Online Sports Betting Legal (Unnamed Copywriting) 2 of 3

So, is online sports betting legal or illegal? This seems to be the hot question of the day. Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy answer. It’s not quite a no, and it’s certainly not a yes.

The issues at hand are what kind of gambling is occurring on the sites, where they are physically based out of, their method of taking bets, and their method of advertising. All of these come into play when deciding if an online sports book is a legal one.

Where all the attention has come from is the fact that there have been recent arrests made in the industry. These have really brought the issue of legality to the forefront. But, the number one thing that they have illustrated is the factor of location. The biggest issue is that the US does not want these sites to be operated from inside its border.

This comes into play with types of betting as well. Casinos and online table games are less like to come under scrutiny, as long as they are being operated offshore. Sports gaming is safe too, as long as advertising is kept in check.

Certain sites confidently advertise on billboards and in print. This will typically not result in any trouble, so long as they aren’t advertising for the sports gambling. This is why, for the most part, you’ll only see ads that are talking about Poker and other table games. Traditional advertising focusing on sports gambling is much more likely to invite trouble.

But, so long as the advertising is limited to online ads or so long as the traditional advertising isn’t in reference to sports gaming, offshore operators are safe. There have been no reports of online ads leading to investigations. But, in order to maintain that safety, there are guidelines to taking the bets.

The biggest issue with the taking of bets is how it is done. Again, the safety of being online rule supreme in this scenario as well. Offshore operators are going to stay in the clear so long as they refrain from taking the bets over the phone. As soon as they cross into phone betting, trouble is coming.

So, the question of is online sports betting legal or not is a tough one to get a good answer on. So long as the sports book is offshore, doesn’t advertise about the sports book in traditional media, and only takes bets online, the answer is a resounding “sort of.”