Gambling Legalized States
- The state of Iowa features riverboat, traditional land-based casinos, and racetrack casinos with slots and table games. The state first legalized casinos in 1989, with the first one opening its.
- State lotteries’ scratch-card tickets generate the most tax revenue. Meanwhile, online and mobile casino gambling and poker betting has grown in popularity. While many Internet gaming sites are unregulated, legal online/mobile gambling exists in 4 states and is expected to be legalized in other US states in the coming years.
- States can now legalize sports betting if they choose after the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban in 2018. Interest in the legalization of sports betting has been ramping up in the US recent years, even prior to that decision. There are now a variety of bills on file around the country.
Casino gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931 and it was the only state to offer that type of gambling until 1977 when New Jersey legalized casinos for its seaside resort town of Atlantic City. It is these land-based, stand-alone, casinos that were the original forms of casinos until riverboat and Indian casinos came along in the 1990s. The laws and legal forms of gambling vary from state to state. What’s legal in one state may be outlawed the next state over, so we like to provide that information on a state-by-state basis. Overall, the general tone in the United States today is drifting to a more accepting view of gambling.
The debate continues to rage over whether or not gambling should be a legal way for adults to entertain themselves. Gambling can take many forms, ranging from traditional and online casino play and poker tournaments to playing bingo and betting on the ponies. Regardless of your personal definition of gambling, read on to learn the pros and cons of legalized gambling. Positive Aspects of Legalized Gambling: - Economic Stimulation : The economy can always use a boost, and legalized gambling could provide that. Offering places to gamble also increases tourism, as indicated by the number of annual visitors to Las Vegas and other gambling havens. Generating billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs worldwide, legal gambling is an exciting way to stimulate the troubled global economy.
- Legal Behaviors : When a population is told that they aren’t allowed to gamble, it’s the first thing that they want to do. Studies of human behavior indicate that people always want what they can’t have, and gambling is no different. It stands to reason that increasing the number of people who are allowed to gamble legally will reduce illegal gaming behaviors.
- Family Revenue : Those who are lucky enough to have a successful professional gambler in their household can attest to the realities of a society that embraces gambling as a legal choice. In a time of economic uncertainty, many families are learning to rely on non-traditional means of support; legalized gambling would make it easier for a professional online poker player to support those that he loves the most.
- Entertainment : Finally, a benefit of legalized gambling is to provide a safe, exciting way to relieve stress. The online gambler who knows that his activities are legal will be far more likely to be less stressed than those who have to ponder the murky legal status of their gaming. Furthermore, legalized gambling as a stress reducer could create an environment where players are happier and more productive in their personal and professional lives.
- Financial Concerns : The act of wagering on the outcome of any given game is a risky one, and the gambler may be spending funds that could be better used elsewhere. Ideally, gamblers will only bet what they can afford to lose, but this often isn’t the case. Instead, those who like to wager often try to compensate for a big loss by betting more and losing again.
- Addiction : Winning a large amount of cash on a wager can be intoxicating; like alcohol and other drugs, the feeling of winning can become addictive. Some gambling addicts firmly believe that they wouldn’t have lost their homes, cars, and families if gambling had been illegal. It’s important to remember to balance this information with personal experience; if you know you’re a responsible gamer, you have nothing to worry about.
- Crime Rates : Cities that have legalized gambling tend to also experience an increase in crime rates. Some argue that increased crime is a result of people losing too much money, but others feel that the large amounts of cash associated with gambling lead to an increase in illegal activity. In order to successfully legalize gambling, officials should consider an increased law enforcement presence.
- Small Businesses Suffer : There is some indication that those communities with legal gambling see a loss in the amount of revenue garnered by small businesses. In addition to providing exciting recreation opportunities, casinos and other gambling establishments tend to support restaurants, bars, and other businesses. When casino visitors come to gamble, they stay for dinner; over time, this tendency can decrease the amount of customers that smaller businesses serve.
What Do You Think?
Now that you’ve read over several pros and cons of legalized gambling, what do you think? Is global economic growth more important than the needs of small businesses? Is gambling as a method of employment acceptable, given the fact that some people get addicted? The issue of legalized gambling cannot be resolved without conclusive answers to questions like these.
➝ Research Interactive Map: Sports Betting in the U.S.
AGA’s interactive sports betting map provides state-level detail on the types of wagering allowed, key regulatory details, legal retail sportsbooks and online/mobile, and more.
Legalized Gambling Number Of States
Sports betting activity
Live, Legal* (19 States + DC)
Legal - Not Yet Operational (6 States)
Active or Pre-Filed Legislation (5 States)
Inactive sports betting
- No Legislation in 2020 (6 States)
- Dead Legislation in 2020 (14 States)
Legal Landscape as of December 7, 2020
“Live, Legal” denotes states where single-game sports betting is legally offered to consumers through retail and/or online sportsbooks. States classified as “Legal – Not Yet Operational” have authorized sports betting, but have yet to launch. “Active or Pre-Filed Legislation” denotes jurisdictions where bills to legalize single-game sports betting have been pre-filed/introduced in the state legislature or where a voter referendum is scheduled. Sports betting provisions, revenue, and location data are sourced from state regulatory agencies.
Sports betting activity
Live, Legal* (19 States + DC)
Legal - Not Yet Operational (6 States)
Active or Pre-Filed Legislation (5 States)
Inactive sports betting
- No Legislation in 2020 (6 States)
- Dead Legislation in 2020 (14 States)
Legalized Gambling States
Legal Landscape as of December 7, 2020