Legalization Tracker

Hover over your state to learn more about sportsbetting in your state!

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC
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Legalized Sports Betting

W

Recent Bill Passed

W

Recent Bill Introduced but Not Passed

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No Recent Bill Introduced

SPORTSBETTING BILL TRACKER


Nevada

No longer the only state to permit a wide variety of legal sports betting, Nevada is a mature market that has existed for decades. Given its long history in successfully offering regulated sports wagering, many states might look to Nevada for best practices.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 223
Population: 3,034,392 (2,246,259 21+)

Delaware

On June 5, 2018, Delaware moved to offer single-game betting on a number of different sports at three casinos in the state. Expanded sports wagering options could take place at additional locations or online. Delaware’s authorization of what Gov. John Carney described as “a full-scale sports gaming operation” happened less than a month after the Supreme Court ruled that the federal law restricting single-game betting to Nevada was unconstitutional.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 3
Population: 967,171 (726,161 21+)

New Jersey

On June 11, 2018, Gov. Phil Murphy signed the sports betting bill that had passed the previous week. A William Hill sportsbook at Monmouth Park took the first bets on Thursday, June 14 at 10:30 a.m. ET. Gov. Murphy was the first customer in line. The Borgata in Atlantic City booked sports bets 30 minutes later. Other sportsbooks in New Jersey opened soon thereafter. For example, FanDuel’s first sportsbook at the Meadowlands opened its doors on July 14.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams and collegiate events held within the state
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 9
Population: 8,908,520 (6,634,683 21+)

Mississippi

Two casinos owned by MGM Resorts booked their first sports bets in Mississippi on Aug. 1, 2018. Mississippi enacted a new law in 2017 that allowed for sports betting pending a favorable decision by the Supreme Court. In June 2018, the Mississippi Gaming Commission adopted implementing regulations that require all betting to take place in person, with mobile wagering to be considered later.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person

Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 29
Population: 2,986,530 (2,153,795 21+)

West Virginia
On Aug. 30, 2018, West Virginia became the fifth state to offer legal and regulated sports betting when the Hollywood Casino — a sportsbook owned by Penn National — opened its doors. The move came six months after the West Virginia legislature passed a new bill with the West Virginia Lottery Commission serving as the chief regulator.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 5
Population: 1,805,832 (1,375,788 21+)


New Mexico

On Oct. 16, 2018, the Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel booked its first sports bet in partnership with Nevada-based USBookmaking. Although New Mexico has not passed any new sports betting legislation since the Supreme Court’s decision, the move by the Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel was made via a gaming compact with the state. According to Nedra Darling, spokeswoman at the Department of the Interior’s Office of Indian Affairs — the federal agency in Washington, DC that oversees tribal gaming compacts — the New Mexico compacts permit “any or all forms of Class III Gaming,” a category in the federal regulations that specifically includes “[a]ny sports betting and pari-mutuel wagering.”

Type of wagering permitted: In-person

Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 32
Population: 2,095,428 (1,529,540 21+) 

 

Pennsylvania

The Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course booked the first legal sports bets in Pennsylvania in mid-November 2018. The move came just over a year after Gov. Tom Wolf signed a new sports betting bill as part of a broad legislation push that included online poker and DFS. The October 2017 bill became effective after the Supreme Court’s May 2018 ruling upending the federal ban on single-game betting outside of Nevada. 

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 12
Population: 12,807,060 (9,645,705 21+)


Rhode Island

The Twin River Casino in Lincoln opened its doors for legal sports betting on Nov. 26, 2018. The move came five months after Gov. Gina Raimondo signed the state budget, which included language allowing sports betting. Only two locations would be allowed to offer sports betting under the law, with the state’s lottery providing regulatory oversight. In early 2019, the law was tweaked to provide for mobile betting.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 2
Population: 1,057,315 (800,838 21+)

 Arkansas
On July 1, 2019, the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort booked the first legal sports bets in Arkansas. Two other retail locations opened sportsbooks in the subsequent months. Sports betting is regulated by the Arkansas Racing Commission.
Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 3
Population: 3,013,825 (2,191,256 21+)

