It is very understandable that people who have the desire to place their bets online would ask this question. No one wants to go to jail for what would seem for others as a harmless form of enjoyment. To answer the question, online betting is illegal in the US, or some sectors may say so, but the lines of legality are so blurred that there have been really no Americans that have been arrested for betting online.
Many online betting sites are located outside the US where the laws allow online betting like in Australia, the Caribbean, and in South America. With these online betting sites out of reach, there is not much the US government can do, but Americans are continually using these services without any danger and it is reported that 60% of the revenues come from American gamblers. Laws regarding online betting is so murky, that any clarity as to whether a person is doing something illegal by betting online is never directly implied.
What laws are clear on with regards to online bets is the illegality of promoting online betting. Many radio stations have felt the sting when ads have been banned and this may follow suit with many different forms of media, with mainstream portals and websites most likely feeling the crunch. With the dot.com industry a far cry from its extremely profitable heyday in the nineties, these ad revenues are what keep most of them afloat.
And although its legality is still without any direct implications with online bettors, it's still much harder to confidently place bets now than it was six years ago. This doesn’t mean though that if you bet online, federal agents would come knocking on your door. Online betting is the least of the government's worries and as a bettor; you should be worried more if the online site you're betting on is legit.
Whether it's playing poker online, or betting at sports, or if you are a recreational or a serious bettor, you need to make sure that you pick the right bets in order for you to win some money and make some profit.
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