Sports Gambling Legal States

Posted on4/3/2022by admin

Online sports betting and other forms of wagering have been restricted for some time, with the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 preventing fans from placing bets on games. Some exemptions existed, but this mostly only favored Nevada and a few other states.

Sports Betting Legislation
Sports Betting Legal United States
Sports Gambling Legal States
Sports Gambling Legal States Recreational

In 2018, the US Supreme Court ruled that this law was unconstitutional, paving the way for states to set their own rules on sports books. This means that, unlike many European countries, where laws are uniform across the territory, Americans living just a few miles from each other may be subject to very different laws on betting.

Sports betting is still not legal in the state of Arizona. However, that doesn’t mean that the Grand Canyon State isn’t trying to change that. A sports betting bill popped up in early 2019 but eventually lost steam early in the legislature. Now in 2020, there are two bills that have a chance to bring legal sports betting to Arizona.

The climate for sports betting legislation. Nearly two years after the US Supreme Court struck. That led to sports betting being deemed legal and states across America now have land based and online sportsbooks. Prior to that, Nevada was the only state with a full slate of legal sports betting.

American States Where Online Sports Betting is Legal

Nevada and New Jersey were some of the first to take advantage of this, passing legislation almost immediately. As of July 2020, there are 12 states that allow online sports betting in the country, although they each have different rules.

New Jersey

New Jersey offers the widest range of online sports betting with around 17 different licensed sports books. Online casinos are also legal, meaning New Jersey-ites can enjoy new slot games in 2020 as well as betting on a wide array of sports.

Nevada

Online sports betting is possible in Nevada, but you must first create your account while inside a physical casino first.

Indiana

Sports betting websites have been operating since 2019, with a broad selection of bookmakers to choose from. Users can sign up, deposit and place wagers from their computer or mobile device, but there are some restrictions on in-game betting.

Pennsylvania

Most major online bookmakers operate in Pennsylvania where online wagering has been allowed since 2019. The state is a big market since it has one of the biggest populations in the country and a high proportion of sports fans.

Colorado

First allowed in May 2020, sports fans in Colorado already have a good selection of sports books to choose from. It also has some of the most liberal rules surrounding sports betting, with online registration and depositing, no in-game restrictions and wagers on college teams allowed.

Illinois

Illinois passed legislation that allowed online sports betting in June 2019 but the first brands didn’t begin accepting registrations until Q1 of 2020. Existing physical casinos in the state have an 18-month head start over national online brands.

Iowa

After sports betting was permitted in May 2019, several sports books have begun operating in the state. However, until 2021 fans must visit a sports book or casino in-person to create their account.

Mississippi

Mississippi first legalized sports betting in 2018, but it requires bets to be placed inside a casino, even if the customer wants to use their smartphone.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire has allowed sports betting since July 2019 although wagering from a smartphone wasn’t permitted for another 5 months. Only a handful of brands operate in the state right now, but more are expected to open soon.

Oregon

Sports betting is allowed in Oregon but only through the state-operated Oregon Lottery.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island is the only state to allow betting at 18 instead of 21. However, like Oregon, it’s only permitted through the state lottery.

West Virginia

Sports betting in West Virginia has been legal since August 2019, with full online and mobile services allowed.

Which Will be the 13th State?

While there are still 38 states that don’t allow sports betting, it is expected that many more will pass legislation that will change this in the coming months and years. Some of these are expected to do so much quicker than others, including:

Kentucky – A bill to legalize sports betting was blocked earlier in 2020, but commentators believe this to only be a temporary hurdle

Ohio – In May 2020, the Ohio House Finance Committee voted to progress a bill that will legalize sports betting in the state. It was approved by the House the next day but still needs to be approved by the Senate.

Connecticut – Like Kentucky, a bill had been progressing in early 2020 but it has been hit many hurdles.

Maryland – A bill was approved by the Senate in early March 2020 but it’s not yet clear when it will be approved by the House.
Missouri – The state of Missouri has been considering sports betting for some time, but there have been delays for it and other matters in recent months, meaning it’s not yet clear when it will pass.

Of these five, either Ohio or Maryland is likely to be the first to permit betting but these could still be derailed.

Since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, the list of states with legal sports betting is ever-increasing with as many 17 states that offer sports betting. But, now that sports betting is in the hands of the state legislature with differing levels of sports betting legalized. It can be confusing to know what you can legally bet on.

Fortunately, we have put this comprehensive guide together that examines the states with legal sports betting, such as, what, when, and how you can legally bet on sports in those states. Plus, we will show the landscape of states that plan to legalize sports betting and those with no current sports betting legislation.

The States with Legal Sports Betting

States with Sports Betting Map

The States with Legal Sports Betting

Arkansas

Arkansas legalized sports betting in 2018. The legislation was voted in through a public referendum, but only in-person gambling is allowed for now.

Arkansas has three sports betting locations:

Southland Casino
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort
Saracen Resort Casino

Colorado

Similar to Arkansas, Colorado legalized sports betting by passing legislation following a public referendum in 2019.

Soon Colorado might rival New Jersey for the choice of betting sites available. At present, there are thirteen Colorado sports betting sites compared to New Jersey’s eighteen. However, there are three more sportsbooks planned to enter the market, so Colorado is hot their tail.

Delaware

Delaware was the first state to legalize sports betting after the Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting.

