Legal Online Sports Betting Sites – US Legal Sportsbooks 2023

It took a long time for the United States to legalize sports betting, with battles taking place first in courtrooms and subsequently in state legislatures. However, as of the beginning of 2020, sports betting was legal in 14 states, either physically or digitally, with other states set to join the fray shortly.

Sports gamblers definitely choose online betting sites over traditional brick-and-mortar casinos when given the option. There is a rising number of online sports betting sites available, leaving gamers with a challenging decision.

It took a while for sports betting to become legal in the United States, but now that it has, it’s booming. Currently, sports betting is allowed in over half of the states. Millions of dollars are wagered every year, and that amount is expected to grow as more jurisdictions legalize the practice.

U.S. Sports Betting Origins

Horse racing wagering at Freehold Raceway in New Jersey in the 1830s was the earliest type of authorized internet sports betting in the United States. The first thoroughbred racetrack was built in New Orleans, and these events were for standardbreds on the Fair Grounds Race Course. This historic building welcomed its first visitors in 1838.

In the middle of the 19th century, illegal bookmakers began accepting bets on professional baseball games, and the practice was first met with little resistance. The moralists’ attempts to impose their agenda gradually got more covert as time went on.

For almost 50 years, this was the norm, until in 1949, Nevada became the first state to allow sports betting. In 1992, Congress passed and President Bush signed a measure that made it illegal for jurisdictions other than Nevada to provide sports betting.

Legal vs Offshore Sportsbooks

Legal sports betting in the United States might be confusing due to the wide variety of state laws that govern the practice. Although sports betting is permitted in many states at present, the legal status of the practice varies widely from one jurisdiction to the next. Bettors from all throughout the country may use the services of offshore sportsbooks online.

Unlike the legitimate internet sportsbooks that are now available, several of these offshore bookmakers have been around for far longer. They’re trustworthy and honest, and you can wager on all the main sports with them. Additionally, they welcome customers of legal age and accept a variety of payment options, including cryptocurrencies. They welcome bettors from any state in the US, to be clear.

Some states in the US allow in-person betting, some allow mobile betting, and still others allow neither, adding to the already murky situation. Because of this, it may be difficult to determine whether or not you are legally permitted to place a wager on a sporting event while visiting a different state or even when returning to your own state.

Offshore gambling companies remove this barrier to entry by making their services available to anybody. Bettors in the United States have the opportunity to place wagers on a wide variety of sports at reputable offshore sportsbooks. Offshore sportsbooks are located outside of the United States and are thus not subject to United States law, making it possible to engage in such activities without worrying about whether or not they are

lawful.

Betting at Offshore Sportsbooks

Bettors of legal gambling age in all 50 US states have access to offshore sportsbooks. Why, therefore, should you sign up with an offshore sportsbook instead? Here are a handful of the more compelling ones:

• Bettors above the age of 18 are welcome at offshore casinos. Bettors at normal sportsbooks must be 21 or older.
• Most American states do not prohibit gamblers from using offshore sportsbooks.
• In contrast to traditional legal sportsbooks, numerous payment methods, including cryptocurrencies, are accepted for both deposits and withdrawals.
• Online and mobile access are always guaranteed at offshore sportsbooks.
• At any of the offshore sportsbooks, you may place a wager at any time.
• Offshore gambling companies are always offering new and exciting deals in an effort to attract new customers.

US Sports Betting Huge Industry

When the Supreme Court invalidated the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, a federal prohibition on sports betting in the United States was effectively nullified (PASPA). Because of this what happened? Each state had the option to decide for itself whether or not to legalize gaming.

New Jersey was among the first to sign on, but other states took longer to make up their minds. Almost four years after PASPA’s repeal, 31 states already permit some sort of sports betting, and more are anticipated to follow suit in 2022. To find out whether your state allows sports betting, scroll down this page.

Simply put, what is PASPA?

The sports world was shaken by a slew of betting scandals in the ’70s and ’80s. It all came to a head for one New Jersey congressman when they learned of a point-shaving plot involving Boston College basketball players and the Pete Rose baseball betting scandal.

While attending Princeton University, Bill Bradley was widely regarded as the finest collegiate basketball player in the nation. He then went on to play for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association. After leaving collegiate athletics, he entered politics and served as a Senator representing New Jersey’s district in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1997.

As a former professional and collegiate athlete, he was personally invested in the fairness of the competitions. In reaction to a number of high-profile instances involving sports betting, he proposed and helped get through the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 1992.

It outlawed sports betting but grandfathered in states that had already regulated internet sportsbooks. Nevada was the only state to provide legal sports betting, while Montana, Delaware, and Oregon were grandfathered in for their sports lotteries.

U.S. online sports betting

In the early 1990s, the first online casinos opened, and by 1996, online sports betting had also made its debut. The online gambling sector progressed along with the rest of the web, leading to the emergence of several new sites offering sports betting.

It was risky, since many internet sportsbooks were situated outside the United States and there was no oversight from any government agency.

In addition to the many legitimate online sportsbooks and casinos, there were also several well-known, trustworthy poker rooms. Since 2003, when ESPN began extensive coverage of the Globe Series of Poker, online poker has exploded in popularity throughout the United States and the rest of the world.

