US Politics and gambling

By- Chris Carter

Politics in the United States generates much talk these days, because it feels like everyone has very different opinions that they're all passionate about. Online gambling and sports betting are no exceptions. With recent laws around gambling changing, many states have chosen 2021 to enact their measures for legal online betting. These fast few are already seeing record profits while other states still deliberate the specifics. Still more states are completely opposed to gambling, or the Native American tribes that control casinos in their states are working to thwart the rise of online betting. Like all politics, it's a clash of ideals with no obvious answer.

How Gambling Became A Recent Issue

Gambling has been around in the US since the beginning of the US, so some might wonder why it's a political issue now. It started with a 2018 Supreme Court ruling. The country had a longstanding federal prohibition on sports betting. Casinos were more of a state decision, with only a few opting to house such gambling facilities. When the Court revoked the prohibition on sports betting, states flocked to legalize it. In the digital age, betting apps generate too much money to ignore.

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As States began putting forth measures to legalize sports betting, the events of 2020 both delayed the process and emphasized the importance of online-capable businesses. Online poker and horse betting were already active for some time, but now you can play slots and even sports betting is legal as an app game. Seeing the potential money in legalizing all forms of gambling, many states got their measures in place for the 2021 sports seasons.

But not every state's government or citizenry were swayed by the potential jackpot. Some local governments find gambling to be a moral issue and do anything to strike down legal gambling measures. Others want it, but are in conflict with their local tribes. Some of these tribes want to control all the gambling themselves on their land, and fear how much business they'd lose by releasing it to the internet. They teamed up with anti-gambling groups to slow the progress of gambling laws. So it is that the question of legalized gambling becomes a matter of morals, corporate interests, and licensing laws. All of which contend in the arena of politics.

Revenue For The State Is The Most Prominent Argument

Politics in the United States generates much talk these days, because it feels like everyone has very different opinions that they're all passionate about.

States that have already legalized online gambling and sportsbook apps are showing huge revenue. Michigan is an example of a newcomer that has managed to outdo New Jersey in revenue numbers, despite the fact that Jersey is a gambling powerhouse. It shows that, despite the history of a state's infrastructure, betting money is made quickly and easily. And any state would want to boost its local economy to the tune of millions of dollars.

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What holds some states back, however, is how the money is divided up. At first it becomes a negotiation between the state governments and the tribes that run their casinos. What percentage of the revenue makes both parties happy? Can the local lawmakers agree on this? And what games get approved? Is sports betting allowed, or is it just casino games? Finally, where does the state's part of the money go? What programs and budgets get permission to tap into those funds? Even if a state happily adopts gambling, there's still a lot of voting to do before its people can spin their first slot.

For several states, the money gained from legalized betting is too much to pass up. Michigan is showing great numbers, and Arizona is sure to follow. However, many states have people that are opposed to gambling or governments that can't agree on how the money should be split. The United States has as many opinions as it does people, and we see that in the complex world of betting laws.