Which states allow sports betting

{INSERTKEYS-1-1}[Check out the best sportsbooks in Kentucky, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, Louisiana, Arizona, Illinois, Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana. The State of Betting in the U.S. · Recent Developments · Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut. Mobile Betting. Yes, but: Five states have no legislation to legalize sports betting: California, Alaska, Alabama, Utah and Idaho. There are several states. 29 states, plus the District of Columbia, allow online and mobile sports betting. Currently, 8 states have not legalized sports betting: Alabama, Alaska.{/INSERTKEYS}

The Race to Legalize Sports Betting in the United States

As sports enthusiasts and pundits track each game and each goal, there's a secondary race happening in the background - the race of states to legalize sports betting. The landscape of sports betting in the United States is constantly evolving, with various states navigating the complex legal and regulatory hurdles to allow this form of gambling.

The rise of online sports betting platforms and the potential revenue that can be generated have spurred many states to revisit their gambling laws. While the legality of sports betting is a state issue, the trend is unmistakable - more and more states are embracing the industry and seeing the benefits it can bring.

With the federal ban on sports gambling lifted in 2018, states have been quick to capitalize on the opportunity presented by the expanding market. Beyond the states already allowing sports betting, many others are actively considering legislation to join the fray.

Legality Map

Sports Betting Laws by State

Delaware's lottery-run sports betting market still prohibits online betting , leaving only three retail sportsbooks in the state — and unimpressive revenue numbers. Its small size, population and the proliferation of digital sports betting options in its neighboring states leave Delaware a relative afterthought despite its quick start. Sports betting is back live in Florida, with Hard Rock relaunching for existing users in November and new users in early December following a two-year legal limbo.

In , Gov. Ron Desantis negotiated a compact with the Seminole Tribe which owns Hard Rock to give them exclusive rights to operate sports betting. Naturally, those with competing interests sued to stop it. But in October , the U. Supreme Court denied a request from West Flagler to stop the Seminole Tribe from offering sports betting in Florida, and while the compact still has hurdles to clear in court in , there's belief the Seminoles were waiting for this denial to relaunch in late — and they did just that.

Hard Rock relaunching was a good quick win for sports bettors in Florida, but it will prevent any competition — including DraftKings and FanDuel — from entering the state. Florida sports betting has been on a strange journey — perhaps the strangest of any state — in the last two years.

Here's the timeline. Illinois launched in-person betting on March 9, , just ahead of an NCAA Tournament that didn't wind up happening and launched online betting in June One of the nation's most populated and sports-crazy states, Illinois among the top 5 states in both handle dollars bet and tax revenue. A major roadblock was lifted March 5, when an in-person registration rule, waived on a month-by-month basis during pandemic lockdowns, expired for good.

Betting on in-state colleges was made legal in Dec. Indiana went live with online sports betting Oct. The 13th state to approve sports betting—Indiana's done well ever since Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill legalizing it in May, Indiana's law allows for over 40 online sportsbooks, though only 13 currently operate in the state.

Four more are expected, but so far the biggest players, including FanDuel and DraftKings, have dominated the market. Its monthly handle saw an immediate boost in , after an in-person registration requirement expired for good. Though Iowa has a smaller in population and has no professional sports teams, it's one of the more lucrative per capita markets in the country and benefits from sharing boarders with multiple states yet to legalize.

Kansas legalized sports betting in , after a legislative race which saw it beat out neighboring Missouri. Which states allow sports betting Online and in-person betting began Sept. Six online operators and two casinos began taking bets to start, with more expected to join soon. Kansas law allows up to 12 online sportsbooks, though the state's licensed just nine so far. Two additional casinos are expected to take bets in the coming months.

Additionally, casinos may sign contracts with retail locations, like professional sports arenas, to install and oversee betting kiosks. More online sportsbooks could come into the state too. The law allows Kansas' native tribes to update their gaming compacts and also partner with commercial operators to offer online betting.

Kentucky came extremely close to legalizing sports betting in , though an effort to give racetracks control over retail and online markets fell short at the last minute. In , they got it done. HB passed both the House and Senate in April. Kentucky in-person sports betting launched on Sept.

The bill allows Kentucky's nine racetracks to offer sports betting at their tracks, and they could partner with three online operators each, potentially paving the way for 27 online betting options in the state. In November , voters in 55 of the state's 64 parishes approved legal sports betting, including all those in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette.

In-person betting launched in October of Six online sportsbooks launched on Jan. WynnBet launched shortly after—brining the state to seven online sportsbooks. More are expected to join in the future, as Louisiana's law allows for up to 41 different mobile apps. Louisiana is one of the only Southeastern states to legalize online betting, which should be a significant advantage as its market develops.

