Online Casinos: How America is following in Canada’s footsteps
The US has had historic legislation in place which has severely limited the growth of the online casino sector. With online gambling all but prohibited in most states and gambling in physical casinos limited to reservation lands and bodies of water, it’s been tricky waters for the industry to navigate.
Author:Elisa MuellerReviewer:James PierceAug 13, 202164.7K Shares1.3M Views
The US has had historic legislation in place which has severely limited the growth of the online casino sector. With online gambling all but prohibited in most states and gambling in physical casinos limited to reservation lands and bodies of water, it’s been tricky waters for the industry to navigate.
However, all that is changing. The US is now beginning to follow in their neighbor's footsteps and slowly, state by state, the strict legislations are being reversed. Canada has sat ahead of the game for a while with reform starting to take place as early as 1985 when provinces and territories were given the right to oversee local gambling activities. Now, more Canadians play at no deposit bonus casino Canada, where new players can sign-up and be given free credits to spend without any money. As such, these types of bonuses and promotions have contributed to the success of online casinos in Canada.
As for the states, the race is on to overturn the stagnant legislature and once again, revive the online gambling industry. Below, we’ll look at how the US is turning around online gambling laws, allowing the industry to grow.
The History Of Gambling Laws In The US
While the first real money online casino in the US was launched back in 1996 by InterCasino, restrictive laws that prohibited licensed venues in the US from providing online gambling services meant that the sector could not grow to its full potential.
During the prohibition era, widespread illegal gambling activity broke out across the US as harsh restrictions led many well-known crime organizations to partake in the activity. Towns with more relaxed attitudes on legislation like Miami, Galveston, and Hot Springs became major gambling destinations that attracted tourists from across the States and while gambling was mostly still illegal, major business investors became wealthy from such activity.
The great depression brought with it the easing of some gambling restrictions and reform began from there. By the 1980s, reform was put in place between the State and the Tribal government in which the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 was formed. This act meant that gambling could take place on Indian reservation land.
The Online Casino Industry In Canada
Many provinces in Canada have now been offering legalized online casino games since the ’70s and ’80s. While each province manages local legislation on what types of online gambling are available, there are several loopholes in the law which means that Canadian citizens from any province can access online casino games provided by offshore vendors.
Popular Types Of Online Gambling In Canada Include:
Sports Betting
Horse racing is available in almost all territories in Canada, although Ontario is the most popular, and placing online bets is only allowed in some regions and territories. A recent bill has been passed to legalize single-match betting in Canada, so we can expect this industry to grow further.
Online Slot Machines
Online slot machines are highly popular across Canada. As technology has advanced, new and improved forms of online slots have been introduced that have attracted a much wider base of players. Today’s online slot games appeal to younger generations through their use of entertaining video game tactics, high-definition graphics, and themed games that are based on the latest TV shows and movies.
Casino Games
Many online casinos are still banned in Canada, although certain states have made them legal. There are over 25 land-based casinos in Ontario, 9 in Quebec, and just 2 in Nova Scotia. However, Canadians can play legally with online offshore casino providers. While there is much progress to be made in terms of online gambling, the US can still learn a lot from Canada’s gaming reform.
Canadians are able to legally gamble with offshore casino providers.
How Are The US Following In Canada’s Footsteps?
In May 2018, the US Supreme Court decided to reverse some of the strict gambling laws by legalizing some gambling and sports betting activity. Before this reform, the ban meant that over $150 billion of illegal sports bettingactivity was taking place every year.
Today, the US constitution has allowed each state to decide its own gambling lawsin which many are now beginning to reverse such restrictive laws that were previously in place. Recent changes have included Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and West Virginia legalizing online gambling.
What’s more, Michigan has recently legalized online gambling, meaning that residents can now enjoy their favorite casino games without having to leave home. Many states are now seeking to approve new online gambling laws that will further promote the growth of the online casino sector.
In 2018, the National Supreme Court ruled that individual states could determine their own online gambling laws, including the use of online casinos.
What Online Casino Games Are Popular In The US?
Thanks to technology, there are now a huge amount of online casino providers that offer a wide variety of online casino games. Due to the increased amount of competition in recent years, providers have had to come up with innovative ways to attract and retain customers.
One of the ways this has been done is by combining aspects of the physical and virtual worlds for an improved online experience. Many poker games now feature live dealers to make the game feel more personalized and flow better, while VR headsets mean that players can still get that immersive experience they feel in a real-life casino.
Other popular games include re-imagined online slots that feature exciting movie and TV show themes, blackjack, and much more.
Overall, while the US online casino sector has had a slower start than the rest of the world, the recent reforms mean that the online world is now their oyster. Watch this space to find out what new online casinos offerings pop up in more and more states as online gambling becomes legalized in more areas.
Elisa Mueller
Author
James Pierce
Reviewer
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