However, online sports betting is not yet allowed, which means bettors must wager person for now.

You can wager at three locations in Delaware:

Delaware Park Casino
Dover Downs
Harrington Raceway.

Illinois

Illinois passed the Illinois Sports Wagering Act in 2019. As a result they became the 15th state with legal sports betting.

Therefore bettors who are 21 years of age or older and located in Illinois can legally bet on sports online or in person at a wide selection of casinos. In fact, there are five casinos where you can go and place sports wagers, as well as five online sportsbooks with Illinois Sports Betting Apps.

Like many other states with sports betting, Illinois sports betting law dictates that bettors must register in person at a licensed sportsbook. However, the global pandemic has led Governor J.B. Pritzker to allow remote registration for the time being.

Indiana

Sports betting went live in the state of Indiana in September 2020, with mobile sports betting launching a month later.

Indiana has three licensed betting apps and eleven sportsbook locations to bet in person.

Iowa

Iowa legalized sports betting in 2019, which is regulated by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

There are four Iowa sports betting apps licensed to accept sports bets. There are also fifteen retail sportsbooks in Iowa.

However, the registration process is much more convoluted compared to other states with legal sports betting due to the in-person registration required. Like sports betting in Illinois, Iowans must register at a licensed Iowa casino to open an account.

Michigan

In 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the sports betting bill into law. However, due to the pandemic, Michigan sports betting apps are not expected to launch until 2021.

Nevada

For decades the Silver State was the only state with legal sports betting until the federal ban on sports betting was lifted by the Supreme Court.

In 2019, the sports betting handle in Nevada was $6 billion. However, Nevada’s position as the largest betting state is under threat with the NJ sports betting handle reaching $4 billion.

Much like sports betting in Iowa or Illinois, mobile wagering is legal, but bettors must register in person at a casino before they can place bets online.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire legalized sports betting in July 2019 with DraftKings sportsbook the only licensed sports betting app.

New Jersey

In 2012, the Garden State passed Bill A2578 to legalize sports betting in the state. However, the bill would spark a six-year legal battle between the state of New Jersey and the US Sports League who filed an injunction against the legalization of sports betting.

Subsequently, the case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, who overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Act. Therefore removing the federal ban on sports betting in the United States.

As a result, sports betting was legalized in 2018 and they have not looked back since. For instance, the eighteen NJ betting sites operating in the state means bettors are spoilt for choice!

There are also eleven NJ sports betting locations with eight casinos that have sportsbook lounges, as well as three racetracks where you can place a sports bet in person.

New Mexico

New Mexico was the 6th state after West Virginia to legalize sports betting in the United States. Although, the state legislature has not yet passed a sports betting bill.

If you wish to place a sports wager in New Mexico, then you can place an in-person bet at the following locations:

Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel
Hilton Buffalo Thunder Sportsbook
The Sportsbook at the Inn of the Mountain Gods
The Isleta Resort and Casino Sportsbook

New York

In-person sports betting is legal in the state of New York, but mobile betting is not, currently. The first legal sports bet was placed by J. Gary Pretlow at the Rivers Casino.

There are seven NY sports betting locations:

Resorts World Catskills
Resorts World New York City
Del Lago Resort and Casino
Tioga Downs and Casino
Turning Stone Resort and Casino
Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino
Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway

Mississippi

In 2018, Mississippi partially legalized mobile sports betting, because bettors may only place a bet while inside a casino. However, Mississippi has twenty-four retail sportsbook locations, so bettors are not stuck for choice of where to bet.

Mississippi Gaming Commission oversees and regulates gambling in licensed casinos, who pay 12% tax on their earnings from sports bets.

Montana

Montana legalized sports betting in May 2019, but only at licensed bars and restaurants. For example, bettors can use their mobile to place wagers, but it will not work outside of the premise

The state lottery oversees gambling in the state.

Oregon

Sports betting is legal in the state of Oregon, but the options are limited.

The State Lottery, who also regulates the industry, launched its sports wagering app called Scoreboard in 2019. Alternatively, you can place in-person wagers at the Chinook Winds casino.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania launched legal sports betting back in May 2019, but the first sportsbook to launch did not happen until November that year.

Since then, the Keystone State has wasted no time in becoming a leading state, generating a record $462.8m in bets, in September 2020.

SugarHouse Sportsbook was the first of the PA sports betting apps to launch, but now there are seven PA sportsbooks accepting mobile sports wagers.

More NJ sports betting apps are expected to enter the market in the next few years.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island was one of the first states with legal sports betting.

Rhode Island has two casinos that accept sports wagers, but mobile wagering is not yet live.

Tennessee

Sports Betting Legislation

Tennessee launched sports betting in November 2020, with three TN sports betting apps licensed to accept sports bets.

Sports Betting Legal United States

However, with no retail sportsbooks currently operating in Tennessee. The Volunteer State is the only one in the Union that offer online wagering only.

Washington DC

Washington DC legalized sports betting in 2019, but the options are very limited. Intralot’s, Gambet DC, is the only sports betting app in the state.

Also, William Hill is the only retail sportsbook, which is situated inside the Capital One Arena.

West Virginia

In 2020, West Virginia became the fifth state to legalize sports betting. Subsequently, five sportsbooks obtained a license to operate a West Virginia sports betting app and accept wagers on sports.

Additionally, there are technically five sports betting locations in West Virginia, but as well as five sports betting locations in West Virginia.