U.S. Gambling Laws That Will Surprise You

January 4, 2023 by Staff

Gambling is one of the top choices for leisure activities and entertainment in the United States, but this is not specific to the American Nation. Casino games and sports betting are popular in the entire world, including Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

There are numerous reasons why gambling is so appreciated. The top cause remains accessibility, as nowadays, gambling companies operate both in brick-and-mortar casinos or betting agencies and online. Players and fans can easily access them, whether they enjoy specific websites or physical locations.

Gambling and betting are accessible

What’s more, most gambling activities are easy to learn and don’t require extensive knowledge to be entertaining. For example, a newbie into casino games can start playing roulette or blackjack after only a few hours of practice or after they check out the game rules.

For betting, the same rules apply, primarily since this activity is usually dedicated to sports fans who understand everything, there’s to know about their favorite sports, including info about teams, coaches, and major competitions like the World Cup or the NFL Super Bowl.

Casinos abide by national laws

For a casino or betting operator to function legally, he must abide by the laws of the country and state he operates. Most gambling rules aim to protect players against fraud and ensure that gambling companies are transparent, just like any other legally functioning company, whether they activate in the gambling, sports, beauty, tourism, or tech field.

Still, some funny and surprising laws manage to become effective, even if they are pretty impractical or need to make more sense. This happens in almost every domain, all over the globe, not only when it comes to gambling. 

If you are looking for some US gambling laws that will definitely baffle you, we’ve got the best examples:

No gambling in Texas

Texas has one of the strictest rules on gambling in the entire US. While in many states of the United States, gambling is legal, and everyone has heard of Las Vegas or Atlantic City, which are gambling centers of the world, in Texas, gambling is illegal.

There are a few exceptions to this rule, including some brick-and-mortar casinos owned by the state and lottery offerings. Yet, gamblers cannot access online casinos or betting agencies. Regarding betting, some types of horse betting are allowed under strict conditions.

Many know this state as the place where the famous poker game Texas Hold’Em originated, but the irony is that poker is not legal in Texas.

No naked gambling in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is one of the most well-known states in the United States. Oklahoma allows many forms of gambling, including horse betting, bingo, and casinos licensed under the state’s conditions, but only with one condition. Women cannot walk into a gambling parlor if they wear indecent attire, specifically lingerie or a towel.

The law states this clearly, so no woman is allowed to attend casino games or similar activities wearing indecent clothing. Sadly, the legislation only mentions women, so we don’t know for sure if men can go ahead and gamble wearing just their boxers, yet it would be interesting for someone to consider testing it out.

Slots Machines are not for personal use in some states of the U.S.

Of course, it is not a good idea to start buying slots and video poker machines to use them as a casino would, charging people. Still, for some people, slots and video poker games are collectables, items that can be part of a particular interior design plan or hold sentimental value.

Unfortunately, in many states of the US, including Hawaii, Nebraska, Alabama, and Connecticut, it is illegal to own slots or pokies machines. Moreover, this doesn’t apply only to working machines but to all devices, meaning you cannot even own a slot that is not working or has been used as a prop. 

The strictest laws are in Hawaii, where you can be subject to a felony charge on your second offense of owning a slot or video poker machine.

Kentucky: Loss Recovery Act

Kentucky gives you the chance of getting money back if you lose more than $5. Although you can easily use complementary promotions for online slots and play without paying, Kentucky got your back.

If you think this law is surprising and unique at the same time, you should know that it only applies to those who lose due to a wrongful act. So, you cannot sue casinos for losing if the game was fair.

Are surprising laws for real?

There are many surprising laws all over the globe, and many do not even relate to gambling at all. You can discover funny rules about marriage, tourism, or even food, yet you have to admit that Americans do have some humor when it comes to gambling. 

The laws above are as actual as they can get, even if not all of them make sense.