Due to the novelty of the internet, online betting has always been a bit of a grey area. The passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, however, put an end to it.

While it did not outright ban online gambling, it did make it unlawful to process payments for online gaming. For online poker sites, this eventually led to the notorious “Black Friday” of 2011.

Logins to major poker clubs were met with foreboding FBI warnings instead of the usual welcoming listings of games and tournaments.

After this regulation was enacted, American gamers could still go to offshore sports betting sites, but doing so required a lot more money. Bitcoin was a partial answer, while traditional techniques like wire transfers and others had mixed results.

As everyone knows, the rules have since been altered by the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Sports Protection Act. In August of 2018, New Jersey saw the first legal online sports bet after the repeal of PASPA.

The District of Columbia and 16 of the 27 states that have authorized sports betting now enable online sportsbooks.

Legal US Sports Betting

As we’ve established, Bill Bradley was from New Jersey, where, oddly, legislators first started pushing to end the federal ban on sports betting. Voters in New Jersey passed a referendum to legalize the practice in November 2011.

It was passed by a margin of two to one, indicating a considerable amount of support (and why not?). Even though gambling was illegal, individuals nevertheless found ways to place bets on sporting events via clandestine bookmaking syndicates.

Employment opportunities and tax income would increase if sports betting were legalized and regulated, and punitive measures against gamblers would be unnecessary.

A lawsuit was launched by the four major U.S. sports leagues and the NCAA to prevent sports betting in New Jersey, despite the will of the people. The state’s legal team argued that PASPA was invalid because it overstepped its authority, in violation of the 10th Amendment.

An appeals court agreed with the original court’s ruling that sided with the leagues and the NCAA. In response to the court’s ruling, legislators in New Jersey established a new legalization statute that year.

The court decided against the state again, although an appeal to the Supreme Court was still possible. The lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court in 2017, and on May 14, 2018, the court unanimously ruled against PASPA. The majority of the Supreme Court, six justices out of nine, ruled that the statute did in fact violate the 10th Amendment. Under this clause, individual states are free to legislate without intervention from the federal government.

After this judgement, sports betting was first allowed in Delaware. Given the preexisting statute that enabled sports lotteries, the state was able to move swiftly, and the first wagers were made on June 5, 2018. About a week later, New Jersey did the same thing.

As of this writing in October 2021, sports betting is legal in 27 states and the District of Columbia, with many more states on the verge of legalizing the practice.

Does my State allow Sports Betting?

Legal States	Non-Legal States
✅ Arizona	⛔ Alabama
✅ Arkansas	⛔ Alaska
✅ Colorado	⛔ California
✅ Connecticut	⛔ Florida
✅ Delaware	⛔ Georgia
✅ Illinois	⛔ Hawaii
✅ Indiana	⛔ Idaho
✅ Iowa	⛔ Kansas
✅ Louisiana	⛔ Kentucky
✅ Maryland	⛔ Maine
✅ Michigan	⛔ Massachusetts
✅ Nevada	⛔ Minnesota
✅ New Hampshire	⛔ Mississippi
✅ New Jersey	⛔ Missouri
✅ New York	⛔ Montana
✅ Ohio	⛔ Nebraska
✅ Oregon	⛔ New Mexico
✅ Pennsylvania	⛔ North Carolina
✅ Rhode Island	⛔ North Dakota
✅ South Dakota	⛔ Oklahoma
✅ Tennessee	⛔ South Carolina
✅ Virginia	⛔ Texas
✅ West Virginia	⛔ Utah
✅ Wyoming	⛔ Vermont
	⛔ Washington
	⛔ Wisconsin

Alabama Sports Betting

• 🌐 Alabama Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Alabama Betting Licence Date: September 2021
• 🏢 Alabama Land-based Betting: Legal

Sports betting in any form is now illegal in Alabama. There have been efforts to allow sports betting in Alabama, with the most recent coming in 2021. Senate Bill 319 was introduced, but it died at the conclusion of the parliamentary session.

The ban may be relaxed shortly, since legislation to that effect is scheduled for introduction in 2022. Should this bill become law, sports betting in Alabama will be placed to a statewide referendum in November 2024. Because of this, the earliest date on which legal sports betting will begin in Alabama is 2025.

Alaska Sports Betting

• 🌐 Alaska Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Alaska Land-based Betting: Illegal

There is presently no authorized sports betting in the state of Alaska. Several efforts have been attempted to legalize sports betting in Alaska, with one of the most major attempts being in 2008. In Alaska, residents overwhelmingly rejected the plan.

The governor of Alaska, Mike Dunleavy, is among the political figures looking at the feasibility of allowing sports betting in the state. He introduced legislation in 2020 to legalize gambling, but it was derailed by the epidemic. He is still seen to be on the side of legalization, therefore there remains hope that gambling will one day be allowed in Alaska.

Arizona Sports Betting

• 🌐 Arizona Online betting: Legal
• 🏢 Arizona Online Legal Date: September 2021
• Arizona Land-based Betting: Legal

In April of 2021, Arizona governor Doug Ducey passed a bill legalizing sports betting. This followed the governor’s successful negotiation of a new agreement with Arizona’s tribal governments that legalized sports betting at tribal casinos. Online sports betting is legal under state law.