Maine was the first state to legalize sports betting in , and it took until November to get live. DraftKings and Caesars are the only books live in the state. A bill signed by Gov. Janet Mills in April permits Maine's four native tribes to partner with commercial operators and offer online sports betting. Maryland bettors legalized sports betting during the election.

And after the longest go-live period in U. There was a strange soft launch period on the first Monday, as well, with books going live for eight hours before going offline all day Tuesday. They relaunched Wednesday at 9 a. Maryland's law allows for up to 60 online sportsbooks and 30 retail sites.

Seven launched right away, three more are expected in the next few months, and another dozen could be live by next football season. Massachusetts passed a sports betting bill in the wee hours of the morning on Aug. In-person sports betting launched on Jan.

In early December, the state began its licensing process, which made waves due to questions about Barstool and its responsible gambling messaging. The final sports betting bill, which combines interests from far apart House and Senate visions includes the following:. It now has a total of 15, the maximum allowed under state law. Home to 7 million over the age of 21 and teams in every major-league sport, Michigan has quickly become one of the top betting states, regularly finishing among the top 10 in monthly handle.

It ranks 7th among states in dollars bet all-time, right behind Colorado. It's also one of the few states where iGaming is legal. Despite the proliferation of betting across the mid-west in recent years, and a new market on the way in Ohio, Michigan's operator-friendly rules should keep it atop the leaders in sports betting for years to come. The state technically has mobile wagering, but you can only place bets while inside a casino.

This has hurt its market share, despite being one of the few legal Southern betting states. It passed retail sports betting in , as a corollary to a fantasy sports bill, at a time when the Supreme Court lifting the federal ban seemed unlikely. Since then several bill online bills have been introduced, but none have made it to a vote. Expanding sports betting in conservative Mississippi will be a tall task.

Like most Southern states, it's politicians have deep-seated opposition to gambling. Montana, like Mississippi, technically has mobile wagering, but you can only place bets on a retail location's property. Intralot, a Greek company that runs the state lottery, started taking bets in March It's the only game in town and has severely jeopardized competitive pricing.

Not surprisingly, Montana's limited betting options and sparse population make it a small part of the overall U. Voters approved three constitutional amendments in November that would legalize "games of chance" at Nebraska's licensed horse tracks. A regulatory bill that permits retail sportsbooks was signed into law, and in-person sports betting began at WarHorse Sportsbook is now open in Omaha and Lincoln in Nevada, the gold standard for in-person betting, still hasn't quite mastered online wagering.

The state requires bettors to come into a casino to register in person before placing via the Internet. Nevada will always hold a special spot for American gaming, but its already dropped to the second-most lucrative sports betting state and may continue to fall down the ranks as more and more populated states with statewide mobile wagering launch in the coming years.

DraftKings is the sole mobile operator in the state, though there are a handful of retail betting locations that have opened or intend to do so. Intralot, which runs apps in Montana and Washington D. Is sports betting legal in virginia New Hampshire has done decently well despite its limited market, but its handle will likely plummet after Massachusetts launched online betting.

New Jersey, the state to bring the sports gambling case to the Supreme Court, is now enjoying the fruits of its labor. It's home to 21 online sportsbooks, with room for at least 20 more. It's also accepting new operator models like betting exchange Prophet. It now leads all states in handle, despite a betting ban on in-state colleges, which cost it during Saint Peters' Cinderella run to the Elite Eight.

Though New York's mobile sports betting launch — and the massive revenue its amassed since January — pose a threat to New Jersey's dominance, so far revenue's been up over last year. New Mexico hasn't passed any legislation, though Native American tribes have run in-person sports betting at their casinos since October They've done so by interpreting their gaming compact with the state to mean that they can offer any form of Class III gaming.

The Department of Interior, which overseas tribal agreements with states, hasn't intervened. It's one of the first "grey states" to take bets without approval from lawmakers or voters, though only six retail locations are open. New York launched online sports betting on, Jan. New York had retail sports betting at a handful of upstate commercial and tribal casinos, but these have generated little revenue despite the state's massive population and gaming interest.

That's because online betting was not legalized. But the time has come. Sports bettors can rejoice and bet from the comfort of their own homes instead of crossing bridges or going through tunnels to place their wagers. In the meantime, New Jersey has essentially turned into "Vegas East" with the help of New Yorkers coming across the border.

North Carolina legalized in-person sports betting in for two tribal casinos miles away from any of its major cities. It first took bets in March Now, online betting is almost here. Sports betting is a type of gambling that revolves around predicting and wagering on the outcome of competitive physical activities. The term sports betting can encompass athletic competitions, such as basketball or American football, non-athletic events i.

