Predictions for Online Gambling by 2020

As of the moment, only Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware have legalized online gambling. And according to a research by Morgan Stanley, the online gambling industry in the United States could boom to a whopping $5.2 billion by the year 2020, if there are at least 20 states to have legalized the said activity then. Although, according to Business Insider, the estimate of Morgan Stanley is even a downgrade from previous hypotheses.

In revenue, New Jersey seems to yield more than $10 million a month in online gambling. Nevada, on the other hand, profits about $1 million a month while Delaware peaks at around $240,000 for a single month. Right now, it seems that online gambling in the United States is but a small market, but has every potential to gain more profit in the coming years.

It has been said that online gambling, most specifically online poker, really thrives when there is a lot of liquidity. The more states that legalize the activity, the greater revenues each state would have, as long as there are deals that combine player pools.

Assuming that more states would legalize online gambling activity in the coming years, California has become the consensus pick for the next state, that’s likely to legalize online poker by 2015. A gaming law expert told Card Player that the odds of that happening is very good. As a matter of fact, the issue has been in discussion for more than five years.

Nelson Rose, a leading lawyer and scholar of gambling law in the United States, has mentioned that the problem in legalizing the said activity is purely political. “California has politically powerful gaming tribes and card clubs, who have nothing against Internet poker, as long as they are the ones to run it. But politicians are only looking at raising revenue, not protecting local operators,” Rose explained.

Californian politicians want big moneymakers like Caesars Entertainment to handle the business, but as of the moment, a political solution is being worked out. Once the resolution has been figured out and the election year has come and go, the legislature will then approve the legalization of Internet poker in California.

Despite being the state with the heaviest population, California would only be legalizing poker, and not other forms of casino games. Illinois, however, would likely authorize a slew of games.

Although each state would probably have a different approach to online gambling, Morgan Stanley assumes that by 2020, California’s online poker market will reach $610 million.