This is a very commonly asked question for anyone thinking about betting on baseball and other sports. The most basic answer is yes. Betting on MLB baseball is legal, but you have to make sure that you understand the law before jumping right in. That is why we have put together this comprehensive and informative page on United States betting law and how it relates specifically to Major League Baseball. We will tell you about some of the most important laws that pertain to sports wagering in America. We will also explain who can join an online sportsbook, and how old you have to be to do so.
The Wire Act
There are several crucial laws that pertain to sports betting in the United States of America. We will start with the earliest important sports betting law, the Federal Wire Act. This law came about in 1961, at a time when corruption was beginning to take major hold on American sports, including baseball. Crime syndicates were starting to their hands in the money pot of America’s Pastime, and the United States government wasn’t having any of it. The Wire Act, put as simply as possible, prevents any person or organization to transfer any currency or information related to betting from one state to another. At this point, there wasn’t any law to prevent a state from setting up a sportsbook. The Wire Act simply had to do interstate transfer of money and information.
PASPA
Over thirty years later, in 1992 to be exact, Congress passed a new law: The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA for short. This was a much more drastic and wide-reaching law that flat-out outlawed sportsbooks in most of the states in the US. Luckily, there are a few states where PASPA does not apply. These privileged states are Delaware and Nevada. Although Delaware’s options are rather limited, Nevada is wide open. You can legally walk into any Nevada casino or sportsbook no matter what state you live in. However, to use a Nevada online sportsbook, you must be a Nevada resident.
UIGEA
There is one other important law that applies to sports betting in America, and it is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This law primarily affects the way money can be transferred to and from accounts. It really only limits withdrawal options, in particular credit or debit cards. Because of UIGEA, you will not find any credit card options listed on withdrawal methods. The UIGEA is a highly controversial law. It was attached to the end of the Safe Port Act of 2006, which was completely unrelated to betting. In addition, members of Congress did not even have to time to read the darned thing before it was passed.
Now that we have taken care of the three major sports betting laws in the United States, It’s time to give you some info on legal sports betting sites. An online sportsbook is going to be your best option when it comes to betting on Major League Baseball. For most people, traveling to Las Vegas or Reno is out of the question. Here’s a much better idea, though: stay home join an internet betting site free of charge. These sites allow you to bet on all the same sports as land-based books, and offer great MLB betting odds! They are based outside of the US, so they are not bound by the same laws and regulations as are sportsbooks that function inside the country. You do not have to worry at all about breaking any laws, because there aren’t any that prevent a US citizen from betting at an online sportsbook. These laws function in order prevent sportsbooks from operating on US soil. The true purpose for these laws is to stop criminal syndicates from setting up unlawful bookmaking operations.
Most Trusted Odds for MLB Play
Bovada is one of the top online sportsbooks for American players, and they are licensed and legal. They put safety and security at the very top of their priorities list. You can tell that they are on the level because of the millions and millions of satisfied and happy members who bet at Bovada on a regular basis. Bovada functions out of Canada, possesses a full-on gaming license, and has been given some prestigious accolades and awards, such as the Kahnawake Gaming Commission’s Certificate of Good Standing.
At Bovada, you will MBL betting lines after MLB betting line in their sportsbook section. Players from most US states are welcome to join risk free. Bovada accepts all players who are at least 18 year old, or whatever the age limit is in your state. Since Bovada is an overseas site, it bypasses the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and other such laws. You will not get in trouble for using Bovada, nor will do you have to worry about any security or safety concerns. Bovada has some of the most state-of-the-art security features around, and they have a friendly customer service department that you can always contact should you have any problems. Take it from the experts; Bovada is the place to make all of your dreams of green come true!
This is a bit of a slippery slope. As US citizens, MLB players have the same rights as anyone to use an online betting site. In other words, they will not be arrested. However, the MLB has its own rule that prohibits any player from betting on baseball, or they will be banned from the league. Pete Rose is the most obvious example. He was accused of placing bets on a baseball game on March 21, 1989, and a few months later voluntarily accepted a position on the MLB’s ineligibility list. The bottom line is that is is not technically illegal for a baseball player to bet on the sport, but it is looked down upon and you are likely to be punished by the league.
As with any other sport, the legal betting age varies depending on what state you live in. Most sportsbooks set the default age at 18, but different states have different laws. In some states, the legal age is as high as 21, so even if the site says you have to be 18, that does not matter. You must go with what your state law says. There are even a few states that either do not have a set betting age law at all, or that set the age “somewhere between 18 and 21.” In these cases, contact your local or state government officials.