Can I Bet the FIFA World Cup Online From Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico Using Bitcoin?
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law that prohibited sports betting last month, thus opening up the floodgates for states to beginning allowing wagering on the FIFA World Cup, just not this one (with only a handful of exceptions). States would need to develop the legal framework and there is too little time ahead of the big tournament. For now, a few dozen of internationally licensed sportsbooks will accept wagers on this year's World Cup.
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WILL ANY OF THESE STATES WELCOME SPORTS BETTING?
Utah will not. The state does not even have a lottery. Utah has long made it clear they would opt out of any federal plan to offer sports wagering.
Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana and one would assume they would be more forward thinking when it comes to sports betting.
It won't happen yet as the state legislature already has gone on recess. No new law can be passed until 2019.
The state allows poker, blackjack, roulette and craps as well as slot machine gambling for real money but only in the towns of Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. State statute expressly forbids gambling on the outcome of sporting events.
“Any expansion of gaming beyond the constitution would require legislation and a vote of the people,” said Meghan Tanis, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Division of Gaming.
“We’re going to have to look at it pretty closely,” Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper told KDVR-TV on Monday, saying he is concerned about gambling addiction. “We’ve got to figure out how people who want to gamble (on sports) can do it recreationally and how people who are vulnerable to that kind of addiction, how we protect them, if indeed that’s possible.”
The best guess is within two years.
New Mexico, meanwhile, is in no hurry to legalize sports betting.
KOB4 reported that , if New Mexico does legalize sports betting, about 65 percent of those polled say it should happen at casinos or race tracks. But it turns out that 68 percent of those polled haven't been to a local casino in the past year.
"There's a financial component to that, you know?" Carroll said. "Most families in New Mexico don't have the dollars to go and lose."
Lawmakers in Arizona must also propose and vote for legislation allowing the activity.
The Arizona Department of Gaming said in a statement following the Supreme Court ruling that all sports betting will remain illegal until further action is taken at the state level.
A spokesperson described the decision as "business as usual" for Arizona.
Gov. Doug Ducey hinted at a possible push to legalize sports gambling as part of the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact — the state's agreement that governs betting on Native American lands.
Ducey's uncle, Bill Scott, was one of the pioneers of licensed offshore sports betting, founding the one-time largest online gambling site in Antigua, World Wide Tele Sports.
Needless-to-say, gamblers from these states will need to rely on international websites to place all their World Cup bets.
HOW TO USE BITCOIN AND OTHER CRYPTOCURRENCIES FOR BETTING THE FIFA WORLD CUP
The online betting site will simply have you send them the special address/token obtained from the Bitcoin wallet or exchange.
You would select either SEND (to deposit funds) or RECEIVE (to withdraw funds).
Some exchanges allow customers to link directly with their bank accounts or PayPal. The Bitcoin can be converted into the currency of your choice then transferred into your account in as little as 24 hours.
You will want to verify all your information (including personal identification) with the exchange prior to sending and receiving funds. Typically they will suggest setting up an authenticator on your mobile device for added security.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
