In Which States Is Sports Gambling Officially Legal?
Since the early 1990s, when then-President George H. W. Bush signed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) into law, sports gambling has been illegal in all but four states: Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon.
But on May 14, 2018, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of New Jersey in a case that challenged the constitutionality of PASPA. In a 6-3 decision, the justices determined that the federal statute violated the 10th Amendment by forcing states to prohibit sports gambling.
The ramifications of this ruling are still being sorted out, but it is clear that sports gambling is now legal in at least some form in all 50 states. Here’s a breakdown of which states have moved to legalize sports betting since the Supreme Court’s decision and how they are doing it:
Delaware: On June 5, Delaware became the first state to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s ruling by launching its sports betting marketplace. Bettors can place bets on NFL games at three casinos – Harrington Raceway and Casino, Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, and Delaware Park Racetrack and Slots – as well as through mobile apps offered by each casino. The state also allows parlay betting (a type of wager in which you must correctly predict the outcome of multiple games) on NFL games.
New Jersey: New Jersey was the plaintiff in the case that went before the Supreme Court, so it was no surprise that it was one of the first states to legalize sports betting after the decision was announced. On June 11, just seven days after SCOTUS’ ruling, Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill into law that allowed sports betting at casinos and racetracks in New Jersey. The bill also permits online betting through mobile apps and websites.
West Virginia: Like New Jersey, West Virginia wasted no time in moving to legalize sports betting after the Supreme Court’s decision was announced. On June 14 – just two days after Murphy signed New Jersey’s bill into law – Governor Jim Justice signed a similar measure into law in West Virginia. Under West Virginia’s law, bettors will be able to place wagers at four casinos (The Greenbrier Resort, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Mardi Gras Casino & Resort Charleston, Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack) as well as through mobile apps and websites.
Pennsylvania: As of July 2018, Pennsylvania had not yet legalized sports betting; however, both houses of its legislature have approved bills that would do so. The bills are currently awaiting approval from Governor Tom Wolf. If signed into law, Pennsylvania would become one of the largest states for legalized sports gambling; its legislation permits wagering at casinos, racetracks, online terminals at truck stops throughout the state), and via mobile apps and websites.
States Where Sports Betting is Legal
The United States has a complicated relationship when it comes to gambling. On the one hand, the country has a long and proud history of betting on sports. On the other hand, there are federal laws that effectively outlaw most forms of gambling.
This creates a patchwork of laws with each state deciding for itself whether to legalize gambling. This results in a variety of different rules across the states. Some states have banned all forms of gambling while others have made specific types of gambling legal.
One form of gambling that is currently legal in a majority of states is sports betting. This is because the Supreme Court struck down a federal law that prohibited sports betting in 2018. As a result, states are now free to decide whether to legalize sports betting within their borders.
Currently, 33 states have legalized some form of sports betting. The specifics vary from state to state, but generally you can bet on sports at casinos, racetracks, and other approved locations. There are also a number of online Sportsbooks that allow you to bet from anywhere in the United States.
If you’re interested in betting on sports, then it’s important to know which states allow it. The following map shows all the states where sports betting is currently legal:
The map above shows all 33 states where sports betting is currently legal. As you can see, there is a wide range of laws across the country. Some states have very restrictive laws while others have more liberal rules.
It’s important to remember that these laws can change at any time, so be sure to check with your local authorities before placing any bets.
Which States Allow Sports Betting?
It wasn’t that long ago when sports betting was considered taboo. Now, it’s slowly becoming legalized across the United States. So, which states allow sports betting?
Currently, there are eight states that have active legal sports betting: Delaware, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. In addition to those eight states, there are also a few more that have passed legislation but have yet to implement it. These states are Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi Missouri , New Hampshire and New York.
That being said, not all of these states offer the same type of sports betting. For instance, Nevada is the only state where you can bet on individual games. All other states have some sort of Betting pool where you can bet on multiple games simultaneously. In addition to that difference in types of bets available., some states offer online and brick-and-mortar sportsbooks while others only have one or the other.
So if you’re looking to place a bet on your favorite team’s game this weekend; head to Nevada. If you want to bet on multiple games at once; check out one of the other seven states. Whichever route you decide to go; just be sure to check your state’s laws ahead of time!
States with Legal Sports Betting
As of June 2018, there are ten states in the US with legal sports betting. Nevada was the first state to offer sports betting in 1949 and currently offers nearly two dozen types of bets. Delaware followed in 1976 by legalizing parlay betting only. In 1992, Mississippi became the third state to legalize sports betting, but this was only after a failed attempt to do so in 1990. New Jersey legalized sports betting in 2013 after the federal ban on the practice was lifted. The Garden State now offers bets on individual games, as well as futures and props.
The fourth state to legalize sports wagering was West Virginia, doing so in March 2018. The Mountaineers were quick to take advantage of the new law and became the first state with mobile/phone betting. Just one month later, Pennsylvania became the fifth state with legal sports gambling when it passed a bill authorizing online and retail sportsbooks.Rhode Island quickly followed suit in June, becoming the sixth state to offer legal sports bets. Like Pennsylvania, Rhode Island allows both online and retail wagers.
Tennessee became the seventh state on July 1st when Governor Bill Haslam signed a gambling bill into law that allows for online-only sportsbooks. This made Tennessee the first state without physical casinos to offer sports betting. Indiana legalized in-person and online sports wagers on September 17th, making it the eighth state with legal sports gambling. West Virginia then became the ninth when its mobile-only option went live on October 1st. The tenth and final US state with legal sports betting is Utah which launched its regulated industry on October 15th with both casino and mobile platforms open for business
List of States with Legal Sports Gambling
A comprehensive list of U.S. states with legal sports gambling can be found below. In May 2018, the Supreme Court overturned a law that prohibited most sports betting outside Nevada. Since then, many states have moved to legalize and regulate the activity.
States with Legal Sports Betting
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming