Missouri residents might be wondering what legal gambling options are out there. The laws surrounding gambling can be tough to navigate, but we have trudge through the legalese on your behalf to bring a detailed outline of the regulations that have been set in place as well as legal options available in the form of both land based facilities and legal gambling sites for Missouri residents. We will present the law in a straightforward, easy to read fashion. After finishing this article, Missouri residents will be well aware of what they can do.
The Missouri state gambling laws are quite lenient compared to many other states. There have been many revised statutes over the past decade that have made gambling venues easy to find, and use. We will cover the language that directly pertains to you, the Missouri gambler, so you can get an idea for what is allowable. We will now present sections from the law, and explain what they mean.
Section 313.805 - This simple section is short, and to the point. Riverboat gambling was legalized in Missouri in 1992, and since these vessels are not required to cruise whilst gambling is being done, there are many converted barges on land that are made to look like land-based buildings. These many casinos are located throughout Missouri, and they offer great legal gambling activities. You will not find sports betting because the PASPA has illegalized that everywhere, but almost any other gambling activity exist at these establishments. There are plenty of legal online gambling sites that accept Missouri residents and offer sports betting, poker, casino games, and racebooks.
Section 572.010. (4) - This is where the legal language gets intricate. This section makes it sound like gambling on a legal site is against the law because you are engaging in a wager. The caveat lies in the exemptions within the definition of gambling. Missouri State’s definition of gambling excludes “business transactions”. When you do business at any of the premier gambling sites, you are buying chips or “points” witch which to do as you please. In this case you are buying property, and if you decide to use that property to play on these sites, that is fine. It is akin to going to Chuck-e-Cheese and using tokens to play games.
Section 572.090. (1) - This section aims to dissuade nefarious businesses from popping up throughout the state. Underground gambling rackets exist all across the country all the time, and are one of the major blights on the legal gambling business. This law aims to criminalize these underground rackets by claiming them as public nuisances. This ensures that only legal, state sanctioned gambling venues operate within Missouri.
Section 572.010. (2) - This definition of bookmaking means to stop independent bookmakers from taking bets. Organized crime elements and independent racketeers like to try to take advantage of average gamblers by claiming to offer legitimate betting pools. This law helps limit the amount of local underground gambling operations.
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Wire Act – The Wire Act of 1961 was the first major federal law to regulate gambling. The Act passed to suppress organized crime from spreading throughout the gambling world. The Wire Act states that, “Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission… shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.” This successfully limited criminal money transfers, laundering, and theft.
PASPA – The Professional and Amateur Sports Protections Act (PASPA) of 1992 was the nest big law involved with gambling. The PASPA directly targets sports betting, and defines it as a “national problem”. PASPA makes it unlawful for any bookmaker to run their business within the United States, much less the state of Missouri. Although the law does not target players who merely wish to place a bet, The PASPA effectively banned sports betting establishments from functioning in every state except for Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon.
UIGEA – The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was brought about to regulate online gambling. With the advent of the internet, Congress ruled that the definition of “wire communication device” included the internet, but they ruled that the act only applied to sports betting. The UIGEA banned online gambling in the states, meaning you will not find an online gambling establishment in your hometown. Luckily, the UIGEA does not target the average gambler, only the operators of gambling establishments. The many legal online gambling sites located overseas are legal for you to use.
The Missouri gambling age is 18. Most of the land-based casinos require you to be 21 because they serve alcohol. Many of the legal online gambling sites only require you to be 18, so signing up should never be a problem. If you are ever questioning whether you should sign up at a gambling site, check the site/state gambling ages, and always go with the higher number. Underage gambling carries harsh penalties, so always make sure you are playing within the letter of the law.
Missouri residents are lucky in that casinos are scattered throughout the land. These casinos are great places to get in on some real-world gambling action, and offer safe environments. If you want to play for real money but don’t feel like leaving your house, there are plenty of legal Missouri gambling sites. These reputed sites offer the best action in the world right now. Whichever avenue you decide to take, you can be sure that Missouri is a hotbed of gambling activity, online and on land.
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