The situation is dubious and ever-changing, but today most gamblers can have fun online without any responsibilities and consequences, even though the regulations exist.
The gambling laws are not stable. They become tougher or lighter all the time, new nuances appear, and gamblers are always wondering how legal their hobby is. The only thing we all know about gambling is that this niche is extremely profitable and a lot of people earn billions there. Such a huge business with a dubious nature cannot stay aside from the government’s attention. What is more, the laws regarding this activity are pretty tricky – they are ambiguous and leave gamblers and casino owners confused too often. Naturally, they encourage both sides to look for ways to continue playing and providing services no matter what.
Gambling is a multi-layer sphere and each of its layers is different from all the rest. That is why, there are laws for betting, online casinos, and casino promotions. New rules and regulations appear all the time, which makes it hard to distinguish legal and illegal actions. Let’s discuss some crucial aspects of this topic and make things a bit clearer.
Which forms of gambling are legal?
Online wagering is not prohibited by the law. This means that you can bet or deposit money online on websites like CasinosFellow. At the same time, if you want to gamble with that cash, your recipient should not be located in the USA. Gamblers can avoid this law easily – most of the sites have a license in other countries, like the Netherlands, Latin America, or Caribbean. It is hard to get into trouble when you deposit money and such cases are rare.
So, is online gambling legal? Yes, when you use websites that are outside of the USA. Before you start playing your favourite gambling games, make sure that you read the Terms and Conditions and information about the company carefully. Use the website only if it is not based in the United States.
Now let’s discuss the forms of gambling that are 100% illegal.
Accepting online gambling advertising
If you are a publisher and you don’t want to risk – you’d better avoid accepting gambling ads or any commercial materials regarding this topic. In case your company is small, the risk is insignificant, but large companies can get into real trouble. In 2007, Google accepted such ads and they were warned about the illegality of such actions. They avoided penalties. However, the government prohibited such publications strictly. Now Google has special rules for gambling advertising campaigns.
Gambling in the USA
As we have already mentioned, you should avoid gambling on websites based in America. The same is applied to people who hold the gambling business – they should stay outside the country. Both phone and online deals with casinos based in the USA are prohibited by the law. Legalizing online gambling is still and issue for this country.
INLINE: Map of US gambling if I can find one
Facilitating the transfer of funds to online casinos
American banks are not allowed to process transactions directed to or transferred from a gambling service. Some websites refuse to accept cash from American players for that reason. Still, there are schemes to avoid this law and some companies manage funds from the USA. As always, you should be careful before you send your money to a gambling site and check all the available information about legal issues.
Players younger than legal gambling age
The gambling age for most American regions is 21. There are states where you can play gambling games if you are 18, as well. However, the typical age is the same as for alcohol, just because casinos offer it. As for the online casinos, most of them accept players who are 18.
Conclusion
In general, laws and rules change all the time. And, of course, gambling sites invent new ways to avoid them. We still see the ads that promote betting pretending to be sports promotions, while the online casinos find the way to accept players from America. International financial companies process digital transactions for online casinos with no problem. Anonymous online wallets and cryptocurrency allow you to pay to anyone you want – the transactions are confidential. The situation is dubious and ever-changing, but today most gamblers can have fun online without any responsibilities and consequences, even though the regulations exist.
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