Twenty betting licenses were made available when Arizona legalized sports betting. Ten of these will be assigned to sports venues and franchises, while the other ten will be given to various Native American communities around the state. Currently, the state of Nevada is home to 12 different online sportsbooks, most of which also operate brick-and-mortar locations.

Arkansas Sports Betting

• 🌐 Arkansas Online betting: Legal
• 🕑 Arkansas Online Legal Date: November 2018
• 🏢 Arkansas Land-based Betting: Legal

The state of Arkansas permits sports betting at both brick-and-mortar establishments and online. Voters in Arkansas approved legalizing sports betting at brick-and-mortar establishments in 2018. There are already three retail sportsbooks in the state of Arkansas, and the still-under-construction Legends Resort & Casino has ambitions to include sports betting as well.

Arkansas is home to many brick-and-mortar casinos, including the Saracen Casino Resort, the Southland Casino, and the Oaklawn Racing Track and Casino. Sports betting of any kind is illegal in Arkansas, including internet betting and wagering on collegiate games involving local teams.

During a meeting in December 2021, the Arkansas Racing Commission authorized a change to the laws governing gambling in casinos that would allow for online sports betting. There is still the matter of getting a congressional subcommittee to sign off on these updated sports betting laws in Arkansas, which may happen as early as 2022. A representative for the ARC has said that sports betting may be live by the end of the year.

California Sports Betting

• 🌐 California Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

There is a ban on both retail and online sports betting in Golden California. 

But if both were legalized, California would quickly overtake Nevada as the biggest sports betting market in the United States. 

Tribal casino proprietors, cardroom operators, and racetracks were all vested in stopping sports betting in California.

Tribes in California have filed a motion to authorize sports betting at tribal facilities, therefore there are plans to legalize retail sports betting in the state. 

In order to be included on the ballot in November, the California Sports Wagering and Consumer Protection Act has to gather 997,139 signatures by April 2022.

Colorado Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: November 2019
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

When it comes to legal sports betting, Colorado is among the more accommodating states. 

Sports betting was made legal by Governor Jared Polis in May of 2019, but it still required approval from voters. 

In November of that year (2019), it was passed with a razor-thin margin of victory. 

Only the sportsbooks within the Black Hall, Central City, and Cripple Creek casinos provide retail betting.

After the decision, numerous companies were awarded licenses to provide sports betting, and the first season of legal sports betting for customers in stores and online kicked off in May of 2020. 

Those who doubted the rapid expansion of sports betting in Colorado since its introduction have been proven wrong.

Connecticut Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: September 2021
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

In the state of Connecticut, both online and in-person sports betting are permitted. 

In 2021, the state’s tribes and the state government will implement a plan to legalize sports betting. 

After that, in September 2021, retail sports betting became permitted at the state’s two tribal casinos, Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun.

Since its introduction in October 2021, online sports betting has grown to include three distinct online sportsbooks. 

Two of the three sports betting establishments in Connecticut are joint ventures with local Native American communities, while the other is backed by the state lottery.

Delaware Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: May 2018
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

It has been shown that immediately following the repeal of PASPA, the first legal sportsbook outside of Nevada was established in the state of Delaware. 

Delaware has just three locations for live betting sportsbooks, all of which are at the state’s horse racing racetrack.

It is currently illegal for residents of Delaware to place wagers on sporting events on the internet, although the law does provide room for the introduction of sports betting apps and mobile gaming in the near future. 

At the beginning of June 2018, the three casinos in the state started accepting wagers.

Although online sports betting is allowed in Delaware, no services are available at this time. 

This is due to the high cost of establishing an online sport betting market in Delaware. 

However, Vernon Kirk, director of the Delaware Lottery, has said that, in light of the recent epidemic, various facets of gaming in Delaware need to be re-examined.

Florida Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

Sports betting in Florida is a difficult issue, to put it mildly. 

When the governor reached an agreement for a new compact with the Florida Seminole Tribe, it seemed that online and retail sports betting would be authorized. 

Online gambling is legal in Florida, and a special Hard Rock app was just released so locals can get in on the action.

A US federal court ruled in November 2021 that the deal between the governor and the Florida Seminole Tribe violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, thereby putting an end to sports betting in the state. 

As a result, after a short push into sports betting, it is currently outlawed in the state, both online and offline.

Georgia Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

Legalized sports betting in Georgia is unavailable either online or at brick-and-mortar establishments. But in 2021, there were two attempts to make sports betting legal in Georgia, and they both failed. Most likely to be reintroduced in the 2022 legislative session, SB 142 came the closest to passing.

Also advocating for a referendum, House Speaker David Ralston has asked whether Georgians should have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to loosen the state’s restrictions on sports betting.

Hawaii Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

Only two states, Nevada and Hawaii, don’t allow any kind of gambling at all, and that includes both in-person and remote sports betting. But there have been past efforts to bring legal sports betting to the state.

Two sports betting initiatives from Hawaii’s 2019 legislature survived into 2020. HB 1107 would have established the Hawaii Sports Wagering Corporation to regulate and run sports betting, while SB 2571 would have established a task committee to examine the financial potential of legal sports betting in the state.

