Intro to Online Betting In U.S.

The business of online betting in the United States is booming. Make no mistake. There are online casinos, sportsbooks, racebooks, poker rooms, slot machines, and much more all over the internet. 

Some are perfectly legal and regulated, while others are not at all. Either way, one thing is for sure, they are all very popular. 

Americans love to gamble, and the access and ease online betting ensures only makes wagering more popular.

Online betting in the U.S. is a robust industry, and no one is even sure how much money it involves. Due to offshore betting, there are only estimates available to the wealth of the industry.

Some have estimated there is over $40 billion in sports betting annually in the U.S. alone. Needless to say, any estimate will be a conservative one.

Today, online betting in the U.S. is expanding at a break-neck pace. All forms of gambling are now in the hands of the statehouses, which are eager to collect the tax-revenue legal and regulated gambling guarantees. 

If there are no legal gambling options available in your state, online or otherwise, just be patient as it is only a matter of time.

Intro to Howtobet.com

Since online gambling in the U.S. is so popular with so many options to choose from, Howtobet.com is the perfect first stop on your way to successful online gambling. 

There are hundreds of wagers, hundreds of things to wager on, and hundreds of sites to place the wagers. With so many options, you're going to need a go-to reference site like Howtobet.com to set you on the right path.

Howtobet.com makes successful online gambling much easier with in-depth reviews and insights into every aspect of online gambling. 

Is online gambling legal in your state? Are there sportsbooks in your state? What types of wagers are available online in your state? Anything and everything can be found at Howtobet.com. 

Brief History of Gambling in the U.S.

Of course, gambling in the United States goes back to the birth of the nation. People have been gambling since the invention of money and have never stopped, no matter how hard governments have tried to stop them. 

We live in very interesting times now as legal gambling is spreading quickly all across the U.S. online and on land.

Las Vegas

When you think of gambling in the U.S., the first thing to come to mind will usually be Las Vegas. Founded by the mob in the 1950s, Las Vegas is the basis for every aspect of modern American gambling. 

While gambling may not have been invented on The Vegas Strip, it certainly was honed and perfected there. From the point spreads to the croupiers, online, and on the gaming floor, Vegas will always be the most important city in American gambling history.

Online Gambling

Of course, online gambling has been around in one way or another since the birth of the internet. Let's face it, there are a few things which will always be available online, and gambling is surely one of them. The legality of that online gambling has been something else entirely. 

Online gambling has always existed in a grey area of U.S. law. While it is illegal to own and operate an online gambling site in the U.S., it is not illegal to place a wager with an online gambling site. These sites are known as "offshore" sites and have existed since the early 1990s.

These sites, such as Bovada or 5Dimes, still exist today. However, it is now legal for states to create their own gambling industry, online and otherwise. Sports betting, casino play, and poker rooms are legal online, depending on which state you find yourself. 

Interestingly enough, early data shows that the new legalized gambling markets have had little effect on the offshore sites' traffic or profitability. This is a golden age of online gambling as it expands, regulated or not, at a pace no one can even accurately track. 

Black Friday of Poker

One of the most important moments in time in online gambling was the Black Friday of Poker. On April 15, 2011, the United States Department of Justice shut down the four biggest online poker sites operating in the U.S. 

Not only that, but they also arrested almost a dozen players in the industry and brought a wide range of charges from wire fraud to money laundering. Assets were seized, and sites were shut down. However, while the financial losses were huge, no online poker players were involved in any legal repercussions.

The Wire Act 

The Wire Act has been another bump in the road to fully-legalized gambling in the U.S. The act goes back to the early 1960s and was originally designed to stop all gambling across state lines as it was up to individual states to legalize and regulate their gambling industry. 

Of course, none of them did outside of Nevada. After all, it was a much more moral time back then, but, as the times have changed, so has the interpretation of The Wire Act, and now it applies to only sports betting. 

For this reason, when the Supreme Court struck down the PASPA, it left it up to the individual states to regulate their sports betting industries and not the federal government. Legalized, regulated, and state-run betting is not going to change anytime soon, even though The Wire Act is sure to continue to change plenty just to keep up.

Legal U.S. Gambling Sites: Compared and Reviewed

Gathering information is the most important aspect of gambling. Whether playing poker online, the No-Pass in Craps, or taking the Over on the Jets, you need to have all the information on your wager. 

You must know your game, wager, odds, etc. inside and out. Howtobet.com is here to help with great reviews, comparing, contrasting, and researching all of your betting options. 

This is a one-stop-shop to inform every wager you make and every place you make it. Howtobet.com will help you find the best site for you and your betting needs.

