Are Online Sports Betting Sites legal?

If you have questions surrounding legal sports betting online, then you have stumbled on to the best page for that. We find it important to address legal issues and questions surrounding the most common themes of sports betting online in the United States. It's a good thing to research this because you will find out exactly where betting online is legal. But to grasp the concept as to whether or not it is, and from there where it can be done, comprehension of the laws in place at the federal and state levels are pivotal.

Before we go any further though, let's get a simple answer out there, and then expand upon it down the page. Are online betting sites legal? Yes and no, but that is the simplest answer we can give, because both are actually correct.

How Are Online Betting Sites Able To Allow Americans?

Essentially, it boils down to the fact that sports betting sites are not legal in the United States... keyword being "in". Federal law prohibits the practice of such a site to be based in the United States, in any capcity, under the direction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. This is the online betting law in the U.S. which says that betting sites are banned... in a roundabout way.

We say that because it doesn't expressly forbid betting online, it merely says that gambling entities running a site are not able to do some of the necessary things to run at gambling site, with the most prevalent being accepting payments for bets. That presents a problem for betting sites in the U.S., and furthermore, presents an issue for sports bettors in the U.S.

Does It Matter Where I Live?

On land, there are just two states that allow sports betting, Nevada and Delaware. Of the two, Nevada is unrestricted, while Delaware has specific rules and guidelines to follow when it comes to land-based operations only.

Despite having regulated bookmaking within their borders, neither Delaware nor Nevada (nor any other of the other 48 states) regulate online betting sites. Instead, regulation and legitimacy of betting sites that take players from the U.S. are ensured by the countries in which the website operates.

While being offshore does grant these websites with certain priviledges when it comes to the law, betting sites typically abide by the age to bet as set by the state where the user lives. This is done to ensure that problems do not occur during the financial end of the business, when depositing or getting paid.

Just based off knowing what we know about the minimum betting age, the answer is "Yes", it does matter where you live. Furthermore, the age issue my not apply at every betting site, but there could be other restrictions and limitations when it comes to doing business... again on the financial end.

More Info: Is It Legal To Bet On Sports In The United States? (land-based)

Synopsis Of Whether Betting Sites Are Legal Or Illegal?

At the end of the day, the thing that we would like you to take away from this issue is the fact that bettors in the U.S. do have sites that allow them to bet on sports no matter what the game. True, that doesn't say if they are legal or not, but fact is that these sites are safe to use. Any betting site worth using, any site listed here on BettingLegal.com, should + will be discreet and keep your information guarded. You never have to worry about anyone finding out that you bet there, even if you use your credit card to deposit.

The reality of whether they are legal or not comes down to whether you will get into any trouble. That is all that matters to the millions of Americans that use them every year, and the million more that will bet for the first time this year. At the end of the day, betting sites are fueled by necessity because unless you live in Nevada or Delaware, you're going to need to seek their services if you ever want to bet.

One final word... Even bettors in NV + DE use online betting sites because they are convenient and usually offer more betting options than their land-based options (especially in Delaware). If those bettors have access to 100% legal land-based sports betting, what does that say about the legality of online betting?