Idaho Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

In Idaho, it is against the law to place a wager on a sporting event either online or in a brick-and-mortar bookmaker. Actually, since PASPA was repealed, Idaho has been one of the least active states in terms of legalizing sports betting, with no suggestions from lawmakers for legal Idaho sports betting.

The state’s apparent lack of enthusiasm for regulated sports betting makes it doubtful that such wagering would be approved anytime soon. This implies that for the foreseeable future, residents of Idaho will have to go to one of the states that allow gambling or use an offshore sportsbook.

Illinois Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: March 2020
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

Since Illinois legalized sports betting in March 2020, it has quickly grown to become one of the top three betting markets in the United States. At first, it was difficult to place bets online due to the need to register at physical locations. With the elimination of that precondition, however, it is no longer the case.

Illinois has sportsbooks in seven casinos and a sportsbook at the Hawthorne Race Course where bettors may place wagers at the retail level.

Since Arlington Park in Illinois has permanently closed, Hawthorne is the state’s only surviving horse track.

There are already seven casinos in Illinois where you may place legal bets, and many more, including those at sports venues like Soldier Field and Wrigley Field, are possible. Illinois residents may choose from six different sports betting apps.

Indiana Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: May 2019
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

After HB 1015 was passed into law by Governor Eric Holcomb in May of 2019, sports betting was finally allowed in Indiana. The new law legalized various forms of gambling, including retail and internet wagering, at casinos, racinos, and other designated locations. Gambling on professional and collegiate sports was legalized, but proposition wagers were not.

Only four months after gambling was legalized in Indiana, the first retail wager was made in September 2019. Less than a month later, we saw the introduction of online sports betting. There are now 14 retail locations in Indiana that accept betting, and there are 14 active sports betting sites in the state.

Iowa Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: August 2019
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

The state of Iowa has been an advocate for legal sports betting since before PASPA was overturned, and in 2019 it won when Governor Kim Reynolds signed SF 617 into law. This legalized sports betting in all forms, including brick-and-mortar casinos and over-the-Internet bookmakers like BetOnline and Bodog, but required registrants for the latter to visit a land-based casino in person. This stipulation will no longer be necessary, however, as of January 2021.

Each of Iowa’s 19 licensed casinos may operate two separate online sports betting sites under the state’s new sports betting legislation. This implies that the current count of 17 online casinos in Iowa is much below the maximum allowable number of 38.

Kansas Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

Bets on sporting events are presently illegal in the state of Kansas. In 2020, there was a first attempt to legalize gambling, but the epidemic put a stop to it. In 2021, however, the Kansas Senate advanced a measure that would have made retail and mobile sports betting lawful. This measure was stuck in the House when the legislative session ended in May.

There is optimism that an agreement can be reached in 2022 since Kansas came so close to completely legalizing sports betting in 2020. The governor has already signaled that she would not sign the 2021 law, even if it passes the House.

Kentucky Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

In the present, neither retail nor internet sports betting are permitted in the state of Kentucky. There was not enough time to fully analyze the two pieces of legislation introduced to the General Assembly in 2020 and 2021 that would have legalized sports betting.

By the time similar legislation is offered in 2022, the state may already be surrounded by states that allow gambling. Longtime advocate for legal sports betting in Kentucky, Representative Adam Koenig, is likely to take the lead once again.

Louisiana Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: October 2021
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

In November of 2020, voters in 55 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes will determine whether or not to legalize sports betting. Louisiana approved three sports betting measures during the 2021 legislative session, including one that created 20 licenses (one for each casino or racino under state jurisdiction). These twenty licensees will be allowed two separate internet identities.

In October of 2021, brick-and-mortar sportsbooks finally hit the market. Prior to the 2022 Super Bowl, it is anticipated that internet sports betting would be live. Louisiana’s sports betting websites and apps will be geofenced to prevent access from inside the parishes that voted against legalization.

Maine Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

The state of Maine has not yet passed legislation legalizing sports betting, despite widespread support for the practice. Although LD 553 was approved by the legislature in 2019, Governor Mills vetoed it, citing concerns that it would work against the public interest. Although the Senate reversed the ruling, the House did not.

The Senate and House of Representatives of Maine approved LD 1352, a new sports betting law, in 2021. Unfortunately, time did not allow for the kinks to be worked out in the system that links online sportsbooks to brick-and-mortar establishments. As of now, legislation to allow sports betting is still being considered, so it’s possible that it may pass in 2022.

Maryland Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: November 2021
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

In 2020, Maryland residents voted in favor of legalizing sports betting. In November 2021, the government authorized five retail licenses, and in December of that year, MGM National Harbor became the site of the first legal sportsbook in the United States.

It has been almost a year since sports betting was legalized in Maryland, but the state has yet to implement online sports betting. According to John Martin, head of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, the rollout won’t happen until at least the autumn of 202. A disparity analysis mandated by the sports betting law has slowed its progress.

Massachusetts Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

Though advocates have pushed for it for a long time, sports betting is not yet allowed in Massachusetts. Several proposals pertaining to sports betting were introduced in 2019, but none of them passed. The House of Representatives proposed to bundle sports betting legislation with infrastructure funding in 2020. While the House voted to approve this, the Senate did not approve of the sports betting provision.

