Laws For Sports Betting in the USA

Yes, you can wager with these legal USA sportsbooks. It may be that law prohibits most sportsbooks in the US; however, you can bet with online sportsbooks that are outside of the US anytime you’d like. All sportsbooks that are within the US are either located in one of the states that are immune from PASPA, or they are fraudulent setups that you should avoid. Betting at a fraudulent sportsbook could be dangerous as they may be scamming you for your personal and banking information, not only this, but if they are local and not in a state that offers legal sports betting you could get into trouble with the law for placing bets at them.

None of us here want to see anyone scammed or in trouble, that is why you should become familiar with sports betting laws. If you are looking for reasonable and genuine sports betting sites, the sportsbooks that we review are highly recommended. Be sure to glance over the laws, they may help you spot fakes and keep you out of trouble. We want to be helpful and we want you to get the best out of the sportsbook that you choose.

Which Sports Betting Laws Exist In America?

We want you to know the three major laws that affect sportsbooks; however, you should know that none of these laws affect you as a player. Getting to know these laws will be your best defense against being victimized by cunning sportsbook cons, and they will help you in your search for a legal sportsbook, like one of the ones that are highlighted on this site. Most of these laws will only limit your sportsbook investments in slight or superficial ways. They are the guidelines to the restrictions that sports betting adheres to in the US. This means that they are targeted at land or online based sportsbooks that operate within US territory. The laws do not affect sportsbooks that are based out of the country.

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Federal Sports Betting Laws

The laws we are about to go over are the biggest hamper on sports betting in the US. This is to say that sports betting is highly controlled with federal mandates amid most of the states. The explanation we are about to give you for the laws is so that you have the opportunity to gain more knowledge about sportsbook legality, and this information is accessible to all sports bettors.

Wire Act

The Wire Act is a law that passed in 1961 that asserts that states cannot send betting information over wire connection to or from each other. This law was intended to stop criminal networks from taking over sporting events and using profits to bribe and man handle sports officials, and hard up athletes. The Wire Act was victorious in stopping these networks, but after 50 years it is believed by many to only be a hindrance as the internet was not prevalent during the time it was written. The Wire Act is still to this day under the microscope with politicians and many in the gaming community.

PASPA

In 1992, the government decided to write a new law that would define sports betting, so that it could be completely outlawed on land and over the web in the US. The need for this law to be written was because of the fact that tons of fraudulent and scam artist betting sites and casinos kept cropping up all over the web and people were losing their livelihoods. Only this law did not ban sports betting for some states, these privileged states were able to govern sports betting how they wanted without federal interference. Four states were effectively excused from this law, but only two out of the four participate in sports betting in their respective states. These states are Delaware and Nevada.

UIGEA

The newest law that was created to obstruct sports betting for players is the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. This Act piggy backed off a port security act, and later hid under a more moralistic guise to hinder sports betting. This law just makes it more difficult for financial transactions completed between sports betting sites and bettors. Mostly this law only affects the way in which a sportsbook can pay a player their prize money, this inconvenience is solely targeted on credit cards at this time, but other financial transaction are available. If you want to see more about the financial aspect of a sportsbook check out our sportsbook deposits options page, or our sportsbook withdrawal page.

Legal Sportsbook Deposits | Legal Sportsbook Payouts

What Age Do You Have To Be To Use Sports Betting Sites?

Most online sportsbooks have an age requirement; the featured sportsbooks on this site all require players to be at least 18 year old or over. We cannot speak for other online betting sites, but as a precaution, you should always check to make sure that you meet the age requirements for a site. You should also know that each state has its own legal gambling age requirements. A quick web search will tell you what your state requires. I can tell you that in some states, the age limit is 18 and in some, it is 21. We recommend that you wait until you are the legal age in your state before signing up.

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Are Sports Betting Sites Safe?

I cannot speak for other betting sites, but the sportsbooks highlighted on this site are very safe. I know this because I have used them for years, as have many of my colleagues. These sites follow the letter of the law closely, and do their very best to excel in customer service and expectations. The USA sportsbooks at this site are accredited and monitored by gaming committees on an international scale. These sportsbooks have extensive testimonials and player reviews that recommend and commend them as legitimate, and culpable betting sites. Each of these sportsbooks that welcome US players takes the safety of every player’s financial and personal information in a no-nonsense and genuine capacity, delivering you the best sports betting adventure possible.

  • Bovada Sportsbook
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