of their earnings.
One way or another, someone else’s experience will be useful. Atlas Obscura portal tells about the communities of professional American poker players who have settled in Costa Rica.
The life of professional players here may seem like a fairy tale. During the day, they play poker online, and in the evenings and weekends they gather for parties: eat, drink, travel around the country, raft, ride down the mountains on steel ropes, ride Quad bikes. New players keep coming and coming. “There must be more than 50 American poker players living here in the vicinity of a couple of miles,” says Ryan Garrita, one of the first settlers who emigrated here from the US back in 2011.
Similar communities were formed everywhere. “Playing professional poker can provoke some degree of seclusion and loneliness,” says Kristin Wilson, who founded Poker Refugees, a company that helps players move. – “Players like to settle in the same area.”
As Wilson flipped through the Black Friday news, she kept wondering: what are all these thousands of professional poker players going to do? They are not going to give up poker, which is their main source of income, and is what they are best at doing. They’ll have to move.
Having lived in Costa Rica for six years, Kristin knows from experience that it takes time to get used to the customs and difficulties of life abroad, and decided that the players do not need to waste it. After all, it can help them move, and quickly. Other groups of professional players have settled in Mexico, Canada,and even on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean.
Although the move was a forced measure, many of them soon fell in love with their new place of residence. “I know I had to leave the country to continue living my dream,” says Chris Haniken, a very high – income player who moved to Costa Rica with a group of friends. “At first I was scared and nervous about what my new life would bring.”
But these fears were soon dispelled. Haniken and company initially planned to stay in Costa Rica for three months. Six years have passed and they are still living here, moreover, having convinced even more friends to join them. “I think we’ve become local celebrities,” Haniken grins. – “Parties and women we have in abundance.” He is married to a Costa Rican woman and they have two children.
Every year, starting with Black Friday, the Wilson company helps hundreds of people move, and this flow does not stop. Some players since 2011 have turned to it repeatedly, having lived in one place and imbued with the spirit of adventurism, asked to move them somewhere else in order to try out different countries.
Elena Stover had just started her poker career when Black Friday happened, and she didn’t have the money to emigrate yet. Only after 2014 did she save enough money to fully devote herself to the life of a professional player and move abroad. After living for a while in Mexico and Malta, Elena eventually settled in Berlin, where she can safely pursue her poker activities, and from where it is also easy to get out to live tournaments all over Europe. By the way, she has a degree in cognitive neuroscience and is also studying how different parts of the brain interact when people make decisions based on risk.
Gambling was once a taboo subject. People didn’t want to talk about it because it was considered “immoral”. We have now made great progress in discussing gambling as a social phenomenon. This is no longer a taboo subject. Of course, there is a danger of becoming addicted to gambling, but in General, people really perceive it as a pleasant activity during downtime. However, there are many questions about the legality of gambling. And this is especially true for the States. You may be wondering what the legal situation is in the US when it comes to gambling. Read this article and you will find out.
Casino gambling
In the United States, there is no Federal law prohibiting gambling in General. When it comes to implementing gambling laws, individual States are left to their own discretion. Thus, the vast majority of States make casino gambling completely legal. There are only two exceptions to this rule – the States of Utah and Hawaii. If you happen to visit these States, you should know that gambling is completely prohibited and that you will not be able to find places where you can play legally.
In addition, there are fully legal casinos throughout the United States. So you can safely play. Game Harbor in the United States is located in Las Vegas. This city is known all over the world as the capital of gambling. In this city you can find the largest casinos in the world. You should also remember that casinos must have state-issued licenses. If a casino does not have a gambling license, it means that its activities are questionable and illegal.
You may also be surprised to place bets in online casinos, just like in real casinos. It is legal to gamble in online casinos, with the exception of a few States. These States have laws that prohibit residents from making any bets online. And these States are Washington, Montana, Oregon, Louisiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. These countries have legislation that prohibits any form of online gambling for their residents. And this is despite any Federal law that might establish otherwise.
If you are a resident of these States, you will not be able to place bets online. In addition to these States, you can bet online at online casinos completely legally. However, you need to make sure that this site and casino are licensed to operate in certain jurisdictions. If you do not find any trace of such a license, it is a red flag symbol, and you should be very careful when it comes to playing online on the site of this particular casino.
