Legal Sports Betting: 22 States in Which Sports Betting is Legal

Since Nevada legalized sports betting in the late 1940s, there have been many other states that followed suit. Most states have been slow to the party thanks to the federal government, but that changed in 2018 with the repeal of PASPA. While some states are moving to pass sports betting legislation, others are still waiting and deciding on the appropriate regulatory structures.

Here is a complete listing of all US states where sports betting is legal as of July 2022:

States in Which Sports Betting is Legal

Arizona Legal Sports Betting

In April 2021, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation that allowed sports betting. Sportsbooks are now fully operational in Arizona. There are many well-known online providers that allow you to play on your smartphone or tablet from anywhere in Arizona.

Arkansas Legal Sports Betting

In early 2022, the Arkansas Racing Commission made a decision on sports betting rules. It was able to bypass many of the legislative processes required to legalize online betting. Users can now bet online on their favorite sports using apps or desktop/browser sites.

New York Legal Sports Betting

New York legalized sports betting for the first time in 2013. However, it was not allowed to go live until after the lifting of the federal ban. Only tribal and commercial casinos hosted legal sports betting.

The legislators were able to move forward with opening the market and online sports betting has been legalized in New York as of January 8, 2022!

New Jersey Legal Sports Betting

New Jersey was the first state to allow sports betting. It was also a key force in the nationwide push for legalized betting. Phil Murphy, the Governor of New Jersey, signed a bill allowing sports betting in 2018. Three days later, NJ’s Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill allowing sports betting. The bill used pre-existing infrastructure that was provided by the casinos.

Before then, sports betting was only legal in the state if you were visiting a racetrack. Online sports betting is now available in all parts of the state. There are dedicated betting apps and sites. While customers can reside anywhere, they must physically be in New Jersey to place wagers.

The Garden State is a leader in modern sports betting. New Jersey fought the federal government and the major US sports leagues, such as the NFL, in court. It won the right of legal sports betting for its own citizens and for all other states that wanted to allow it.

Online betting in New Jersey is now dominated by companies such as DraftKings and BetMGM.

Recent statistics on the growth of New Jersey’s sports betting industry show how quickly it has expanded. With more online sites, this trend will continue. We expect New Jersey to remain a major market participant in legal online sports betting.

Louisiana Legal Sports Betting

Louisiana voters voted to legalize sports betting on November 2020. In late 2021, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board approved the rules for online betting. This allowed bettors to access their accounts just in time for February 2022’s NFL Championship. Users now have many options for betting on sportsbooks. Here’s a list of the best.

Pennsylvania Legal Sports Betting

New Jersey’s neighbor to the West quickly launched legal sports betting across the Keystone State. The PA online betting industry for sports is now up and running, following in the footsteps NJ.

The state’s casinos, racetracks, and land-based betting shops are also where legal sports betting began in Pennsylvania. Online betting was also possible thanks to state legislation that resulted in a 2017 comprehensive gambling expansion bill.

BetMGM, FanDuel, and other big names are now offering online betting services to PA. Through strategic partnerships, the online sites can also be linked to land-based casinos or racetracks.

Colorado Legal Sports Betting

Colorado is not the most friendly state to gambling among the US states. Colorado has a lot of exceptions to the rule that casino gambling is illegal. These exceptions include tribal casinos, such as the Ute Mountain Casino, and casinos in three towns that were designated until Boulder State legalized online betting.

Things started to change after the Supreme Court in 2018 struck down the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act. To increase revenue, the state legislature began to look at legalizing sports betting. In May 2020, a bill was passed that legalized sports betting.

Within weeks, several online gambling sites were created in Colorado. Online casino gambling is still illegal in Colorado. You can still place your bets on your favorite sports online from your home.

Indiana Legal Sports Betting

Indiana has been banning all forms of gambling for more than 100 years. The state legalized lottery in 1988. One year later, the state allowed parimutuel betting to be legalized. In the 2000s, Indiana Downs was the only racino in the state. Hoosier Park was the second.

Riverboat casinos were legalized in the 1990s and are now more than a dozen. The first and only Indian casino in Indiana opened its doors in the 2000s.

Options were limited until Indiana legalized online sports betting in 2019. BetRivers was the first state-licensed operator, followed by DraftKings. A wide range of operators was operating in the market by late 2021. Caesars and FanDuel are among the top-earning books.

All land-based and riverboat-licensed sportsbooks allow legal betting. Online betting is also possible. Indiana has fully embraced the world of sports betting.

Illinois Legal Sports Betting

Illinois has a long history of gambling. In the 1920s, Illinois legalized horse racing betting. It also covered local tracks. The Riverboat Gambling Act in 1990 allowed gambling to expand in Illinois. This law allowed river casinos to thrive in Illinois.

However, sportsbooks and all forms of online betting remained illegal. State residents were not allowed to gamble online, despite having many casinos to choose from. Although several attempts were made to regulate internet gambling, they met with strong opposition from local casinos. Online casinos remain illegal in Illinois.

