Best Online Lottery Sites In Usa
- Bovada is best-known for sports betting and casino games, however, even its online poker room has around four times as many players online as the second biggest US poker site. You can access all of their games with one player account. But You Should Know This. Bovada is recreational-friendly, perhaps more-so than.
- We are not having a website as of now. Whereas we run a club based on Kerala Lotteries to help people participate in draws. We can share with you the complete procedure and share our regular club messages.
- About Blog Top 10 Best Online Lotto is the main entrance to the online lottery world. We review lottery sites every day from around the world to find potential scams and to tell you which site is legit or not.
The Mega Millions is a lottery played across 44 US states plus the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands jurisdictions each Tuesday and Friday. Mega Millions is one of the biggest lottery games in the United States and regularly boasts eight, nine or even ten-figure jackpots.
If a particular state doesn't offer the option to buy lottery tickets directly from their official lottery website, then players can consider using an offshore messenger service.
Best Online Lottery Sites In Usa Now
The internet offers various opportunities to buy lottery tickets online legally through offshore lottery agents that cater to the U.S. Buying online lottery tickets through these lottery messenger sites is an alternative for players in states that do not allow traditional online lottery sales.
Some states do have their own Mega Millions or Powerball version of online tickets although players must reside in those states in order to purchase these tickets over the Internet. Since this option is only available in a few states so far, most players in the US opt for using lottery messenger services such as the ones listed on this page. It has turned out to be a convenient alternative for those individuals who are unable to make it to the local convenience store or another lottery retailer to purchase tickets in person.
Is It Legal To Buy Online Lottery Tickets In The United States?
Buying lottery tickets online is perfectly legal in the United States. In 2011, the DOJ released a formal opinion stating that the Federal Wire Act only applied to sports betting and did not affect other forms of online gambling, including lottery games*. This is why you've seen a few states now offering players the ability to buy their tickets online through state-regulated options. There are not any state or federal laws that prohibit American residents from purchasing lottery tickets online through licensed and regulated online lottery messenger services or agents.
*Update: The DOJ 2019 Opinion on the Federal Wire Act infringes upon how domestic lottery operations will be conducted. The new Opinion states that lottery operations in states which allow it must be localized and that information cannot cross state lines. This could affect multi-state associated lottery operations like Megamillions and the Powerball. For now, the best option is to utilize licensed offshore online lottery sites until the domestic issue is resolved.
How It Works
By combining global messenger services with the worldwide reach of the Internet, for a nominal fee, legal online lottery agents purchase tickets for you on your behalf. Those tickets are then scanned and the images e-mailed to you, and if you win big, these companies will even help you collect. Many of the sites offer tools which help you choose the lotteries which offer the best odds, you can filter the games by jackpot size or draw dates and you can improve your odds by joining lottery syndicates, or arrange for automatic purchasing of your favorite lottery tickets every week through a subscription service. You can learn more about these agents by accessing our online lottery site reviews.
WinTrillions is the messenger service we recommend for US players. In business since 2005, WinTrillions has been providing players a transparent and legal way to play lotteries from all over the globe from the comfort of their own home. Whether you are looking to purchase your Powerball tickets, or want to join a syndicate and play some of the biggest lottery jackpots in the world, WinTrillions is one of the better choices.
Pros
- All USA players accepted
- Purchase Lottery Tickets From All Over The World
- Good Customer Service
- Generous Bonuses And Rewards To Loyal Customers
- Easy Credit Card Funding
Cons
- Numerous complaints about players getting charged after they've cancelled subscription
Top USA Online Lottery Sites
Site | Review | Bonus Offer | USA | Visit |
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Read Review | 30% Off Discount | Play now |
Where Can I Buy Mega Millions Lottery Tickets Online?
Players fortunate enough to live where state-regulated online lottery services are available can typically also purchase their Mega Millions Lottery tickets there as well as tickets to the state lottery games. Other players can legally buy Mega Millions Lottery tickets online through the lottery agent you see mentioned above. With the jackpot listed as $970 Million dollars as of October 18, 2018, players don't want to skip the drawings for this game!
