Post Action Betting

Where is sports betting legal? Updates for the US

By
Social Links for Andrew Crane
Updated July 10, 2023, 2:35 p.m. ET
Betting
Customers watch sporting events inside FanDuel Sportsbook inside Footprint Center in Arizona. AP

As legalized sports betting continues to expand across the United States, states that previously lagged behind are starting to gain traction — with bills being considered, and in some cases approved, for retail and mobile wagering.
Before you plan your next trip, or whether you’re wondering where your hometown state stands, here’s what to know about states that have already legalized sports betting and which ones are close.

States where sports betting is legal and bets are accepted

Arizona

Arizona’s online sports betting bill passed in April 2021, and it allowed for the mobile versions of betting along with in-stadium sportsbooks. The launch coincided with the start of the 2021 NFL season, which is a time of peak interest for sportsbooks. In March 2022, Arizona entered the top ten states for the most handle (total amount of money bet) for the first time.

Arkansas

In February 2022, the Arkansas Joint Budget Committee finalized rules for online sports gambling. This means that bettors in Arkansas can now wager on mobile apps for Oaklawn Racing Casino, Southland Casino, and Saracen Casino. Before mobile betting legislation was approved, Arkansas residents could only bet in person at those three locations.

Colorado

Colorado has become one of the major sports betting hubs since it started accepting wagers in 2020, and it became one of the first states to record more than $200 million in monthly betting handle in Sept. 2020, according to Action Network. There are also 21 mobile sports betting apps, which makes CO one of the most competitive markets in the country.

Connecticut

In May 2021, Connecticut figured out a deal with the state’s two influential Native American tribes to pave the way for online sports betting in the state. As a result, FanDuel, DraftKings and PlaySugarHouse were all approved and went live in October 2021, with FanDuel partnering with the Mohegan Tribe and DraftKings partnering with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. The state lottery originally partnered with PlaySugarHouse, but dissolved the partnership in 2022 and is still in the process of finding a new sportsbook partner. For now, FanDuel and DraftKings are the only mobile options available in the state.

Ned Lamont
Connecticut governor Ned Lamont places a bet of $20 bet for the Giants to beat Kansas City after Sports Haven opened for sports betting on Monday Oct. 25, 2021.
AP

Delaware

Back in 2018, Delaware was one of the first states to accept a legal single-game wager, behind Nevada. But in the three years since, the state hasn’t approved online sports betting, and there are just three in-person options in Delaware Park, Bally’s Dover, and Harrington Raceway and Casino.

Florida

Sports betting was approved in 2021, but the state has faced legal issues that have delayed its path to a full launch. The Hard Rock Sportsbook app went live on Nov. 1 of that year as part of an agreement between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, but a federal judge struck down that agreement because it violated federal and state laws. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals listened to oral arguments regarding the issue in December 2022, but there still has not been any sort of permanent resolution just yet.

Illinois

Illinois launched sports betting at retail sportsbooks in March 2020, and the first online sports betting apps and websites came a few months later in June 2020. This followed Governor J.B. Pritzker signing legislation in June 2019 that finally brought legal sports betting to the Prairie State. 

The in-person sign-up requirement was dropped on March 5, 2022, allowing players to register online or on mobile. This change has also allowed more online-only sportsbooks to offer their services to players. Betting on in-state college programs was first approved in December 2021, but you can only do so in person.

Indiana

Legalized sports betting began in Indiana in September 2019, and mobile betting went live a month later. There are 14 sportsbooks in operation in the Hoosier State with FanDuel and DraftKings out in front.

Iowa

Iowa’s legal sports betting began on Aug. 15, 2019. Sports betting grew even more in Jan. 2021 when an old law that required in-person registration expired — leading to a boom in mobile sports wagering since then. In fact, bet365 Sportsbook just launched in Iowa in June 2023. The state doesn’t have any professional sports teams, but it is one of the more lucrative states on a per capita basis.

Kansas

Kansas legalized sports betting in the spring of 2022 and launched in-person and online betting on Sept. 1 of that year, right in time for the 2022 NFL season. It was one of the fastest legalization to launch turnarounds of any state and Kansas has approved nine licensed online sportsbooks so far.

Kentucky

Sports betting started up a few months after governor Andy Beshear signed HB 551 into law in March 2023. Retail sportsbooks launched on September 7, 2023, and mobile betting began on September 28.

Louisiana

Retail sports wagering began in October 2021, then online sportsbooks launched in Louisiana in January 2022. According to SportsHandle, 56 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes approved both mobile and in-person sports betting, so those in the eight parishes — or, essentially, counties — that didn’t approve will need to travel to one that did.