In 2021, lawmakers once again attempted to pass legislation legalizing sports betting. Close to twenty legislation dealing with sports betting were presented, and one was ultimately passed by the House. Nonetheless, the Senate did not take any action. Massachusetts sports betting legalization is on the agenda for 2022, according to state senator Eric Lesser.

Michigan Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: December 2019
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

The fight to legalize sports betting in Michigan began long before the Supreme Court struck down PASPA. It was in 2015 when Representative Robert Kosowski initially floated the first bills. They waited too long, but it was a promising indication.

The Lawful Sports Betting Act was signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan in 2018, but gamblers will have to wait until 2019 to get in on the action. This allowed the state’s twenty-six casinos to participate in both land-based and virtual sports betting. In March 2020, brick-and-mortar sportsbooks began for business, and in January 2021, the first internet sportsbooks went live.

Minnesota Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

Five measures seeking to legalize sports betting in Minnesota were introduced in 2021, however, this has not yet resulted in the activity being legal. This is mostly due to the opposition of the 11 tribes who together control 19 of the state’s casinos and are worried about the effects of legal betting on their bottom line.

There is hope that sports betting may become legal in Minnesota in 2022 now that the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association seems to be on board with the concept. It’s possible, however, that the sole kind of legally sanctioned sports betting at the outset will be retail.

Mississippi Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

Since 2017 when it was first approved, sports betting has been allowed in Mississippi. After the Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018, gambling could finally commence, and in August of that year, the first retail sports betting businesses opened.

Mississippi has seized this moment by legalizing sports betting in its licensed casinos, making it the first state in the South to do so. Away from official betting establishments, mobile betting is unavailable.

However, the options for online sports betting in Mississippi are quite restricted. In reality, players may only make online wagers when physically present in a brick-and-mortar casino or racebook. In 2019, a measure to allow mobile sports betting was presented, however, it never received a hearing and so died.

Missouri Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

Three different sports betting legislation, H 2320, S 1009, and H 2535, have been introduced in Missouri. Fans of gambling in the state will likely be disappointed to learn that none of these proposals have advanced very far in the legislature.

Legal sports betting is being considered by state legislators after a bill was introduced in 2022. Across the United States, this is the first bill of its kind this year. Professional sports leagues in Missouri are also heavily advocating for the legalization of sports betting, lending their support to many ballot measures in the state.

Montana Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

Shortly before the epidemic shut down all major US sports, legal sports betting was legalized in Montana. In 2019, Governor Steve Bullock signed House Bill 725 into law, making sports betting legal in Montana. For the state to be ready to begin offering sports betting, it would take little under a year to implement the necessary regulations.

With the help of its lottery system, Montana has authorized in-person sports betting. Though there are more than a hundred locations where you may use a sports betting kiosk, mobile sports betting is not yet available in this state.

Currently, there are roughly 2,000 recognized stores where gamblers may place bets without breaking the law. Only inside of a licensed establishment is mobile betting legal. When outside of a facility of this kind, it is illegal to place a wager on a sporting event. In Montana, “Sports Bet Montana” is the sole authorized online gambling site.

Nebraska Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

Citizens of Nebraska spoke up on the issue of sports betting in November 2020, when they voted to legalize a constitutional amendment that would open the door to a variety of games of chance, including wagers on sporting events. In May of 2021, Governor Ricketts signed this into law. This, however, merely decriminalized sports betting at brick-and-mortar establishments; internet sports betting remains illegal in the state.

It’s legal to gamble in Nebraska, but there aren’t any legitimate options available. This is due to the state’s painfully slow pace in implementing legal sports betting. Many anticipate the start of Nebraska sports betting in 2022, with rule and regulation creation by the Nebraska Gaming Commission now underway.

Nevada Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: 2010
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

From its inception in 1949 until the passage of PASPA in 1992, sports betting was permitted in Nevada. Sports betting may be done at the retail level in a wide variety of locations, including the casino resorts along the Las Vegas Strip.

The first sports betting app in Nevada was developed in 2010, and online sports betting is authorized there as well. But you may be shocked to learn that it is not the largest online betting industry in the United States; that distinction goes to New Jersey. Sports bettors in Nevada who want to place wagers online will have to register in person at a retail sportsbook first.

New Hampshire Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: July 2019
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

In 2019, the New Hampshire legislature passed a bill legalizing sports betting, and Governor Chris Sununu signed it into law. It was well before the conclusion of the year when the first wager was made. The state’s university sports teams were off-limits for wagering, but the new legislation opened the door to mobile and in-person sports betting.

There are now two land-based sportsbooks operating in New Hampshire, although the state legislation permits a total of ten retail locations. This is another jurisdiction where betting on college games involving local teams is illegal, but mobile betting is legal across the state.

In New Hampshire, sports betting is only available via DraftKings. They run the sole mobile platform in the state and both of the retail sportsbooks (at The Brook and Filotimo Casino).

New Jersey Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: June 2018
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

New Jersey has been a pioneer in the movement to legalize online sports betting and other forms of gambling since it is the biggest sports betting market in the United States. In June of 2018, following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down PASPA, the state of New Jersey put into law a bill that would legalize sports betting in the state. As a result of this legislation, sports betting may now be conducted both in-person and via the internet.

