Re-elected Donald Trump and gambling laws: What to Expect?
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6 Nov 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes Millions of Americans went to the polls today, and the result looks clear: Donald Trump is returning to the White House. And this time, not only are his supporters happy, but the gambling industry is also watching with interest.
Because with Trump as president and a large Republican presence in the Senate and the House, there are suddenly new opportunities for sports betting and gambling laws in America. Trump himself has a long history in the gambling world, and many people are wondering what this will mean for the future.
Americans on sports betting: what do they think?
During the elections, the economy, health care and safety were the main issues. But sports betting still plays a bigger role than you might think. Polls in states such as Missouri and Texas, where gambling is still not legal, show that more and more people are in favor of legalized sports betting.
Young people in particular are enthusiastic about legal gambling: among 18- to 29-year-olds, nearly 76% support the idea of legalizing sports betting. But among older residents, that percentage is much lower. It’s a growing trend that’s not exactly at the top of the political agenda, but it’s certainly playing a role. And Trump and his team know it.
Trump’s past in the gambling industry
If there’s anyone who knows a thing or two about gambling, it’s Donald Trump. In the 1980s, he played a major role in Atlantic City’s casino industry, owning iconic casinos like Harrah’s and the famous Trump Taj Mahal. It wasn’t an unqualified success—all of the casinos eventually went bankrupt. But Trump himself looks back on his time in Atlantic City positively. He once said that he “brought an incredible amount of money out of the city.”
Trump’s personal involvement in the gambling world, however, doesn’t mean he made big moves to legalize sports betting during his previous term. The historic 2018 ruling that allowed states to set their own gambling laws came from the Supreme Court, not the White House. This time, things could be different.
What to expect from Trump and gambling laws?
With Trump back in the White House, there’s a chance he could loosen federal regulations around sports betting. Many states are eager to pass laws legalizing sports betting, but federal barriers have made that difficult at times. Trump is known for his preference for fewer regulations, so many hope he’ll remove those obstacles.
It could be especially important for states like California and Texas, where gambling laws have repeatedly been bogged down by legal ambiguities. Trump looks set to give states the freedom to make their own decisions without having to worry about restrictions from Washington.