Poker
Poker is a very popular form of gambling in which players compete against each other based on the strength of the cards they hold in their hands. This is a game of thinking, skills, psychology, math, and luck. There are many misconceptions about whether playing poker is legal in the States. How are things now? Online poker is regulated in four countries in the United States – Nevada, new Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t play online poker if you don’t live in these States.
The reason for misconceptions is the complexity of the proposed laws and their misinterpretation by the public. And the same goes for real poker. If you want to play a real game of poker, you can visit any casino that has a poker room and a license to conduct poker games. The fact is that in many casinos, poker is really not popular due to the fact that casinos do not charge a lot of money for it. But, of course, if you want to play poker – you can do it almost freely.
There was a problem with the so-called “Black Friday”, when state authorities seized the assets of some of the largest poker sites in the country and in the world, such as” Poker Stars “and”Full Tilt Poker”. They were charged with Bank fraud and money laundering. To date, these two sites do not provide online poker services to residents of the United States, with the exception of online poker with “game money”. However, this does not mean that there are no other sites where you can enjoy playing online poker at your own discretion.
In fact, at some point at the highest level, there was a discussion about whether playing poker is a game of skill or luck. Most poker players will agree that luck has nothing to do with success in the poker game in the long run. But there are still some persistent misconceptions about the nature of the game of poker and that it is based on luck. But in the end, at the legal level, it was concluded that the game of poker is a game of skill, not luck. Therefore, this is a game that should not be considered gambling at all.
Bingo
There was a time when online bingo was banned in the States. At that time, people could play bingo just for the offshore sites, where by law it was authorised to conduct the game of bingo. But things are changing now, and bingo is a game that you can play online again. The fact is that bingo has often been thought of as less popular gambling games. This meant that many online casinos only offered slots for bingo games.
But currently, the popularity of bingo is at an all-time high. This means that there are many specialized websites that only work with bingo. If you visit some of these licensed sites where you can play bingo legally, you will see that there are many special offers and promotions that you can enjoy. So, you need to find some of the best sites that offer you to play bingo in the United States.
Americans are no less adventurous than, say, the English. After all, a large part of their population is the descendants of colonists from great Britain. Las Vegas, this Mecca of excitement, only confirms the above. Ordinary Americans go to Nevada as if on vacation, and realizing that they will leave a lot of money there. The huge gambling market is languishing under a cloud.
Bookmakers are prohibited In the United States, sports are considered nothing less than a national treasure. The leading players of national Championships are known all over the world. The NHL is the best hockey League in the world, the NBA is a head above any basketball draw in the world, Boxing in the United States is a cult sport, fighters from all over the world are trying to enter the rings of America, American football and baseball, little understood in Europe, have a huge impact on the life of an ordinary American.
But it is forbidden to bet on the outcome of all these exciting events. Moreover, bookmakers are even fought by agencies specially organized for this purpose. But the state is not able to fully contain the spiritual impulses of its citizens.
Why is it forbidden America of the 30s is still alive in memory, when the mafia controlled the underground sweepstakes, which affected the purity of sports, primarily Boxing. The big bosses of American sports leagues don’t want the stain of suspicion to fall on the reputation of their offspring. They are afraid that a great interest in sports will develop into a great interest in betting, hence from the vacuum of today there will be a lot of money bettors, some of which can go to the organization of match-fixing. No one wants to criminalize sport, but the UK has done it.
What proponents of allowing betting in the US say
They hit the weakest point of any US citizen – in his wallet. Profit is the key word for getting a real American ready. This is their national. Supporters of allowing sports betting tempt the state and Federal governments with huge profits that will flow in the form of taxes to the budget. They set the example of the same Britain, where billions of pounds enrich the state every year on the passion of their citizens for the game.
The second reason, which is not shy to talk about those who advocate the legalization of betting shops, is the fight against the shadow sweepstakes. The battle with it is going with varying success, but still millions of dollars pass in front of the nose of local budgets in the pockets of unknown businessmen.
The US loses billions of dollars every year due to the ban on sports betting. Representatives of the gambling industry offer to solve the problem.
On September 8, the regular season of the National football League (NFL) started in the United States. According to estimates of the American gambling Association (AGA), residents of the United States during the season will make bets on NFL games in the amount of $ 90 billion. But $ 88 billion (or 98%) of these bets will be made illegally, despite government bans.
