Updated: April 2024

Legalized Sports Betting

By a vote of 6-3, last Monday the Supreme Court legalized sports betting which reversed a 1992 federal law that in essence made sports betting in most states illegal.

The court outlined that Congress can directly regulate sports gambling; however, there is the option for States to act on their own.

A law passed in 1992 known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act prohibited sports betting in every state except the four where it was already legal, those being Nevada, Delaware to a lesser extent, Oregon and Montana. The law gave other states 1 year to legalize sports betting if they chose to.
On Monday in a separate ruling, The Supreme Court also ruled in two different important cases that cover personal rights. There was a unanimous ruling in the Byrd vs. US where the court ruled that if the police stopped a motorist driving a rental car, they were not allowed to search the vehicle without a warrant, even if the rental agreement doesn't have the driver's name on it.

In the McCoy vs. LA, the court ruled by a 6-3 vote to order a new trial in the case for a capital defendant whose attorney hid his guilt to the jury which was a direct disregard of his client's explicit instructions.

Following Monday's ruling, New Jersey is now allowed to collect taxes from legalized sports betting with other states also allowed to do so without impunity. Online sports gambling websites will no doubt take advantage of this opportunity. Under the PASPA this practice was grandfathered in for Nevada in the past.
Which states will legalize sports betting?

Justice Samuel Alito wrote the sports betting decision by the court and he stated federal law unconstitutionally took control of the lawmaking authority of the states. He said that the law at issue unequivocally determines what a state legislature could possibly do and as a result, this puts the state legislature in Congress' direct control.

He went on to say that Congress can directly regulate sports betting, however, it can't pass responsibility to the states, directing them how to regulate their own constituents.

Although the Court's decision was constitutionally based, the results will be more mercenary.

When the PASPA got repealed last year, Connecticut passed a bill to regulate sports betting. Mississippi, Missouri, California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana and Oklahoma are expected to follow New Jersey and Connecticut's lead In the future other states that are expected to approve similar legislation include Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan and West Virginia.

Utah is a definite no for sports betting due to the anti-gambling provision that is written in the Constitution of the state. In the next year or two, most states are expected to make sports betting legal, which will give states a new and needed income from taxes.

 

Just the fact that you are visiting this site is a good indication that you are considering getting into online sports betting in your area and are looking for more information on how to get started. It's a good thing you're here as we are in a good position to put you in the know.

First up, even though there are laws and restrictions placed upon the online sports betting arena in the United States, these restrictions still allow the punter to go about putting down a wager or two on a sporting event due to lower restrictions placed on sports betting – especially at the federal level. However, there are few important considerations to know at both the federal and local level for the state where you reside when it comes placing bets on sporting events.

There is also detailed information outlining the top rated sportsbooks that cater to online betting for even more added convenience. To read more about the sportsbook deposit legality, click on the link here.