As with any other new industry, online gambling can be challenging to regulate. But thankfully, the industry is maturing and the legislature is catching up, enacting laws to ensure the safety and fairness of the products. However, rogue operators continue to exist. This is partly due to the fact that online gambling is so easy to access, and third party services review casinos and take a cut of conversions. In order to avoid rogue operators, players should be vigilant in their searches for a legitimate online gambling site.
Although online gambling has been legalized in 49 states, two states still prohibit it. These include Utah, where a large Mormon population lives, and Hawaii, where a large number of residents fear that gambling will affect their family life. And while the state of Idaho has not considered legalizing gambling, it does have a large gambling industry, which means that online casinos generate a large portion of their operating revenue through high rollers. Despite these challenges, online gambling has many benefits.
Legalization of online gambling in the US is a long and slow process. While most states have legalized online horse racing, individual states are slowly legalizing other forms of online gambling. In 2011, the US Department of Justice released a legal opinion that allowed states to pass legislation to legalize online gambling. Since then, Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey have legalized online poker. And as of 2013, three other states have followed suit, including New York.