_An Edhat Reader
There’s no doubt March Madness is a highlight in every sports fan’s calendar. This year, the tournament drew in 9.86 million viewers on average. But this isn’t the only interesting stat about it. It’s also estimated that $3 billion was bet on the tournament.
One of the reasons this number is so high is that more people across the United States can now legally bet on basketball games. 38 states and the District of Columbia now allow sports betting in some form. California, the country’s most populous state, is still missing from this list.
However, Californian students found ways to do it legally. Let’s explore how.
Students in California betting on basketball using Bitcoin
Students in California acknowledge the illegality of sports betting in the state, but that doesn’t stop them from engaging in this activity. This is because there are still ways to do it without breaking the law. One of them is using BTC gambling sites to place sports bets.
While online sports betting is prohibited in California, the regulations become gray when it comes to offshore gambling sites. Many of them have been catering to Americans from all states for years without trouble.
Since some of them only accept crypto assets as payments, they don’t know where their customers are from. This also means they cannot ban players from the US states that don’t allow online gambling.
This is exactly how students in California have been making bets on basketball games throughout the college season and the 2024 March Madness tournament.
With so many crypto online casinos, there’s plenty of opportunity for young Californians to enjoy the activity they like so much. This way, their excitement heightens and there’s a whole new reason to watch games they otherwise wouldn’t be interested in.
It’s no surprise students are among those who often use Bitcoin to place sports bets. Younger generations have embraced cryptocurrencies and they’ve become an important part of their everyday life.
In addition, the majority of gambling now takes place on mobile devices. Hence, tech-savvy young adults are always just a few taps on the screen away from placing bets or playing casino games.
Sports betting in California
It’s no wonder students in California are turning to Bitcoin online casinos in large numbers since it’s the only way they can place sports bets legally. The state of California doesn’t allow any form of sports betting and it doesn’t seem this will change soon enough for them to wait.
However, there were some pushes to legalize this activity not so long ago.
In 2022, Proposition 26 and Proposition 27 were rejected in a public vote. The former would’ve allowed sports betting at tribal casinos while the latter would’ve allowed online sports betting.
66.98% of Californians voted against Proposition 26, and 82.28% voted against Proposition 27.
In 2023, some Californian legislators again pushed hard to legalize sports betting. They received opposition from local tribes and advocacy groups, ultimately causing their efforts to be unsuccessful.
While the state is adding new laws, none of them regard legal online sports betting. In all likelihood, it’ll take a constitutional amendment to allow sports betting in California. This means the residents might have to make another trip to the polls before they see this activity being allowed in the state. This process could take a year or even more.
Californian students aren’t ready to wait that long and they’ve already found ways to do it. Bitcoin casinos remain a legal way to place sports bets. Although these casinos often state that they don’t allow US players, they don’t have Know Your Customer (KYC) policies and cannot ban them from their platforms.
With cryptocurrencies being perfectly legal in the country, this remains a legitimate way for Californians to gamble.
Bitcoin casinos – the future of online gambling
Many label Bitcoin casinos as the future of online gambling and it’s easy to see why. They bring many advantages and have become the go-to places for players who, just like students in California, seek anonymity.
Unlike other online casinos, they don’t require players to provide personal and banking account details. This is because they operate on blockchain, a clear and secure ledger technology. This tech eliminates any need to collect information and allows pseudonymous transactions.
However, not having to share delicate information isn’t the only reason why players are turning to these platforms. They also provide instant down payments and withdrawals. Since there are no third-party processors, players can enjoy their payouts without delay.
Bitcoin casinos also use innovative security technologies and rely on the decentralized nature of blockchain to create perfectly safe gambling environments.
They’ve also quickly become the most accessible way to place sports bets and play casino games. Anyone with an internet connection and a Bitcoin wallet can hop onto these platforms and gamble. This opens the door for players from all parts of the world, even those in which this activity isn’t allowed.