Although not technically sports in the traditional sense, some online sports betting websites also offer the chance to wager on non-sporting events, such as the results of political elections or entertainment events, such as the Oscars. There are several different types of sports bets, with some of the most common being spread bets, prop bets, totals, and moneyline bets.

Spread bets are wagers that a team will either win by or should they lose cover a specific number of points. Prop bets refers to wagers on specific events i. With moneyline bets, the amount won is based on the likelihood a particular team will win or lose i. Sports betting activities are typically facilitated by sportsbooks , which are companies or individuals that accept bets.

A sportsbook is functionally the same thing as a bookmaker , though the latter term is typically used solely in reference to an individual person. Physical sportsbooks may be found in professional sports venues, casinos, racinos combination race track and casino , etc. If a sportbook offers betting on races but is located outside a racetrack, this is known as off-track betting OTB.

Previously, sportsbooks in the U. Which states allow sports betting Following a Supreme Court decision, many states have legalized both sportsbooks and, by extension, sports betting itself. Sportsbooks make money by setting their odds so that they will generate a profit in the long term.

As is the case with any form of gambling, the house always has the advantage, and there is always a negative expected return for the gambler. In the U. This means that single-game sports betting is legally available to consumers within these states in some form, whether retail, mobile, or both.

Four states have pending legislation or scheduled voter referendums about the issue. In eight states, sports betting remains illegal. Even in states where sports betting is both legal and available, there may still be limitations. For instance, our research found that in North Carolina, New Mexico, North Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin, only tribal casino operators are permitted to offer sports betting.

As such, even though sports betting is considered legal and there is an operational market, no online sportsbooks are currently available within these states. North Carolina is planning on instituting online and mobile sports bets in early as they recently passed legislation permitting wagering to eventually be made in the state. A new entrant, Fanatics Sportsbook, also launched in and is now available in Kentucky , Ohio , Massachusetts, Maryland and Tennessee.

FANDUEL FanDuel was long known for its Daily Fantasy games, but is now a major player in sports betting with a wide variety of markets, sports and leagues so there are more ways to win. BET Well-known for sports betting in the UK, bet has made its entrance into the US with a sports betting app that offers a wide range of sports and bets in select states. Here's a state-by-state breakdown of where the country stands on sports gambling, as of June And remember, if you live in a state where sports gambling is legal, check out SportsLine for expert predictions.

The state has proposed multiple bills, including one in , but all have been shot down. Alabama currently doesn't have any commercial casinos. In , the state put legalizing sports betting under consideration and Gov. Mike Dunleavy even showed support for the bill. Sports betting became legal on April 15, The legislation in place permits 20 operators in Arizona.

First official sportsbook launched in July and first online sportsbook launched in February Betting on in-state professional and collegiate teams is permitted. California : Not legal. There were two major propositions on the November ballot that could have legalized sports betting in California, one to legalize in-person sports betting and the other to legalize online sports betting.

Both propositions broke spending records and had active ad campaigns, but both were heavily voted down by Californians. It is not known at this time if the topic of legal California sports betting will be brought back up in Colorado became the 19th state to legalize betting and as of May 1, multiple operators allowed residents to open accounts online and place wagers.

There are restrictions involving in-state college games: Betting on game outcomes is allowed, but player prop bets in collegiate games are prohibited. In the election, Colorado expanded both the number and type of casino games it is able to offer. The state also eliminated some wagering limits. Delaware launched legal sports betting in less than a month after the Supreme Court's decision.

Online sports betting is legal, although there are no in-state online sportsbooks. All betting on in-state collegiate teams is prohibited. Florida : It's complicated. Sports betting in Florida was legalized for only three weeks in before a judge ruled that an agreement between the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida was illegal.

In June , a D. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision that had blocked regulated sports betting in the state. After a series of hearings, the tribe was allowed to continue and announced a limited "test" of Hard Rock Bet in early-November to Florida customers. Since then, an urgent request has been filed to shut down mobile sports betting in the state.

How long customers will be allowed to bet legally in the state is uncertain. Georgia : Not legal. A group of Georgia lawmakers filed bills in January that would have legalized Georgia sports betting in the Peach State and wouldn't have needed to be voted on by Georgia residents. But on March 6, , the Georgia Senate voted down multiple bills that would legalize sports betting in Georgia and the House failed to get legislation of their own voted on before the deadline for new bills passed.

A bill was proposed in January of that would've allowed for the regulation of sports gambling through a newly-established corporation, but the bill was denied. Legislation was passed in June to allow sports gambling, though in-state collegiate games will be off-limits under the new law.

It will make gambling lawful in a variety of locations both in-person including at Wrigley Field and online. Bets were allowed in the state as of March 9, Bets on collegiate games can only be placed in person, not online. Betting on in-state collegiate game outcomes is allowed, but player prop bets are prohibited.