states (along with Hawaii) that bans all forms of gambling. In response to the question, “Are sportsbooks legal in Utah?”: “No. Utah-specific information available on many of those sites note that online gambling is illegal for state residents, but typically also include statements like the following, which was taken verbatim from one gambling site: While that proposal passed easily, even a very basic internet search will currently yield multiple options for Utah residents to play casino-style games and place bets on sporting events, for real money. Sports betting, including online sports wagering, rose 39% to more than $957 million.įive states - New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and Michigan - have legalized online casinos, which include digital versions of slot machines and roulette, while Nevada limits online casino games to just poker.Ī 2012 legislative update to Utah’s complete restriction on gambling, the basic tenets of which are enshrined in the Utah Constitution, aimed to specifically prohibit any forays into online gambling ahead of expected changes at the federal level. The total revenue amount was still, comparatively, only $1.23 billion. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that gross revenue from online casino games more than tripled during that period. And of that revenue last year, more than $19 billion came from in-person casino gamblers.

commercial gambling revenue was $24 billion for the first 10 months of 2020, a 33% drop over the same period in 2019. So what does that mean for states like Utah, a state that has a century-old blanket ban on gambling and, about a decade ago, bolstered restrictions on online gambling?ĭata assembled by the American Gaming Association reflects total U.S. Restrictions wrought by COVID-19 have busted income streams for casinos in Las Vegas and around the world, but amid limitations on in-person betting, online gambling is hitting new revenue jackpots.Īnd experts warn that for those with a penchant for exceeding the limits of responsible gambling, pandemic conditions have created a perfect setting for bad decision-making.

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