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

A majority of the United States is preparing to reopen for business after a lengthy COVID-19 shutdown, but major sports are still on hold for at least the next few weeks. During this pause in the action, odds on video game simulations have been given the spotlight at top-rated offshore betting sites.

One of the largest and most trusted offshore sportsbooks in the industry, Bovada, has jumped into the video game sims betting ocean with both feet, presenting The Sim Classic, a tournament of simulated NFL games using Madden 20 as the software.

The Sim Classic began on May 9^th and will last until the 24^th.  There will be a minimum of sixty simulated NFL contests that can be seen in the Sim Classic section of Bovada’s sportsbook. Links will also be provided in the betting line to view the stream directly on Twitch.

Futures odds on which teams will advance to the round of 16, division winners, and which team will be declared the champion of the Sim Bowl are offered. Live in-game betting is an option, as well as parlays for multi-game action.

The style of play is similar to that of FIFA World Cup Soccer tournaments. Each four-team NFL division will compete amongst themselves, with the top two teams advancing to the sweet 16 where it becomes a loser-goes-home, winner-take-all tournament.

Last season’s rosters will be used, with the game skill setting at rookie level. The contests will be quite lengthy with fifteen-minute quarters but will be slightly accelerated with a 20-second play clock. Weather will not play a factor in these matchups as conditions for each game will be set to partly cloudy.

The games at regulated offshore casinos are run by software that is held to the highest industry standards and offer glitch-free play. The same cannot be said for Madden 20 as glitches can occur that affect final outcomes. If any glitches occur during Sim Classic matchups, it will be considered a game occurrence and will not void any betting odds.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans +7.0

• Straight: Jaguars +215, Texans -295
• Total: 55.0

Just like in the real NFL playoffs, all contests must feature a winner. Since there is no human involvement in these simulated games, there is the potential for lengthy matches that last for multiple overtimes.

The Sims Classic is ongoing for the next two weeks, so there is ample opportunity to wager on several games, but don’t wait too long. Below are more examples of the betting lines offered for the tournament.

Sim Bowl Winner

• Baltimore Ravens +650
• Kansas City Chiefs +650
• Green Bay Packers +725
• Dallas Cowboys +750
• New England Patriots +750
• San Francisco 49ers +800
• New Orleans Saints +850
• Seattle Seahawks +1400
• Minnesota Vikings +1600
• Pittsburgh Steelers +1600
• Philadelphia Eagles +2200
• Houston Texans +2800
• Tennessee Titans +3300
• Atlanta Falcons +5000
• Indianapolis Colts +5000
• Los Angeles Chargers +5000
• Los Angeles Rams +6600
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers +6600
• Carolina Panthers +8000
• Chicago Bears +8000
• New York Jets +8000
• Buffalo Bills +10000
• Oakland Raiders +10000
• Cleveland Browns +12500
• Denver Broncos +12500
• Jacksonville Jaguars +15000
• New York Giants +75000
• Arizona Cardinals +100000
• Cincinnati Bengals +100000
• Detroit Lions +100000
• Miami Dolphins +100000
• Washington Redskins +100000

AFC Conference Winner

• Baltimore Ravens +325
• Kansas City Chiefs +325
• New England Patriots +375
• Pittsburgh Steelers +750
• Houston Texans +1200
• Tennessee Titans +1400
• Indianapolis Colts +2000
• Los Angeles Chargers +2200
• Buffalo Bills +3300
• New York Jets +3300
• Oakland Raiders +3300
• Denver Broncos +4000
• Cleveland Browns +5000
• Jacksonville Jaguars +5000
• Miami Dolphins +25000
• Cincinnati Bengals +30000

Division of Sim Bowl Winner

• AFC East +650
• AFC North +450
• AFC South +1200
• AFC West +550
• NFC East +600
• NFC North +500
• NFC South +650
• NFC West +450

AFC East Winner

• New England Patriots -200
• New York Jets +210
• Buffalo Bills +1000
• Miami Dolphins +4000

To Advance from Division

• Arizona Cardinals +750
• Atlanta Falcons EVEN
• Baltimore Ravens -800
• Buffalo Bills +225
• Carolina Panthers +175
• Chicago Bears +300
• Cincinnati Bengals +750
• Cleveland Browns +350
• Dallas Cowboys -1200
• Denver Broncos +175
• Detroit Lions +1000
• Green Bay Packers -700
• Houston Texans -225
• Indianapolis Colts +115
• Jacksonville Jaguars +185
• Kansas City Chiefs -650
• Los Angeles Chargers +120
• Los Angeles Rams +375
• Miami Dolphins +550
• Minnesota Vikings -600
• New England Patriots -900
• New Orleans Saints -500
• New York Giants +550
• New York Jets -275
• Oakland Raiders +150
• Philadelphia Eagles -600
• Pittsburgh Steelers -650
• San Francisco 49ers -700
• Seattle Seahawks -800
• Tennessee Titans -145
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers +135
• Washington Redskins +700

AFC East – Division Exacta

• Patriots, 2. Bills +1000
• Patriots, 2. Jets +125
• Patriots, 2. Dolphins +600
• Bills, 2. Patriots +1200
• Bills, 2. Jets +4000
• Jets, 2. Patriots +375
• Jets, 2. Bills +750
• Jets, 2. Dolphins +8000
• Dolphins, 2. Patriots +20000
• Dolphins, 2. Jets +6600

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