As online casinos continue to rise in popularity all around the world, some American citizens might be wondering if the legal situation surrounding them is likely to change where they live. The current status of gambling in regard to the law in the USA can be confusing and complex, with multiple types of gambling having different rules attached to them. Stripping these away and just focusing on online gambling can be a good place to start, but even that comes with baggage.
Some states might allow such venues to be legal, only for them to operate without real money, providing tokens that can be cashed in later in their place, while others will be more open to the entire concept. However, will more go the route of the latter?
The Year 2024
While this discussion is focused on online gambling, it can be useful to look at other types to see what information they can hold for the general future of gambling. In terms of sports betting, for example, while it is more widely legal in the USA, it’s still not legal everywhere. However, many people think that this could change in 2024 – so the same might be true of online gambling, too, especially as sports betting has an increasing crossover with the digital sphere.
Why is this? Well, the American gambling commission has been trying to get laws changed in this regard since 2021, and while some of these propositions have been overturned, the next election year could be when everything changes.
Where is it Currently Legal?
If you’re interested in visiting a legal online casino, where can you do so? Well, there are several states that you could look to – Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Connecticut, West Virginia, and Delaware, for instance. Not every online casino is going to operate in the same areas, though, and as a result of these restrictions and the different rates at which laws are put into effect, there is a stagnated flow to this change.
However, while it’s difficult to say what the future might hold, there are other states that are supposedly likely to change their stance on online casinos. New York, Maryland, California, Illinois, and Indiana are among these. While nothing is set in stone, if more states go that way, it could provide the movement some momentum to change elsewhere.
Around the World
Some people might feel as though the situation is likely to change in the USA because of how it is around the world. In countries like the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, the gambling culture present is much more accepted. As such, all types of betting are often seen as par for the course. With digital spaces often feeling as though they cross borders, many USA citizens might feel this acceptance puts a certain amount of pressure on US lawmakers, but that might not be the case.
For example, while some countries around the world are starting to legalize recreational cannabis use, this doesn’t follow everywhere, and a recent New Zealand referendum voted against it despite the apparent trajectory.