Getting started with U.S. Online Gambling

Any form of legal gambling can be tricky when first starting out. However, there is even more to consider when you begin gambling online. 

Not to worry, as Howtobet.com is here to help every step of the way. After all, when gambling online, your options are usually plentiful, and the only way to be successful while gambling online is to know all your options. 

Doing your research is key, and you have to know the sports and games you are wagering on inside out. You have to know the types of wagers you are using inside out. 

You have to know your online gambling site inside and out. And this is all before you even place a wager. Of course, Howtobet.com is here to help and can explain everything you need to know to be successful in online gambling.

First of all, you need to know what your online gambling options are, and this completely depends on the state you are in. From age restrictions to in-person registration, every state will vary in their requirements for online gambling. That said, there are a few key rules to follow when choosing an online gambling site.

What You Want

Once you know your online gambling options, you can move on to other questions such as what you want from your site. Good online gambling sites all have a few qualities in common. 

• Good bonuses are important as everyone likes free money.
• Small Play-Through Requirements are very important as this allows you to collect on your bonuses quicker. 
• Low fees are very important too, as some sites will hit you with fee after fee and dig into your profits. 
• Live Betting is another feature you need from your online gambling site. Even if it is an option you never use, simply seeing this innovation is proof that the gambling site is up-to-date and current.

What You Need to Sign Up

Again, what you need to sign up with your online gambling site will vary from state to state. Obviously, if it's at all possible, you want to give out as little information as possible. 

This is the internet we are talking about after all. Some states will require in-person registration at a local sportsbook and, although this is a minor inconvenience, it is actually preferred.

Online Bonuses

The bonuses from site to site can differ wildly, so it is very important to research them as much as possible. For instance, many sites offer free bets, while others will match your deposit. 

While one is not necessarily better than the other, it is important to know which would better benefit you and your gambling style. For example, if you are a consistent bettor placing wagers every day, you will want to use a site with a deposit matching bonus. 

If you only place wagers on big games once in a while, you will prefer the free bet bonuses. Keep in mind the way you wager before accepting any bonus or signing up with any online gambling site. 

States with Online Betting

New Jersey: The Garden State has always been a leader in legalized and regulated gambling options, and that goes double for online gaming. Gamblers have access to online sports betting, casino play, and poker.

Pennsylvania: The state of Pennsylvania has always been open to legal gambling options, and, because of this, online sports betting, as well as online casinos, are available in the state.

West Virginia: Sports betting is live in West Virginia and available online.

Oregon: Sports betting in Oregon is available for online gamblers.

New Hampshire: The state of New Hampshire moved rather quickly once their statehouse passed their online gambling bill as their sports betting industry is now up and running.

Iowa: Online sports betting is now available in Iowa. However, creating your online account requires in-person registration. Iowa has many casinos that have, in turn, established many sportsbooks allowing players a wide variety of online sportsbooks to choose.

Nevada: Of course, the state most known for legalized gambling has online gambling. Online poker is available as well as online sports betting. However, online sports betting requires in-person registration.

Delaware: While legal online sports betting is legal in the state of Delaware, the industry is not yet up and running as of yet.

Rhode Island: Just as with Delaware and a few other states, online sports betting is legal in the state but not yet up and running.

Colorado: There are no legal online casino or poker action available in Colorado, but online sports betting is live in the state.

Indiana: There is online gambling in the Hoosier State but only for sports betting.

Washington, D.C.: Sports betting is on-deck to be legal in the nation's capital, and, interestingly enough, it will only be available online.

Tennessee: Just like Washington, D.C., sports betting will be up and running soon and only available online.

Illinois: Only sports betting has been made legal in Illinois, and sportsbooks have been operating for some time now. Online sports betting is also legal but not operating as of yet. Plus, in-person registration will also be required.

Michigan: Online gambling has had a winding road in the state of Michigan and, although there is no online gambling in the state as of now, online sports betting is legal and in the works. 

Land-Based Legal Gambling Only

Mississippi: There are no plans for online betting in Mississippi. However, mobile sports betting is available on casino grounds.

New York: New York has legalized sports betting in four casinos in the state. However, any form of online gambling is not available in the state, and there is no movement in that direction.

Arkansas: While there are sportsbooks now available in Arkansas casinos, there is no plan in the state to expand online in any capacity.

New Mexico: Tribal casinos are widely available throughout the state, but only one has established a sportsbook for sports betting. However, this is being challenged as sports betting remains illegal in the state. Also, no plans have been made for online gambling of any kind.