If you are looking to have a bet online from the US?, then your quickest option is to bet via offshore betting sites.
This isn't anything to be apprehensive about. This is because you now have a good choice of top standing online sportsbooks to choose from.
All the best offshore sportsbooks listed on this website are regulated and licensed by the country they reside offshore in.
Costa Rica and Kahnawake in Canada are two of the more popular destinations for offshore sportsbooks to set up businesss.
There have been ambivalent reactions in the USA on whether betting is legal or not, and which states legalize it. Many people disagree on what the law states about the activity, and until there is a clear explanation of if betting is legal or not, people will always have confusions.
Over the years, the American government has debated against the Internet betting legalization by pointing out the Interstate Wire Act. This was passed to limit sports betting between different states with the use of devices incorporated with wires or the telephone.
The History of Offshore Betting
A ruling was upheld by the 5th U.S circuit court of Appeals in 2002. This ruled out a lawsuit that was presented by two online gamblers against credit card companies. This was due to debts brought about by placing bets on casino games. The case was dismissed and the court claimed that the Wire Act only covered sporting events.
On the other hand, The US Department of Justice perceived the matter differently by claiming that the Wire Act covered every form of internet sportsbook betting. This was agreed by the U.S District Court of Middle District of Louisiana. The US Justice Department ushered in the Casino City Operators, in the event of dismissing the case.
The Casino City was a website that acted as a portal for online sportsbook betting sites. The court ruled out that the government was interested in advertising of illegal activities and that included Internet sportsbook gambling.
The ruling was supported by the 5th Circuit U.S Court of Appeals. So from that moment, offshore betting sites betting was officially illegal.
Some of the state that participated in the activity and were banned from participating in online sportsbook wagering included;
- New York
- California
- Las Vegas
- Nevada, the state that holds Las Vegas, The gambling city.
The Legalization of Offshore Betting
Representative Barney Frank ushered in the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act in 2007, which was aimed at legalizing Internet sportsbook gambling.
At the same time, Representative James McDermott brought up the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act, which was termed as a partner bill to the one that was ushered in by Rep. Frank.
The Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act talked about how to control online sportsbook betting sites and how tax can be collected on each wager that was made.
McDermott announced that there was a firm would make about $3.1billion – $15.2 billion in revenue during the first 5 years, this is in the course of Internet betting regulation.
The same regulation would attract $8.7 billion to $42.8billion within the first 10 years.
Currently, there are more states that have been legalized to carry out online betting.
New Jersey and Delaware for instance, have been mandated to engage in online sportsbook gambling.
California, Illinois, Hawaii, Iowa, Mississippi, Texas, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have been approved to be a legal gambling state by the National Conference of State Legislature.
Online Sportsbooks Take Over
Offshore betting is a new way that is used to ensure safety for offshore betting sites gamblers and improve the activity more. It sends money to a certain offshore gambling site and it might be carried out in several ways.
The money can be transferred via money orders and other bank wired, online money services or through credit card payments. This money is stored in a gamblers offshore online sportsbook account and they can bet on several things, including poker, sports, casino games, horse racing and many more.
Several top offshore betting sites have all these features incorporated in one site or they could have links that redirect gamblers to the other offshore related business sites.
For instance, a site could have sport betting names, but be involved in online poker. This will allow you to have access to their poker website using the same money that you are using to bet on a sporting event.
That applies also to other betting activities such as online casino betting and Bovada horse racing betting. All these available options link in the same sportsbook site.
Online betting in the USA is a real hit. Players love betting at offshore betting sites online thanks to the convenience.
Why take a trip to a betting shop miles away from home when you can place bets online on your computer or smartphone. It’s easy, it’s fun, and best of all, it’s highly rewarding.
Running a sportsbook online surely cuts back on spending – this is why online offshore betting sites usually have much better odds. They also have an almost endless range of markets and promos which beats any betting shop.
Get ready for a bit of disappointment. Online betting laws in the USA have been passed down to state level so each one decides if it allows it on its own. Good news – the number of states that allow it is rising.
Bad news – many are still against it.
Good news again – if you come from a US state where betting online is illegal, you can still do it safely at offshore betting sites.
What Are Offshore Betting Sites?
As the term implies, these offshore betting sites are located outside of the USA. They don’t fall in US jurisdiction but they do accept American bettors. You can safely bet at these sites without being afraid of prosecution.
Online betting may be illegal in the USA, but the law rarely uses penalties against players.
Plus, you’re not very likely to be caught betting online.
Trying to place a bet at an offshore betting site is illegal, yet you won’t be facing jail time.
You are, however, opening yourself up to legal liability without any enforceable legal rights.
If the site you’re betting at offshore is a scam, good luck trying to get your money back. You won’t have any legal support – you’ll be left to fight alone. That’s the nature of offshore betting and its biggest disadvantage.
Here’s some good news again – the majority of offshore betting sites are properly regulated and fully legal. Thus making offshore betting legal.
Are Offshore Betting Sites Legal?
Licensed and registered by some of the biggest gambling authorities, offshore betting giants such as bet365 are perfectly legal to bet at. This particular offshore sportsbook site is even legal in the state of New Jersey and plans to obtain further licenses from other US states.
