Where Is Sports Betting Legal? State by State Legal Tracker
Updated February 22nd, 2021
Estimated Read Time: 10 minutes
Published May 18, 2018
Many states now have some form of legal sports betting. From coast to coast, state legislatures and ballot initiatives are opening new avenues for fans to put down some action on their favorite teams.
Some states with legal sports betting allow wagering via online betting sites and mobile devices, while others require bettors to visit a retail sportsbook or casino to place their bets in person.
Check out the map and tables below to see where sports betting is legal and track the latest updates as new laws are passed and new markets become available.
Sports Betting Legalization Map
Which States Have Legal Sports Betting?
Over half the states have now passed legislation legalizing sports betting. The majority of these states have already launched online or retail betting markets, while others are in the process of finalizing rules and regulations.
There are also ongoing efforts to legalize sports betting in many states that have not yet passed such legislation. The legal environment surrounding sports betting in the United States shifts frequently, but we can help you stay on top of all the latest updates.
Click the links in the tables below for detailed information about the current status of legal sports betting in each state. In terms of sports betting revenue state by state, be sure to check out this research piece on every state.
States Already Offering Legal Sports Betting
The states listed here have active legal sports betting markets. Consider yourself lucky if you happen to be located in one of them – you can legally place your first bet today!
It’s worth noting that there is no federal, nationwide law regulating sports betting in the United States. Check out our state-specific pages for a full rundown of the rules you need to know when wagering in states with legal sports betting.
| STATE | ONLINE | RETAIL | LAUNCH DATE | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | NO | YES | JULY 1, 2019 | Arkansas voters legalized sports betting at casinos via a 2018 ballot initiative. The first bets were placed on July 1, 2019 at Oaklawn Racing Casino. |
| Colorado | YES | YES | MAY 1, 2020 | Sports betting was legalized by Colorado voters on Nov. 6, 2019. Both online and retail sports betting launched on May 1, 2020. |
| Delaware | NO | YES | JUNE 5, 2018 | Delaware was the first state outside Nevada to offer legal sports betting. Retail sports betting launched in the state on June 5th, 2018 under Title 29 of the Delaware Code. |
| Illinois | YES | YES | MARCH 9, 2020 | The state legislature passed the Sports Wagering Act, signed into law by Governor J.B Pritzker on June 28, 2019. The first legal online wagers were placed in Illinois in June 2020. |
| Indiana | YES | YES | AUGUST 30, 2019 | HB 1015 was signed into law on May 8, 2019, authorizing sports betting at riverboat casinos and other establishments throughout the state. Both retail and online sports betting are now available. |
| Iowa | YES | YES | AUGUST 15, 2019 | Iowa legalized sports betting on May 13, 2019, when Governor Reynolds signed an Iowa sports betting and fantasy sports bill into law. Both retail and online betting are available. |
| Michigan | YES | YES | MARCH 11, 2020 | On Dec. 20, 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the Lawful Sports Betting Act, legalizing sports betting in the state. |
| Mississippi | NO | YES | AUGUST 1, 2018 | Sports betting officially started in Mississippi on Aug. 1, 2018, after the state repealed its sports betting ban in 2017. Retail betting is available at many casinos, but the state is not licensing online operators at this time. |
| Montana | ON-PREMISES ONLY | YES | MARCH 9, 2020 | “Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill Friday [May 3rd] for the Montana State Lottery to oversee wagering on sports through kiosks and mobile devices,” per AP News. |
| Nevada | YES | YES | 1931 | Sports betting has been legal in Nevada since 1931. Both online and retail betting are legal. |
| New Hampshire | YES | YES | DECEMBER 30, 2019 | HB480 was passed in July 2019, legalizing sports betting in New Hampshire. Both retail and online betting are allowed. |
| New Jersey | YES | YES | MAY 15, 2018 | Governor Phil Murphy signed New Jersey’s sports betting bill on June 11th, 2018, officially allowing venues such as Monmouth Park and the Borgata to start accepting wagers, which they did just three days later. The law also allows for extensive online licensing. |
| New Mexico | NO | YES | OCTOBER 16, 2018 | The Santa Ana Star Casino became the first to offer sports betting in New Mexico in October 2018. The state does not license online sportsbooks at this time. |
| New York | NO | YES | JUNE 16, 2019 | A constitutional amendment legalized sports betting in New York in 2013, though the first sportsbooks only began accepting wagers in early 2019. Only retail sportsbooks can be licensed to operate in the state. |
| Oregon | YES | YES | AUGUST 27, 2019 | Sports betting in Oregon started on Tuesday, Aug, 27th, at Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City, reports the Oregonian. |
| Pennsylvania | YES | YES | NOVEMBER 15, 2018 | Both retail and online sports betting are legal and licensed in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania effectively places a 41% tax on sportsbooks, plus a $10 million licensing fee. As a result, some online operators have decided not to enter the fledgling licensed online market. |
| Rhode Island | YES | YES | NOVEMBER 26, 2018 | Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed the state’s sports betting bill into law in 2018. A separate bill authorizing remote registration became law in 2020. |
| Tennessee | YES | NO | NOVEMBER 1, 2020 | Tennessee passed the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act on June 4, 2019. The state’s unique online-only sports betting market launched in November 2020. |
| West Virginia | YES | YES | SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 | Sports betting started in West Virginia on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018, at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, per ESPN. |
| Washington, DC | YES | YES | MAY 28, 2020 | Sports betting was legalized in the nation’s capitol in December 2018, with both retail and online operations managed by the DC Lottery live by summer. |
| Virginia | YES | YES | JANUARY 21, 2021 | A fairly comprehensive Virginia sports betting bill was signed into law in April 2020. Online sports betting launched in the state in the first weeks of 2021. |
PENDING – States with Legal Sports Betting Coming Soon
These states have already passed laws to legalize sports betting, but regulators are still in the process of approving operators or setting up final rules for the legal market.