New York

On July 16, 2019, the first legal sports bets were placed in New York. J. Gary Pretlow — a New York lawmaker and chair of the state’s racing and wagering committee — was among the first to place a wager at the Rivers Casino in Schenectady. The opening of a legal sportsbook came six years after New York passed a law to allow sports betting at four on-site 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 earlier this year. The current law does not allow for mobile wagering.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 28
Population: 19,542,209 (14,724,807 21+)


Iowa
Legal sports betting arrived in Iowa on Aug. 15, with multiple operators all opening their doors to customers on the first day. The move came three months after Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into a law a comprehensive bill to legalize sports betting in the Hawkeye State. Operators must pay a $45,000 licensing fee and there is a 6.75 percent tax on revenue. The new law permits mobile wagering. Betting on college sports is permitted, but certain kinds of in-game prop bets involving college games are banned. The new law bestows the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission with authority to regulate sports betting.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No prop betting on in-state college athletics
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 23
Population: 3,156,145 (2,286,374 21+)

Oregon

Legal sports betting returned to Oregon on Aug. 27 after a long hiatus, with the first bets booked on-site at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City. Oregon is one of a small number of states that already had a law on the books permitting some forms of sports betting, so the resumption of wagering did not require the legislature to pass any new law or have the governor amend an existing tribal-state compact. In mid-October, mobile sports betting arrived in Oregon too, with the state-run lottery overseeing the launch of a new website and app.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort, but sportsbook operated by the Oregon Lottery does not permit betting on games involving in-state colleges
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 10
Population: 4,190,713 (3,167,912 21+)

Indiana

Legal sports betting opened up at a number of locations in Indiana on Sept. 1. The Indiana Gaming Commission oversees all sports betting regulations and has issued licenses to operators across the state. Wagering on both college and pro sports is permitted, but betting on esports and high school sports is banned. Indiana’s new law allows for both mobile and in-person wagering. Regulations permit sports leagues or colleges to request “to utilize a geofence to prohibit wagers at the location of a particular sporting event.”

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No prop betting on in-state college athletics
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 14
Population: 6,691,878 (4,842,337 21+)

New Hampshire

Governor Chris Sununo placed the ceremonial first legal sports wager — on the New England Patriots — in New Hampshire on Dec. 30, 2019. The state’s lottery is in charge of regulatory of regulatory oversight. Both retail and mobile sports betting will be permitted on a wide variety of sports, although no betting on New Hampshire’s in-state colleges is allowed.

Type of wagering permitted: Mobile
Notable prohibitions: No betting on in-state colleges
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 0
Population: 1,356,458 (1,042,882 21+)

Illinois

Legal sports betting arrived in Illinois on March 9, 2020. The move came less than a year after the Illinois legislature passed a broad gaming bill that allowed for both online and in-person sports betting. With Governor J.B. Pritzker’s signature, the new law also provided for betting on-location at venues such as Wrigley Field. Operators and certain data providers are required to obtain a license under the new law.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No wagering on minor leagues or Illinois college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 10
Population: 12,741,080 (9,391,158 21+)

Michigan

Legal sports betting in Michigan commenced on March 11, 2020, with two Detroit-area casinos launching on the same day. The move came less than three months after Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the “Lawful Sports Betting Act” into law. The new law provides for wagering on a wide variety of sports, including college contests.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 27
Population: 9.995,915 (7,428,72721+)

Montana

Legal sports betting arrived in Montana in March 2020. The move came after Governor Steve Bullock formally signed into law a 28-page bill that brought sports wagering to Big Sky country via the state’s lottery. Governor Bullock cited the Montana Lottery’s “proven track record of responsibility and integrity” when signing the bill.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 13
Population: 1,062,305 (793,151 21+)

Colorado

May 1, 2020 marked the launch of legal sports betting in Colorado, with multiple operators allowing residents to open accounts online and place wagers. The move came less than six months after Colorado voters — by a narrow margin — approved a ballot measure that would provide “for the regulation of sports betting through licensed casinos.” Both mobile and retail sports betting are permitted. Tax revenue from sports betting will help fund various state water projects.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 35
Population: 5,695,564 (4,210,663.00 21+)

Washington, D.C.

