Gambling Laws

When discussing legal online sports betting, the majority of America's government has a very regressive, prohibition-style attitude towards it, buying into a negative perspective concerning the morality of gambling entertainment. This is what has led to a variety of state gambling laws in the past.

There are no US federal laws that make it a crime for Americans to place bets at offshore sportsbooks that are operating legally within the industry. There are two states that legally prohibit all online gambling, domestic or offshore, leaving residents in Connecticut and Washington without legally sanctioned online betting options, though they have yet to start enforcing those restrictions.

For the most part, state lawmakers are becoming more progressive concerning betting entertainment and recognize the value that this type of revenue stream can bring to a state. Individual states are actively analyzing what the legalization of domestic sports gambling can provide them with in terms of opportunities, tourism, and tax revenue, and many have already taken action one way or the other through new legislation.

Gambling Laws In The United States. In the United States, both the Federal government and individual state governments are responsible for regulating gaming within their jurisdiction. The Federal government has designated some forms of gambling as prohibited within the US and has created laws that are non-negotiable in the regulation of such prohibited activities. . Types of Legal Gambling: Along with casino gambling at the Casino du Liban, a national lottery and a regulated online sports betting site are also legal. Regulatory Bodies: The Lebanese government regulates gambling through monopolies, allowing only the Casino Du Liban to offer land-based gambling, while La Libanaise des Jeux is the only company permitted to offer betting online. Legality of online gambling Majority of countries restrict betting via Internet, but it is allowed in several states in US. Government is very strict about rules of regulations for those providers who offer people online gambling services. They need to get a special license for performing their business. Gambling, though widespread in the United States, is subject to legislation at both the state and federal level that bans it from certain areas, limits the means and types of gambling, and otherwise regulates the activity. Congress has used its power under the Commerce Clause to regulate interstate gambling, international gambling, and relations between the United States and Native American territories.

Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia currently permit state-regulated online sports gambling, with nearly two dozen additional states having launched land-based sportsbooks. Individual territories began embracing sports betting the moment that PASPA was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the infamous NJ case, with multiple states having had their legislation ready and waiting should the ruling go in the Garden State's favor.

Below we'll take a look at the relevant US federal gambling laws, and explain how state gambling laws intersect with federal laws to impact online and brick and mortar sportsbook gambling, as well as what these laws have to say about the legal status of offshore sports betting entertainment.

The Federal Laws on the Books

The sections below will detail and explain how each major federal law affects domestic gambling opportunities in the US.

The Federal Wire Act

Passed back in 1961, the Federal Wire Act was made law in an effort to curtail the illegal gambling activities taking place over the phone by organized crime syndicates. It prohibited the transmission of wagers or betting information from being carried across state lines via telegraph or telephone. The Federal Wire Act targeted these illegal bookie operations as a means to curb the mafia from manipulating games and making a profit through these tactics.

This law was strictly focused on interstate gambling, and only targeted those accepting bets and not the individuals placing the bets. The goal was to crack down on illegal gambling services, not prosecute bettors. Between the DOJ Legal Opinion of 2011 and the repeal of PASPA, today's application of the Wire Act prohibits any gambling business from accepting bets across state lines or from foreign sources.

With the changes still being implemented, we are not sure yet how this will affect those states that had entered into interstate gambling pacts with one another, sharing player pools for their online gambling initiatives. Once that aspect of the legal situation becomes more clear we will update that information here.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act

Also known as the Bradley Act, or just PASPA, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was a sweeping federal regulation that passed in 1992, with the supposed intent of protecting the integrity of sports by making sports betting illegal.

At the time the bill was passed, there were sports lotteries in Delaware, Montana, and Oregon, as well as licensed and regulated sports betting in Nevada, so those four states were exempt.

The law effectively prevented the expansion of the sports betting market throughout the United States in what many categorized as a discriminatory law that favored a few states while restricting others.

New Jersey took on the mission of challenging the law and after several years of court battles, was given a favorable outcome by the highest court in the land as SCOTUS ruled PASPA as unconstitutional, nullifying the law.

As of May 14, 2018, each individual state now has the authority to dictate sports betting laws within their borders. They can now choose to authorize or prohibit sports betting at their pleasure. Following PASPA's repeal, we have seen multiple states move forward with legislation that legalizes sports gambling at the state level.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

This is the big one that shook the gambling industry to its core. Online gambling really started to explode during the early 2000's, especially in the realm of online poker. In 2006, then-President Bush signed into law the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, known all over as the UIGEA. In a nutshell, the UIGEA placed very stringent regulatory restrictions concerning how gambling-related transactions could be processed.

