These days, you will notice that there are already a lot of people getting into online sports betting. For most people, it is a way for them to earn extra income especially if they are going to win this game of strategy and chance. So they log on to sports betting sites and check online sports betting books to bet and try to beat the odds set in the world of online gambling.
However, no matter how many people have already played this type of game, there are still many of them who are concerned about the legality of online sports betting. These are the people asking if online sports betting is legal or not. The truth is that this question is a difficult one to answer, because you need to look at law in a much deeper sense than just a plain paper stating what is legal and what is not.
First of all, Interstate Wire which is sports betting between states via any wired device such as telephone. However, this law has two questionable sides. One is whether the ban is limited to sports gambling only or will it include some specification of other types of gambling in the state. Keep in mind that gambling is not only limited to sporting events but other types of gambling are also held in this country. However, the event in which the case between two online casino gamblers and a credit card company has been dismissed and thus implies that this law only applies to sports gambling.
The flip side of this law is that it was passed during a time where sports betting or gambling between countries was possible via wired devices such as mobile phones. Therefore, placing and getting bets on these wired devices will surely land you a guilty verdict for gambling and violating the Wire Act. But the question is, does this law apply to online gambling or not?
It could be argued that internet betting or gambling is not covered by this law, but the United States Department of Justice has interpreted the law to apply to all gambling activities, even those conducted online. However, the discussion of the legality of online sports betting does not end here.
Years after the dismissal of the case, the Internet Gambling Regulations and Enforcement Act have been proposed by Barney Frank. This act calls on the government to legitimize internet gambling. It has figured out how to regulate internet gambling and how it benefits in generating income in the country. This means that the country will receive several million dollars in revenue if online gambling is approved. Currently, this measure is still waiting for further study and approval from the government.
In addition, Antigua and Barbuda have filed complaints with the World Trade Organization against the United States on the grounds of preventing them from participating in internet gambling. The WTO is on the side of Antigua and Barbuda and thus gives them to claim some money to punish the United States.
Therefore, in answering the question whether online sports betting is legal or not, it still takes a lot of study and legal interpretation. But for now, the US Sportsbookbook Site may or may not be legal but with more proposals in legalizing online sports betting it can be granted the license that it has been waiting for a few years as more people want to be bold on this game.