Recently I have seen several articles about legalized gaming.
I have no doubt in the future it will eventually be legalized, but a few main reasons why you as an agent don’t need to worry. The first and biggest reason is the tax on wagers and winnings. A player will have to report and cough up a large portion of the winnings just because he placed a sports bet legitimately. It is hard enough to win, let alone edge out profit with uncle sam choking you out. Take Europe for example, punters or gamblers on the other side of the pond still choose to wager illegally because of this regulation and tax greed. The government cannot help themselves.
The second major reason is ease of access and payment. If you are a local book and you meet your player locally, there is nothing more satisfying then walking away with cash in hand after a winning week. Also, if you live in central Ohio or Kansas the only way to get paid is electronically. A bank deposit with a tax deduction and report will never, ever feel as legit as gambling feels now.
The third thing is US leaders, Adelson and Trump, whom I mentioned earlier in another article. Trump and Sheldon Adelson are casino owners. If the US government were to legalize gaming the chances of having a drunk player sitting at the slot machine, losing money day in and day out drops almost to zero. They can play those same slots online legally, they can drink their own cheap liquor at home. The Casino owners, Vegas and whoever else stands to lose if it is legalized will put a damper on the progress of this legalization.
Now, that all being said, it is not something that won’t eventually happen; however, you can rest assured with republican presidents like Trump in office who stand to lose, it will not happen soon. The only way for Vegas and Atlantic City to deal with their revenue drop is to increase the appeal to the new generations. Increase access to E-sports and increase dedication to millennial ideas of comfort. New generations prefer to look unique than make money and they are also prone to safety vs. risk.