Sports betting and gambling has long been associated with each other, but if you lived within the United States of America, for many years it was illegal to wager money on a sports team or event due to laws that were set in place almost 30 years ago.
While sports in the US were televised nationally and allowed anyone to watch, taking money out using a legitimate bookmaker was against the law, and it was law that saw an extreme amount of illegal gambling to take place.
But things changed during 2018, and the Supreme Court finally ruled that the PASPA law, which was set in place to prohibit sports betting, was repealed, stating that it conflicted with the Tenth Amendment of the United States constitution.
Since the decision was made, the US sports betting market has changed in a dramatic number of ways, and for the most part, it’s been seen as a victory for sports punters from around the country, and sports betting NZ enthusiasts globally.
States That Were Most Affected
Before the PASPA law was changed, only citizens within a handful of the country’s states were legally allowed to put money down on sporting event. These were Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana.
This changed immediately as the law was changed, with a number of states jumping on the bandwagon as soon as they possibly could.
Maryland
Maryland polled 53% of registered voters gave support for legalisation of sports punting within the state, and although there are still some changes to be made, we have begun to see a wider audience within the state.
The issue of sports betting within the state will be addressed during the 2020 elections, where it will most likely become the norm.
Minnesota
Minnesota is one of the few states where the issue of sports wagering has remained undecided. Republican State Representatives announced that a new bill would be put together to reach a consensus on what the general population felt about overall punting.
It showed that around 40.7% of people supported it, although with prevailing popularity throughout the nation, it seems more than likely that this percentage will rise over the next few years until legal sports betting becomes a staple.
New Jersey
New Jersey is well known for its more aggressive approach toward the betting market, and was one of the states that was most active in the PASPA repeal. Since the change, wagering in New Jersey has been totally legalised and can be done at locations throughout the state.
Soon, punters will be able to start betting through online casinos and mobile, which state officials hope will substantially boost the revenue brought in by the open market.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania sits alongside New Jersey as a state that is very much for the legalisation of sports punting, and has taken the same steps toward making it more popular.
The state has set a number of regulations since the change, and more bookmakers are expected to make the state their centre of operations.