Whenever you think of sports wagering in the US, it is hard to leave Nevada out of the picture, seeing as this state is the industry’s mecca. The year 1949 saw Nevada legalize sports-betting, going in hard to include off track as well as live-horse wagering.
This move made Nevada the 1st ever US state that permitted sporting gaming, regulating it to take over from the organized-crime consortia that formerly run the show. For the longest time, this city enjoyed monopoly as then, it remained as the only one among US states to hold the authorized grant to conduct betting. This was after the PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act), which prohibited any further state extension on wagering got passed by congress back in the year 1992.
As expected, other states started challenging that particular legal ban, led by the government and law makers in New Jersey, key among them C. Christie. The process started with voters’ support back in 2011, as New Jersey made efforts to legalize some sports gaming action in race-tracks as well as casinos.
In a bid to block these efforts, major sports leagues including MLB, NCAA, NFL, NHL and NBA, accused the state of violating PASPA and filed suits against it. A law related battle ensued, escalating by the day until it got to the Supreme Court. In May 2018, the initial ban was lifted, seeing Nevada’s dominance come to an end. Soon, numerous other states legalized Sport gambling.
Nevada Gambling Laws
For most people, images of gambling venues and glitzy casinos conjure to mind whenever they hear Nevada. However, what are some of the laws governing lawful sports gambling in this city? Well, the journey started in 1931 when this fast-paces state legalized an array of gambling forms.
While everything took a couple of decades to shape up, the Second World War saw Las Vegas rise to ‘Stardom’ in the Sport Betting arena. This is following strict measures getting imposed on Sport Betting in many other parts of the nation. As such, Las Vegas became an instant darling for avid sports bettors as well as syndicates who wanted to control things in this industry.
The 1950s saw the state rise to fame, quickly becoming the US’ gambling center. Given this status, it is not hard to tell that Nevada benefits majorly from all the gambling activities down at Reno and Las Vegas. As such, there are several gambling laws and regulations that players ought to familiarize themselves with. The state keeps all the entities and companies that engage in sports-betting under close monitoring.
The State Gaming Control Board in conjunction with Nevada’s Gaming Commission have put together a list of all the state’s gaming laws as well as regulations. In case all the legal jargons are slightly overwhelming, or if you ever find yourself on the wrong side of the law, be sure to contact a Nevada-based Gaming Attorney.
Permissible Age for Game Betting in Nevada
In Nevada, you have to be at least 21 years of age before you can indulge in legal Sport Betting. Further to meeting the age requirements, players are required to be in possession of a valid and government-issued Identification Card, a tax ID number and a Social Security Card before they can get started.
Nevada Sports-Betting remains quite the multi-billion dollar industry it has always been. 2018 saw it generate approximately $560 M in just wagers. The tax is set at 6.75%, and the freedom and flexibility accorded to the state’s online and land-based casinos makes Nevada quite an appealing gambling destination.
Where to Head for Sport-Betting in Nevada
Las Vegas is an obvious choice whenever you find yourself in this silver state. Vegas’ Downtown and Boulevard Strip are lined with major casinos all featuring popular sportsbooks. At Nevada’s north-western corner sits Reno, yet another popular destination for lawful sports wagering. MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment are some of the bodies that oversee most of the casino-related operations of these sports-books.
Nevada Mobile Sport Betting
As all other things go mobile, Sport Betting has not been left behind. Bettors have seen the possibility of placing wagers at the comfort of their beds without necessarily having to a physical counter, a journey that has been slow but quite sure. Some destinations, such as the Westgate Las Vegas, things have gotten to another level, with action between mobile betting and live betting being split equally.
In a statement, the SuperBook’s vice president had this to say, “It will keep going further in the direction of the app.” “Some of these states are going to get into Sport Betting, and you’re going to see it’s only the app. You won’t even have a book to walk into,” he continued. While you will still be required to walk into a physical venue to at least get your mobile account fully set up (filling some paperwork while presenting valid identification and your casino card), everything else after that will be relished on the go while on mobile.
Nevada Online Sport Betting
Nevada offers online play Sport Betting, and there are tons of apps from where to enjoy gaming available including: Caesars Sports, B Connected Sports, MGM South Point Sports, CG Sports, Westgate Sports, Station Sports, Wynn Sports and William Hill Sports. In order to bet on these apps, players should be within the state’s lines.
Land-Based Game Wagering in Nevada
In Nevada, land based sports-wagering is completely legal. However, this is a highly regulated kind of hobby. Nevada has over two hundred and fifty casinos where players can place their wagers on various sports. Most of these casinos also have online components associated with them where bettors can wager remotely. There is something magical about betting in a land-based casino, which is why they are not going anywhere anytime soon.
People love their casino experiences, and while online and other mobile platforms are available, land-based venues exude their own kind of vibes. Be sure to do your due diligence as all applicable federal laws are still operational. Land based casinos are prevented from taking inter-state wagers by the Wire Act. The beauty with Nevada is that should you want to indulge in game play in a land-based platform, you will not even have to travel far.
Key Considerations in Choosing Betting Sites in Nevada
As you would expect, there are so many betting sites that players can choose from in Nevada. As a matter of fact, this state offers you with more options than any other state. However, before you can settle on a particular provider, you need to consider some crucial factors, and below are just but a few of them.
Available sports and odds
Before you can even get started with a particular sportsbook, you will need to do your research to find out if they even offer the kind of sporting events that you are into. For instance, while NFL can be wagered upon pretty much anywhere, is international horseracing or even soccer available in your provider of choice? Once you establish that your preferred platform offers what you want, you need to consider the betting odds next. You can decide on whether or not they are competitive enough by comparing the odds of a particular event at an odds comparison platform.
