When you hear the word offshore, the first thing that comes to mind an oil rig in the sea. While this is the most common use of the word, it is not the only meaning. One of the dictionary definitions of offshore is any business that is registered overseas. It can be anything from a gambling firm to a shipping company. When you say someone is an offshore worker, it doesn’t always mean that the person is working in an oil or fishing company. Many companies in the United States register their businesses in foreign countries to take advantage of lower taxes, operation costs, and some other privileges. Some might share the company into different parts, leaving the head office in the country and the manufacturing part in another country like China, for example. Our focus in this piece is offshore gambling. How does it work? How can you benefit from gambling offshore and how can you protect yourself while gambling offshore? For the sake of this article, we are going to use the United States as our major base.
How Does Offshore Gambling Work?
Offshore gambling is any type of casino, sportsbook, horse racing site, or any other form of gambling that operates outside the U.S. border. In most cases, these offshore gambling sites are unregulated because they don’t have the license required to operate in the U.S. There are advantages and disadvantages of using these offshore casinos which we will address eventually. Keep in mind that being unregulated does not mean that offshore sites are illegal for people to use. The rules surrounding offshore gambling vary from state to state and there are still some parts of the country that uses the word synonymously with illegal gambling.
What Are the Benefits of Offshore Gambling?
You Can Gamble Even When it is illegal
Gambling has always been a controversial topic when it comes to legislatures. There have always been two conflicting views when it comes to gambling. One set of people believe that gambling should be illegal because it is highly addictive and it can easily become problem gambling. They see it as nothing but a scam controlled by companies that want to rob people of their hard-earned cash. Even if things have changed significantly over the years, gambling is still illegal in some parts of the U.S. It is legal under the federal law of the United States but all states are allowed to prohibit, regulate or simply ban gambling altogether if they want. If you happen to stay in a place where gambling is illegal, you can still enjoy the thrill through offshore gambling. As long as offshore gambling is not illegal in the states, you will not be in trouble for gambling offshore. All you have to do is find a trustworthy website that offers all the games you enjoy online, play, and receive your earnings directly into your bank account. If you think gambling with your bank account will draw too much attention to you, consider using PayPal or any other liberal payment option.
Gamble with State to State Wagering Restrictions
In states where gambling is legal, there are typically clear-cut rules that restrict or guide casinos. This often includes wagering restrictions. Casinos may be forced to restrict people from wagering more than a certain amount of money at a time because of the risks involved. This has some benefits but it also has some disadvantages. The state sets wagering amount is often lower than wagering restrictions set by offshore casinos that are not restricted. For example, if the state sets the wagering limit at $10, the offshore site might set the limit at $100. This means that you can take more risks and earn more rewards at a time.
No Taxes on Offshore Casinos
When you gamble on an offshore casino, you are not obligated to report your earnings no matter how high it might be. This is one of the primary reasons people use offshore online sites instead of regulated ones. Keep in mind that some offshore sites operate on a tax-holiday basis. So, you might pay taxes sometimes and ignore them other times when it is not a requirement. With a registered casino, you don’t have this privilege. Tax forms are filled upon registration and taxes are deducted automatically from your winnings.
Flexible Hours and Limited Fees
Since offshore casinos are online, there are no time restrictions. You can gamble at any time of the day, every day of the year. You don’t need to leave the comfort of your home each time you want to gamble. You can even gamble during your office break. Despite this flexibility, offshore gambling sites don’t come with a range of fees. The only fees you might need to pay are deposit and withdrawal fees. If you are lucky, you might not need to pay a deposit fee at all. Unlike when you visit a land-based casino, you will not need to pay parking fees or any other fee with a bogus name. These casinos simply want players to bet, invite their friends, and come back for more. Combined with the holiday taxes, the limited fees offer amazing savings to the player.
Disadvantages of Offshore Gambling and How to Protect Yourself
No U.S. Jurisdiction
We stated above that offshore gambling sites are not regulated in the United States because they have no license to practice there. This comes with some benefits but it also means that the sites are not under the jurisdiction of U.S. regulators. So, if you are duped on the website, it gets shut down or you find out that it is a fraudulent site right after you make your deposit, there is nothing any regulatory body in the U.S. can do for you. Your money would be lost forever. This is one of the biggest risks associated with offshore gambling. To protect your money, make sure that the site is reliable. The United States might not have jurisdiction but Google and social media do. So, read as many reviews as you can about the website to find out if it is fraudulent before you start using it. This might protect you completely and against every problem but its great as due diligence.
Poor Platform Quality
Regulated online betting sites often have higher quality platforms when compared to offshore gambling sites. They have to meet a certain standard to avoid losing their licenses. With offshore sites, the case is different. There are no rules about site quality, user interface, and design. This is why most of these offshore sites offer poor user experience. This does not mean every offshore site has the same problem. If you search well, you will find offshore sites that are as good or even better than regulated sites in terms of user interface and design. Just make sure that you search well before you register.
Problems with Payment Processing
Even the best offshore sites might have payment processing problems. Due to the lack of regulation in the country, these offshore gambling sites operate in a financially grey area. So, they are more likely to have problems with financial Institutions than regulated gambling sites. These issues might include delays in deposit and withdrawals. These issues might take time to resolve and put you off your game when you are in the mood to gamble. There is nothing more annoying than a delay in deposits. Even a delay in withdrawal isn’t always as annoying as a delay in deposits. If you encounter this problem, the best thing to do is to contact a customer care representative on the website. If the issue isn’t resolved in time, you can contact the payment service provider directly with details about the transaction.
Bottom line
Online gambling is a great way to enjoy yourself anywhere and anytime without worrying about things like transportation, parking, etc. during the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of online gambling has surged significantly because of the convenience associated with it. You can maximize the benefits of online gambling by exploring offshore betting sites. Make sure you always research thoroughly before you proceed and always gamble responsibly irrespective of the method you choose. It is easy to get addicted to gambling so proceed with caution.
