Online gambling is regulated in some states, meaning that casino operators like DraftKings Casino must meet state-specific regulations to offer iGaming services. These regulations can impact what games are offered, where players can gamble and the minimum age for gambling.
Online slot gambling is legal in states that oversee the activity, as well as in a few other countries. However, the exact rules vary from country to country. For instance, the UK has its own specific laws that cover what types of machines can be accessed and what type of gambling is permitted. The same applies to other European countries, where the laws are slightly different from one another.
The first attempts to regulate online gambling came in the late 1990s when lawmakers such as Bob Goodlatte and Jon Kyl introduced bills to curb iGaming activities that didn’t involve horse racing or state lotteries. However, these bills did not make it past the Senate.
In the years that followed, the iGaming industry continued to expand. By the early 2000s, there were already more than 200 gambling websites. This was thanks to a growing demand for iGaming products from customers and the introduction of advanced technology.
As the iGaming industry grew, state-by-state laws were put into place to govern it. Currently, there are seven states that have legalized online gambling: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia. A sixth, Massachusetts, is expected to launch a legal iGaming market in 2024.
The rest of the US is still in the process of determining whether or not to regulate online gambling. Several states, including California, Illinois and Indiana, have legislation on the table to do just that. But while there’s a lot of excitement surrounding this topic, the reality is that it’s taking much longer than anticipated for the majority of US states to introduce online gambling.
Despite being the most populous U.S. state, California doesn’t allow its residents to place bets on online casino games. But this is something that lawmakers are looking at in the near future, and it’s an area that could potentially see rapid growth.
The only other state in the US that doesn’t allow its residents to play iGaming games is Arkansas. But there are hopes that this will change soon, and lawmakers in the state have put together a bill to do just that. However, it remains to be seen if the state will actually pass this legislation and get its iGaming market up and running.