In 2020, New Jersey’s sports betting earnings were higher than those of any other state, including Nevada. There are over 20 different online sportsbooks to choose from in addition to the physical sportsbooks at casinos and horse racetrack in Atlantic City.

People from New Jersey may now place wagers at a number of Atlantic City retail locations. There might be up to three distinct online identities for each of these businesses. However, if New York prepares to roll out legal sports betting, there may be a precipitous drop in interest in gambling in New Jersey.

New Mexico Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

New Mexico’s sports betting landscape is complex. There is no legislation on the books that expressly authorizes sports betting in New Mexico, but there is also no statute prohibiting tribal casinos from providing such services. Five New Mexico tribal casinos have so far launched sports betting operations.

Under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, New Mexico is home to Native American-run casinos that are recognized and licensed by state authorities via compacts with those governments. A provision of the compacts permits them to operate sportsbooks inside their casinos.

Betting on college football or other comparable events involving New Mexico colleges is prohibited, as is online sports betting.

To a lesser extent, New Mexicans may enjoy the convenience of online gambling. State law strictly prohibits any kind of internet gambling. To get around this, a tribal casino would have to provide internet gambling, which would have to be geofenced so that it only worked inside the borders of the tribal land.

New York Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: January 2022
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

Sports betting businesses saw New York as a vast untapped resource; the state now has legal retail and internet sportsbooks. As part of his budget package for 2022, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a measure into law in 2021 that will legalize online sports betting in New York.

The first legal internet wagers in the state were made in January 2022, and in 2019 in-person wagering was launched at a select number of casinos. There is a limited selection of online sportsbooks available to New York residents at the moment, but that is expected to change in the near future. There is a high degree of confidence that New York will swiftly overtake California as the nation’s most lucrative market for sports betting.

North Carolina Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

In July of 2019, a law was enacted in North Carolina that will legalize sports betting at brick-and-mortar establishments. However, Caesars Sportsbooks operates the only two active sportsbooks in the state. They may be found at the two Harrah’s casinos that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians owns.

North Carolina has taken the first tentative steps toward allowing sports betting. While legislation has been enacted to legalize sportsbooks at the state’s two Native American casinos, mobile sports betting is still unavailable.

SB 688 is the most recent attempt to allow online sports betting. The North Carolina Senate has already passed this, and the House Commerce Committee has given its OK. After then, the 2021 legislative session was over, but the measure might be brought up again in the following year.

North Dakota Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

In spite of several attempts to legalize sports betting at the state level, neither retail nor internet sports betting are currently permitted in North Dakota. The state legislature had just voted down a sports betting initiative that would have allowed voters to decide in 2022 whether or not to legalize sports betting in the state.

Since legislators have decided against putting the question of legal sports betting before the voters in 2022, the earliest that they will have the opportunity to do so will be in 2024. Since this is the case, it seems doubtful that sports betting would become legal in North Dakota until 2025.

Ohio Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: September 2021
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

The Ohio House Bill 29 was signed into law by Governor DeWine in December 2021, making sports betting legal in the state. The deadline for the commencement of sports betting in the state was January 2023. Mobile and in-store sports betting are both covered by this legislation.

Retail and mobile sports betting are legalized by HB 29 and may be offered by casinos, racinos, and sports teams. One mobile license will be issued to everyone, however two might be issued if the applicant can show that it would be beneficial to the state’s economy. In accordance with House Bill 29 (HB 29), up to twenty-five mobile sports betting applications are authorized in the state of Ohio.

Oklahoma Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

Several Oklahoma tribes have attempted and failed to get sports betting legalized in the state. In 2020, two tribes were successful in negotiating a new compact with the Governor that authorized them to begin offering sports betting. The Supreme Court, however, invalidated this agreement, and it seems that the two tribes will abide by this decision.

Even if a new measure to authorize sports betting in Oklahoma has been presented, it won’t be addressed until the legislature resumes session on February 7, 2022. This provision mandates the legalization of sports betting in establishments where four or more casinos have signed new compacts. But the bill’s goal is not to make mobile betting legal in Oklahoma.

Oregon Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: August 2019
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

Although online and retail sports betting have become authorized in Oregon as of 2019, their reach is extremely limited. All professional sports are open for wagering in Oregon, however, collegiate sports betting is prohibited by state law.

Because of the state’s restrictive laws on retail sports betting, only tribal casinos in Oregon may legally accept bets from customers. Sports betting is available at both “The Mill” and “Chinook Winds” casinos. After the Supreme Court threw down PASPA, the first legal sports bet in Oregon took place at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort.

Since Oregon’s sports betting lottery games were exempt from PASPA’s initial enactment, no new legislation was required to legalize them.

According to Oregon law, only one sport betting app may be used for internet wagering. The Oregon Lottery is in charge of the Scoreboard app.

Pennsylvania Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: October 2018
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

In 2017, before the Supreme Court struck down PASPA, sports betting was legal in the state of Pennsylvania. After PASPA’s reversal in 2018, the first brick-and-mortar sportsbook began for business in November of that year. A total of 15 locations in Pennsylvania (13 casinos and 2 off-track betting facilities) currently offer sports betting.

In 2019, Pennsylvania welcomed its first legal online sports betting site. With the exception of Lady Luck Nemacolin, all of the casinos in Pennsylvania are now linked to a virtual sportsbook. In the state of Pennsylvania, 12 different locations offer sports betting.

