State laws can get pretty confusing. Every state has its own legal betting age, but some do not have any age laws at all. There are different laws for land-based sports betting and online sports betting. Land-based sports betting is currently only available in just two states, Nevada and Delaware, however Montana and Oregon could join in on the fun if either state decides to form and ratify regulations. Even with that said, the aforementioned states do not allow web-based sports betting within their borders, but luckily there are many legal overseas sites that accept members from all 50 states.
This page will help you navigate through the legal quagmire that is United States law. You’ll learn which states regulate sports betting. You’ll also find out all you need to know about the PASPA law. We’ll tell you which states have land-based sports betting and which states have online sports betting. We’ll give you all the information you need to know about sports betting ages. Finally, we’ll give you the 411 on the best legal sportsbooks for US players.
In general, states are not allowed to regulate their own sportsbooks. The federal government passed legislation that, for the most part, regulates sportsbooks in most states. The only states that are currently offering their own sportsbooks are Nevada and Delaware. This is because the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) bans sports betting in 46 states. Montana and Oregon are technically exempt from PASPA, but they didn’t decide to take advantage of the option to have sportsbooks. There are currently a few states that are fighting in court against PASPA. New Jersey lawmakers, for example, are trying to pass legislation that would make sports betting legal. Since the state already allows casino betting in Atlantic City, making sports betting legal is the logical next step.
PASPA is the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. It is the federal law that bans sports betting in 46 states. It was enacted in 1992 in order to offset what lawmakers viewed as the negative influence of sports betting in America. Politicians were concerned that the good, clean, all-American reputation of sports was being sullied by scandals. Some critics of PASPA claim that the law has inadvertently led to a rise in criminal and mafia-related activity. Critics also point to the hypocrisy of allowing sports betting in two states, Nevada and Delaware. Why, they ask, should these two states receive special treatment while all other states must abide by PASPA?
The law that most applies to online sports betting is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This law doesn’t allow states to have their own online sportsbooks. The caveat is that there is no law that prevents a US citizen from using a sports betting site. There are many online sportsbooks that accept players from all 50 states. These sites are based outside of the country, and therefore exempt from United States law. The legal betting age varies from state to state. Check our laws page to find out more.
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) grants only four states the power to regulate sports betting. Those states are Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon. Currently, though, only Nevada and Delaware have land-based sports betting. Oddly enough, while only residents of Nevada and Delaware are allowed to use online sportsbooks based in those specific states, anyone from any state may use land-based sportsbooks in either Nevada or Delaware. However, since most people can’t easily just travel to Nevada or Delaware, online sportsbooks are actually the better bet.
Legal betting ages vary depending on what state you are in. For most states, the legal age is 21. Some states, like Idaho, Montana, Rhode Island, and Wyoming set the age as low as 18. Other states, like Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia, do not have any betting age laws. In these cases, the sites set the minimum age at 18. Please note that if a site sets the age at 18 but your state law says you have to be older, follow the state law.
I hope that this page has provided some useful information regarding state laws. We’ve gone over PASPA and which states allow sports betting. We’ve explained the difference between land-based sportsbook and online sportsbook laws. We’ve plumbed the depths of state age laws. Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, it’s time to have some fun. We have found some great, safe sports betting sites for US players. We feel confident that the sites we’ve picked are the best you’ll find anywhere.
If you are looking for a safe USA sportsbook that has all the great features you could ask for, look no further than 5Dimes. This is a lean, meat-and-potatoes sportsbook with minimal fat. While the site may not look quite as fancy as other sites, it is loaded with more content than any other online sportsbook. It has a refreshingly old-school vibe that is a breath of fresh air.
Best of all, 5Dimes accepts players from all 50 states. Most states require a player to be 21 years or older. Some states set the age at a more reasonable 18 years. Alabama is the only state that sets the betting age at 19. Some states (Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Utah, and Vermont) do not have any age laws. For these states, you must defer to the age limit of 5Dimes, which is 18. It is important to remember that even though the site says you must be 18, if your state sets the age limit at a higher number, you must abide by state law.