In June 2020, the D.C. Lottery launched its “GameBetDC” platform allowing consumers “to wager while in the District on major sports worldwide” via computer or mobile device. Sports betting in nation’s capital followed the passage of the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 and a Congressional review period during which time Congress did not formally object. The Office of Lottery and Gaming provides regulatory oversight of all sports wagering in D.C.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions:No betting on games involving colleges located in D.C.
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019):None
Population: 705,749

Tennessee

Regulated sports wagering — all online — launched on November 1, 2020 in Tennessee with four licensed operators offering a wide variety of options. The “Tennessee Sports Gaming Act” permits statewide mobile sports betting without any brick-and-mortar anchor. As such, there are no in-person retail sports betting locations in the state. Subject to an exception, Tennessee’s new law requires all licensed operators to “exclusively use official league data for purposes of live betting.”

Type of wagering permitted: Mobile only
Notable prohibitions:None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019):None
Population: 6,829,174

Virginia

Virginia sports betting became legal in April 2020, when the Virginia state legislature passed a sports betting bill.

Betting on sports in Virginia eventually will become available from anywhere within the borders of the state. Mobile VA sports betting on smartphones will allow bettors to sign up for and fund accounts through apps on your device.

You do not need to live in Virginia to bet on sports in the state. You will, however, need to be physically located in the state to place a wager legally.

The state lottery oversees VA sports betting. Regulations are already in place, and more than two dozen sportsbooks have applied to operate in the state. 

 

On-deck circle

 

North Carolina

On July 26, 2019, Governor Roy Cooper signed into a law a bill to “allow sports and horse race wagering on tribal lands,” with such betting designated as a ‘Class III’ gaming activity under the state compact. The new law permits betting on both college and professional sports, but all bettors must place their wagers in-person at one of two retail locations.

Washington

Governor Jay Inslee signed Washington’s sports betting bill into law on March 25, 2020. The new law permits sports wagering at Class III tribal casinos in the state. Mobile sports wagering is not allowed statewide, but is permitted when on-site at a licensed tribal casino. Betting on an “esports competition or event” is allowed, but the new law bans wagering on games involving in-state colleges or minor league professional events. The new bill delegates regulatory oversight to the Washington State Gambling Commission.

Maryland

In November 2020, Maryland voters approved “sports and events betting for the primary purpose of raising revenue for education” by about a 2-1 margin. A regulatory framework must be created by Maryland lawmakers before any sports wagering takes place. The Maryland referendum would potentially allow for both in-person and mobile sports betting throughout the state.

South Dakota

On November 3, 2020, voters in South Dakota approved a ballot measure permitting “sports wagering in Deadwood.” Other tribal locations in South Dakota could see the arrival of regulated sports betting too. State lawmakers must now establish a regulatory apparatus and tax rate for legalized sports wagering.

Louisiana

In November 2020, voters in the vast majority of Louisiana’s 64 parishes approved a ballot measure permitting “sports wagering activities and operations.” As a result, regulated sports wagering could come to New Orleans and certain other cities as early as 2021. Lawmakers will be tasked with setting up a regulatory scheme during an upcoming state legislative session.


 

Moving toward legalization

All of these states have seen some degree of legislative activity towards the legalization of sports betting the past few years.

Oklahoma

In April 2020, two federally-recognized tribes reached agreement with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on new gaming compacts that include sports betting. On June 8, 2020, Governor Stitt announced that the Department of the Interior had approved the compacts, paving the way for sports betting to start in Oklahoma as soon as the “compacts are published in the Federal Register.” A bipartisan group of state lawmakers, along with Oklahoma’s attorney general, have expressed opposition to the expansion of sports betting in Oklahoma and the prospect of legalized sports wagering remains uncertain.

