Many Americans are not aware of the statutes and legalities surrounding the online sports betting world. This leads some potential bettors to avoid searching for online options altogether, which is sad because there are numerous safe and trusted online sportsbooks out there. These sites attract millions of players from all over the nation, and there has never been an instance of one of these players getting in trouble for wagering online.
This page will show you how sports betting sites function legally, and go over the statutes that regulate them. You will learn how none of the laws out there affect you, the player, and how there has never been an arrest or a violation against someone using a trusted US online sportsbook.
One of the many misconceptions among unlearned sports fans is that there is some law that prevents people from using online sportsbooks. Let’s get this clear right off the bat, there is no law in any state or on the federal level that targets the bettor. The laws that do exist limit the amount of options available by only allowing sportsbooks to operate in certain places, but none of the laws restrict you from using a valid online sportsbook.
Now that you know that you will not be violating any laws, let’s look at the statutes that regulate sportsbooks. There are three federal laws to learn about, the Wire Act, the PASPA, and the UIGEA. The Wire Act is a very old law that now only affects sports betting by restricting the transfer of betting information across state lines. This means that if you want to use a sportsbook in Nevada, you must be in Nevada to do so. The great news is that the trusted online sportsbooks are all located outside of the US, and are not affected by the Wire Act. Anybody can use these sites as long as they are of legal age, and the site accepts their state. Most sites that we review accept players from all 50 states.
The PASPA and the UIGEA are more recent. The PASPA only affects sportsbooks that operate in the USA by limiting which states can have them. As of now, only four states are allowed to have sportsbooks according to the PASPA, and only Delaware and Nevada actually do. This is why it is so hard to find a legal land-based sports betting venue. This is also why 99% of American sports bettors use the trusted online sportsbooks that anybody can join. The UIGEA only affects sportsbook payment methods, and in a very small way. The sports betting sites that you will use will never have a payout method that sends the winnings directly to your credit/debit card. This is the only restriction that the UIGEA puts on sites, and one that is simple to work around. Check out our trusted sportsbook payouts page to learn much more about all of the excellent payout options that are available. Also, take a perusal of our legal page to read much more about each federal law.
We briefly covered the PASPA in our last section, and if you read it, you know that only four states are allowed to offer any kind of sports betting because of this federal law. One great thing about this is that individual states, for the most part, do not have any regulations regarding sports betting. This means that no state has laws restricting you from using a safe online sportsbook. The only states that do have laws regarding sports betting are Nevada and Delaware, because they are the only two states that offer any in-state opportunities. Luckily, they only have laws for the sportsbooks that function in their borders, so even people in those two states can sign up at a trusted sports betting site.
The one thing to pay attention to when it comes to state laws is the legal betting age. Most states put this at either 18 or 21, while some set it at 19, and others don’t even have a stated age. Most online sportsbooks require players to be 18, or relegate it to the state age. Be sure to follow your state age guidelines, just to make sure that you are in full compliance with the laws.
Here is some great news: no player has ever been fined or arrested for using a trusted online sportsbook. As we mentioned before, the laws do not target the player, they target the facilitators of the sportsbooks. The sites that don’t follow the rules get shut down rather quickly, so you can be sure you are using a legit site if it is reputable and has many members. The sportsbooks that we will point you to have been around for decades, and are considered the best of the best.
Now that you know that you will not be in fear of violating any laws when you use a trusted sports betting site for US players, it is time to sign up and start wagering! There are many contenders out there, but only a few sites stand above the rest as pillars of excellence. These sites have great reputations and are home to millions of professional and amateur US sports bettors.
>Bovada is probably the most popular online sportsbook in the world right now. Do a web-search for sports betting sites, and odds are Bovada will be one of the first three hits. This is a popular site for many reasons, not the least of which is the phenomenal sportsbook. You will find industry-leading odds that appear faster than any of the competitor’s sportsbooks. This gives Bovada members a leg up over everyone else. As of now, Bovada accepts members from every state except for New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, and Maryland. Don’t worry, if you in any of these states there are plenty of excellent alternatives out there, just check out our other sportsbook reviews.
Bovada will throw many extras you way throughout your sports betting career. One of the best ones is the $250 welcome bonus. This will add free bonus cash to your first sportsbook deposit, giving you a head start on the sportsbook. This does come with a rollover requirement, so you must wager a certain amount before you can withdraw the bonus. This is to keep people from signing up just for the bonus, and then deleting their account. Check out Bovada for the best sports betting action in the world.