The betting handle has grown quickly to a record-breaking $ million in January and where is sports betting legal 2021 united states $ billion in total, resulting in $ million in tax. Connecticut legalized sports betting on October 19, Just three online sites, including PlaySugarHouse, partnered with the State Lottery. Before this. Yes, sports betting is legal in parts of the US, but not all of it. To date, you can bet online legally and safely in 30 states plus Washington. As of the most recent updates, several states have yet to legalize online sports betting, maintaining restrictions on this form of gambling. These states.
As we delve into the realm of sports betting in 2021 within the United States, one crucial question arises: where is sports betting actually legal? The landscape of sports wagering has witnessed a significant transformation over the years, with several states adapting their laws and regulations to embrace this popular form of entertainment and economic activity.
The Legal Plunge: Legalized sports betting has been a hot topic across the nation, with many states taking the plunge and authorizing this activity within their borders. As of 2021, the legality of sports betting varies from state to state due to the federal restrictions being lifted in 2018 by the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Murphy v. NCAA.
A State-by-State Breakdown: While the precise details can change, some of the leading states where sports betting is legal include:
State | Legal Status |
---|---|
New Jersey | Legal |
Nevada | Legal |
Pennsylvania | Legal |
Colorado | Legal |
Illinois | Legal |
It's important to note that the landscape of sports betting legislation is continually evolving, with more states contemplating or enacting laws to regulate this industry. Stay tuned for further updates and developments as the popularity of sports betting continues to soar nationwide.
The Future: With each passing year, the expansion of legal sports betting within the United States highlights a trend towards greater acceptance and normalization of this form of entertainment. Keep an eye on how policies and regulations evolve, as the thrill of placing a bet on your favorite sports game may become more accessible than ever before.
And some small brands already shutting down after just a few years. Then there's Fanatics Sportsbook , which will hope to enter the space in a big way in If you're not in a legal sports betting state, or one with only in-person betting, you can use sites like social sportsbook Fliff or DFS sites like Sleeper and PrizePicks to get a similar experience.
The interactive map below details where betting is legal and, in places where it isn't yet, projects when it will be. We're also tracking where online casinos are legal. Looking for a new sportsbook in one of these legal states. Make sure to pair your sign-ups with top offers like the exclusive BetMGM bonus code for free bets to maximize your betting upside. Arizona passed its sports betting bill in April , allowing for online wagering and some of the nation's first in-stadium sportsbooks.
Its quickly becoming one of the most popular states to place a bet. The first online sportsbooks went live Sept. In March Arizona vaulted into the top 10 states in monthly handle amount bet for the first time. On Feb. The first online sportsbook went live March 5th—a partnership between the Southland Casino and Betly, an online betting site owned by Delaware North.
BetSaracen, a product of the Saracen Casino, launched about a month after and is the only other online app in the state so far. Arkansas' law allows for up to eight online sportsbooks, but so far national brands like DraftKings and FanDuel have been hesitant to join. Colorado took its first legal online and retail wagers in May , six-months after voters narrowly approved sports betting during the November election.
Online sportsbooks must partner one of the Colorado's 33 casinos to operate legally in the state, which has left the door open for even more apps to come. Colorado has one of the most operator-friendly setups in the country, though lawmakers have started tightening some loopholes low levels of tax revenue. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont struck a deal with the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes in May , authorizing the two, and the state lottery, to run online sports betting.
Those providers quickly partnered with DraftKings, FanDuel and PlaySugarHouse, who all went online October 19— just a few weeks after Connecticut started taking in-person bets. Where is sports betting legal 2021 united states Each have in-person sportsbooks at at least one casino, while the state lottery and Rush Street Interactive which owns PlaySugarHouse run seven retail locations.
They may open a total of 15, under state law. A smaller state, and new to the party, Connecticut's market is still a ways off from maturity. It'll be interesting to see how New York's recent launch impact its numbers, though it should continue to benefit from Massachusetts' inability to legalize. Delaware became the first state outside Nevada to accept a legal single-game sports bet on June 5, , beating New Jersey by a few weeks in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's industry-altering decision.
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. 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. Can you bet on sports in utah 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. 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. Where is sports betting legal 2021 united states 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. The NC House and Senate aligned on a few changes to the state's sports betting bill on June 2, , and concurred early the next week, paving the way for legalization. Roy Cooper is an advocate for sports betting and signed the bill on Wednesday, June 14, Online betting will start on March 11, , with eight North Carolina sports betting apps :.
