The US Supreme Court made a huge call in May 2018 when they ruled out the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). The act had previously limited all gambling within the country's borders to only four states that legalised it in 1991. Since May 14, 2018, every State gained the right to adopt and legally regulate the gambling industry. Many took advantage right away, some waited some time to see the implications of the predecessors, while others are yet to enter the world of gambling and online gambling.
The numbers for States that have already legalised gambling speak for themselves. More than $130bn was placed only on sports betting by Americans since the PASPA repeal. Out of 50 States, to date, two-thirds have adopted sports betting. Based on the numbers and money involved, we can easily expect the rest to join the caravan sooner rather than later.
The maiden bet placed in New Jersey best announced what was to come
The author of the inaugural bet ever placed in New Jersey was former State senator Ray Lesniak. It has a lot of symbolism because its outcome pretty much announced what was to come profit-wise for the states that do decide to embrace the new niche. Lesniak bet $50 on France to win the 2018 World Cup in Russia. We all know the outcome as Les Bleus defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final to give the now-retired senator a $400 profit.
States determine the rules
“Since PASPA was ruled out, every state had the right to decide how they would adopt gambling and what exact forms of gambling they might be particularly interested in implementing,” said John Pentin, content director of leading US Sports betting picks site, Betting Picks 4 You. Some States have made big mistakes from the get-go. New York, for example, taxed mobile sports betting revenue at a ridiculous 51 per cent, a rate that does not leave room for any operator to stay liquid and sustainable in the long run regardless of the odds/lines they offer.
At the moment, as many as 36 States have already legalised sports betting. The Californians are anxiously waiting for November when we could potentially witness the end of a lengthy war between commercial betting companies and traditional tribal casinos. California is the Holy Grail of sports betting and a fully regulated market would open a huge array of opportunities for all parties there, including the operators, state lawmakers, regular bettors, and at the end of the day ordinary citizens.
Sports betting and the United States is a perfect match
Some of you may wonder what is with this big fuss about sports betting and its introduction to the United States. As you know, North America (the US and Canada) is home to some of the best athletes in the world. Americans love sports. They love to hang out with friends and family (just think of the Super Bowl weekend as an event) while watching their favourite sports and athletes. The entertainment is much greater when you add some stakes to the whole story and get an additional reason to cheer for a certain team (if your team is not playing that day for example).
Why is it better to have a regulated sports betting market?
Before the PASPA repeal in 2018, the Americans who wanted to place a bet had to do it behind closed doors. They had to break the law. They had to pay suspicious bookies without any legal right to pursue the operators if they refuse to pay their eventual winnings. Imagine having a winning pick and not getting either your money (stake) or winnings and being incapable of doing anything to get that money. Luckily, people won't face these problems in the States that have legalised sports betting because they are not breaking any law and they can easily get your money through the courts in case of any potential issues.
On top of security, there is the pure enjoyment of having the sports betting operators advertised on television while watching your favourite team. Just turn on your TV and they will bombard you with ads for sports betting, regardless of the sports. If you love the drama and the entertainment (who doesn't?), you will enjoy the overall experience of watching a certain event and being able to legally place a bet right away in a matter of seconds simply by using your mobile device.
Plethora of options
As mentioned above, the United States is home to the best professional leagues in the world in basketball, baseball, ice hockey, and football. The popularity of these four sports and leagues is huge across the country. With the legalisation of sports betting, you don't only get a chance to place bets legally but to enjoy an enormous range of markets for these four sports in particular.
Besides the most popular markets such as moneyline, point lines, puck lines, run lines, and totals, you can bet on almost everything you can imagine nowadays. The number of strikeouts for a certain pitcher in an MLB affair, the number of blocky Rudy Gobert will have in a match, or the number of threes made by Steph Curry in the first quarter of the game. You can even bet on the duration of the national anthem before the Super Bowl.
Such an open market allows more sports betting operators, even those from across the ocean, to explore the vast land of opportunities in the country that loves sports. The more operators on the market, the greater the chances of you finding more value for your bets (higher odds). The same goes for the number of markets available. The list of options in most states that have already embraced the industry includes the likes of DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, and BetMGM, as well as the famous European heavyweights such as Unibet or Bet365. Nonetheless, despite the aforementioned numbers, the United States is still an unexplored field for sports betting and online sports betting and we are only yet to see the niche flourishing all over the country.
Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk.