Over the past 25 years, the online gambling market has grown from nothing to an industry that generates about $73 billion in annual revenue. The USA is one of five countries that generate three quarters of this revenue, despite the fact that online gambling legislation is still a work in progress. While around 50 percent of US states have now legalized online sports betting, online casinos are only legal in six states.
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The role of offshore casinos
In almost all other states, it is commonly said that online casinos are illegal. However, that is only strictly true in Washington State, which passed legislation in 2006 making it illegal to play online casinos. In every other state, it is prohibited to operate an online casino, but there are no laws that prevent people playing at them.
This is where offshore casinos come in. Based outside the US and licensed in other jurisdictions, many of them are specifically tailored to the US market, providing casino gaming to players regardless of which US state they call home.
Are offshore casinos safe?
Some people are concerned that gambling at an offshore casino might carry extra risks. Yet there are many offshore providers that get four and five star ratings and are ranked among the best US online casinos by independent review sites. See https://www.gamblingsites.com/online-casino/best/ for more detailed information and examples.
Having said that, scammers and rogue operators exist in all areas of cyberspace. These represent a very small minority in the online casino space, but it is important to check review sites like the one mentioned above when choosing an offshore casino before you deposit any money.
More gaming and sport options offshore
Even in US states that have their own regulated online gambling operators, many gamblers prefer to visit offshore casinos and sports betting providers. This is because you tend to see a wider choice – especially when it comes to sport. Understandably enough, US sports books are mostly focused on the major US leagues such as the NFL, NBA and so on. Offshore providers cover sports and tournaments from across the globe, ranging from league soccer in the UK to franchise cricket from India.
It’s a similar story with the casino games. For example, roulette players prefer to play the European version of the game where possible as it has a lower house edge. This is not always easy to find at state licensed US casinos, but you will find plenty of European roulette tables at offshore platforms.
A wider choice of payment methods
As a rule, offshore casinos tend to offer the widest choice of transfer methods for getting funds into your gambling account and withdrawing winnings. Domestically licensed sites are often hamstrung by state legislation that prevents them from accepting certain methods, such as credit cards or cryptocurrency.
When a casino or sports book is based offshore, it is not subject to any of these restrictions. Crypto options are particularly strong, with many casinos accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum and a whole list of altcoins, too.
