The legal landscape of online casinos in 2021 differs depending on your location. For example, in the United Kingdom a legal online casino in 2021 must be licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and if it is not, there is a good chance the casino brand is trying to operate illegally for people in […]
The legal landscape of online casinos in 2021 differs depending on your location. For example, in the United Kingdom a legal online casino in 2021 must be licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and if it is not, there is a good chance the casino brand is trying to operate illegally for people in the country. Finding a licensed, credible operator is crucial as numerous providers will try and entice new players to join their community by offering attractive online casino bonuses, but when you’re staking your own money, it is essential you partner with the best.
The picture is a little bit different for those residing in other European countries. It is possible in some European countries to access online casinos licenced by the government of Curacao, whereas in the United Kingdom this is generally not possible. European online casino licences can also be issued from Malta and Gibraltar and these are two of the most popular types of online casino licence you will find in European countries including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Denmark.
So, you may not be able to access a specific online casino in certain countries depending on the type of licence required for the casino to legally operate in 2021. However, the legal landscape of online casinos in 2021 for those residing in the United states is a little different to Europe and the United Kingdom. When asking the question, ‘Is it legal to gamble online in America?’, the answer is both yes and no.
To assess the legal landscape of online casinos in the United states in 2021, you must look at the situation by each individual state. Things are further complicated when looking at online gambling generally as there are different regulations depending on the type of online gambling. For example, it may be possible for online sports betting to be legal in a state and it would seem natural for online casinos to be legal but that is not always the case. This even extends to include online poker as poker and online casinos do not fall under the same category in terms of licencing in the United States.
The picture is continually changing in the USA as more states begin to look closely at making online casino gaming legal. However, at the time of writing in 2021, there are some states where it is possible to enjoy online casinos, in addition to sports betting and poker, with New Jersey being a great example. The Garden State is home to online casinos, sports betting, and poker, with revenue exceeding $225 million a year thanks to over 14 licensed online operators.
Pennsylvania is another of the states to take big strides in the world of legal online casino gaming and in addition to licensing online casino games, the law in 2021 allows for both online poker and sports betting. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board are responsible for licensing online operators who provide casino games, such as slots, roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. Interestingly, lottery games in the state of Pennsylvania are licensed by the Pennsylvania Lottery, which is a different entity to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
In addition to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and Michigan also legally offer online casino games, sports betting, and poker. This applies to people who reside in each state and also those who are visiting. Therefore, even for those who do not live in a state that currently offers legalized casino games, it is possible to play in a state where online casinos are licensed. As more states begin to legalize online casino games, the more people across the country have access to licenced online casinos.
It is worth paying attention to the difference between legal online casinos and legal online sports betting. At the time of writing, you will find legal online sports betting is available in Indiana, Ohio, New Hampshire, Oregon, Colorado, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Montana, Illinois, and Washington DC. However, it is illegal to access online casinos in any of these states. That may come as a huge surprise to many people, especially as the states in question have passed legislation to allow legal online sports betting. Fortunately, several of these states have been in discussions regarding the legalization of online casinos but the process is often complex and begins with the passing of a bill. This can sometimes take a few years as the bill could be rejected first time and readjusted before being passed the second time.
Offshore online casinos continue to remain an issue for legislations in the United States. Many people who reside in states where it is currently illegal to access online casinos choose to use offshore casinos. Some of these are big name brands in other countries but there is no support for people with accounts in the US.
Therefore, as the legal landscape of online casinos continues to change in 2021, it is best to wait for legal online casinos to become a reality in each state or travel to a state where it is currently legal to play.
Source: https://qrius.com/the-legal-landscape-of-online-casinos-in-2021/
