The history of sports betting in the USA is a rocky one. Because of the hold that Organized Crime had over sports betting and racketeering, the Department of Justice and the government made sweeping bans against sports betting. This is being circumnavigated by the rise in popularity of online sports betting. The growth of the Internet has meant that there are new ways to gamble and everyone can take advantage of this with no problems.

There are of course still some people that feel that online sports betting sites are run by criminal organizations. But this is simply not true. The majority of online betting sites are run by honest and trustworthy companies, and they can offer a legalized way to bet without any difficulties. Indeed, there is great debate as to whether or not the Wire Act of 1961 can even be applied to online sports betting since it was established so many years before the Internet came about. This argument continues to rage. However, there are lots of legal online sportsbooks that offer gamblers stress-free play, so starting off your online betting hobby can be quick and easy.

So how it is that US players can gamble using these online sportsbooks? The answer lies in the fact that the majority of the sportsbooks are not based within the US. In fact, the majority of them are based on the outskirts, in countries such as Costa Rica and Panama. These are specially based just outside of the US so that they cater to US based gamblers by offering betting lines on US-based sports, such as NFL, NASCAR, PGA Tour, NBA, NHL and College Sports. They also great bonuses and deposit methods that are targeted towards US based players to avoid any potential problems from the Wire Act.

Legal Act to Gamble

To be permitted to bet on sports in the US there are a number of boxes that need to be checked. You must be over the lowest permitted age to gamble within the state that you reside. These vary from State to State so it’s worthwhile checking online or at your local government offices to see what this limit is.

Legal Methods of Deposit within US

It is essentially to be able to deposit cash into your account if you are going to enjoy online sports betting. If you live within the US not all methods that a particular site might offer will be open to you. The most widespread method is by using a credit card, such as MasterCard, Visa or American Express. A Western Union wire is a possibility, via eWallets and checks or money orders. Look to see what each individual site offers.