For many centuries behind, gambling has been a widely popular pastime across the world. People love it because of the unique combination between skill and luck that it provides. Many betting formats are socially acceptable and make an entertaining pastime. However, there is a potentially addictive side to gambling. The rise of the Internet and the penetration of smart devices have allowed more access to different betting formats.
Therefore, with the advancement of modern society, countries and communities have undertaken the goal to limit the hazardous effects of wagering. Following this pattern, the USA has introduced legislative restrictions to allow only a few online gambling formats within the country’s premises. In this article, we will discuss what these betting types are and how you can enjoy them safely.
US-legal Online Gambling Formats
At present, there are four kinds of online wagering legally allowed in the US. These are online casino games, digital poker, web lotteries, and Internet-based sports betting. While this number may appear quite limited, each of the four formats provides a unique gambling experience, so you can hardly get bored if you are looking to add more thrill and excitement to your personal wagering journey. All you need to do is learn how to play and – most importantly – where to play. The latter is essential because although these gambling types are accepted on a national level, each state gets to decide on its own whether to legalize them for its citizens.
To see an interesting perspective on the potential of legalizing betting nationwide, please see the video below:
Online Casino Games
Playing online casino games has been a favorite pastime of US gamblers for almost a decade now. Such games include online slot machines and popular Internet-based table games like Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette, Poker, Craps, and the like.
There are two ways to enjoy these gaming formats. Either you can play them just for fun in demo mode without risking your money, or you can attempt to earn some cash by placing real money bets. This article will discuss the legal access to real money online casino play for US gamblers. The states that have legalized online casino games are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, and Connecticut. Now, let us examine the types of online casinos available to players from these states.
Online Slots
Online slots work much like their land-based counterparts. Typically, you have to place a wager and spin the reels to potentially land a win. Online machines might even be more fun in some ways because, due to the endless possibilities presented by modern technology, they usually provide more diverse and entertaining features, along with high-quality visuals and sound.
Also, digital slots come in a tremendous variety of themes and gameplay mechanics. You can enjoy the traditional gaming style with 3- and 5-reel machines or pursue a more sophisticated experience. For example, there are amazing progressive jackpot games as well as machines with hundreds of paylines.
Online Table Games
Online table games like Baccarat, Roulette, Blackjack, Craps, etc. attract players because they provide a realistic live casino experience without requiring you to visit a brick-and-mortar gambling establishment. You can enjoy HD streaming right at your fingertips from the convenience of any location. Live dealer digital games are usually broadcasted from fully equipped gaming studios with professional croupiers, which adds ultimate authenticity to your play.
The other great thing about online casinos is that – again, thanks to advanced technology – they allow you to enjoy more features and exhilarating twists to the standard gameplay. You can also play at multiple tables at the same time or share the experience with other players. Besides, you have plenty of useful statistics like Return to Player (RTP), maximum payouts, and more.
Digital Poker
While digital poker falls within the online table games casino category, the format has been so widely enjoyed that it deserves to be examined on its own. For years, players have had access only to unregulated poker rooms, where they could not enjoy a safe and satisfying gaming experience. Once online poker became legal, things changed for the better. At present, you can play online poker in the states of Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan.
Nowadays, digital poker offers many benefits, including the implementation of advanced security systems to safeguard your funds, rigorous identity protection measures, responsible gambling protocols, game fairness certifications, and more. You can enjoy many types of online poker in the US, including Texas Hold’em, Five Card Draw Poker, Omaha Poker, 3-Card Poker, Stud Poker, Video Poker, and more.
Online Lottery
Lotteries are possibly some of the most enjoyed and popular betting formats. This is largely because they are more socially acceptable and allow instant wins without requiring you to possess any particular skills. At present, you can enjoy different kinds of online lotteries in several states, including Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania.
Internet-Based Sports Betting
Online sports betting is also another much-beloved form of gambling. Fortunately, many states have already relaxed their legislation, and now you can bet on sports online in the following places:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
However, you should bear in mind that some of these places only allow on-site digital sports betting, so you need to check the particular legislative measures for each state. A few other states are expected to relax their legislation in the area of digital sports betting by the end of 2021 or in 2022. These include Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, and Vermont.
There are multiple ways to wager on sports in the US. For example, you can bet on the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, Baseball, Horseracing, Greyhound Racing, college sports, and even e-sports. Make sure to study the different types of wagers because they vary highly depending on the particular sport.