It is a fact that people enjoy playing all sorts of casino games and gambling on sports events across the world. 

In the past, American views on gambling have been generally negative. 

However, as attitudes towards gambling in the USA rapidly change, the country is poised to become a leading force in sports betting and gaming. 

The Rise in Online Gambling 

The gambling landscape of America changed drastically following a Supreme Court victory for New Jersey in May 2018. After that ruling, any state can decide whether to legalize sports betting. 

A huge increase has been seen in online betting. Even as traditional casino activities remain stagnant or do not see any expansion, online gambling has seen huge growth. 

It is estimated that in 2021 revenue from sports betting in the US will reach $2.5 billion. By 2025 this is forecast to grow to $8 billion. 

Online gaming ties in with this narrative of a marked change in attitudes towards gambling. 

For instance, the gamer themselves recognize the benefits of online gaming. Not only is it more convenient, but it is often more secure and adaptable than bricks and mortar casinos.

State governments also see the advantages of regulated and legalized forms of online gambling. The financial boost from taxes alone makes a proposal for legalizing gambling an attractive prospect.  

The Process of Legalizing Gambling

Of the states in America, there are a few that acted quickly after the 2018 ruling to set in place their future gambling plans. Delaware and Pennsylvania were two states who opened up online sports books and have welcomed the advantages of doing so. 

Players across New Jersey, the state to initiate action in the supreme court, also have a wide range of choice, with casinos and sports betting optimised for play. They too have benefitted economically from legalising online gambling activities.

During October 2020, New Jersey’s sports bets totalled $4.1 billion, with online gambling making up 90% of that figure. 

In Pennsylvania, the first legal sports bets took place at the Penn National Racecourse in November 2018. This was just a year after a new sports betting bill was put forward by the state. The new bill, which also included proposals for online gaming and fantasy sports leagues, put Pennsylvania in place to accrue the benefits. 

Delaware acted even earlier, in June 2018, to facilitate gambling and sports betting across the state. 

The three state casinos were in place to offer single-game betting, with expanded options available online and in different locations. 

For others, the process can be a long and convoluted one. 

New York, potentially one of the biggest markets in the USA for entertainment and gaming, saw its first legal sports book take place in July 2019.

This was six whole years after the state passed a law to allow sports betting at four upstate locations. After the New Jersey ruling of 2018, the law was revived and is currently in place to allow in-person betting but not online or mobile wagering. 

Gambling in Other Countries 

The implications of the USA opening up its states to embrace gambling and online betting to the whole world are enormous. 

Due to its size and population, the states have access to a vast potential market of gamers and sports fans. The boost to the economy gathered through taxes plus the gain in employment across gambling sites- both physical and online – cannot be downplayed.

This is bound to be of interest to other nations with their own history of sports betting and gambling. 

In the UK, Ireland, and other countries across Europe, many companies and betting outlets took advantage of the stronger and sometimes conflicting legal framework for gambling in the USA. 

American citizens could place online bets, but only if the site handling the wager was not based on American soil. This meant that well organized firms from other parts of the world could reap the benefits of American players using their sites. 

States Considering Changing their Gambling Laws
As the year continues, there is bound to be plenty of progression in how various states respond to calls for the legalization of gambling. 

One state that is almost there is Louisiana, which in November 2020 approved a ballot permitting sports wagering. The first gambling activity could begin in New Orleans and other cities as early as 2021. 

Also in November of last year, Nebraska approved changes to its state constitution allowing all games of chance. If the amendments were taken as meaning that wagering on sport will be legal, it could be that the state will see regulated betting in the very near future. 

Oklahoma also looks to be close to paving the way towards legalized state gambling. 

Despite some opposition from a section of lawmakers, the list of contracts between the state and sovereign tribes putting in place gaming regulations was approved in June 2020.

The advantages of legalizing gambling in a regulated manner appear obvious to many people. 

With the huge financial boost in taxes and employment, it is not surprising that states across America have either put plans in place to benefit from this, or are in the process of doing so. 

As the majority of the nation witnesses the benefits of the sports betting industry, America looks set to become a gambling powerhouse.