Delaware looks set to become first US state to have online casino gambling

 
26 February 2013

Here in the UK, we take online gambling for granted a little; it’s become a staple of the Internet that is as commonplace as social media and online shopping. However, that’s not the case across the pond in the United States. For those who aren’t aware, online gambling is actually illegal in America. There are all sorts of permutations and sub-laws that state what is and isn’t legal, but the crux of it is that online gambling is not allowed. But all that looks set to change in the state of Delaware.

If all goes to plan, Delaware will become the first state in the whole of the United States to have a wide range of online gambling services. Online poker has actually been legal in Nevada since 2011, and licenses have been granted to set up sites, but they aren't due to go live until later this year. In the meantime, Delaware could well get a jump on other states, provided that the gambling remains between those who are physically located within the state. That means that just because it's legal in Delaware doesn't mean they can play against someone from another state. All of this comes at a time when online poker and gambling continues to increase in popularity in many other countries. In the UK, for example, punters can compare the latest sign up offers and poker welcome bonuses before playing by using websites like Chips.co.uk.

The Delaware Gaming Competitiveness Act of 2012 was passed in June of last year and the first sites are projected to be up and running at some point this spring. It is estimated that for fiscal 2013, revenue would be at least $3.75 million. Although some sports betting is also allowed in Delaware, unlike most of the US, it's unclear as of yet how this will affect sports betting legislation.

This is no doubt excellent news for the online gambling industry. This is the first step to getting arguably the world's biggest market to be a part of the industry, even if it is just the relatively small state of Delaware and even if it is just within that state. Interstate gambling is something that could potentially be on the horizon, especially as the neighbouring state of New Jersey is also not far behind on loosening their online gambling restrictions.

Looking at the other side of the coin, there is a chance that it simply won't take off. At least not in all aspects of online gambling. Single player games, such as slot machines, will likely fare pretty well but multi-player games, such as poker, may not. The draw of online poker is that you can log in at any time of the day or night and play against people of a similar standard. With Delaware limiting usage to within the state, this may not always be possible.

Of course, here in the UK, online gambling is thriving and has been for a decade. In fact, there is so much choice that it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, that's where Chips.co.uk comes in handy. At Chips.co.uk, you can see all of the very best offers from across all of the biggest online gambling sites. Click here to see just how much you can claim in free bets and offers.

With Chips.co.uk, you can also compare odds across different sites, allowing you to see where you can make the most money. You can see various betting markets and odds here.

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