The only states that were exempt from this federal law were Delaware, Montana, Oregon, and Nevada as they were already offering licensed sports betting and lotteries. PASPA prevented the sports betting industry from expanding through the United States. This was done with the goal of maintaining the integrity of professional and collegiate sports leagues. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (abbreviated PASPA) was a federal law that aimed to make sports betting illegal. The risk lied solely on those who were running the bookmaking operations.

US residents could therefore still gamble safely offshore or across state lines without getting in trouble. The Federal Wire Act was focused on the individuals taking bets and not those that were placing them. This federal law was meant to target illegally ran bookmakers which carried mafia involvement. The Federal Wire Act made it illegal to bet across state lines through telephone or telegraph. In order to understand the history of gambling legalization in the United States there are a few notable federal laws that must be examined further.

Is betting illegal in us