The Federated States of Micronesia is a small island nation located in the western Pacific Ocean in the geographical region known as Oceania or Micronesia. Located in Oceania, the country has its capital in Palikir and its population stands at about 115,800 people by January 2024. Although the Federated States of Micronesia is a small state, it has a rather checkered history and rather specific approach towards the regulation of gambling, especially Federated States of Micronesia bookmakers and sport betting.
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Table of Contents
Summary of Key Events
Bookmakers Gambling Laws and Legislation Through
Gambling laws of the Federated States of Micronesia can be traced back to the mid 1800s when the westerners started to open up their trading posts. In this regard, it is possible to observe that over the years the legal environment has changed and has been shaped by a number of international occupiers. The significant milestones in gambling laws include:
- 1885: Spain took the islands and that marked the beginning of political administration of the islands.
- 1899: The islands were given to Germany.
- 1914-1945: Japan seized the islands in the First and Second World War.
- 1947: In the movie, the United Nations transferred the management to the United States.
- 1979: The Federated States of Micronesia Constitution was ratified.
- 1986: The FSM-US Treaty of Free Association was signed providing the FSM with independence.
The Laws and Regulations that Exist in Today’s Bookmakers
In the Federated States of Micronesia online gambling is not prohibited yet; however, there are legal acts concerning land-based casinos and other gambling institutions. These regulations vary from state to state:
- Kosrae: Every form of betting and casinos is forbidden, particularly where foreign capital is involved.
- Pohnpei: Gambling establishments are considered as prohibited; however, they are not completely banned. Some talks have been made concerning the introduction of casinos and gambling centers, but there are none to this date.
- Chuuk and Yap: Like Pohnpei, there are no legal Casinos even though there is discussion and proposals for them.
For this reason, since the casino gambling is not federal regulated, it means that each state regulates it thus creating a patchwork of laws.
Federated States of Micronesia Bookmakers Regulatory Agencies
Gambling can be practiced in the Federated States of Micronesia without the intervention of a specific supervisory authority dealing with bookmakers. Thus, each state has its own legal system of regulating gambling, which makes the situation rather chaotic and contradictory.
Prohibited and Allowed Bets
Since there is no federal law on gambling, the kinds of bets that are legal or not legal differ from one state to another. Even though casino gambling is either prohibited or limited, other types of gambling including the sport betting and lotteries are not well defined and thus some forms of gambling may exist in a legal twilight zone.
Bookmakers Licenses and Charges for Services.
At present of writing this article there are no specific regulations on how and where to acquire gambling licenses for bookmakers in the Federated States of Micronesia. This remains the case even in the management of gambling activities where no fees or licensing is set for the running of gambling houses.
Bookmakers Gambling Taxes
At the present time, there are no special taxes concerning gambling and bookmakers in the Federated States of Micronesia. But there have been some debates to legalize casino gambling to tax the income from it, but such plans have not been realized.
Sporting Activities Betting in the Federated States of Micronesia
Although there are no legal provisions regarding the operation of sportsbooks, betting on sports is pretty widespread among the population. This is because there is no specific law that prohibits online sports betting hence residents are free to use international betting sites. Key points about sports betting in the Federated States of Micronesia include:
- Legal Status: Sports betting online is not prohibited and that locals are able to use international sportsbooks.
- Popularity: Such sports as baseball, basketball, football (soccer), and athletics are more likely to attract the attention of the bettors.
- International Participation: This is mainly because there are no local bookies thus most of the time, residents gamble through international online gambling sites.
Sporting Event Glory Milestones
- 2000 Sydney Olympics: Micronesia takes part in three track and field events for the first time; athletes, swimmers and weightlifters.
- 2005 South Pacific Games: The national baseball team gets a third place that makes them receive a bronze medal.
- 2011 Pacific Games: The swimmer Pilar Shimizu gets a bronze in the 200m freestyle and this is the first international medal for the country.
- 2014 Commonwealth Games: Weightlifter David Katoatau gets a gold medal in the weightlifting event for 105kg category.
- 2016 Rio Olympics: The Philippines’ Pilar Shimizu becomes the first Olympic athlete of the country.
Conclusion
The Federated States of Micronesia stands out from the other countries in the sphere of gambling, especially with regard to bookmakers and sports betting. This paper finds that the legal environment is complex and non-homogeneous and depends on the jurisdiction. Although the sectors of online gambling are still not well regulated, the popularity of sports betting does not seem to decline, thanks to the availability of foreign websites.
Currently people of the nation are debating on the positive and negative aspects of making gambling activities legal and regulated, only time will tell how the future will look like. At the moment, the Federated States of Micronesia presents a rather interesting standpoint for the development of bookmaking businesses and sports betting enthusiasts.
FAQ: Federated States of Micronesia Bookmakers
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