Maryland

After Maryland voters approved legalized sports betting in the 2020 election, the state finally launched online sports betting in November 2022. It was a staggered launch, with seven sportsbooks launching from the start. It is expected that there will be more online sportsbooks approved in 2023 and 2024.

Massachusetts

Online sports betting went live in Massachusetts on March 10, 2023 — just in time for the NCAA Tournament. In-person betting launched earlier in the year on January 31.

Michigan

Once the “Lawful Sports Betting Act” was signed, it paved the way for both mobile and in-person sports wagering in the state — starting with a pair of casinos that opened in March 2020, according to ESPN. Online betting then began in Jan. 2021, and Michigan was immediately seen as a state that could be profitable and successful as the wagering continues to gain traction.

Mississippi 

Though Mississippi technically has mobile sports betting, those online bets can only be placed inside casinos, which has caused the state’s wagering business to lag behind neighboring states. Mississippi was one of the first states to offer in-person sports betting, though, as sports betting went live in August 2020.

Montana

Only in-person wagers can be placed in Montana, but what’s unique about the operations in this state is that it was legalized and launched through its lottery. That, according to Action Network, keeps out other sportsbooks that can “jeopardize competitive prices.” Betting began in Montana in March 2020.

Nebraska

As of now, it appears Nebraska will be without mobile sports betting despite retail sportsbooks opening up for business in the summer of 2023. A bill signed in May 2021 by the governor prohibited bets on collegiate teams within the state but allowed for “all games of chance” at licensed horse tracks, those being WarHorse Casino in Lincoln and Elite Casino Resorts in Grand Island. WarHorse was the first casino to open a retail sportsbook, with additional retail options coming soon. Mobile betting seems to still be a ways off.

Nevada

In-person betting has long been a staple in Nevada, but mobile wagering in this state requires registration at one of the many casinos.

New Hampshire

Betting on New Hampshire’s in-state colleges isn’t allowed, but wagering has existed in this state since Dec. 2019. DraftKings has been the lone mobile operator in the state and bettors can also go to a few retail betting locations.

New Jersey

It was the third state to take a bet, the original state to bring the case regarding sports betting to the Supreme Court, and is now home to about two dozen different online sportsbooks — even with in-person retail sportsbooks available throughout the state. Bettors aren’t allowed to wager on in-state collegiate teams and collegiate events that take place within state lines.

New Mexico

Despite no bills being passed, in-person sportsbooks exist because of a previous agreement between Native American tribes and the state — and the Native American tribes’ recent interpretation of that agreement. Native American casinos have accepted sports bets since 2018.

Betting
Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (l.) and Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara display betting tickets after placing a sport bet at the Rivers Sportsbook betting lounge at the New Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, NY in 2019.
Hans Pennink

New York

New York recently approved online sports betting and it has been live in the Empire State for over a year after its official launch on Jan. 8, 2022. In-person sports betting was approved in New York back in 2013, but experienced a lull between the law’s passing until the state’s first legal sportsbook opened in 2019.

Find out more about New York sports betting

North Dakota

Like New Mexico, sports betting strides have been made through state tribes operating retail sportsbooks with permission from the government. Online sports betting hasn’t been legalized yet, but legislation has been proposed — though rejected.

Ohio

The Buckeye State is fairly new to the sports betting game since sports betting officially went live there on Jan. 1, 2023. Fourteen sportsbooks launched on New Year’s Day. Sports betting was legalized by the state government late in 2021.

Oregon

Similar to a few other states, there’s only one option for legal mobile sports betting in Oregon, and that’s DraftKings which started in January 2022. Prior to that, Oregon bettors could only wager on the state lottery app. A few retail sportsbooks exist, and those are run at Native American casinos. Bettors cannot wager on in-state college teams.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania accepts one of the largest sports betting handles each month, including both mobile and in-person sports wagering. The state has set a limit of 14 operation licenses. Retail sports betting began in 2018 and the online launch happened one year later.

Rhode Island

Retail sports betting is allowed at the two casino locations in the state, starting in 2018. Since then, William Hill (Caesars) has emerged as the only mobile sports betting option in Rhode Island.

South Dakota

Retail sportsbooks in Deadwood and tribal lands began taking sports bets in September 2021 after South Dakota legalized sports betting in November 2020. Legislation for mobile betting hasn’t been successful yet.

Tennessee

All betting in Tennessee occurs online, as there are no casinos in the state and, therefore, no retail betting locations.

