Not all states allow access to domestic online horse betting, however. The Wire Act, at one time, prevented this, but the pari-mutuel nature of horse betting allowed legislators to put it in a different category with its own regulations.

The Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978 – This law allows horse racing betting to take place via OTBs and simulcast services across state lines.

The UIGEA does not target individual players, but it can cause a credit or debit deposit to be declined on rare occasions.

Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 – The UIGEA is also discussed above, and it is a banking regulation that applies to domestic financial institutions, preventing them from knowingly processing payments to or from non-US-regulated online casinos and sportsbooks.

Because the best offshore sports betting sites all operate outside of US jurisdiction and are fully licensed and regulated in their home countries, US residents are able to use these services safely and legally.

Federal Wire Act of 1961 – This law, discussed above, prevents domestic sportsbooks from accepting wagers across state lines.

Fortunately, the act of gambling with offshore sites doesn’t violate any of the following, nor do these laws target individual gamblers in any way: There are only three major US federal gambling laws that affect US players who wish to participate in online casinos, poker rooms, sportsbooks, and racebooks.

Our guide will provide insight into the legal status and quality of the online gambling market both domestically and offshore, and how you can safely and legally navigate it, resulting in the most secure, enjoyable and lucrative online gambling experience possible. And though the laws all differ, there is one constant: It is almost universally legal for US players to gamble online with safe, regulated, offshore betting sites. To that end, we’ve made it our mission to take you by the hand and explain, in layman’s terms, the legal gambling situation for each market in each state. There are literally hundreds of laws to navigate from sea to shining sea. To add to the inconsistency, legal online gambling is not addressed one way or the other in most individual state gambling laws. What’s legal in one region may be illegal in another, and this lack of consistency often leaves American gamblers in the dark. From brick-and-mortar casinos and poker rooms to retail and online sportsbooks and beyond, every local government has different rules and regulations regarding these markets. In the US, each state is empowered to draft its own gambling laws.

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