Overall User Experience
Given Nevada’s stiff competition, sportsbooks have to be on point when it comes to the customer experience. While some betting platforms seemingly have it all, the customer experience helps in giving the best of the best the cutting edge above the rest. Be sure to do your due diligence and factor in most if not all aspects of a Sport Betting site before settling for any random one from face value.
Available Sports for Betting While in Nevada
As the years go by, additional fascinating sports are added on to the list of existing sports for gambling in Nevada. As soon as sportsbooks identify demand for a particular game, they act on it as promptly as they can, provided the city’s ‘Gaming Control Board’ permits.
In Nevada, some of the leading existing sports include NFL, Canadian Football, College Football, Rugby, Australian Rules Football, College Basketball, Rugby, MLB Baseball, NHL Hockey, MLS soccer, boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Golf, Tennis, Cycling, Esports, Virtual Horse Racing, actual Horse Racing, Auto-Racing and more.
Collegiate sports might be legal, but this was not always the case. It was a journey that started with legalization of college sports wagers. However, even then, players were not allowed to wager on sports involving colleges within the city lines. 2001 saw things change as soon as it became permissible to wager on two sports; UNLV games as well as the Reno games.
John McCain, the then US senator was fighting for the elimination of college game wagering in Nevada, he stated that if the main universities in the state were let off from the gambling menu, there was some evident bias. This led to the ‘Gaming Commission’ in the state making these bets lawful.
However, 2001’s law exempted gambling on any kind of athletic tournament as well as amateur and sports that are non-collegiate in nature. This was in a bid to prevent loosely-organized novice events such as high school games from climbing up Nevada’s boards. While this saw Olympic game betting continue being deemed illegal, this status swiftly altered in 2015. Today, it’s legal to place wagers on Olympic-related games in the state of Nevada.
A good number of sports-books in Nevada place games such as basketball and football as key college sports. While the odds of some college-related sports are available, they remain super limited. However, the main college sporting events for example ‘College World Series’ can be wagered upon. Nevada residents and guests can rest assured that there will be new wagering options in the near future.
This is because ‘Nevada Gaming Control Board’ continues experimenting on more betting options. Recently, this board has legitimized betting on special awards including the famous NFL Draft and Heisman Trophy. Players in Nevada can also place their wagers on video-game tournaments for example, ‘Golden-Tee-World Championship’.
Legal Sport Betting Options
Nevada sure does have an array of options when it comes to the Sport Betting alternatives.
Point spread
In any given basket-ball or football gaming competition, a point spread is a common gambling form. This can be defined as a type of handicap to set your most preferred team, requiring the team to get a win by scoring points. Placing a gamble on the underdog will add onto the sum of that specific side.
Money line
This is the kind of wagering where a player can choose a side, allowing them to win outright. This more often than not involves money handicaps.
Totals
In this type of wagering or gameplay, a total wager is usually placed on the cumulative points from opposing teams. Sometimes, it is also referred to as an over-under bet.
Partial game lines
This is the new favorite betting option in Nevada’s Sports books. Totals and the lines are for gaming activities that goes on in a particular part of the gameplay. The partial game lines are an ideal option if you are the kind of player who enjoys the game but can’t stay for the entire game.
Parlay
Parlays exist in several forms, and the gamble outcomes usually are at least two. If all the bets win, then that is the only time when the parlay will be paid out. If a game is either delayed or put off, and it so happens that the remainder of the selection wins, then only the lower amount will be paid out.
In-play
In-play betting has grown in frequency in Nevada’s sports gambling scene given the raise seen with mobile App betting. This basically addresses wagering on a game that is on.
FAQs
Absolutely! Ever since 1949, it has been legal to place sporting wagers in Nevada provided they are regulated and allowed. Additionally, mobile Sport Betting has been permitted in the state since 2010.
The government agency or body that is answerable for the supervision and gaming regulation across Nevada is ‘Nevada Gaming-Control Board’. This body is in charge of all matters gambling, including Sport Betting. It has been running since the year 1955, close to a decade after official legalization of Sport Betting that is land-based.
Some of the top land-based sports-books in the silver state include Wynn, West Gate, Station Casinos, MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, CG Technology, William Hill, Boyd Gaming, South Point, Treasure Island and Jerry’s Nugget just to mention a few.
Yes. Nevada is US’ Sport Betting mecca! Online casino games are in the process of joining their ‘counterparts’ such as online poker in the table, and soon as such. As a matter of fact, the law governing, controlling and legalizing online poker in Nevada also operated online casino gambling. The only requirement to be met is that of authorization from lawmakers in Nevada.
While there are concerns that the online casino games might come in the way of land-based revenue generation, the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee has addressed them by way of assuring residents that this should not worry them, referencing NJ market as a perfect example. Online casino gaming in Nevada is facing strong opposition, but support keeps growing. This new trend might see online casino gambling setting foot and finally settling in Nevada.
Some opposition to online casino games in Nevada remains, but support is growing. Even so, several operators are waiting for the green light.
Visit establishments such as:
– Wynn Las Vegas
– Red Rock Resort
– Green Valley Ranch
– Palace Station
-Santa Fe Station
– Texas Station
– Boulder Station
and many more…Fiestas, Cosmopolitan, Hard Rock, M Resort, The Palazzo, Palms, Silverton, Tropicana, The Venetian, Bally’s, Caesars Palace, Cromwell, Flamingo, Harrah’s, The Linq, Planet Hollywood, Paris, Rio, Harrah’s Laughlin, Harrah’s Reno, Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, Treasure Island, South Point, Aria, Bellagio, Circus Circus, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, The Mirage, New York-New York and many more to enjoy some top-notch sports-betting in Nevada.
Absolutely. In Nevada, app-based and online-based sports’ betting is legal and accessible across multiple platforms including Westgate SuperBook, The Wynn, William Hill and MGM Sports.