A Guide to Legal US Sportsbooks
In 2018, the Supreme Court repealed the PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) and gave each state the right to allow sports betting within its regions. If you reside in a state with legalized sports betting and are above the legal gambling age, you can download a sportsbook app onto your mobile device and begin placing wagers from anywhere you are. It’s completely safe, fun, and legal. That is, of course, if you’re betting on a legal US sportsbook app.
The primary criterion for sports betting apps to operate legally is to possess a license from the state’s gaming control board. For instance, Michigan operators must hold a permit from the Michigan Gaming Control Board, while the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board must license operators in Pennsylvania. Before any sportsbook operator can receive a license, they must undergo thorough background checks. The gamingcontrol boards review their customer privacy, data encryption, payment regulation, and responsible gambling policies to ensure the operator complies with industry standards. An example of one such standard is that operators must house player funds in separate accounts to ensure that bettors will always receive their winnings.
Explaining Sportsbook Apps
A sportsbook app is simply an extension of a sports betting website that you can access directly via a native app on your mobile. Most US bettors favor apps for their usability and accessibility, particularly with live betting and on-the-go bets. The downside to this is that not all of these easily accessible apps are licensed and regulated. Submitting your personal details and financial information to an unlicensed operation can expose you to fraud and hacking.
Illegal sportsbooks are not under any obligation to comply with payment regulation and customer privacy policies. Put simply, your money and personal info will not be protected. And unlike with legal apps, if anything goes wrong when you bet on an illegal sportsbook, your state’s licensing body will not intervene. Worse still is that unlawful betting is often connected to organized crime, and this is why you should only bet on legal sportsbooks.
How to Find Legal Sportsbooks
The problem is that many bettors find it challenging to differentiate between legal and illegal sportsbook operators. We put together this expert guide to solve that difficulty. Read the following simple steps to ensure you don’tunwittingly wager on an illegal US sportsbook app.
Step 1: Visit The Sportsbook’s Website
The first step is to go to the website of the sportsbook you want to use. Once there, choose the state from which you are betting. Note that before you can proceed, the state you select must be a state where sports betting is legal, and you must physically be within the borders of that state.
Step 2: Check For Licenses Displayed
Scroll down the homepage of the website and search for any information about the sportsbook’s licenses. Legal operators often display their licenses at the bottom of the page. Usually, operators will display the logo of the state board that regulates them and include a link to that regulator.
Step 3: Visit The Regulator’s Website
The website of your state’s licensing board is the place to be if you want to get familiar with the policies surrounding legal sports betting and licensing in your state.
Step 4: Confirm The Betting Operator’s License
The website of your state regulator will also include a section where players can find out more about licensed sportsbook operators within the state. If the sportsbook you want to use does not appear under this section, then it’s not a licensed operator.
Step 6: Contact The State Regulator If You Still Have QuestionsOnce you follow the first five steps and the sportsbook checks out, then it’s safe to bet there. However, if you still have any questions or concerns, contact the state licensing board. Visitthe site’s “Contact Page,” enter your email address and phone number, and submit your inquiries.
More often than not, legal sportsbook apps will offer resources and information that help you carry out these checks easily.
A Summary Of Legal US Sportsbooks
Although there are many ways to fall into the traps of using illegal US sportsbooks, but with the help of our expert guide, you should be ready to bet online safely. As long as you are in a state where online sports betting is legalized, and you are oflegal age, you’re good to go. Download a sportsbook to bet on your favorite sports like the NBA and enjoy the thrill of betting today.