FAQ's About Legally Buying Lottery Tickets On The Internet
Buying lottery tickets online has become an easy and convenient solution for US players. How then, can a consumer know if a website is legit, safe, and secure? To ensure that you understand the nuances of using a reputable and legitimately licensed lottery service, a list of frequently asked questions is available below. The list answers the questions on legal issues, choosing your numbers, and purchase options.
Is Playing Online Lottery Legal In The USA?
Upon the DOJ's legal opinion concerning the Federal Wire Act, the regulation of lottery games is left up to each individual state, with no federal laws in place that prohibit players from participating in online lottery games or from visiting licensed lottery agents online for the purpose of purchasing lottery tickets or subscription services.
Currently, there are approximately 42 states which offer one or more state lottery games and/or that participate in the multi-jurisdictional lottery games such as Mega Millions and Powerball games. Several of these states, including Georgia, Illinois, and Minnesota already have a process in place that supports online ticket purchasing, while other states, including New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Virginia have integrated state-sanctioned online lottery subscription services.
Several states, including California, allow private lottery agents to provide online lottery subscription and lottery ticket purchasing services to players. The caveat is that you must be a resident of one of these states in order to be eligible to register for and participate in the state's official online lottery ticket services. Residents of all states can legally utilize the services of the lottery messenger agents listed on this page.
Can I Use My Favorite Numbers When I Buy My Lottery Ticket Online?
When purchasing a lottery ticket, players have the option to either use their favorite numbers or take advantage of the quick pick option. The quick pick option randomly picks numbers electronically using the same type of functionality that you see at brick and mortar lottery retailers.
What Is A Lottery Syndicate?
A lottery syndicate is where a group of people buys a lottery ticket to increase their chance of winnings. This allows them to buy even more games. More games mean more chances of winning. If the syndicate wins, the prizes are divided up evenly among the group. The syndicate is not limited to individuals, but businesses and entities as well.
What Is A Lottery Subscription Service And Are There Advantages To Using Them?
A lottery subscription service is a service that buys lottery tickets on your behalf in the state where you live. The advantage of a lottery subscription is the convenience, and the ability to manage all of your lottery games.
If I Purchase A Ticket Through A Lottery Agent, How Do I Know If I Won?
Most lottery sites will send you an email if you win. You can also signup for email and sms alerts on some sites for constant updates.
If My Ticket Is A Winner, How Do I Claim My Winnings?
For winnings below $600, winnings are typically credited to your online account. You can purchase additional tickets or withdraw your winnings. For any winnings above $600, you will receive a personal call from the lottery site to arrange payment.
Do These Sites Also Offer Scratch-off Tickets?
The sites listed on this particular page actually do not offer any sort of instant win scratch-off games. However we have another page dedicated to playing online scratchoff lottery tickets legally that will recommend some excellent places to play that are all US friendly.
Is Buying Lottery Tickets Online Safe?
The online lottery sites that we endorse are all legally licensed and regulated in their respective jurisdictions. Keep in mind these are huge companies with deep pockets that have been in business for years, so it's 100% safe to do business with these companies. They guarantee payment on winnings and will facilitate the collection process with their winners' support team dedicated to helping players claim winnings.
VIP And Rewards
Many of these sites offer a rewards program similar to what you would find in Las Vegas. The more tickets you purchase, the more rewards and special promotions will be available to you. Each website offers a little something different, so it doesn't hurt to spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with the inner workings of their VIP program.
Biggest Lotteries
Powerball – The largest jackpot in the game's history, and the largest single prize ever on one ticket, was the $595 million mentioned above. Consistently above $60 million, and routinely over $100, the jackpot here is always one of the biggest in the world. There are 9 levels of prizes awarded in the 45-state combined lottery, and Powerball is drawn twice a week.
Mega Millions – Starting at $15 million and supported by multiple jurisdictions that cause it to grow rapidly, the US Mega Millions lottery has issued a $656 million jackpot (3 winners), a single ticket $319 million payday and a $648 million jackpot split by 2 ticket holders, with all of those wins recorded in just a 32 month period ending December 17, 2013. Fast forward to October, 2018 and the jackpot is looming at just under $1 Billion. Mega Millions is drawn twice a week.