Rhode Island Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: June 2018
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

With Governor Raimondo’s budget proposal in June 2018, retail betting was legalized for the first time. Rhode Island sports betting didn’t start for gamblers, however, until after a five-month delay. Bally’s Twins River Lincoln and Bally’s Tiverton are Rhode Island’s two brick-and-mortar casinos with sportsbooks.

There are two casinos in Rhode Island that provide sportsbooks, and they are both governed by the state’s Lottery Commission. In 2018, brick-and-mortar sportsbooks began in November, and in 2019, the state legislation was amended to include mobile sports betting.

Governor Raimondo signed into law mobile sports betting in March 2019. However, the state lottery controls the only mobile betting site. Prior to 2020, residents of the state who wanted to open an online betting account were required to do it personally; now, gamblers may do so from anywhere in the state.

South Carolina Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

South Carolina prohibits all types of sports betting. Despite PASPA’s reversal, there have been many efforts to legalize sports betting, most recently in 2017. There was also an effort in 2019 to legalize commercial gambling, however it did not target sports betting in particular.

Regulated sports betting in South Carolina is unlikely to happen anytime soon. While sports betting legislation has been introduced in a number of other states, it seems that politicians in California are not interested in doing so.

South Dakota Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: September 2021
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

In 2020, when voters in Deadwood adopted the Deadwood Sports Betting Legalization Amendment, retail sports betting became legal in South Dakota. This legalized sportsbooks for in-person wagering inside the municipal limits of Deadwood. Bets were first taken in September of 2021.

Deadwood is the only place in South Dakota where sports betting may be legally placed at the retail level. Additionally, there is currently no indication that South Dakota will legalize mobile sports betting anytime soon.

Tennessee Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: April 2019
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

There are just two states, Nevada and Tennessee, that allow internet betting but not retail sports betting. Online sports wagers were made for the first time in November of 2019 after sports betting was authorized in the Volunteer State of Tennessee in April of that year.

There are currently no casinos in Tennessee, making this an impossibility. However, in November of 2020, mobile sports betting was legalized in Tennessee.

As was previously stated, there are currently no strategies to introduce retail sports betting in the state of Tennessee. There would be a number of obstacles to introducing retail sports betting in Tennessee, the most significant of which being the lack of any casinos in the state.

Texas Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

It’s no big surprise that conservative stronghold Texas has failed to legalize retail or online sports betting. However, representatives Dan Huberty is among many who see 2023 as a potential turning point for sports betting in Texas.

The effort to allow sports betting in Texas has not gotten off the ground. However, sports betting organizations have begun making arrangements with professional sports teams in anticipation of the day when sports betting is permitted in the state.

Utah Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

The majority of Utah’s population adheres to the Mormon faith, making it a very conservative state. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that gambling of any kind, including sports betting, is prohibited there. Moreover, it is one of just two states that do not have any legalized gaming.

In 2019, there was a halting attempt to pass legislation in Utah that would have legalized betting on horse racing, but the measure ultimately stalled in committee. This came as near as any state has been to legalizing gambling. In 2020 and 2021, no legislation was introduced to make sports betting legal in Utah.

Vermont Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Illegal

Presently, Vermont law prohibits the practice of sports betting. 

In spite of this, there have been past efforts to legalize sports betting in the state. 

Representative Thomas Burditt filed H 484 in 2019 to make all forms of gambling in the state legal, including those conducted in casinos. 

We never saw any support for this measure in the Senate or House.

In 2020, legislation known as S 213 was proposed with the intention of making sports betting legal on mobile devices alone. 

A Senate committee would hear the measure and then sit on it. 

The Senate agreed with the March filing of S 59. 

It has been submitted to the House. 

If passed, this will establish the Sports Betting Study Committee charged with researching and recommending the most effective framework for sports betting in Vermont, which might eventually lead to the industry’s legalization.

Virginia Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: January 2021
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

The legislature of Virginia approved retail and online sports betting in April of 2020. 

Four separate online sportsbooks started accepting wagers in January 2021, marking the official start of sports betting in Virginia. 

Land-based sports betting may start in 2022 if retail casinos are authorized by voters in five locations around the state.

Sports betting is allowed in Virginia, although there are no retail locations for it at this time. 

This, however, will soon change as more casinos are being built around the state. 

Up to five casinos are authorized by law, with local jurisdictions having the final say on whether or not to host gaming operations. 

As soon as the casinos open, you may wager on sports at any of them.

Washington Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

Although sports betting became legal in Washington State in 2020, the law specifically excluded commercial establishments like casinos from the retail provision. 

In September of 2021, renegotiations of gaming compacts with Washington tribes were authorized by the state and federal governments. 

In September of 2021, the Snoqualmie Casino became the first U.S. retail location to provide a sportsbook.

In theory, sports betting on a mobile device is permitted in Washington, but only inside the physical confines of a casino. 

The rest of the state’s residents are unable to place sports bets via their computers or smartphones.

Washington, D.C. Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: May 2019
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

As of May of this year (2019), sports betting is allowed in the Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia). The city’s first wager was placed at GambetDC. The DC Lottery runs the sole sports betting app in Washington DC, and its services are legal across the city. Two other online sportsbooks exist, although they are limited in their availability.

