Until recently, the Interstate Wire Act of 1961, combined with the Professional and Amateur Sport Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992, prohibited sports betting in the U.S. in all but four grandfathered states (Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Delaware). Despite its illegal status, sports betting has been a thriving underground business, with the American Gaming Association (AGA) estimating that in 2015, $149B was wagered illegally on U.S. sports – the 2016 Super Bowl 50 alone attracted $4.1B in illegal wagers, with only ~$100M placed legally.
