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When it comes to online gambling, the United States has taken a relatively conservative role in comparison to Europe and other Western countries. While Europeans have been enjoying the benefits of online gambling for years, U.S. citizens have only recently had this opportunity opened to them - but not all US citizens. As of now, online gambling is a matter of state legislation, not federal, and only three states have chosen to legalize it thus far: Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey.
While there is constant discussion among other states about pushing online gambling forward, no more have joined the three states at this point. There are many reasons for this: Strong opponents like Sheldon Adelson have been fighting tooth and nail against it, concerns about consumer protection and underage gambling, and a general lack of understanding about how online gambling works.
How Can the US Get On Board with Online Gambling?
One thing that might break all the barriers and lead the US to the same level as their European counterparts is the widespread use of smartphones. Participants in the recent East Coast Gaming Congress and iGaming Institute in Atlantic City, New Jersey agreed that online gambling has immense growth potential, specifically because so many people in the United States use smartphones.
In New Jersey, for example, where online gambling is legal, operators are seeing fantastic growth in their mobile and tablet play. Moreover, gambling on smartphones is not detracting from traditional casinos; it is actually enhancing it. According to Luisa Woods, executive director of Internet marketing for Atlantic City's Tropicana casino, players who visit the casino then go home and continue playing online or on mobile. The two benefit each other.
With so many people using their smartphones to seek out internet gambling, other states might realize that there is a real demand for it. In fact, one of the arguments in favor of legalizing online gambling across the States is that people are playing at internet casinos no matter what - the question is, will they play at protected, regulated sites, or illegal offshore sites where there is no consumer protection and they are open to all sorts of fraud?
The popularity of mobile phone use will hopefully drive state legislators to consider that question very carefully.
As Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey have already discovered, regulating online gambling has been 100% successful in protecting consumers and in preventing underage gambling. Online gambling also has the potential to bring in huge amounts of revenue to the States, if they would only give it a chance.
Just How Popular are Smartphones?
According to a 2015 report by technology research company, Technavio, global mobile gaming is set to grow at the staggering rate of 43.08% until the year 2019. Operators themselves have recognized this trend among their players and are catering more and more to smartphone users. Players love the fact that they can play from wherever they are, and don’t need to be attached to a computer in order to have fun and even win money.
In fact, because more people are playing internet casino games on their phones, more people are experiencing mobile wins. From smaller jackpots to massive progressive jackpots, mobile players are walking away with more wins than ever.
But win or lose, people around the world are enjoying mobile gaming. And if the US gets on board with it, Technavio's projected growth rate might rise even higher.
