US Gambling Industry Hit Jackpot at Polls on Tuesday

Six states voted to expand the legal gambling options within their borders

Circa Sportsbook Las Vegas
Guests watch Game 6 of the World Series at the Circa Sportsbook in Las Vegas.
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Even though they couldn’t bet on the results of the presidential election, gamblers in the U.S. won big on Tuesday thanks to what happened at the polls.

Six states — Maryland, South Dakota, Louisiana, Virginia, Nebraska and Colorado — voted to either implement legal sports betting, or add or expand casino gambling.

Maryland, South Dakota and Louisiana approved sports betting while Virginia approved casino gambling at four locations within the state. In Nebraska, bettors will now be able to play casino games at horse racing tracks and in Colorado there will now be more casino games in general and fewer limits on wagering.

Although it’s been less than three years since a landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for all 50 states to offer sports betting, at least 25 states and the District of Columbia could have legal sports wagering in place by the end of 2021.

“It appears that Americans are becoming increasingly comfortable with legalized gambling,” David Schwartz, a gambling historian with the University of Nevada Las Vegas, told The Associated Press. “The addition of casinos in Virginia and racetrack casinos in Nebraska indicates that casino-style gambling is on the upswing as well. We have reached a point where voters seem satisfied that legalizing gambling will offer positive returns for their state.”

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