The most reputable sites started a countdown and allowed Americans to withdraw and closeout their accounts. Many trusted gambling sites left the US market at this time. After the dust settled, and the financial and gambling industries learned how to comply with the regulatory oversight provided by the UIGEA, many of these reputable gambling sites have returned to provide services to US sports bettors.

The UIGEA did end up making the online gambling market safer for both the bettors and the operators by imposing a more reliable and stricter regulatory structure for how gambling-related transactions are processed. Gambling sites invested in top tier payment processors while all parties implemented higher-level security protocols to ensure the validity and safety of those transactions that are processed.

While US online gambling funding options are still somewhat limited in some regards, things have stabilized. The emergence of cryptocurrencies have filled the void left by the elimination of US-friendly e-wallets and failed credit card transactions. The UIGEA does not make it illegal for Americans to gamble online. The law simply regulates how online gambling transactions are processed.

The 2011 Department of Justice's Interpretation of Federal Laws

With the growth of online commerce, several states became interested in offering lottery game services online. This raised questions concerning the application of the Federal Wire Act, driving the DOJ to issue a clarification of the law's reach.

The Department of Justice ruled, and accurately so, that the federal government had no right to tell states that they could not sanction online gambling and therefore established that each US state has the authority to determine their own fate concerning online gambling with the exception of sports betting.

The repeal of PASPA took care of freeing sports gambling as the last remaining federally prohibited form of state-regulated online gambling. As of now, all 50 states have the legal ability to legalize and offer online gambling such as casinos, poker, bingo, and sports wagering. To date, only a handful of states have taken advantage of legal domestic online gambling. However, many states have pending bills to allow various forms of sports betting.

The 2019 DOJ Interpretation of Federal Gambling Laws

Following the repeal of PASPA in 2018, the reach of the Federal Wire Act has again come into question. In a new interpretation, which many believe was coerced by anti-online gambling activist Sheldon Adelson, the Department of Justice has indicated that the Wire Act prohibits not only interstate wagers but also the sharing of information across state lines.

This determination will certainly harm those states that have entered into interstate gambling compacts to share player pools and resources with other states. The opinion is being formally challenged through a lawsuit headed up by New Hampshire. As the situation unfolds, we will provide updates here.

What You Need to Know Going Forward

All of this legal information is good knowledge to have under your belt, no doubt about it. However, all you really need to know going forward is that there are no federal laws making gambling illegal in the United States either online or offline, and this includes domestic and offshore sports betting. States now determine the legal status of all gambling entertainment within their borders. As a sports betting resource guide, we want to make this point clear.

For those of you interested in betting on sport but who live in a state that has not authorized state-regulated sportsbooks, you'll have to either travel to a state with legalized sports betting or use a legitimate offshore sportsbook such as the ones you find listed on this site. You can check out our list of states that allow sports betting here or follow our list of recommended online sportsbooks.

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One of the most important resources we provide is our guide to Arabic gambling laws by country. The information on this page is designed to help you bet safely from the Middle East by alerting you to the laws that govern both online and offline gambling in each of the countries in the region. With our country guides to gambling laws, you’ll not only learn exactly what is legal and what isn’t, but also find out how to place bets safely and how to effectively make deposits and withdrawals. With this information and our list of recommended online casinos, it’s easy for you to gamble online safely and with confidence.

• Get the best information about Middle East gambling laws.
• Read our dedicated gambling guide for players.
• Learn how to safely and easily gamble online.

An Overview of Gambling in the Middle East

While Arabic gambling laws vary by country, there are few countries were gambling is legal in the region. For the most part, casinos, sports betting, and online gambling are illegal throughout the Middle East. Even where gambling is available, it is often heavily restricted or available only for foreign visitors, with locals prohibited from joining in on the fun.

The realities of gambling at brick-and-mortar casinos in the Middle East are different than those that face gamblers who want to place bets online, however. The following is a brief overview of the legal situation for both online and offline betting in Arabic nations.

Betting Offline

Quite simply put, there are few places in the Middle East where you will be able to gamble legally. Much of this is due to the fact that many countries in the region recognise Islam as the official religion, and adherence to that faith leads to a ban on most or all forms of gaming.

But that doesn’t mean that the Middle East is a gambling-free zone. There are exceptions to the above rules: nations like Lebanon and Morocco do host casinos, while others – such as Egypt – have casinos that are available to foreign visitors, even if their own citizens are not allowed to gamble in them.

