Illinois Considering Online Horse Wagering

In an effort to meet their budget, the Illinois legislature is considering making online gambling legal in their state. Other states already allow it, and it is one of the few forms of online gambling that the country doesn’t frown upon since the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

Online gambling through the internet and mobile devices has gotten very popular, and advanced deposit wagering, or ADW, is offered in more than 20 states already. They can simply use a device, or pick up a telephone, and bet in any of those states on whatever race and horse they choose.

Some of the advantages are obviously the fact that you don’t actually have to be at the track in order to bet, but by going out of state on the bookings, they don’t have to pay state taxes or shares to horsemen and tracks out of the bet.

The tracks say that it would greatly help their businesses if ADW was allowed in the state. They say that they cannot move their tracks to a state that will allow it, but they can move forward with the times in the state that they are located. It is up to the legislature to decide.

As it is not completely clear whether or not online betting is legal under Illinois law, the tracks don’t know how far they can push it. However, many lawmakers are seeing what they might be able to do about that, and soon online gambling may be allowed in Illinois.

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