From mafia-related bookies to widely popular online entertainment, the US went a long way to start legalizing gambling. And the job is not done yet.
Way back, more than a hundred years ago, America was run not only by presidents and the Senate but the famous Mob, too. The Italian mafia managed all kinds of dirty business, gambling included. Late poker evenings in the basements, betting on horse races, the mobs controlled a lot of illegal gambling operations …this must sound familiar if you watched just one Italian mafia-inspired movie.
Did you know that mobsters are “responsible” for Las Vegas? After the Cuban revolution, mafia bosses were unable to invest and run famous Havana casinos. The money-making industry needed to relocate, and Las Vegas, Nevada, which already legalized gambling, was the first choice. Wealthy Italians started building the Vegas Empire, and the rest…the rest is history.
After the mobsters lost their power and control, the only thing left was their gambling habits. Hundreds of thousands of people found joy in drinking some hard liquor while playing a suspense game of blackjack.
Many years after, the United States finally understood that the gambling industry is one of the fastest-growing, and the states slowly, one by one started to change regulations on gambling.
What’s happening now?
At this point, less than half of the North American states let their citizens gamble online, and the rest of the states are in the process of legislation.
Nonetheless, the online industry is just getting more and more popular, especially during the pandemic which triggered the closure of land-based casinos, and made a boom in the online gambling market.
The choices for gambling online are wide and various, and the available content and payment methods vary from one state to another.
How it works?
Due to legal issues, many online casinos decided to go offshore. That is a tricky business, considering that players can’t expect high protection if they encounter any problems with an offshore iGaming establishment. We do not recommend you to visit or play at this kind of online casino. However, if there is no other way, make sure the brand has a valid license …
Certainly, fully licensed US-based venues are the right way to go; brands where your money is safe, and your rights are respected. Depending on the state’s regulation, US online casinos may offer entertainment in slots, table games, horserace betting, sportsbooks, fantasy betting.
When it comes to available banking methods, the citizens of North American states should be able to use fiat currencies, wire transfers, e-wallets, and in some cases cryptocurrencies as a possible method of payment.
All in all, things are still not completely clear in the US. Online gambling is kinda legal, but the rules are still very strict. However, in many states, it’s prohibited to even think about gambling on the Internet. Lots of ongoing debates, many plans for regulation and legislation…
One is certain- online casinos are posting record revenues ; according to a Research & Markets report, the industry should reach $92.9 billion by 2023! Money makes the world go round, so we expect the solution for online gaming brands pretty soon.
Photo by Esteban Lopez on Unsplash