EuroMillions – Delivering Europe's biggest lottery prizes and a guaranteed €15 million jackpot, EuroMillions began making millionaires in 2004 with a twice-a-week draw. Jackpot totals of €190 million ($256.8 million), €187 million ($252 million), €162 million ($219 million) and several over €80 million ($108 million) have already been won playing EuroMillions.
Lotteries With the Best Overall Odds
Australia Saturday Lotto – With a 6/45 structure and 6 pay levels, you have a 1 in 85 chance of winning some prize in the Australia Saturday Lotto. Currently offering a guaranteed $4 million first prize and regularly paying as much as $30 million or more, the Australian Saturday Lotto boasts some of the best odds of any lottery in the world.
Best Online Lottery Sites In Usa 2019
La Primitiva - Spain's weekly La Primitiva is the oldest national lottery draw in the world, running since 1812. With its 6/49 structure and 6 prize levels, it is very attractive statistically. The record jackpot is €30 Million and you have a 1-in-10 chance of winning a cash prize due to the many levels of prizes awarded. La Primitiva pays out more than €1 Billion annually.
Florida Mega Money – choosing just 4 out of 44 numbers with a Mega ball, and delivering 8 levels of winning, the Florida Mega Money lottery is a smart statistical play. This makes your overall Jackpot odds just 1 in 2.98 million, one of the most favorable of any lottery in the world. You also enjoy a 1 in 12.58 chance at winning some prize.
States Participating In Multi-State Lottery Games
Powerball - Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), District Of Columbia (DC), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), Kentucky (KY), Louisiana (LA), Maine (ME), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), New Mexico (NM), New York (NY), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), Rhode Island (RI), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA), Virgin Islands (VI), Washington (WA), West Virginia (WV) and Wisconsin (WI).
Mega Millions - all but 6 states
Lottery Website Resources
The following resources are helpful to lottery players and offer useful information such as winning numbers, past winner bios and more.
Skip the Headaches and Play at a Legitimate Site
You’re looking for a legitimate U.S. gambling site, but can’t decide which site to trust with your hard-earned money?
Good news! We’ve been in the online gambling industry for over a decade (several decades, really, if you add all of our experience together), and we’ve spent countless hours to bring you a list of the most legitimate sites.
Here’s what all of these sites have in common:
- 10+ years in the business with strong reputations.
- Attractive promotions for first-time customers.
- Quick money withdrawals (relative to the U.S. market).
Rank | Site | Play | Bonus |
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100% up to €250
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200% up to €500
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100% up to €400
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100% up to €300
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100% up to €400
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Why Bovada Is #1 in the U.S.
#1: Fastest Check Cashouts
Bovada gets 10 times as much traffic as its second best US competitor and still delivers check payouts faster than any of them. Bovada processes check withdrawals in 7 days; many of its competitors take weeks, some more than a month to do the same. (There are other fast options, like the #3-ranked BetOnline, which delivers checks in 14 days.)
#2: Service
An equally important aspect of Bovada’s operations is its customer service. If there ever was an indication of how much a company respects its customers, it’s the level of customer service the company provides. I haven’t found any US-friendly site doing this aspect of the business better (although 5Dimes is a worthy runner-up).
#3: All-In-One
Finally, all parts of Bovada’s business (sportsbook, casino, poker, racebook) are popular. Bovada is best-known for sports betting and casino games, however, even its online poker room has around four times as many players online as the second biggest US poker site. You can access all of their games with one player account.
… But You Should Know This
Bovada is recreational-friendly, perhaps more-so than any other US site. You’ll find few golden opportunities in their sportsbook (read more about their use of dual lines), they have a relatively high overall house edge (especially after recently increasing house edge in video poker games) and their online poker room only has “anonymous” tables.
Although not everyone agrees with me, the recreational-friendly part is an advantage for skilled poker players. Since Bovada appeals to recreational gamblers, you’ll be like a shark among regular fish.