Virginia

Virginia sports betting began in Jan. 2021, but wagering on the state’s collegiate sports teams isn’t allowed.

Betting
Customers watch sporting events inside FanDuel Sportsbook inside Footprint Center in Arizona.
AP

Washington

In Washington, mobile sports wagering is only allowed if the bet is placed at a tribal casino — a similar setup to New Mexico — and online sports betting across the state likely won’t happen in the near future, according to Action Network. In-person betting launched at tribal casinos in September 2021.

Washington, D.C.

GambetDC serves as the capital’s official mobile app for wagering in the District, but you can only bet within certain clearly defined geographical locations. For example, GamBetDC is geofenced out of federal properties inside the city. Caesars is allowed inside Capital One Arena, BetMGM has a retail sportsbook at Nationals Park, and FanDuel has a retail sportsbook at Audi Field, home of DC United. Each sportsbook can operate within a two-block radius of its retail location.

West Virginia

Both mobile and in-person sports betting exist in West Virginia, and the state has been accepting bets since August 2019. DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, and Caesars Sportsbook are all active in West Virginia.

Wisconsin

A deal between the state’s governor and the Oneida Nation in July 2021 allowed for the opening of retail sportsbooks at tribal casinos while not permitting mobile betting or wagers on the state’s collegiate teams. The tribe started sports betting at its Green Bay casino in November 2022.

Wyoming

Starting Sept. 1, 2021, the state started licensing sportsbooks to offer mobile sports betting only. It joined Tennessee as the only two states to have just an online option and no retail locations. That could change, though, because the Northern Arapaho Tribe is looking to add a retail sports betting location.

States where legal sports betting is pending in 2023/2024

Maine

In May 2022, Governor Janet Mills signed LD 585 into law, which legalized retail and online sports betting. It is unclear when sports betting will officially launch in Maine, but it likely won’t be until 2024.

North Carolina

North Carolina governor Roy Cooper signed HB 347 into law in June 2023, which legalized sports betting in the Tar Heel State. Mobile sports betting is expected to go live sometime between January and June of 2024. Retail wagering is currently available at two tribal casinos in the western part of the state.

Vermont

Vermont governor Phil Scott signed HB 127 into law in June 2023, which legalized sports betting in the Green Mountain State. In-state residents will be able to wager online by January 2024.

States where legal sports betting is not yet legal

Alaska

There has been no movement on sports betting in Alaska. If it ever becomes legalized there, it will likely be one of the last U.S. states to do so.

Alabama

In 2022, A bill was advanced that would have created a state-wide operation to oversee sports wagering within the state, but state legislators ended their session without voting on it. Alabama does not have a state lottery and only has three tribal casinos, so running sports betting could prove complicated.

California

Sports betting is not currently legal anywhere in the Golden State. That includes all formats across retail, online and mobile. Two ballot proposals were voted on in the 2022 election, but neither one passed.

Georgia

Two sports betting bills died in the Georgia legislature in 2023, so it looks like lawmakers will have to try again in 2024.

Hawai’i

Hawai’i does not have any kind of gambling entity, so sports betting looks to be a ways off. Rep. John Mizuno introduced a bill in January 2022, but it didn’t advance anywhere in the state government.

Idaho

Right now, the only form of gambling allowed in Idaho is horse racing, so legal sports betting seems very far away, especially since fantasy sports aren’t allowed there, either.

Minnesota

Minnesota has been close to legalizing sports betting in 2022 and 2023, but legislation did not pass either time. Maybe 2024 will be the year for sports betting in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Missouri

Bills have made it to the state legislature in each of the last four years, but nothing has been approved or signed yet. Even though there is definitely a strong appetite among Missourians for legal sports betting, getting a bill signed into law has proven to be extremely difficult.

Oklahoma

A sports betting bill was filed by State Rep. Ken Luttrell in 2023, but sports betting actually becoming legalized in Oklahoma is a longshot, according to Action Network. In the meantime, locals can access daily fantasy sites such as Sleeper Fantasy and Boom Fantasy.

South Carolina

Sports betting bills have been proposed in South Carolina in 2019 and 2022, but neither got far. It also doesn’t help that S.C. governor Henry McMaster opposes sports betting, so even if a bill did pass through legislation it would be unlikely to ever get legalized.

Texas

Texas Democrats supported sports betting bill HJR102, but it was rejected by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick in May 2023. As the Texas legislative session only occurs in odd years, the next realistic push can only happen in 2025. 

Utah

The Beehive State is not the place to go for sports betting. It is one of two states with no legal gambling and there is not much traction for sports betting.