What Will Happen to USA Casino Regulations in 2021?

By  //  November 24, 2020

The laws surrounding gambling are fast changing in the USA, and it seems each month we have something new to look forward to and discuss. That has changed a little recently, with Covid-19 taking a grip on the nation and other business taking a back seat in some respects. 

2020 has still seen change, though perhaps a little less change than we were expecting and that all points towards 2021 being huge.

The State of Play in 2020

As things stand at the moment, there are 24 states where some form of gambling is allowed to take place. This means casino players can get their fix, on person and online in some states. With sites such as https://smartcasinoguide.com/ offering reviews and advice to players looking to play online, getting involved in casino gaming is very simple to do.

We are getting there a little slower than expected, but 2020 has seen another jump forward for legalised casino gaming and sports betting in the USA.

The Impact of Covid-19

However, the chances are that although we have seen progress this year, it hasn’t been as strong as we would have liked. This is because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In some cases, we have seen delays because of the situation in areas of the country, with a focus being put on more pressing matters. However, in others, we have seen companies just cool down their interest a little, or not press on as we were expecting them to.

The casino industry has been dealt a big blow, with companies not being allowed to open their offices for a period of time, that has hit their business and ultimately their profits. Expansion plans, development plans and general investment will have all been looked at in recent months.

This may have already caused a change, or if not it could well do so in the future, so it will be interesting to keep an eye out on this to see where things head over the coming months.

States to Watch in 2021

Many states appear to be on the edge of something, and 2021 is likely to be the year where gambling is licensed and allowed to happen.

Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota are the states which appear to have something in the pipeline for 2021.

This is another 11 states, if they all go for legalised gambling that would take us to well over 30 states allowing it, and the more that do, the more likely that other dominoes will fall.

The bills that pass will all feature something slightly different and that may be positive or negative for the casino industry. For example, some bills that pass may only allow in-person gambling to begin with and block online, others may include sports only, for now, there are many factors to consider.

In some places, there may be a ban on betting on college sports such as the NCAA Championships while allowing betting on professional leagues.

There is a lot to be worked out, and the casino industry will no doubt have a keen eye on things, as well as putting forward their point of view for legalized casino gaming, both online and offline.

There are many years to come in the future where legislation will no doubt be changed and amended to either add more ways of gambling, or even cut things out, so if something doesn’t appear at first, that isn’t to say it never will.

Based on what we have seen so far, there is certainly an appetite for gambling in the USA across the entire country, and eventually, it is highly likely that the vast majority of states will be on board in some respect.

Those offering online gambling are seeing a rise in that, and globally, this is where the future of gambling lies, people want to play from the comfort of their own home.

Eventually, it seems that Americans will all be able to do that, from casino slot games to card games and sports. For some, the time to do that could be as early as the year 2021.