The AGA is a person of interest in this story, but the statistics provided by the organization match the results of independent research regarding the legalization of sports betting in the United States.
Earlier this year, bets on the 2016 super bowl final (final NFL title games) in the United States exceeded $ 4.2 billion, with 97% of them made illegally. 41% of the 2016 super bowl viewers (47 million people) bet on the final match. This is almost three times the number of people who bet on the NFL final meeting last season (17.3 million).
Even us President Barack Obama jokingly admitted to illegally betting on the NFL. In General, according to the AGA, in 2015, US citizens made bets on $ 150 billion, if you take all sports. Almost everything is also illegal.
Realizing the severity of the problem, more than 30 law enforcement leaders from across the country gathered in Washington in June for the first-ever summit to discuss the problem of mass illegal sports betting in the United States, as well as options for solving it.
“Never before has there been such an increased interest in sports betting in the United States,” says AGA President and chief Executive officer Jeff Freeman. — Unfortunately, the Federal ban makes this hobby illegal and jeopardizes the integrity of the game we love. The serious concern of law enforcement about the thriving illegal sports betting market suggests that the time has come to solve this problem and take bookmaking out of business shadows.”
Surveys conducted among US citizens have shown that 67 % of US citizens believe that gambling meets the standards of morality, and 63% of Americans are in favor of legalizing betting on the territory of the country.
In addition to sports fans, other interested parties support the revision of the legislation on sports betting. At the annual conference of mayors of the United States cities this summer, an important step was taken in support of eradicating the thriving illegal market. A unanimous decision was made on the desire to fight illegal immigrants by regulating the industry, rather than total bans. A cooperation agreement was signed with AGA to continue discussions on the potential benefits of a regulated market.
In addition, the national conference of state legislatures last month adopted a Directive stating that “the Federal government must recognize the sovereignty of the States in allowing or prohibiting their residents to bet on sports. US law (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act — PASPA) of 1992,which prohibits sports betting throughout the country in fact does not interfere with illegal bookmakers, but it limits the ability of all States, with the exception of a few, to regulate and collect revenue from sports gambling bets.
Due to budget cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the gambling sector, together with the US authorities, is looking for new ways to pay taxes and restore the Treasury. The issue of allowing sports betting and online casinos is on the agenda.
It is noted that all major American sports have not yet resumed competition. At the same time, NASCAR, European football, and Korean baseball came out of quarantine and continued events.
However, despite the above, fanduel Group CEO Matt king said that the States still face unprecedented financial problems, and also expressed hope that the legislation on sports betting and online gambling will meet common sense criteria that will be taken into account by the authorities.
Eilers & Krejcik Gaming managing Director Chris Krafcik said the pandemic will accelerate the expansion of the sports betting and online casino segment in the next two years. According to the expert, these directions will provide the States with new revenue in the form of upfront license fees, as well as in the form of taxes to the budget after some time.
It is important to note that some States do not allow online betting. In total, 18 us States allow gamblers to use the services of bookmakers, and only four States allow gambling in online casinos. Today, the governments of Massachusetts, Louisiana and Ohio support the legalization of sports betting. Recently, the authorities of California, where the budget deficit reaches $54 billion, spoke about the decision to consider legalizing betting in November. Currently, it is allowed to take bets in two tribal casinos in North Carolina, as well as in four casinos in New York.
Professional poker players from the United States will be required to declare their winnings
The US authorities said that professional poker players will be required to declare winnings that were received from gambling. The new rules will take effect in 2019.
The changes include not only a reduction in certain tax rates, but also an increase in the individual alternative minimum tax.
Also, all players who play poker on a professional level will report their winnings using a special application called Profit or Loss from a Business.
Some players will be provided with a special form that will allow them to receive certain benefits for winnings. For example, benefits will be granted if the net winnings are $ 600 or higher. But gambling establishments will have to keep 24% if the amount of net winnings exceeds five thousand dollars.
Recall that the largest prize pool in the history of online poker tournaments will be played on MILLIONS Online. The guarantee of the event, which will be held in the partypoker poker room from November 25 to December 5, 2018, will amount to $ 20 million. The prize pool will be higher if the tournament collects more than 4,000 entries.