Bovada charges a 4.9% fee for credit card deposits (a lot considering how most sites charge nothing). The impact of the deposit fee is slightly compensated by their welcome bonuses, which are better than average.
All online gamblers look for entertaining games, attractive promotions and aesthetically pleasing software. To have a safe experience, however, you want a site to:
- Serve its customers with safety and respect,
- Operate with a reasonable house edge, and
- Handle money transactions promptly.
Yes, the third point is included in the first point but it’s also such an essential part of the customer experience that it must be mentioned separately. Many online gambling websites operate without an adequate level of service so these points are worth considering. It’s rare to find a combination of all three points.
Bovada fulfills all of the above criteria better than other sites but 5Dimes does well, too. In fact, I’m confident in ranking those two as the best USA gambling websites specifically because they deliver so well in the areas related to safety and trustworthiness. A site without proper customer service and safety measures is not one you should deposit money to, regardless of its promotions and whatnot.
What Are Some Alternative Options?
For Sports Bettors
5Dimes.eu is the best betting site in the US for the following reasons: they’re professional-friendly and offer reduced juice betting lines (in other words, less house edge). Before betting on any game, I recommend taking a look at the odds 5Dimes is offering. They’ve been a reliable sportsbook for over 10+ years — you’ll find few complaints about 5Dimes online, and the ones you find have been resolved quickly.
For poker and casino games, I would go with Bovada. But for sports bettors, it makes the most sense to have an account at 5Dimes.
Another Solid Option
BetOnline.ag is my third suggestion. It’s not significantly better than the others in any area but they’re simply a solid option. Prompt cashout processing, decent poker traffic, good sports betting options and entertaining casino games. Additionally, I’ve had good experiences with their customer service.
For sports bettors, BetOnline is worth signing-up at simply to be able to compare betting lines among a few sites. For poker players, BetOnline may offer some good games every now and then (keep in mind: you can bet on sports and play casino and poker games with the same account, so plenty of gamblers will stumble on the poker games eventually). For casino gamblers, BetOnline has a basic but reliable offering.
BetOnline charges a 6% fee for credit card deposits.
Is It Legal to Play?
The definition of ”gambling” and the laws surrounding vary depending on which state you live in.
In Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, some forms of online gambling have been legalized and regulated (only state-licensed sites are allowed to operate legally). In other states, it’s likely (although not widely agreed upon) that playing – and certainly operating – online gambling games for real money is illegal.
On a federal level, sports betting is the only form of prohibited gambling via the Wire Act of 1961. For several years, the Department of Justice (DOJ) maintained that the Wire Act applies to all forms of online gambling, but in December 2011, they corrected that stance by stating that the Wire Act only applies to sports betting – a result of a 13-page memorandum from the Office of Legal Counsel to the Criminal Division of the DOJ (source).
State laws, however, often indirectly prohibit gambling. Or to put it another way: it would be difficult to claim any forms of online gambling legal with absolute certainty in most states (lotteries and such aside). Most state laws indirectly prohibit gambling simply by making all forms of gambling unlawful that have not been made lawful.
Purely based on history, it’s unlikely you’ll get into legal trouble; then again, if something is illegal, you can get into trouble, and someone probably will. Gambling online may be illegal where you live. Contact a local gaming lawyer to get a better idea of your local laws.
Legal Troubles
Industry-changing events have taken place in the online gambling world – mainly concerning online poker – such as the UIGEA and Party Poker’s exit from the US market, or PokerStars’ exit from the US market in 2011.
Those crimes were committed by online poker operators, though, not players. Still, the mere fact that online poker companies were targeted was enough to cast a shadow over the legality of US online poker, and furthermore, players grew more and more worried about one of these sites getting shut down along with the money on their player accounts.
In fact, there is a legitimate reason to worry about dishonest US gambling sites taking your money. Some sites have indeed taken off with the money – a recent example is Lock Poker, which currently may owe its customers over $15 million. I created LegitGamblingSites.com mainly to give more exposure to the sites with strong track records of honest business practices.
