According to a recent op-ed released by the Off Shore Gaming Association, Native American gambling operators are unfairly handcuffed by various anti-gambling laws, including the Federal Wire Act.

The Wire Act came into existence in 1961 and was originally intended to prevent mafia and other organized crime organizations from using wire communications (telephone, telegraph, etc) to take bets on sporting events. At the time illegal sports betting operations were a common form of corruption and money laundering.

But since then, the gambling and sports betting industry has largely legitimized itself both domestically and offshore. U.S. Politicians however used the Wire Act to target legal offshore gambling companies like NETeller and BetonSports.

The law specifically targets the “wire communications” and several lawsuits have equivocated on whether that definition applies to internet and other forms of wireless communication, as well as whether that definition includes casino games and poker in conjunction with sports.

The Department of Justice ruled in 2011 that the Wire Act does apply to internet as a form of wire communications, but that this law applies solely to sports betting. The Wire Act and the UIGEA have had negative impacts on Native American Tribes attempting to offer legal online sports betting or online gambling.

The main restrictions lie in the fact that many states have used these laws to make Native American online gambling operations available only on tribal land. But other states, like Michigan, agreed to allow Tribes to offer sports betting and online gambling off their reserves as long as they abide by commercial regulations, meaning they will be subject to taxation that Native casinos usually are protected from paying.

In other states, like New York, Iowa, and Tennessee, state legislators appear to expect tribal casinos to stick the original agreements of their compacts. States like Florida and California, both with large Native American business presences, will undergo similar legal challenges in reference to online gambling and sports betting.

Some industry analysts hinted that the Wire Act will come under scrutiny in the first term of the Biden administration, and will seek to either amend or repeal the act entirely to settle legal battles between states and Tribal gambling operators.

The offshore gambling industry has passed by unscathed in these domestic issues since they operate outside of US jurisdiction and are not subject to the same restrictions. Offshore gambling sites offering casino games and online sports betting provide a great alternative to domestic operators that are caught up in old and unnecessary laws.

Sources:

• OSGA

The presidential election season is heating up in the United States and candidates from both sides of the aisle are hunkering down in preparation for months of battling it out from state to state. Betting on political outcomes continues to become more popular with each passing election cycle, but where can bettors located in the United States go to bet on elections legally?

Although PASPA was repealed in 2018, allowing for states to decide the fate of sports betting in their region, this left the waters for entertainment betting murky. The entertainment category is where political betting finds itself alongside other popular categories such as the Academy Awards, the Grammys, and reality shows such as Big Brother and American Idol.

Las Vegas sportsbooks offer no form of entertainment betting of any kind. For those states that have allowed for in-state regulated gambling and sportsbooks, they have followed the example put forth by Las Vegas and also prohibit entertainment betting. All betting lines offered in those self-regulated regions are for sports only.

That leaves only one political betting option for those living in the United States, and that is a licensed, regulated offshore sportsbook. Our recommended offshore sportsbooks are currently accepting wagers on a variety of political outcomes and are creating new categories frequently. Typically, any offshore sports betting site will also provide betting lines for political outcomes. The best part is, almost all US states allow for offshore betting.

BetOnline is offering these current odds on which candidate will end up being the Democratic nominee in 2020.

Democratic Nominee for the Presidential Election

• Bernie Sanders +100
• Michael Bloomberg +225
• Joe Biden +700
• Pete Buttigieg +1000
• Amy Klobuchar +2500
• Elizabeth Warren +3300
• Hillary Clinton +3300
• Tom Steyer +6600
• Michelle Obama +8000
• Tulsi Gabbard +8000

Judging by the odds presented here, Bernie Sanders is the current front runner and is expected to win the Democratic nomination. Of course, if you feel that one of the candidates toward the bottom of the list still has a legitimate chance, then place your bet now while the odds are at their highest so you can earn the best payout.

The odds list some candidates that are not currently running for president, such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Imagine what their odds would be if they were actually running. Tulsi Gabbard is currently rated at worse odds than Clinton and Obama and should probably consider dropping out of the race at this point. Clinton has been rumored to be attached to Mike Bloomberg’s campaign, but as of August of last year, Obama has no intention of entering the presidential race.

Speaking of dropping out of the race, betting lines have been offered for who will drop out next.

Next Candidate to Drop Out

• Tulsi Gabbard -150
• Elizabeth Warren +275
• Tom Steyer +500
• Joe Biden +700
• Amy Klobuchar +1600
• Michael Bloomberg +3300
• Pete Buttigieg +5000}
• Bernie Sanders +10000

The next democratic primary is in South Carolina on February 29^th, and a candidate will likely drop out shortly after the results are revealed. Current odds list Bernie Sanders as the favorite in South Carolina, but Joe Biden is listed just behind him. Can Joe pull a fast one in the Gamecock state and get his campaign back on track?

Odds to Win South Carolina Primary

• Bernie Sanders -120
• Joe Biden +100
• Tom Steyer +1600
• Pete Buttigieg +2000
• Amy Klobuchar +2500
• Elizabeth Warren +5000

Local sports betting venues and kiosks are commonplace in much of the world, with several international regions also coming onboard in embracing the pastime.