The bill allows for 12 online sportsbook licenses, so all the big players like FanDuel and DraftKings are there. The bill also adds pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing to the state, and adds more brick-and-mortar sportsbooks. Lawmakers came one vote shy of passing online sports betting during the session, though confusion over reworked legislation and concerns over collegiate betting killed the effort just when it seemed to be at the finish line.
There's been no political movement to legalize sports gambling in North Dakota, but state tribes have already opened retail sportsbooks under authority granted to them by the federal government, a similar legal path for the sports betting launch in New Mexico. This too means retail only, but North Dakota is among a rare group of states that can take bets without an act of the legislature.
Ohio is another sports-crazy state that's behind in legalizing sports gambling, especially given the action in many of its Midwestern neighbors. But late in , Ohio legislators passed an online sports betting bill and Gov. Mike DeWine approved it. Some had hoped betting would start in time for the NFL season, but in May regulators announced all forms of betting will go live Jan.
More than a dozen sportsbooks launched on New Year's Day and more than a dozen more could join the fold in the coming year. Ohio sets up to be one of the biggest and most competitive sports betting markets in the country, which is great news for bettors. Thanks to a limited exemption in the federal sports betting ban that allowed it to offer parlay cards, Oregon officials determined the state lottery could begin taking bets without a separate act of the legislature.
The state lottery app took its first bet in , but with only one legal mobile wagering option, it has not been able to match competitive markets. In January of , Oregon switched from its own lottery app to DraftKings as its sole operator. A handful of Native American casinos operate retail sportsbooks.
Pennsylvania was among a handful of states to accept a legal retail sports bet in and, beginning with its digital launch, has been among the biggest markets in the country. Pennsylvania consistently pulls in among the top five largest sports betting handles, despite higher taxes and fees than some other states.
The fees, and a limit of only 14 total operator licenses, could continue to hinder Pennsylvania's potential, but it's large population and high-profile sports teams will help it maintain some of the nation's highest-grossing handle totals. Pennsylvania is also one of five states with online casinos , generating massive revenue for operators. 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. 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. The NC House and Senate aligned on a few changes to the state's sports betting bill on June 2, , and concurred early the next week, paving the way for legalization.
Roy Cooper is an advocate for sports betting and signed the bill on Wednesday, June 14, Online betting will start on March 11, , with eight North Carolina sports betting apps :. The bill allows for 12 online sportsbook licenses, so all the big players like FanDuel and DraftKings are there. The bill also adds pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing to the state, and adds more brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.
Lawmakers came one vote shy of passing online sports betting during the session, though confusion over reworked legislation and concerns over collegiate betting killed the effort just when it seemed to be at the finish line. There's been no political movement to legalize sports gambling in North Dakota, but state tribes have already opened retail sportsbooks under authority granted to them by the federal government, a similar legal path for the sports betting launch in New Mexico.
This too means retail only, but North Dakota is among a rare group of states that can take bets without an act of the legislature. Ohio is another sports-crazy state that's behind in legalizing sports gambling, especially given the action in many of its Midwestern neighbors. But late in , Ohio legislators passed an online sports betting bill and Gov.
Mike DeWine approved it. Some had hoped betting would start in time for the NFL season, but in May regulators announced all forms of betting will go live Jan. More than a dozen sportsbooks launched on New Year's Day and more than a dozen more could join the fold in the coming year. Ohio sets up to be one of the biggest and most competitive sports betting markets in the country, which is great news for bettors.
Thanks to a limited exemption in the federal sports betting ban that allowed it to offer parlay cards, Oregon officials determined the state lottery could begin taking bets without a separate act of the legislature. The state lottery app took its first bet in , but with only one legal mobile wagering option, it has not been able to match competitive markets.
In January of , Oregon switched from its own lottery app to DraftKings as its sole operator. A handful of Native American casinos operate retail sportsbooks. Pennsylvania was among a handful of states to accept a legal retail sports bet in and, beginning with its digital launch, has been among the biggest markets in the country.
Pennsylvania consistently pulls in among the top five largest sports betting handles, despite higher taxes and fees than some other states. The fees, and a limit of only 14 total operator licenses, could continue to hinder Pennsylvania's potential, but it's large population and high-profile sports teams will help it maintain some of the nation's highest-grossing handle totals.