The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down PASPA made all things new. The state legislature decided to allow sports betting at riverboat casinos a few months later. Governor J. In June 2019, Governor J. Pritzker signed this bill into law. It was a complex piece of legislation and took time for state gambling operators to adjust to it.

Online sports betting in Illinois has one caveat. Users must register in person at a local casino before they are able to wager via apps. You can place wagers from any location in Illinois once you have registered. However, you must first fulfill the in-person registration requirements.

Iowa Legal Sports Betting

Iowa’s history in gambling has been long. Since 1846, when Iowa became a state, all forms of gambling have been banned. The Iowa Constitution of 1857 reiterated this prohibition and prohibited the creation of lotteries. This ban was essentially a ban on all forms of gambling and games of chance by state legislators.

This continued for more than a century until 1972 when the relevant provision was repealed by the state in a constitutional amendment. In 1973, bingo and raffles were legalized by the state. Parimutuel gambling was allowed in 1983. Iowa gradually opened up to gambling. In 1989, riverboat casinos were legalized. The state also had three tribal casinos.

After the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down PASPA, Iowa legalized sports betting. The state legislature approved a bill in May 2019 that regulates online and retail sports betting. In August 2018, the first operators went online.

Iowa bettors no longer need to register in person. They can now sign up online to place a bet on their favorite sportsbooks.

A large number of online sportsbooks are available in California today. Online casinos could be possible if legal sports betting is a success.

Michigan Legal Sports Betting

Michigan’s gambling history spans nearly a century. In 1933, sports betting was legalized in Michigan. However, it only covered parimutuel horseracing. In 1972, the state lottery was established. In 1972, the state lottery was created. It also legalized charitable gambling events. In the 1990s, several tribal casinos opened. There are now well over a dozen.

The 1997 Michigan Gaming Control & Revenue Act was adopted. This law allowed land-based casinos in certain locations throughout the state to open their doors, including Detroit. Detroit was home to three casinos: Motor City, Greektown, and MGM.

Online casinos were still illegal in the state until the 2000s. A 2006 bill outlawed them completely. But, this would change with the passage of time. The state quickly looked into sports betting legislation after PASPA was repealed. Michigan legalized online gambling and sports betting in 2019.

In March 2020, retail sportsbooks began accepting wagers. In June 2020, the first state-run tribal sportsbook was open for business. Online betting is available in Michigan. Click below to see a list of betting apps and sites.

Nevada Legal Sports Betting

Nevada, home to Las Vegas is one of the most important gambling hubs in the world. Gambling was outlawed in Nevada at the beginning of the 20th Century. After the Great Depression, Nevada’s lawmakers sought ways to increase revenue. Nevada legalized gambling in 1931. Sports betting was added in 1949.

In the following decades, the Strip of Las Vegas would host the world’s biggest casinos. Nevada was for many years the only place in the Union that allowed you to legally gamble on sports. The 1992 PASPA bill gave Nevada a national sports betting monopoly. This situation remained unchanged until 2018 when the act was finally repealed.

Since Nevada has legalized online sports betting, several states have followed suit. Online sports betting is legal in all 50 states. Online bookmakers and betting apps are offered by state-licensed casinos and sportsbooks.

Daily Fantasy Sports betting, which is not available in Nevada, is a curious exception. Operators must have a gambling license to operate this type of gambling. DFS companies have not yet been able to obtain this license.

West Virginia Legal Sports Betting

West Virginia has a long history of gambling. Since the 1930s, parimutuel gambling has been legalized in West Virginia. Wheeling Downs is the most prominent example. Waterford Park is the other. The local economy was a huge beneficiary of racing, which allowed for significant infrastructural improvements.

Forty years later, West Virginia looked again at gambling as a way to increase its state revenues. Video slots were first introduced in Mountaineer Park (formerly Waterford Park) in 1987. Video slots were slowly introduced elsewhere by the 1994 Racetrack Video Lottery Act and subsequent bills. Wheeling and Mountaineer had poker and full casino tables by the 2000s.

Greenbrier Casino was authorized to operate in 2010. The state quickly regulated sports betting after the Supreme Court had struck down PASPA. WV’s first retail sportsbooks opened land-based casinos. In the same year, the first online sportsbooks were launched. Oddly, online casinos would not follow their lead until 2020.

Gamblers in West Virginia today have many options for sports betting apps. These include the largest players in the industry such as DraftKings and FanDuel. They will likely be joined by more online sports betting websites in the near future.

Tennessee Legal Sports Betting

In May 2019, the Volunteer State lawmakers approved legal sports betting. The state does not have any land-based casinos so the plan was to start online. BetMGM Tennessee was the first to go online on Sunday, November 1. Other sportsbooks followed its lead. The Tennessee Gaming Commission oversees this endeavor.