Even if you’re not from NJ, you can place bets at bet365 in any of its hundreds of markets without fearing legal consequences.
Thanks to best offshore sportsbooks such as bet365, you can be sure you’re betting in a safe, secure, and legal environment. You won’t have to fear the FBI knocking on your door or trashing it just because you’ve placed a bet.
You’re more likely to pass with a slap on the wrist, but it won’t even come to that.
bet365 is an online betting giant properly licensed by the MGA (Malta Gaming Authority). Known as the second biggest gambling authority after the UKGC, the MGA is a reputable governing body that issues licenses to anyone who can pass its strict requirements.
What’s more, MGA’s licensees need to work hard to keep it – should they act outside the law, they’ll lose the license and customers along with it.
What Advantages Do Offshore Betting Sites Offer?
Well, the biggest advantage offshore betting sites have over local bookies is the fact that they give customers access to online betting.
Utah, for example, is a strict opponent to online betting. If you come from there, you’ll (probably) never be able to bet online unless you visit an offshore betting site.
But its advantages go far beyond it.
Sites such as bet365 have a myriad of betting options paired with industry-leading odds. The site comes “packed” with live betting and streaming which is another plus it has over other bookies.
Although not focused on the US betting market, offshore betting sites often have a variety of American sports and markets in their offer.
In short, bet365 and the likes constantly raise the bar and offer a much better online betting experience than US bookies.
What Do US-Friendly Offshore Bookies Offer?
Well, first and foremost, you can be sure that you’ll get plenty of bonuses and promotions. From the welcome offer to a variety of prizes you can earn later, offshore betting sites are very generous.
You will earn extra cash even before you start betting thanks to first deposit bonuses.
Become a regular at offshore betting sites and you’ll claim a bunch of loyalty rewards as well.
The odds are another bullet in the pros column for offshore betting sites. They are equal if not better than the competition’s offer. The number of markets can match any US betting site and even trump it in bet365’s case.
In many cases, offshore betting sites are much bigger and better than their US counterparts simply because their respective countries have legalized online betting.
The Bottom Line
Let’s get a bit technical.
Online betting at offshore betting sites is only legal if you place the bet physically from US states that have legalized online betting.
In all other cases, it is a grey zone.
While you can easily place bets at offshore betting sites from any US state, you still risk things a bit if you do it from states such as Utah.
Not that it matters – the law on online betting is pretty lax so you won’t be facing jail time.
If US bookies don’t tick your boxed and offshore betting sites do, you can safely place bets at them without the fear of legal consequences.
Why Choose Offshore Betting Sites?
Flexibilty
The best offshore online gambling sites offer a great advantage to online sports bettors in terms of making sportsbook gambling easier.
On an offshore sportsbook site, you will not be required to visit a local casino business in order to lay down your bets on a certain sport.
You also will not be required to go to a local card room to participate in a poker game.
All these can be done on one online offshore sportsbook site, without needing to change anything. These offshore sports betting websites are favored because they let a gambler play several betting games from their homes in the most flexible way.
Safe and Secure
Playing at offshore betting sites is the same as dealing with a bank, whereby you will be sure of having your money safe and readily available at any time. In these online offshore sportsbook sites, you will be able to put your bets at any time of the day, or any day of the week.
Extra Bonuses and Perks
You will be awarded bonuses by offshore sports betting sites for participating in an activity. In most cases, gamblers are able to get deposit bonuses online, which they will then convert into real cash.
For that reason, many online offshore gambling sites such as MyBookie, Xbet and Bovada, have moved their domains to .ag, .eu and .lv respectively. These sportsbooks want to fully utilize the beneficial features, legal gambling and capability of the offshore sites.
Through these offshore sportsbook sites, betting websites are gaining more clients and they are sure of their safety and comfort whenever they play.
The offshore functionality allows top offshore betting sites to make more money in terms of revenue and this is making them more legal in several states. This is because the offshore sportsbook sites help the government to earn revenue, via tax and be sure of limited fraud cases or money laundering.
One of the major things that agitated the government to ban online sportsbook gambling was tax evasion, fraud and several money laundering cases.
Nevertheless, such cases are limited in an offshore wager site, which uses high technology to ensure money is safe and that the revenue earned is well accounted for. That has significantly improved the economy and the US government has strongly supported the online gambling sportsbook business in some of the major states in USA.
Where To Get Offshore Betting Lines?
Get the latest offshore betting lines from MyBookie.ag. Another source for offshore online sportsbook gaming with a string of tempting bonuses to boost your bankroll.
Take advantage of the latest lines on all the American sports you could want to place a wager on at offshore sportsbook MyBookie.
NFL Betting Lines at MyBookie.ag
Click the image below to be sent to the latest NFL Lines from MyBookie.ag.
This offshore sportsbook based out of San Jose Costa Rica has up to $1,000 welcome bonus on your first sportsbook funding method. So win or lose you can be assured of a nice bonus payout.
Make use of the sportsbook's Live betting on the NFL and all major sports with their Live lines offering. Place timely wagers as the NFL odds change to give you an added edge on making a profit.
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If you get stuck on any issues along the way you can always contact the offshore sportsbook using their 24/7 live chat.