The popularity of online gambling began in the 1990s. Many saw it as an end-run around government regulations, since online gambling operators could operate from offshore jurisdictions. Anyone with a computer and a credit card could find and wager on an online gambling site. This spurred the Congress and Department of Justice to look into regulations. Eventually, these regulators decided that online gambling had to be regulated. However, the industry is growing with more legal jurisdictions opening their doors to the public.

Although online gambling is legal on a federal level, each country has its own laws governing the activity. These laws cover sports betting, games of chance, and poker sites. While the list of states that allows online gambling is long, most countries regulate the activity differently. Despite this, at least twenty states allow their residents to place wagers on online poker sites and sports games. While the federal government does not regulate online gambling, state governments often change their laws on a regular basis.

Some countries have banned online gambling, including China and North Korea. However, foreigners can still gamble in these countries. Many gambling websites filter out foreign visitors based on their IP addresses. A VPN allows you to bypass these restrictions by routing your internet connection through a country with a more lenient gambling law. This is an excellent way to stay anonymous while gambling online. While you’re at it, consider installing a VPN on your computer. Many premium VPNs are available as mobile applications, too.