Even some nations that seem to have a complete ban on gambling sometimes manage to have a few exceptions that skirt the line on what truly counts as “betting.” Lotteries are tolerated in some nations, provided that they support worthy causes. In Saudi Arabia, you might win a prize if you correctly predict the winner of a horse race and your name is chosen in a raffle. And some duty free shops at airports in the region offer raffles with prizes worth as much as a million dollars in cash.

Of course, as with any banned activity, there are those who have set up illegal betting operations in almost every country in the Middle East. While these may seem like a tempting way to skirt around local gambling laws, we strongly recommend avoiding these establishments. Not only is there no regulation or oversight to ensure you will be treated fairly, but you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law if an illegal operation is raided while you’re placing your bets.

Betting Online

While legalised online betting is rare in the Middle East, there are some countries that allow online gambling, at least in some limited forms. In the countries with the most liberalised gaming laws in general – Lebanon and Morocco – there are government-approved sites for lottery sales and (in the case of Lebanon) even sports betting.

However, these are notable exceptions to the overall situation in Arabic countries. For the most part, not only is there no online betting allowed throughout the Middle East, but most countries have shown little or no interest in even considering it in the future. That’s understandable when you consider that land-based gambling is also entirely illegal in the majority of the region.

That said, these laws have never stopped people in the Middle East from safely placing their bets at foreign betting sites. While most governments in the region would prefer their citizens not to do so, the steps they take to prevent people from accessing overseas online casinos vary and are usually mild: only some governments actively block gambling sites, and even fewer make any attempt to prosecute players who are caught betting over the internet.

Even with the strictest measures, however, many players safely enjoy online gambling sites every day. They do so through the use of measures such as VPNs and secure banking systems, which allow them to maintain their anonymity while accessing casinos and sports betting sites. Much of the information you’ll find on this page is designed to help you learn how you can begin safely and confidently playing at our recommended Arabic betting sites.

Gambling Laws

Algeria

• Online Betting: No forms of online betting are legalised in Algeria. However, prosecution of players for playing at foreign websites is rare.
• Offline Betting: There are some lotteries offered in Algeria. Illegal sports betting likely takes place at hippodromes, which host horse races throughout the country.
• Types of Legal Gambling: There are legal lotteries that benefit Algerian sports organisations. Other forms of gambling are prohibited by law.
• Regulatory Bodies: The Pari Sportif Algerien is the organisation that is tasked with operating the national lottery in Algeria.

Bahrain

• Online Betting: No forms of online gambling are legal or regulated in Bahrain, though many foreign sites accept players from the country.
• Offline Betting: There are no forms of gambling currently offered at land-based venues in Bahrain.
• Types of Legal Gambling: While lotteries were once legal in Bahrain, there are currently no legal options for gambling in the country.
• Regulatory Bodies: With no regulated betting, there are no regulatory bodies overseeing gambling in Bahrain.

Egypt

• Online Betting: Online betting is unregulated in Egypt, with many foreign operators accepting Egyptian players on their sites.
• Offline Betting: There are many licensed casinos in Egypt, though only foreign passport holders are allowed to enter these venues. However, Intralot does offer sports betting through the Egyptian National Post Organization, which is available to locals.
• Types of Legal Gambling: Sports betting and lotteries are fully legal, while casino gambling is legal for foreigners.
• Regulatory Bodies: The Lottery Coalition operates lotteries in Egypt, while the Egyptian Tourism Authority oversees casino gambling.

Iran

• Online Betting: Online betting is illegal in Iran, and many foreign gambling websites are blocked.
• Offline Betting: There are no forms of land-based gaming available in Iran.
• Types of Legal Gambling: All forms of gambling are outlawed in Iran.
• Regulatory Bodies: There is no regulation of gambling in Iran.

Jordan

• Online Betting: There are no online betting sites based in Jordan, but players are not blocked from accessing foreign gambling sites.
• Offline Betting: While casino gaming has been considered in the past, there are no offline betting facilities currently operating in Jordan.
• Types of Legal Gambling: At the present time, all forms of gambling are illegal in Jordan.
• Regulatory Bodies: There is no regulation of gambling in Jordan.

Kuwait

• Online Betting: There is no online betting available in Kuwait, and players who participate on foreign sites can be prosecuted for doing so.
• Offline Betting: There are no forms of brick-and-mortar betting available in Kuwait.
• Types of Legal Gambling: All forms of gambling are considered illegal in Kuwait.
• Regulatory Bodies: There is currently no regulation of gambling in Kuwait.

