Expected American Gambling Law Changes in 2021: Facts and Predictions

It is not quite simple to follow gambling news changing in the US, as they vary state by state. The gambling world expects several American gambling law changes in 2021 for their favour. Although the progress in different states showed major differences over the last decade, as from last year, experts are getting more hopeful. This article offers a quick guide on what is worth knowing in relation to gambling laws in the US, and what we can expect in the near future. 

With recent presidential elections in the United States, there are several updates in online gambling news in the US.  While gambling is legal under U.S. federal law, there are significant restrictions pertaining to interstate and online gambling. Each state is free to regulate or prohibit gambling practices within its borders (Source: Wikipedia). Online gambling specifically, has always been more strictly regulated in the States, with major changes in legalising and prohibiting such practices. The legal forms of online gambling vary across states with major updates in 2020 and 2021. In this article, we take a look at how the American gambling law changes in 2021 throughout different states. With legal online betting, we focus on changes, especially in online casinos such as Ignition Casino,  poker, and sports betting.

Current regulations and background of American gambling laws

The first major act dealing with restrictions of online betting was namely the Federal Wire Act of 1961. The act outlawed interstate wagering on sports but did not address other forms of gambling as it has been the subject of court cases. The Interstate Wire Act of 1961 (the Federal Wire Act), is a United States federal law prohibiting the operation of certain types of betting businesses in the United States (Source: Wikipedia). However, the Wire Act was set long before the boost of online gambling, therefore the Department of Justice has passed it on to states regulating the activity on their own terms.  Online or internet gambling is any form of gambling, that is conducted on the internet. For example, it may include, online casinos, lottery, various forms of sports betting, mobile gambling and etc. See one of our detailed articles for some interesting examples.

Furthermore, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), was another turning point in American gambling laws. Associated with the Federal Wire Act, the PASPA made it illegal to place a bet on sporting events in the US online or via other wire transfer methods. On that note, New Jersey was the first state to challenge this law and by 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down the measure and states were allowed to legalize the option individually. As a result, this important momentum pushed several states to follow New Jersey.

States who already legalised various forms of online gambling

While each state has the right to pass its own laws, it, of course, can’t surpass the Federal law. Some states, completely legalise online gambling, while others only partially. The online gambling industry’s success has been recognised by many states, pushing them to ease prohibitions. When talking about American gambling law changes in 2021, we have to take into account various elements of the Federal laws and different state laws.

States such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania are the pioneers when it comes to legal gambling amongst the states. New Jersey is the biggest market for legal online gambling in the United States, offering online sports betting, online casino games and online poker to highlight a few. Pennsylvania state offers the same, as they have legalised all these forms of online gambling in 2019. The last decade had been a game-changer in the online gambling industry, with several other states opening up to the market more and more.

States that launched online sports betting till 2021:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• West-Virginia
• Indiana
• Iowa
• New-Hampshire
• Nevada
• Delaware
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• Washington D.C.
• Montana
• Illinois
• Michigan
• Virginia

Sates that launched online casinos till 2021:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Michigan
• Delaware
• West-Virginia

Sates that launched online poker till 2021:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Nevada
• Delaware
• Michigan

Expected American gambling law changes in 2021 by state

Firstly, according to online gambling news in the US, there are several states on the verge of legalising various forms of online gambling, with a focus on online sports betting. The State of New York is first and foremost expected to launch online and mobile sports betting throughout 2021. Although casinos can already open retail sportsbook, the real question in New York is over online sports betting. Statewide mobile legislation has faltered in the legislature each of the past two years.

Secondly, Ohio is also expected to be part of American gambling law changes in 2021, as the state was on the verge of legal betting in 2020. Various news sites suggest paying attention to possible changes in Connecticut. Lawmakers have supported sports betting in the State but have not yet been able to deal that favours the state’s gambling interest.  Moving forward, there is currently a referendum is California which could see the legalization of online gaming in the state in 2021.

Events of the world to change American gambling laws in 2021

Much like other industries in the world, the global pandemic hit hard in the retail gambling world too. Therefore, we should not be shocked, that online gambling sites in the US were not as much compromised. Lottery sales went down, the closure of commercial casinos faced a definite plunge over the course of 2020. Several states use the argument, that the launch of online casinos might be contra-productive for land-based ones. However, it has shown quite the opposite. Furthermore, online options would also offer longevity to the gaming industry. To attract new customers and to keep up with technological developments, online and mobile casinos, like Ignition Casino are showing us the solution. We have covered several advantages of such sites in previous articles.

Lastly, we should mention the factor of illegality. The debate is between more conservative and liberal thinkers in other issues when it comes to legalisations. The prohibition of gambling in various states may it be online or not, does not stop gambling. However, with well-designed rules and regulations, we are much more likely to give a platform to legal betting instead of encouraging illegal sites to operate.

To sum up, the online gambling landscape is ever so changing in the United States. If you are an online gambling enthusiast, we recommend keeping up with current updates regarding your state, and forms of legal gambling around you. Try out Ignition Casino for some of the most exciting games in the online world.

You can discover  more about Ignition Casino here.