Mobile sports betting sites are quite safe to use and you will not get into any legal trouble simply for using one. They operate within the bounds of the legal systems that regulate them. It might be surprising to know that almost all legal mobile sportsbooks that you will use are located overseas. We will get in to why later. Suffice to say, they must do this in order to serve US players. Most people in America are becoming aware that there are many more options for betting on their favorite sports beyond going to Nevada. Hundreds of thousands are realizing that they don’t need to travel or take a vacation every time they want to bet. That, in fact, they have access to legal world-class sportsbooks and casinos in their pockets.
Now that you know about some excellent legal mobile sports betting sites, it’s high time we allay any fears you have about breaking the law. Just to reiterate, these sites are all legal, and have been operating for decades. There is nothing wrong with signing up for one and wagering real money on sports. However, it is definitely a good idea to get a firm grasp on the current legal situation for sports betting in America so you will know that what you are doing is on the up and up. One of the big laws to know about is the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.
The PASPA is the preeminent US federal law that governs sports betting in America. With all the harsh and restrictive power this law exerts, it is actually one of the main reasons we are able to use mobile online sportsbooks. PASPA restricts bookmaking in all but two states in the nation, Nevada and Delaware. Also, Delaware only offers bets on the NFL, and they are limited. Therefore, Nevada is the only state that is allowed to have sportsbooks that run year round. The great news is that PASPA does not restrict you, the player, from using a legal sportsbook. The overseas sites that offer mobile betting are not within the reach of US federal laws, and they operate legally in their home countries. This is why you can sign up at any of these great sites today, without breaking the law. The Wire Act is another federal law that still affects sportsbooks today, albeit in a small way.
The Wire Act is an old law from the sixties that originally was made to battle organized crime. It doesn’t hold much sway these days, but it still restricts states from sending wagering information over wire communication devices, aka the internet. This is why, even if PASPA allowed all states to have their own sports betting sites, they wouldn’t really want to because they wouldn’t be able to accept players from other states. The Wire Act has zero effect on the mobile sports betting sites that we all use though. There is one other law that affects the way a sportsbook can manage funds across seas, it is called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
The UIGEA is the newest of the online wagering laws, and the only one that really matters. If you are old enough to remember when poker websites were proliferating in America, then you also remember when they all but disappeared in the mid-2000’s. This happened due to the UIGEA, which outlawed financial institutions from accepting funds from wagering sites. The good news is, the UIGEA only has a tiny effect on our beloved overseas mobile sportsbooks.
With the UIGEA in place, these sites do not feel comfortable sending funds to players’ credit card accounts, because they don’t want banks to get in trouble. Luckily, there are numerous other payout methods to choose from such as cash wires, checks, Bitcoin, and more. Take a look at our mobile sports betting payouts page to learn more about them. To sum it up: The UIGEA only affects a payout type, and that is it. You can still make mobile sportsbook deposits with your credit/debit card at most sites, but you will choose a different method when you want to make mobile sportsbook withdrawals.
Most of the sites that we will point you to offer membership to players from all fifty states. This isn’t always the case however, as some sites disallow players from states like Nevada and Delaware from joining, since those states have their own sports betting laws. For the most part, anyone can join a mobile betting site as long as they are old enough to bet.
How Old Do I Have To Be To Sign Up?
Most online mobile sportsbooks unanimously accept anyone that is over 18 years old. Some states do have their own legal betting ages though. You should check out your state laws before joining a site to make sure you meet the requirements. Some states set the age above 18, usually 21. If this is the case in your state, it is best to wait until you are at least 21 before joining.
Legal mobile sports betting sites abound these days, but choosing a great one can be confusing. You will find slanted reviews all over the place that promote sportsbooks that are paying them, but that’s not what we do here. We are fans and players first and foremost, and have been wagering online and on our mobile devices for decades. We know how to spot a great site that is safe and legit. Each of these mobile sportsbooks has been operating for at least ten years, which is much longer than any unlawful site would ever last.
Legal Mobile Sportsbook for Safe Online Wagering
Sports betting has been around for a long time, but the mobile and web-based versions are relatively new. That being the case, Bovada is one of the most historic site, operating in some way, shape, or form for over two decades. This longevity is rare in the sports betting world, and it is due to the fact that Bovada is legal, safe, reputable, and the mobile features are unbeatable. You can access the entire sportsbook on your phone or smart device as well as manage your account and make deposits/withdrawals.
BetOnline operates legally under the laws of the Canada Gaming Commission. Out of all of the great sports betting sites that serve US residents, Bovada is the closest, being located in Quebec. The site has a license from the local government, as well as a certificate of good standing. You can’t go wrong by joining this site and betting on sports from your mobile device, without any extra download!
We hope that this page has answered all of your legal questions revolving around mobile sports betting. You should now understand that betting at a mobile sportsbook is safe and legitimate. We would like to review the best legal mobile sports betting sites in the world so you can get ready to wager on all the biggest sporting events in the world legally from your phone or smart device. Feel free to head to any of the sites that we mention to learn much more about them, or visit our long mobile sportsbook review pages, that go in-depth on each one.