The lawmakers, in that regard, have a point about not allowing unlicensed sites to provide online gambling games to US citizens. While that may not be the reason, it’s likely one of them. (If I had to guess, I’d say they’re more concerned about losing out on tax dollars and protecting the interests of brick & mortar casino owners such as Sheldon Adelson, although through the RAWA – Restore America’s Wire Act legislation – he tries to do that by himself.)
How to Move Money Around
Ever since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) became a law, US citizens have had a more difficult time finding a suitable deposit method.
There are only a few left, actually.
The most common deposit method for US citizens is still credit card deposits, out of which VISA is the most widely accepted brand, followed by Mastercard, with American Express being a distant third. Cards must be eligible for both international and online transfers.
The alternative method is to use a money transfer service such as Western Union. Western Union is mostly a deposit-only method. (Bovada is an exception since they only allow you to withdraw money via a check.)
Why to use a money transfer service instead of a credit card?
- A card deposit fails to go through. This happens every now and then, and the only way to know if your card will be accepted is to try. According to various forum reports, Vanilla VISA is declined at most sites while Netspend VISA has been successful.
Surprisingly, players have had problems with card deposits even at state-licensed sites due to banks like Bank of America outright declining all gambling transactions. Things will likely get better with the new MCC codes for VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Distant which will help casinos to identify gambling transactions more accurately. It’s unclear how much of a help this will be since banks still have the right to decline transfers marked with the new MCC codes, and due to not wanting to violate the UIGEA (according to which they’re prohibited from knowingly processing unlawful gambling transactions), banks may decide it isn’t worth it and keep cancelling transactions even if they were for state-licensed sites.
This is expected to change once bigger states – perhaps even the biggest of them all, California – join internet gambling, since declining the transactions will then affect such a large percentage of any bank’s customer base.
- You want a faster cashout. While money transfer services cost more (many sites, like Bovada, allow one free check cashout a month), the money is usually delivered to be picked up at a local Western Union location in five days or less.
- You don’t want a check cashout. You need to go to a cashier to cash a check. Most people would rather avoid doing this, especially since banks aren’t allowed to knowingly process online gambling related transactions (unless in Delaware, Nevada or New Jersey, but people have had problems in those states as well).
In general, you’ll have higher transaction costs with money transfer services than with a combination of credit cards and checks. BetOnline and Bovada are the only major USA sites charging for credit card deposits and most allow one free check cashout per month – some, like True Poker, allow a free check withdrawal every seven days.
How to use a credit card/check combination?
- Enter your credit card details online after which you have the money on your player account instantly.
- When done playing, order a check cashout, which will take from a week to over a month depending on which site you’re dealing with.
- Go to your local bank to cash the check.
How to use a money transfer service (like Western Union)?
- Go to their website or a live Western Union location and send money to the gambling site. (You’ll need to contact the gambling site first to get their transfer details.)
- When done playing, initiate the withdrawal from your player account.
- Go to a live location to collect the money.
State-Licensed Sites
As mentioned, Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey have legalized and regulated some forms of real-money online gambling. Delaware started with online poker but has since expanded into casino games as well; Nevada offers online poker games only; New Jersey offers online poker and casino games.
As you can see, not a single one of these states offer online sports betting. In New Jersey – clearly the biggest market of the three – there’s a clause according to which sports betting may be considered to be added in the future.
Requirements
You must be physically located within a state’s boundaries to play at the licensed sites. If you’re currently located in California but live in Nevada, you’re unable to play until you return to Nevada; if you’re currently located in Nevada but live in California, you can play as long as you stay within Nevada’s state boundaries.
Licensed sites have to make sure nobody outside of the state can participate in the games. Geolocation – identifying exactly where a person is located – has been difficult, and there are still people who are unable to play even though they’re located within those states. This is one of the reasons licensed online gambling sites have done financially worse than expected.
Only existing brick & mortar casino owners within those states can apply for licenses, although they can apply together with an existing online gambling site in a software-licensing agreement, like Caesar’s Interactive and 888.com have done. If a poker site kept operating in the US after the UIGEA of 2006, it will be subjected to a ”bad actor” clause in Nevada and be prohibited from operating in the state for now.