In 2002, the state approved a lottery. The first ticket was sold in 2004. Online gambling and web-based casino have largely ignored Tennessee, which is still illegal for such businesses. Instead, state casino fans must resort to social casinos that accept play money.

Not surprisingly, Tennessee joined the sports betting bandwagon in 2018 after PASPA was repealed. After examining several proposals, the state legislature settled on S16 in 2019. Although Governor Bill Lee did not sign the bill, he allowed it to be made law without his veto. The bill legalizes and regulates online betting on sports and parimutuel wagering.

Curiously, sports betting is still illegal in the state. Instead, customers must use licensed or regulated online betting sites. Online casinos are still illegal. There is no land-based casino. It is possible that the legislature will revisit these issues in the future. The future of TN gambling is only a matter of time.

Wyoming Legal Sports Betting

In spring 2021, Governor Mark Gordon signed Wyoming’s sports betting legislation. We didn’t hear anything from the state. Wyoming met the September 2021 deadline for legalized sports betting and now offers it with several betting apps.

Maryland Legal Sports Betting

Gambling has had a complicated and long history in Maryland. Since the 18th century, horse racing has been a part of Maryland with Pimlico Race Course. However, other forms of gambling have been slower to gain acceptance. Charitable bingo was legalized for the first time in the 1950s. Before being banned in 1968, slots were legalized for a few decades. In 1973, the state lottery was established.

In the 1990s, there was a lot of pressure to change the law on slots. This was especially due to the competition from other states. There were many options. In 2008, the state legalized land-based casinos and issued five licenses.

These licenses were later leveraged to create sprawling casinos throughout the state over the next ten years. They could initially only offer video slots. However, a 2012 reform legalized poker tournaments and table games. Maryland is now a popular destination for international poker players.

For a number of years, sports betting was still illegal, even though PASPA was overturned by the Supreme Court. The voters would have to decide if they wanted to legalize sports betting. Maryland voters decided to legalize sports betting in their state in November 2020 to increase revenue for education. In 2022, the first Maryland online gambling sites are expected to open.

Washington DC Legal Sports Betting

In our Nation’s Capital, sports betting is now legal. In late 2018, the DC City Council approved a measure. Online betting in Washington DC is now legal, despite the fact that there are no land-based casinos. Online betting will be available at many venues, including restaurants and liquor shops.

These mobile betting apps have been assigned to the DC Lottery, which includes BetMGM.

However, you can only bet while you’re in Nationals Park.  Nice job DC… jk, it’s pretty dumb.

Oregon Legal Sports Betting

In August 2019, Oregon legalized sports betting. The Oregon Lottery is responsible for managing it. Chinook Winds, a tribal gaming establishment, opened the first legal sportsbook for sports betting in August 2019.

The Oregon Lottery launched Scoreboard, an online betting platform for sports betting. DraftKings took control in early 2022.

South Dakota Legal Sports Betting

South Dakota voters voted to legalize sports betting in November 2020. However, it was only in Deadwood. Deadwood, a South Dakota gaming town located in the Black Hills region, is home to the majority of South Dakota’s casinos.

The sports betting package has been fully launched. Users can now place real money bets on their favorite sports from Deadwood locations. Online betting may soon be possible once South Dakota realizes that it is safe and regulated.

New Hampshire Legal Sports Betting

New Hampshire legalized sports betting in 2019. However, it is limited. DraftKings has a monopoly and is the only way to bet on sports in New Hampshire.

DraftKings is a strong player in New Hampshire’s sports betting market. However, the state Lottery plans to offer sports betting. In the future, we expect to see multiple retail sports betting venues.

Rhode Island Legal Sports Betting

In November 2018, Rhode Island joined the list of states that allow legal sports betting. Visitors and residents of Rhode Island can visit two brick-and-mortar casinos to enjoy the best in sports betting.

Online sports betting was made available in the state in early 2019. To register, bettors need to be present at Twin Rivers Casinos in order to verify their identity. After verification, you are able to place sports bets from your home.

Delaware Sports Betting

Delaware became the second state after Nevada to allow sports betting. It did this on June 5, 2018. However, before this, residents were still able to place 3-team parlays for NFL games. This was because some sports bets were allowed prior to the implementation of PASPA.

Online gambling is legal in Delaware, but Delaware has yet to allow sports betting. To wager on a match or team in sports, players must visit one of the three casinos located in Delaware.

Montana Legal Sports Betting

Montana was among the states that PASPA did not restrict sports betting. It was legal to allow sports betting in bars or taverns. However, it was only allowed through a lottery system, not a sportsbook.

Montana Lottery launched legal sports betting in March 2020. You have two options: you can bet via the Sports Bet Montana app or at one of the 180 kiosks that offer legal sports betting throughout Montana.

If you are looking for reliable and trusted online sportsbooks in your state, check the reviews page here on The Worldly Bettor to see which operators offer sports betting where you live.

As always, remember to bet with your head and not over it.

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