Maine

On the last day of the state’s 2019 legislative session — June 19 — Maine lawmakers passed “An Act to Ensure Proper Oversight of Sports Betting in the State.” Shortly thereafter, the governor vetoed the bill. The legislature could re-introduce the bill later.

Nebraska

Connecticut

Under consideration by legislature

Connecticut lawmakers have supported sports betting since the federal wagering ban was struck down, but have not been able to work out a deal that appeases all the state’s powerful gaming interests, including the tribes.

With politicians largely supportive, Connecticut remains one of the more plausible states to pass a sports betting bill. But until, or if, stakeholders can reach a deal, sports betting remains illegal.

Kentucky
Under consideration by legislature
A sports betting bill zoomed out a legislative committee in the Kentucky House in early 2020, but quickly hit a snag as Republican leadership tanked the bill despite bipartisan support. Conservative, anti-gambling sentiment runs deep in Kentucky and remains a massive political barrier. Kentucky will now have to wait until 2021, at least, for legal sports betting — and in odd years, the state requires bills to get 60% support for them to pass, an extra hurdle to clear that wasn’t present in 2020.

The good news is that Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is a big proponent of sports betting legalization, but until Republicans get on board, Kentucky sports betting may not happen. In that environment, it makes statewide mobile wagering even more difficult.

Massachusetts

Under consideration by legislature

Republican Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and members of both parties in the Democrat-controlled General Court support sports betting. It still hasn’t passed.

Elected officials have not reached consensus on several key issues, such as which entities would be allowed to take bets and if legal betting should include wagers on in-state college teams. Some want only MGM and Penn National/Barstool to have sports betting since they have casinos in the state, while other legislators favor a fully-competitive market.

Legal wagering doesn’t have some of the massive political or legal obstacles as other states, but the aforementioned issues must first be resolved before online and retail wagering can begin. Legal betting should come to Massachusetts in the next two years.

Minnesota

Possible tribal action

Lawmakers have considered sports betting bills in recent years, but the state has not worked out how it would work, and which entities, most notably Minnesota Native American tribes, would be allowed to take bets.

Missouri

Under consideration by legislature

Had it not been for the coronavirus, it’s possible Missouri could have had sports betting in 2020. Multiple bills floated through the legislature but were dropped when the session ended early.

It’s definitely one of the states feeling the pressure as states around them are up and running — Iowa, Illinois, Arkansas and others. Expect to see some action in 2021 for both online and in-person wagering — especially if Kansas is close to doing the same.

Kansas

Under consideration by legislature

Kansas seemed like a safe bet to approval legal wagering in 2020 after both the House and Senate introduced bills to do so. However, the COVID-19 pandemic prematurely shuttered that year’s session, and lawmakers will have to take up a new bill in 2021.

The 2020 progress is an encouraging sign, and it appears the idea of sports betting has gained support in Kansas. Key regulatory issues will need to be resolved, and it remains to be seen if online betting is politically palatable, but Kansas could be among the favorites to pass legal retail betting as early as 2021.

South Carolina
Longshots under consideration by legislature

Several bills have been introduced in the past in South Carolina, but none have gained any traction. This appears to be a longshot to happen any time soon, especially with deep gambling opposition from the state’s leading political figures.

California

Possible tribal action

California sports betting looks like it will be a reality, but only at tribal casinos, not online and most likely not until 2023.

State tribes are pushing a 2022 ballot measure that would allow sportsbooks on tribal grounds. Assuming voters approve, wagering could begin as early as 2023.

This would disappoint industry stakeholders hoping for a statewide mobile network in what would be the nation’s most lucrative market. A 2020 proposal that would have allowed mobile sports betting while granting extend gaming options to the state commercial cardrooms fell short. That’s because the tribes were against giving the state’s many cardrooms table games.

With potentially billions of dollars at stake, gaming interests will still pursue California mobile betting, but it appears the tribal-only option is the most likely reality for a legal wagering market.
 

Ohio

Under consideration by legislature

Ohio is another sports-crazy state that’s behind in legalizing sports gambling, especially given the action in many of its Midwestern neighbors.