Pennsylvania is also one of five states with online casinos , generating massive revenue for operators. Rhode Island has been offering legal sports betting since when retail sportsbooks opened at its two commercial casinos. William Hill now owned by Caesars is the only legal retail and online sportsbook in the state.
Lawmakers repealed an in-person mobile registration requirement, but the small population and lone legal option keep revenues small, despite Rhode Island's proximity to Massachusetts. South Dakota legalized sports betting in November as part of a ballot initiative and lawmakers passed retail-only authorization for Deadwood casinos and certain tribal gaming facilities.
The state constitution only permits wagering within Deadwood and tribal lands, but some policymakers believe statewide mobile wagering can be approved as long as the servers are placed in Deadwood. Legislation to do so gained little traction in or in , but could open an interesting new digital market in the years to come.
Since it has no casinos, Tennessee is the only state with online-only sports betting. The conservative state's unlikely launch of an uncapped, digital sports betting market excited industry stakeholders, but other restrictions could hurt its potential. But in April , TN passed a bill that removed this rule and replaced it with a 1.
It's the first rule of its kind in the U. Matthew Birong introduced a new sports betting bill in February of that would allow online sportsbooks in Vermont. In late April, a Senate committee approved it, and the full senate approved it in early May, sending it to Gov. Phil Scott's desk. He signed it on June Vermont will undergo a competitive bidding process, much like New York, where operators will submit their plan and what tax rate they'd be willing to pay to get licensed.
They also did something similar in Massachusetts and Connecticut, though those tax rates ended up much lower. That resulted in just three sportsbooks entering the market on Jan. Virginia took its first online sports bet in January and is now home to over a dozen operators. The state's lagged behind some of its neighbors in handle and tax revenue, despite its close proximity to Maryland and Washington D.
In an effort to change lawmakers worked a clause into the budget that phases out promo tax deductions for operators after months in the market. Washington legalized sports betting on March 25, and took its first bet Sept. Only certain tribal casinos can take bets. Mobile sports betting, like Mississippi, will only be allowed if it is placed within a casino facility, a huge deterrent to the state's revenue potential.
Statewide mobile betting doesn't seem like a reality anytime soon. The bad news. The good news is that FanDuel Sportsbook is now live, as of April 15, The lone legal District-wide mobile app, GamBetDC, was run by the lottery and, partially because it has no legal competition, has offered lines worse than market averages. The app is geofenced out of any federal properties, a major problem in the nation's capital.
That has allowed the city's first retail sportsbook, a full sportsbook bar and restaurant in Capital One Arena. Caesars allows mobile wagering only within the stadium. Under its former brand-name—William Hill—the retail book opened July 31, as a makeshift sportsbook in the arena's box office. Its retail sportsbook opened Feb.
Its mobile app too, is available within a two-block radius of its retail location near Nats Park. Another entrant, Handle 19, is readying to enter the marketplace with a retail location. Overall, D. Mobile betting had some initial hiccups in West Virginia, but it's been fully live since August It will never rival some of the larger markets, but bettors at least have several legal options to place a bet from anywhere within the state.
The Oneida Nation and Gov. Tony Evers announced a deal In July that permits the tribe to open retail sportsbooks at its casinos. The deal does not permit statewide mobile betting or wagering on in-state college sports, and there's no timetable for online betting. Following federal approval in August , the tribe to launched sports betting at its Green Bay casino in November Lawmakers surprisingly approved statewide mobile wagering, becoming just the second state to allow online betting without any retail sportsbooks.
The first two online sportsbooks took bets beginning Sept. Meanwhile, the Northern Arapaho Tribe appears it may add retail sports betting under the authority of existing law, much in the way tribes in New Mexico are operating sports betting without any legislation. HB , another sports betting bill, will be discussed last month, as well. Passing such a bill remains a difficult task in a state with strong gaming aversions, but it's nice to see progress.
Alabama is one of the few remaining states without a lottery, but there's some appetite from at least a few lawmakers on all gambling fronts — sports betting, casinos and lottery. The bill doesn't have specific language about the number of sports betting licenses, but it would separate retail from online licenses.
The biggest hurdle is still the Poarch Band of Creek Indians PCI , the key gaming stakeholder in Alabama, and changes could be required to the bill to get the group on board. Alabama Rep.