Sports betting in the District of Columbia is governed by the Office of Lottery and Gaming. Retail sports betting is available in most major sports facilities, and it is also open to hotels, taverns, and restaurants that have obtained the appropriate licensing.

Audi Field, Capital One Arena, St. Elizabeth’s East Entertainment and Sports Arena, and Nationals Park are the four venues where retail sports betting is legal. Currently, the city is home to two different retail sportsbooks. A valid license is required to host sports betting in Washington DC, although this does not prevent clubs, restaurants, and taverns from doing so.

Likewise, you may bet on professional teams from the D.C, but you can’t wager on any collegiate teams from the area.

West Virginia Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: March 2018
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

In March of 2018, West Virginia passed a bill legalizing sportsbooks, and with the passage of legislation repealing PASPA, sportsbooks were finally able to accept bets in the state. In August of that year, a wager was placed at a retail sportsbook for the very first time.

The West Virginia horse racetrack and the exclusive resort The Greenbrier also include traditional, land-based sportsbooks. Betting on sporting events via an online bookie is legal across the whole state.

In 2018, the first mobile betting app, BetLucky, was released. Unfortunately, this was only the case for a short period of time (a few months at most). In August of 2019, FanDuel and DraftKings will both debut in the state, ushering in a new era of mobile sports betting.

Wisconsin Sports Betting

• 🌐 Online Betting: Illegal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: September 2021
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

Wisconsin has limited legalization of sports betting. This is due to the fact that just two tribes are legally allowed to host sports betting operations. They were finally able to do so after renegotiating their agreements with the state government. It is expected that other indigenous groups would seek to modify their compacts so that they may begin allowing legal sports betting as well.

Few lawmakers in Wisconsin have shown any enthusiasm for mobile betting, and as a result, no substantial sports betting proposals have been introduced in the state legislature. On tribal property, however, it is permissible to place an internet sports wager, but no tribe has yet created a mobile sports betting app.

Wyoming Sports Betting

• 🌐 Wyoming Online Betting: Legal
• 🕑 Online Betting Licence Date: April 2021
• 🏢 Land-based Betting: Legal

In April of 2021, a Wyoming sports betting bill was passed into law by Governor Gordon. With the passage of this bill, Wyoming finally allowed online sports betting in September 2021.

Due to the lack of commercial casinos, Wyoming does not have any retail sportsbooks. However, four of the casinos are owned by indigenous people and may legally host Class III games. Because of this, they may legally provide sports betting services if they so desire. At the moment, both states of Wyoming and Tennessee allow internet betting but prohibit it in physical brick-and-mortar locations.

Is it legal to gamble on DFS in the USA?

The year 2015 was a wake-up call for the daily fantasy sports industry, including FanDuel DFS and DraftKings DFS. Before that time, they were making millions with little government oversight. But in October of that year, a scandal broke that completely altered the playing field.

After working at DraftKings for some time, one of their employees acknowledged that he had access to confidential information that he used to win $350,000 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Daily fantasy sports, once on shaky ground, are now on stable ground because to the efforts of numerous state legislatures to enact regulatory measures. Both DraftKings and FanDuel welcome participants from all except five states: Nevada, Hawaii, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Since so many sports enthusiasts are already clients on the fantasy side, these two businesses have an inherent advantage when they enter the legal sports betting market.

Protection and Confidence

The use of cutting-edge safety and security measures is mandated by law now that legislation has been approved to legalize online sports betting. Online betting firms emphasize compliance and client pleasure, therefore they share the authorities’ worries about keeping the public safe.

Licensed US online sportsbooks take all necessary measure to protect their customers. Many of these businesses are household names in the gaming industry and are very knowledgeable on matters of player safety and security. In addition, regulated sportsbooks will provide patrons with other choices to help them gamble responsibly.

How to Sign Up

The signup procedure is intuitive and easy to understand. A valid email address is required, as is a username and password. Your email address may also serve as the username in certain online services.

They will need to know your complete name, birth date, gender, and residential address and telephone number. The next step is to answer some standard security questions, which are used to verify your identity when you sign in from a new device or when you forget your password.

There may be a need to input a promotional code while creating an account on certain websites. You’ll need to check a few boxes agreeing to a legal disclaimer and reveal the last four digits of your Social Security number.

Once they get the information, they’ll use it to create a series of unique security questions as the last stage in creating your account.

Authorization and Legislation

The game has altered drastically for the better since sports betting became legal. There was no regulation of the offshore sportsbooks, and money transfers were troublesome, as we’ve already mentioned.

Everything is above board now that sportsbooks in the United States are required to get licenses and adhere to regulatory limitations. You may safely wager on athletic events, which will undoubtedly increase your overall satisfaction with the games you follow.

Aspects of the User Interface

The sites’ mobile counterparts are cutting-edge advancements, what with all their engaging elements and simple layout. Many of them even provide live streaming and wagering during games. The visual settings have been designed with the user in mind, yet everyone has different tastes.

As a result, the sites are optimized for fast page loads and little downtime, so that the operators may maximize productivity. All of them have accessible support staff, so you can get in touch with an actual person anytime you have a question or concern.

FAQs