That said, no sports wagering market is growing more quickly than that in the US, as nearly 20 states have legalized the activity since the Supreme Court overturn of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA, 1992) in mid-2018.

In fact, according to CNBC, more than half of Americans live in states that will offer regulated sports betting within the next year or two.

However, even as locally regulated betting shops and domestically operated Internet sportsbooks come online, the options provided for by offshore betting sites remain superior for most bettors in most areas.

The reason for this is simple: Bitcoin support.

No domestic sportsbook in the US or any other country currently accepts Bitcoin (BTC) as a banking option, meaning that you cannot deposit or withdraw with the popular cryptocurrency at these venues.

For many bettors and punters, that’s a deal breaker, as Bitcoin is fast becoming a major industry unto itself, threatening to eclipse many online payment platforms the world over.

To be certain, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency (aka altcoin) support is not the only reason to use offshore betting sites instead of local domestic options. However, it’s arguably the most compelling reason, and it remains so for both the US and international markets.

Benefits of Bitcoin

There are several overarching reasons to use Bitcoin when patronizing an offshore sports betting service, which is why so many people are turning to the revolutionary non-fiat currency alternative.

While some of BTC’s selling points may not appeal to or seem mission critical for all users, the aggregate of features on offer demonstrate how Bitcoin remains in a class of its own re electronic financial transactions.

• No transaction fees – When you use BTC to deposit or withdraw at offshore betting sites, there are no added transaction fees. The only transfer surcharges you will ever pay with Bitcoin are those natively assigned by the cryptocurrency itself, and these usually amount to pennies at most.
• Next-level security – Bitcoin offers the best data security measures of any financial product – or any electronic product – in the world. Bitcoin is said to be quantum hacking resistant, and the open ledger blockchain technology originated by BTC is the gold standard in encryption and fraud prevention.
• Greater anonymity – Bitcoin is not fully anonymous, but it offers greater anonymity than any banking product on the market. Bitcoin uses numerical wallet addresses – not identities – to send and receive money, and online gamblers value their privacy to a high degree. The old saying is “The Internet is forever.” With BTC, privacy is paramount.
• Accepted worldwide – Bitcoin is accepted worldwide, and it can be sent person-to-person, person-to-business, business-to-person, or business-to-business quickly and easily. There are no banks to hold up your transfers and make you wait days when you want to bet on tonight’s game or match, and there are no watchdogs sniffing around to delay or intercept your private BTC transfers.
• Larger deposit bonuses (US, CAN only) – For US and Canadian sports bettors, Bitcoin deposits come with the online betting industry’s biggest promotions. While those in other countries cannot take advantage of these at this time, they’re still a huge bonus (literally!) for eligible bettors.
• Same-day withdrawals – Bitcoin is the only way to receive same-day withdrawals from major online betting sites. Other payouts, regardless of the type (bank wire, money order, courier check, etc.) will all take at least 3-5 days, but Bitcoin withdrawals will typically show up in your wallet within an hour or two.

Despite its efficacy for online gambling and sports betting, Bitcoin isn’t going to be right for everyone, and many bettors who are used to dealing with fiat money or traditional credit/debit banking are trepidatious to get into a new form of technical currency.

That said, the main issue holding bettors back from embracing BTC is the initial buy-in process. In most markets, including the US, new Bitcoin users have to go through a lengthy acquisition process that can take up to 10 days.

Fortunately, there is a workaround for this.

In the US, new users can get Bitcoin in just a few minutes by using the Zelle-to-Bitcoin process. Zelle is a product of the US banking industry, and most bank account holders already have access to Zelle. Via this instant transfer system, would-be crypto bettors can use Zelle to purchase BTC at a private exchange called LocalBitcoins.com.

This reduces the initial buy-in from days to minutes, and LocalBitcoins does business in more than 200 countries around the world. This gives international punters the same fast way to get their hands on BTC and transfer it to their betting sites of choice.

How To Buy Bitcoin At LocalBitcoins

The steps to purchase BTC quickly and easily at LocalBitcoins follow, showing the process for American bettors. However, regardless of the country you’re in, the main procedure will be largely the same. (Some US-centric books will walk their customers through the Zelle-to-BTC process from their cashier/deposit pages.)

1. Create a free account at a reputable offshore sportsbook.
2. Create a free account at LocalBitcoins.com.
3. Use Zelle (US bettors) or another instant transfer product (International bettors) to purchase BTC from a private seller on LocalBitcoins.
4. Use the Bitcoin to deposit into your sports betting account.
5. Place your bets!

Note: LocalBitcoins, though powered by private buyers and sellers, is very safe to use. The site uses an escrow system to hold any BTC after a sale is agreed to, giving the seller zero opportunity to abscond with your funds.

When regulated, US-based sports betting first became a wide-scale reality in 2018, there was much talk of offshore sportsbooks eventually being hampered by the legislation and the move toward domestic bookmakers.

But this hasn’t been the case, and membership is up across the board at offshore books in the roughly 18 months since PASPA was eliminated. Even in countries that have had domestic books in operation for years, offshore sites thrive.

And Bitcoin remains the biggest reason why.