A new year means new opportunity and for the online gambling industry in the U.S, there is certainly plenty of room for growth. The U.S has had a checkered history with online gambling. Quite ironic really, since one of, if not the, most famous casino destinations is housed right in Nevada. We are talking about Las Vegas of course. While there is a little margin for players “cheating” the house, casinos in Las Vegas are well policed with enough security cameras to make a movie.
However, the same level of security cannot be attributed to online casinos and herein lies the doubt some states have about legalizing the activity. With that said, the iGaming industry, as play in online casinos and online sports betting is also called, is beginning to boom all around the world. Markets from the United Kingdom to Canada (mainly Ontario), South Africa, Brazil, and Australia are reaping the rewards for legalizing online gambling.
The federal system in the U.S means each state can decide whether to legalize certain forms of online gambling. This can generally be broken down into three categories: sports betting, online sports betting, and online casinos. Currently, thirteen states do not permit any form of gambling, while others only allow certain forms.
Despite the anxiety around passing legislation for online gambling from some states, there are sections of the country that are thriving from the activity. As a sports-loving nation, it is only natural that sports betting will come into the minds of NFL, NBA, and NHL fans across the country. And with the outreach that online sports books have, there is even the potential to export American betting sites for UK fans of American sports too.
Sports will always be a constant in the lives of millions and with the online sports betting movement gaining even more traction around the world, what action can we expect from the U.S in this industry in 2025?
More States to Join the Movement?
The profitability of online gambling has not been lost on states in the U.S. For those that already allow one of the three forms of online gambling, there could be a push to permit betting across the full board. With the digital movement picking up even more speed, the emphasis for most states is on online sports betting and online casinos. Interestingly, from a cross section of what each state permits, the vast majority are much more open to the prospect of sports betting, retail or online.
However, despite a perceived openness to the activities, there is currently little movement in the way of passing legislation. Alabama is one of the states that does not allow gambling of any kind within its borders, and there remains interest in broadening the gambling horizons despite a failed attempt in 2024 to pass a bill legalizing sports betting, casinos and to establish a lottery. But the situation remains unclear. The same can also be said of Georgia, Minnesota, and Texas.
A greater case for online casinos?
While shifting the online gambling bolder in the states where it is non-existent is proving nearly impossible, there is more hope for agreements and legislation to be passed on online casinos in the 43 states in which it is banned. The task for lawmakers in those states is to find a framework that guarantees the secure hosting of online casino platforms which also involves taking the appropriate approach to tackling potential gambling addiction.
These are just a couple of issues facing the potential introduction of online casinos into a state, along with gambling advertising, taxes on bets made and winnings, and whether citizens within a state would actually go for it. But the upside is clear for all to see. The contribution to the economies of states that allow online casinos is positive. More jobs would be created and perhaps just as important, having a regulated set of rules would effectively stamp out any illegal betting markets.
However, similar to online sports betting, any legislation that is proposed to a respective senate would have to be incredibly comprehensive and would therefore take a significant amount of time to compose and then evaluate.
And what about Crypto Casinos?
Another phenomenon that is gaining popularity is cryptocurrency. Particularly in the states where no gambling exists, it might be too early to be entertaining the idea of cryptocurrency in online casinos. However, in some states, a small portion online casinos have acquired special licensing to accept cryptocurrency as a payment method.
In general, cryptocurrency remains a gray area in its utilization and the implementation of it on online gambling platforms. But once cryptocurrency gains more stability and becomes more widely recognized, we can expect it to come into the online gambling conversation.