America’s new president, Donald Trump, has a long history in the gambling world. He often boasts about his success in Atlantic City, where he owned iconic casinos such as the famous Taj Mahal. His casinos may have gone bankrupt, but he always says it was a positive experience for him and that he made a lot of money.
Thousands of people placed bets on whether Donald Trump would win the election this year. Online election betting sites proved to be a more accurate gauge of the state of the race than traditional polls. With Trump as president, many people involved in the gambling world are wondering what impact his election could have on gambling laws.
Legal gambling
In the run-up to the recent election, research from the American Gaming Association (AGA) showed common ground on legal gambling among Donald Trump and Kamala Harris supporters. As many as three-quarters of the voters support casino gambling and about 70% approve sports betting. This was irrespective of which party they supported.
Legal online casino games provide the states with a big opportunity for gaming and tax revenue. At present, online gambling is only legal in Pennsylvania and six other states. In states where it’s legal, casino apps are now very popular. They allow players to play conveniently from their mobile devices in any location and at any time.
Gambling is a state-level decision
Gambling is a state-level decision and not a federal one. In Trump’s previous term, he didn’t make any big moves to legalize sports betting. In 2018, a Supreme Court ruling gave states the right to set their own gambling laws. Will the White House have any influence on gambling laws in Trump’s second term? Trump is likely to allow the states to continue to make their own decisions about gambling. However, he could also decide to change federal regulations surrounding sports betting.
Sports betting
At present, 38 states and Washington D.C. offer legal sports betting in one form or another. Ten of the remaining states either offer casino gambling or state lottery. Only Hawaii and Utah have no legal gambling options. Polls in states such as Texas and Missouri, where gambling is still not legal, show that more and more people support legalized sports betting.
When it comes to sports, Trump’s influence extends to NFL games. NFL legend Emmitt Smith believes popular Trump dance moves, initially associated with his rallies, are becoming a symbol of player expression and individuality in the end zones of NFL games.
States where gambling laws could change
Texas is the second-most populous state in the U.S. It has historically been opposed to expanding gambling options. Before the election, gambling insiders were speculating that another Trump presidency could remove the roadblocks to gambling. Texas lawmakers have been trying to pass an expansion of gambling for at least the last two sessions. However, Governor Greg Abbott isn’t part of Trump’s cabinet as many predicted he would be. He wants to stay in Texas and run for reelection in 2026.
In Arkansas, there was also speculation that Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders would potentially end up in Trump’s Cabinet and this could be good for gambling. She hasn’t shared her position about online gambling, although her father was opposed to it. She too opted to stay as Governor of Arkansas.
Crypto gambling
Trump’s comments on crypto prior to the election caused a surge in crypto markets. He branded himself as pro-crypto. Since his election, he has confirmed that he plans to establish a bitcoin strategic U.S. reserve.
Crypto gambling operates in a similar way to traditional gambling, but it uses crypto as the main form of currency rather than fiat currency. Gambling accounts for about half of all transactions with Bitcoin. Using crypto for gambling offers many benefits such as immediate transactions, few overhead fees, and player anonymity. Under a Trump presidency, crypto gambling could become more common.