Lebanon

• Online Betting: Legal online betting is limited to an officially licensed site, while the Lebanese government attempts to block access to foreign betting sites.
• Offline Betting: The Casino du Liban is the only venue allowed to offer gambling legally in Lebanon.
• Types of Legal Gambling: Along with casino gambling at the Casino du Liban, a national lottery and a regulated online sports betting site are also legal.
• Regulatory Bodies: The Lebanese government regulates gambling through monopolies, allowing only the Casino Du Liban to offer land-based gambling, while La Libanaise des Jeux is the only company permitted to offer betting online.

Libya

• Online Betting: Online betting is not legal in Libya, with the government banning online gambling sites.
• Offline Betting: There are no land-based betting facilities available in Libya.
• Types of Legal Gambling: All forms of gambling are considered illegal in Libya.
• Regulatory Bodies: There is no regulation of gambling in Libya.

Morocco

• Online Betting: Online lottery tickets are legally available for purchase in Morocco. Players can also access online gambling sites in foreign countries.
• Offline Betting: Several brick-and-mortar casinos are in operation in Morocco. In addition, lotteries and sports betting are available in the country.
• Types of Legal Gambling: Almost all types of gambling are legal in Morocco, including casino gambling, sports betting, and lotteries, both online and offline.
• Regulatory Bodies: Online gambling is not regulated in Morocco. The national lottery is run by Loterie Nationale.

Oman

• Online Betting: There are no forms of online gambling offered in Oman, and the government attempts to block gambling-related content, though many foreign sites are still available.
• Offline Betting: There are no brick-and-mortar gambling establishments available in Oman.
• Types of Legal Gambling: There are no forms of legal gambling offered in Oman.
• Regulatory Bodies: There is no regulation of gambling in Oman.

Qatar

• Online Betting: Online gambling is considered illegal in Qatar, though many foreign sites accept players from the country.
• Offline Betting: Qatar does not allow for any form of land-based gambling in the country.
• Types of Legal Gambling: There is virtually no legal gambling in Qatar, though Qatar Duty Free does run several raffles that work similarly to lotteries.
• Regulatory Bodies: With no legal gambling, there are no regulatory bodies overseeing betting in Qatar.

Saudi Arabia

• Online Betting: There are no legal forms of online betting in Saudi Arabia, and the government attempts to block foreign gambling sites, though some do accept Saudi players.
• Offline Betting: There is virtually no legal land-based betting in Saudi Arabia, though prizes can be won by predicting winners at some horse racing tracks in the country.
• Types of Legal Gambling: Strictly speaking, there is no legal gambling available in Saudi Arabia, though some would consider the horse racing raffles to be betting.
• Regulatory Bodies: There is no regulation of gambling in Saudi Arabia.

Tunisia

• Online Betting: All online gambling is considered illegal in Tunisia, though many foreign sites accept players from the country, and the government does not block access to betting sites.
• Offline Betting: There are four land-based casinos in Tunisia, though only foreigners are allowed to play at them. Some limited sports betting is available through Promosport.
• Types of Legal Gambling: Casinos are legal for foreign visitors, and some limited sports betting and lottery games are also tolerated.
• Regulatory Bodies: Sports betting through Promosport is regulated by the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Physical Education.

Gambling Laws In Virginia

UAE

• Online Betting: All forms of online betting are considered illegal in UAE, and the government has prosecuted players for betting online in the past, so discretion is a must.
• Offline Betting: There are no offline betting facilities available in the United Arab Emirates.
• Types of Legal Gambling: There are no legal forms of gambling allowed in UAE, though Dubai Duty Free shops do sell a variety of raffle tickets at airports.
• Regulatory Bodies: Gambling is not legal in UAE, and as such, there are no regulatory bodies overseeing the industry here.

Yemen

• Online Betting: Online betting is considered illegal in Yemen, and many foreign sites are blocked in the country.
• Offline Betting: There are no brick-and-mortar betting facilities in Yemen.
• Types of Legal Gambling: All forms of gambling are considered illegal in Yemen.
• Regulatory Bodies: Because of the total ban, there are no regulatory bodies overseeing gambling in Yemen.

Why You Should Bet Online

Given that there are virtually no safe ways to gamble offline in the Middle East, the best and safest option for most Arabic players is playing at online casinos. Many illegal options for land-based gambling in the Middle East are dangerous, and even the limited legal options can’t offer the odds and convenience that players get when they play online.

In contrast, there are many trusted, safe online casinos and bookmakers based in overseas nations where they are subjected to strict regulations. This ensures that these gambling sites offer fair, secure games to Middle Eastern players. These online casinos also offer a number of security methods that will help you play discretely and anonymously, including encrypted payment methods. They also employ dedicated customer support teams that are available 24/7 to help you solve any problems that you might encounter while you play.