Lawmakers held out hope for a bill in the final moments of 2020, but it seems more likely a fresh set of legislators will have to take a new bill when the 2021 session begins.

Legal wagering has widespread bipartisan support in the legislative and executive branches, but politicians still need to hammer out a few issues that have stalled legislation for months. There’s a good possibility online betting will be part of that.

Arizona

Under consideration by legislature

Arizona officials have touched on sports betting proposals the last few years and are still considering a path for state tribes to take sports bets.

Key details would still need to be resolved, but officials from both parties are bullish on a deal, possibly as early as 2021. Online betting may be a tougher endeavor, but Arizona seems on solid footing for some sort of legal wagering sooner than later.

Texas

2021 action Possible

Texas would appear to be an unlikely sports betting adopter, but a dire budget situation and investment from outside gaming interests make it a possible target in 2021.

The Lone Star State is still a longshot, but the pressures of the 2021 session (the legislature only meets regularly in odd-numbered years) could move Texas past its long-standing gambling opposition.

Georgia
Under consideration by legislature

Polls in Georgia say that voters are in favor of legalized sports betting. Executives from the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta United also came out in support of sports betting in late 2019. A last-minute legalization bill failed in the final moments of the 2020 legislative session, but legal betting could get another look in 2021.The state doesn’t have casino gaming of any kind, which complicates the process, and conservative Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp might also be a veto threat to sports gambling progress.

Popular support is on sports betting’s side, but it’s not clear if that’s enough to overcome entrenched anti-gambling sentiment in the statehouse. As we saw during the November election, though, Georgia seems to be trending more and more politically blue every year.

Vermont

Under consideration by legislature

Vermont is one of the few remaining states without casinos, but it may be okay with legal sportsbooks, at least online. The state is considering a study bill and may feel pressured to accept wagering especially as the greater New England market continues to grow.

Florida

2021 action Possible

Some Florida politicians have come out in support of legal wagering, but a host of legal and logistical obstacles have thwarted any legislative efforts.

Miami-based sports betting legislation expert Daniel Wallach said a 2018 constitutional amendment that prohibits lawmakers from passing gaming legislation without a voter referendum would not necessarily stop the legislature from authorizing sports gambling. It could still be a major legal stumbling block.

The other major concern is the interests of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The proprietors of the state’s largest casinos, any new gaming idea would have to earn their approval. Though the Seminoles would almost assuredly support the right to open sportsbooks in Florida, as they have in other states, any authorization would have to come on their terms, which may not include online betting.

Meanwhile, the state continues a multi-year standoff over slot machine tax payments and exclusivity rights that also will need to be settled before sports betting authorization can take shape. 

Wyoming

Possible tribal action

Lawmakers seem unlikely to take up a sports betting bill anytime soon, but 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.


 

No legalization activity … yet

 

Idaho

No movement

State laws as written are currently against gambling, same for horse racing. The state doesn’t allow fantasy sports, either and there’s been little political appetite for legal sports betting.

Wisconsin

Possible tribal action

There has been little sports betting momentum in the state legislature or Wisconsin’s tribal stakeholders. Any sports betting would almost assuredly come through the state’s Native American casinos.

Hawaii

No movement

Hawaii is one of just two states currently without any major gambling entity of any kind, and it seems sports betting will not be coming to the state for the foreseeable future, if ever.

Alabama

Longshot, under consideration by legislature

Alabama is one of the few remaining states without a lottery and seems unlikely to thaw its gambling opposition.

The legislature had a sports betting bill in the works in March before COVID-19 ended the session early that would have included both in-person and online sports betting, but passing such a bill is still a difficult task in a state with strong gaming aversions.

Alaska

No movement 

Alaska is pretty much nowhere on sports gambling. The 49th state might actually be the 49th to legalize it, if ever.

 


 

Unlikely

Utah

Utah’s anti-gambling stance is written into the state’s constitution. Any change to existing state policy toward gambling would be a massive departure from decades of opposition to any form of gambling, including lottery tickets, table games and sports betting.

 

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