After the New Jersey Supreme Court victory in May 2018, any state that wants to can legalize sports betting.
States where there are already Sports Betting
- Nevada
is no longer the only state that allows a wide variety of legal sports betting and is a mature market that has been around for decades. Given its long history of successfully offering regulated sports betting, many states may look to Nevada for best practices.
- Delaware
On June 5, 2018, Delaware moved to offer single-game wagering on several different sports at three casinos in the state. Expanded betting bonuses & casino promotions and sports betting options could take place at additional locations or online.
Type of bet allowed: In-person
Prohibitions: Wagering on games involving state varsity teams is not permitted.
- New Jersey
On June 11, 2018, Governor Phil Murphy signed the sports betting bill that passed the week before.
Type of bet allowed: in-person and mobile
Prohibitions: Wagering on games involving in-state varsity teams and in-state varsity events is not permitted.
- Mississippi
Mississippi enacted a new law in 2017 allowing sports betting pending a favorable decision from the Supreme Court. In June 2018, the Mississippi Gaming Commission adopted implementing regulations requiring all wagers to be placed in person, with mobile wagering to be considered at a later date.
Type of bet allowed: In-person
- West Virginia
On August 30, 2018, West Virginia became the fifth state to offer legal and regulated sports betting. The move came six months after the West Virginia legislature passed a new bill and the West Virginia Lottery Commission acted as the lead regulator.
Type of bets allowed: in-person and mobile
- New Mexico
New Mexico has not passed any new sports betting legislation since the decision by the Supreme Court, the federal agency in Washington, DC that oversees tribal gaming compacts, the New Mexico compacts allow “any or all forms class III gaming,” a category in the federal regulations that specifically includes “sports betting and pari-mutuel betting.”
Type of bet allowed: In-person
Prohibitions: Wagering on games involving state varsity teams are not permitted.
- Pennsylvania
The October 2017 bill took effect after the May 2018 Supreme Court ruling that struck down the federal ban on single-game wagering outside of Nevada.
Type of bet allowed: in-person and mobile
Prohibitions: none
- Rhode Island
Legal sports betting began on November 26, 2018. The move came five months after Gov. Gina Raimondo signed the state budget, which included language allowing sports betting. Under the law, only two locations could offer sports betting, with the state lottery providing regulatory oversight. In early 2019, the law was changed to allow mobile betting.
Type of bet allowed: in-person and mobile
Prohibitions: Wagering on games involving state varsity teams is not permitted.
- Arkansas
On July 1, 2019, the first legal sports bets took place in Arkansas. Sports betting is regulated by the Arkansas Racing Commission.
Type of bet allowed: In-person
Prohibitions: Wagering on games involving state varsity teams is not permitted.
- New York
On July 16, 2019, the first legal sports bets were placed in New York. The opening of a legal bookmaker came six years after New York passed a law to allow sports betting in four locations, all in upstate New York. After lying dormant for years, the law was revived after the Supreme Court ruling in 2018 and the issuance of regulations in early 2019. The current law does not allow mobile betting.
Type of bet allowed: In-person
Prohibitions: Wagering on games involving state varsity teams is not permitted.
- Iowa
Legal sports betting came to Iowa on August 15. The new law allows mobile betting. The new law gives the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission the authority to regulate sports betting.
Type of bet allowed: in-person and mobile
Prohibitions: Gambling on state college sports is not allowed.
- Oregon
Legal sports betting returned to Oregon on August 27 after a long hiatus, so the resumption of betting did not require the legislature to pass any new laws or the governor to amend an existing tribal-state compact. In mid-October, mobile sports betting also arrived in Oregon.
Type of bet allowed: in-person and mobile
Prohibitions: They do not allow gambling on games involving state universities.
- Indiana
Legal sports betting opened in various places in Indiana on September 1. The Indiana Gaming Commission oversees all sports betting regulations and has issued licenses to operators throughout the state. Betting on both college and professional sports is allowed, but betting on esports and high school sports is prohibited.
Type of bet allowed: in-person and mobile
Notable Prohibitions: Prop bets are not allowed on state varsity sports.
- New Hampshire
In New Hampshire on December 30, 2019. The state lottery is in charge of regulatory oversight. allowed both retail and mobile sports betting on a wide variety of sports, although betting will not be allowed at New Hampshire state universities.
Type of bet allowed: Mobile
Prohibitions: Do not gamble at state universities.
- Illinois
Legal sports betting came to Illinois on March 9, 2020. A sweeping gaming bill that allowed for online and in-person sports betting.
Type of Bet Allowed: In-Person and Mobile
Notable Prohibitions: Do not bet on the minor league or Illinois college teams.
- Michigan
Legal sports betting in Michigan began on March 11, 2020. The move came less than three months after Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the “Legal Sports Betting Act” into law. The new law provides for betting on a wide variety of sports, including college contests.
Type of bet allowed: in-person and mobile
Prohibitions: none
- Montana
Legal sports betting came to Montana in March 2020. The move came after Governor Steve Bullock formally signed into law a bill that brought sports betting to the country through the state lottery.
Type of bet allowed: In-person
Prohibitions: none
- Colorado
May 1, 2020, marked the launch of legal sports betting in Colorado, the regulation of sports betting through licensed casinos. Both mobile and retail sports betting are allowed.
Type of bet allowed: In-person and mobile
Notable bans: none
- Washington, DC
In June 2020, sports betting in the nation’s capital followed the passage of the Sports Betting Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 and a congressional review period during which Congress did not formally object. The Bureau of Lotteries and Gaming provides regulatory oversight of all sports betting in DC
Type of bet allowed: in-person and mobile
Notable Bans: No gambling on games involving universities located in DC
- Tennessee
Regulated sports betting launched on November 1, 2020, in Tennessee allowing mobile sports betting across the state without any physical location.
Type of bet allowed: mobile-only
Prohibitions: none
- North Carolina
On July 26, 2019, Governor Roy Cooper signed legislation to “allow horse racing and sports betting on tribal lands,” with such betting designated a ‘Class III’ gambling activity according to the state contract. The new law allows betting on both college and professional sports, but all bettors must place their bets in person at one of two retail locations.
- Washington
Enacted the Washington Sports Betting Bill on March 25, 2020. The new law allows sports betting in Class III tribal casinos in the state. Mobile sports betting is not allowed statewide but is permitted when placed in a licensed tribal casino. The new bill delegates regulatory oversight to the Washington State Gaming Commission.