Performance
Each state has had a rocky start, although New Jersey is doing OK. In March 2014, they did $11.87 million in revenue, which grew into $13.16 million in March 2015. A growth rate of 14.57% year-over-year is better than nothing, but still a far cry from the $1 billion within the first 7 months of operating Governor Christie expected (New Jersey gambling sites were launched in November 2013). In other words, his expectations were a little over $140 million a month on average, or about ten times the current revenue.
According to PokerScout.com, Nevada’s online poker revenue is going downhill. Year-over-year decrease in revenue of around 44% (from February 2014 to February 2015) is, no matter how you look at it, a disappointing result. Problems with card deposits and geolocation – both of which exist in other states as well – and player liquidity have undoubtedly contributed to the significant decrease. Players have to deal with fewer problems when playing at offshore sites, and as long as that continues, it will be difficult for state-licensed sites to gain major traction.
In Delaware, the state keeps all yearly revenue up to $3.75 million. Since total revenue for 2014 was around $2.1 million, gambling operators have made nothing. The main reason for such a low amount of revenue is Delaware’s population of 0.94 million (in comparison, New Jersey has a population of 8.9 million). Liquidity is important for online poker since you need lots of players to run games at various stakes, in several forms and throughout the day. Delaware is trying to improve its poker liquidity by combining player pools with Nevada but so far there hasn’t been a significant improvement to its online gaming revenue.
If all of the three states were to combine their player pools, it would create a poker economy of around 12 million people, which could add significant liquidity to the games and thus bring in more revenue to each of the states.
Offshore Sites
Gambling sites accepting US customers from outside of the three states are all ”offshore” sites, meaning they operate from outside of the US and have no license to operate within the US. They have obtained a license in some other jurisdictions – such as Antiqua & Barbuda or Panama – but many of those jurisdictions have less-than-stellar reputations.
The disadvantage of gambling at offshore sites is the lack of safety. For an outsider, it’s impossible to know how strict testing measures these sites go through to prove their legitimacy, and hypothetically, if one of them were to disappear from the internet tomorrow along with your money, what could you do about it?
Lock Poker, as already mentioned, is an ongoing example. They’ve now lost their license in Curacao (weirdly, they were able to keep the license easily over a year after refusing to process customer cashouts) and there’s nothing anyone can do to make sure Lock Poker’s customers have their money returned. All we can do is spread the word to the people who are considering signing-up and depositing money to their site.
The best thing you can do is consider the reputation of the site rather than the jurisdiction since all jurisdictions have had dishonest sites. The longer a site has been fully operational, and the fewer complaints it has generated, the better. Essentially, Bovada has been in the online gambling business since 2000 when Bodog.com was founded (the US-friendly operations of Bodog were re-branded as Bovada in 2011), and as mentioned, they’ve achieved an excellent reputation with a high level of customer service.
But there are advantages to playing at an offshore site, too, and you can legitimately argue that the advantages override the disadvantages. Offshore sites place fewer restrictions on customers, need less personal information and have to compete with lots of other sites (within US states, competition is limited) which forces them to be at their best in order to succeed. There are no geolocation issues either.
Safety and legality aside – although obviously, both are big considerations – offshore sites are the better option in almost every area. Since only three states have legalized some forms of real-money online gambling in the US, they’re the only places for internet gambling for around 96.4% of US population.
What’s Next?
US online gambling is in a transitional phase: after a long wait of legalization, three states have done it, mostly with lackluster success. Suggesting geolocation and deposit issues are resolved, revenue streams may grow. With online poker, though, most likely at least one of the bigger states has to legalize it and combine player pools with the others to create a meaningful poker economy.
A federal legalization would create much-needed competition and player pools, which in turn creates a bigger incentive for operators to participate and, in many ways, a better environment for gamblers. If internet gambling was to be legalized nationwide, every operator and their grandmother would want a license. As of now, it’s more beneficial for most operators to stay outside of the US.