Gambling Laws Pa

How to Be Secure When You Gamble

By sticking to our list of recommended gambling sites, you should have no trouble being safe while you enjoy your online gambling. However, it’s still important to follow some tips to ensure that you will be able to gamble discretely and work around any legal issues that may exist in your country.

The following methods are two of the most important steps you can take to maintain your safety while you gamble online. By following the advice found here, you’ll be able to focus on your play rather than worrying about your privacy or safety when playing at online casinos.

VPN

Using a VPN – a virtual private network – is a critical step for those who want to gamble discretely in countries where gambling is illegal. A VPN allows you to mask the location from which you are playing, making it impossible to trace your online gambling or other internet activities to your device.

Simply put, a VPN allows your computer or mobile device to connect to a remote network securely. All of the traffic to and from your device will appear to be coming from the other network, which could be located elsewhere in your country or anywhere else around the world.

There are many ways to set up a VPN, but the easiest way is to use one of the many popular and trusted VPN services available online. These vary in pricing, with some offering limited service for free, though almost all offer more options and faster service if you are willing to pay for it. Some of the most popular VPN protocols include CyberGhost, NordVPN, and PrivateVPN, though there are dozens more to choose from.

Once you’ve signed up for a VPN service, you’ll download the client on to your computer or mobile device. Once you’ve logged into that program, you will be able to choose from a number of different servers from around the world that you can use to connect to your casino of choice. The location of the casino you are playing at and your country may determine what server you’ll want to use for your VPN.

While connected to a VPN, you’ll notice that other websites believe that you are connecting from the location of the network, rather than your actual physical location. This ensures that nobody will be able to trace where your activities are actually coming from. Once you are done playing at the online casino and you no longer wish to disguise the source of your traffic, simply disconnect from the VPN, and your browsing will return to normal.

Payment Methods

The fact that online gambling is illegal in most Middle Eastern countries does create some obstacles when it comes to making deposits and withdrawals. But while that means that you won’t be able to simply transfer money from a local bank account to an online casino, there are still safe and easy ways to get money to and from internet gambling sites.

The easiest way to handle your banking at online casinos is through a trusted e-wallet system. These services allow you to create a wallet where you can store funds online. That allows you to use this wallet as an intermediary between your bank and the gambling sites. These e-wallets encrypt your personal information and provide a level of privacy: your bank will only see money going to and from the wallet, with no indication that you are using those funds for online gambling.

Gambling Laws In Kentucky

There are a number of reliable and trusted e-wallets that are both available to players throughout the Middle East and are widely accepted at our recommended betting sites. The most popular of these e-wallets are Skrill and Neteller, both of which are accepted at most online casinos and bookmakers.

Another great option is Bitcoin. This cryptocurrency can be used in the same way as an e-wallet, and can be used for both deposits and withdrawals at a great number of online casinos in the Middle East. In order to use Bitcoin as a banking method, you’ll need to sign up for a wallet at a cryptocurrency exchange sites such as Coinbase, and then purchase some digital currency. Once your wallet is set up, you can quickly process deposits and withdrawals with the anonymity that comes with Bitcoin transactions.

Play Safely at Our Recommended Sites

Gambling Laws Australia

Now that you have a better understanding of Middle Eastern gambling laws, you might feel ready to start playing at an online casino. However, if you’d like more detailed information on the legal situation in your nation, you can check out our dedicated guides on Arabic gambling laws by country. If you’d rather jump right in and start playing now, you can choose from our recommended top sites.

FAQ

Online gambling is largely unregulated in the Middle East. However, that does not mean that online casinos and bookmakers are unavailable in the region. There are many regulated online gambling sites based in other countries that offer safe, trusted games for Arabian players.

Arabic gambling laws vary by country, which is why we offer detailed guides on gambling laws in [[country]] and other Middle Eastern nations. By checking our pages on gambling laws by country, you can gain a deep understanding of the legal situation in your nation.

Gambling Laws Sc

There are steps that you can take to gambling online safely even in countries where gambling is illegal. In order to protect your privacy, it is important to use a VPN when playing at online casinos in the Middle East. In addition, we recommend using a trusted e-wallet program like Skrill or Neteller in order to handle all of your banking, as this provides a layer of security and anonymity for your financial transactions.

Gambling Laws Federal

Online gambling offers a number of advantages over offline betting. With gambling being illegal in most of the Middle East, the only land-based options are often underground, illicit operators who are completely unregulated with few (if any) security features to protect you from legal action. On the other hand, regulated overseas online gambling sites provide a safe, trustworthy place for you to bet on your favourite casino games and sports.