Stay tuned if you want to place a wager in one of these states – legal sports betting is coming soon!
| STATE | ONLINE AUTHORIZED? | RETAIL AUTHORIZED? | PROJECTED LAUNCH | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | TBD | TBD | 2021 | Louisiana voters in 55 of the state’s 64 parishes approved legal sports betting in the November 2020 US Election. Sports betting will only be allowed in those parishes that voted for legalization. |
| Maryland | TBD | TBD | 2021 | Maryland voters overwhelmingly approved Question 2 in the November 2020 US Election, authorizing sports betting at the state’s existing casinos. |
| North Carolina | NO | YES | 2021 | Governor Roy Cooper signed Bill S 154 into law on July 26, 2019, legalizing sports betting at tribal casinos located in the western part of the state. |
| South Dakota | NO | YES | 2021 | South Dakota voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment B in the November 2020 US election, paving the way for legal sports betting within the city limits of Deadwood, SD, and at existing tribal casinos within the state. |
| Washington | NO | YES | 2021 | HB 2638 was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee on March 25th, 2020, legalizing retail sports betting on tribal lands. The law only permits mobile wagering while on the premises of existing tribal casinos. |
ON HOLD – States Where Legal Sports Betting Is On Hold
After the Murphy vs. NCAA Supreme Court decision opened the door to legal sports betting across the United States, Congress missed their golden opportunity to pass a single set of laws to regulate the new industry nationwide.
As a result, bettors in some states have been left on the sidelines while their neighbors have been quick to get in the game.
Nearly every state in the union is likely to legalize sports betting at some point in the coming years. Sports betting legislation tends to be enacted by state legislatures, though ballot initiatives posing the question directly to voters are becoming an increasingly common road to legalization.
The timeline for your state likely depends on the local political climate and any peculiarities in the lawmaking process. Check out our state-specific info pages to see SportsBettingDime.com’s projections for when sports betting will be legalized. where you live.
| STATE | LEGISLATION CONSIDERED? | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | YES | Two sports betting bills were considered by the AZ state legislature during the 2020 session. The bills failed primarily because disputes over tribal vs. commercial gaming rights. |
| California | YES | California has entertained multiple bills to legalize online sports betting over the years, but as-to-date none have been successful. This is largely due to the fact that all gambling legislation in the state requires a 2/3 super-majority for adoption. |
| Connecticut | YES | Connecticut proactively modified its state laws to expressly allow in-state regulation of “wagering on sporting events to the extent permitted by state and federal law.” Several bills to formalize rules and launch legal betting have since stalled in the CT General Assembly. |
| Kansas | YES | The State Senate approved a sports-betting legalization bill on Feb. 28th, 2019, but the State House refused to consider the bill. They are now working to pass sports betting legislation of their own. |
| Kentucky | YES | Legislation that would have “encourage[d] sports wagering in the state” failed to pass in 2017, per Louisville Courier-Journal. A more recent attempt to pass legislation in 2020 failed after a successful lobbying campaign to prevent it, despite the strong support of the governor and Democratic lawmakers. |
| Maine | YES | A bill to legalize sports betting was vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills during the 2020 legislative session. |
| Missouri | YES | Several sports betting bills have been proposed in Missouri, particularly to allow betting on the state’s existing riverboat casinos, one of the country’s largest gambling destinations. To date, these efforts have stalled in the state legislature. |
| Ohio | YES | The Ohio House of Representatives passed a bill to legalize sports betting in May 2020, following over a year of debate. The State Senate and Governor have expressed disapproval of the House bill, suggesting work remains before betting is legal in OH. |
| Georgia | YES | Georgia lawmakers are considering legalizing online sports betting in the 2020 legislative session. House Bill 93 lays the groundwork for a legal market regulated by the Gerogia Lottery Corporation. |
| Massachusetts | YES | Several sports betting bills have been introduced beginning in 2018. Governor Charlie Baker has expressed a desire to see sports betting legalized in 2020, and the current bill under consideration allows for online betting. |
| Oklahoma | YES | Two tribes with existing gaming compacts in OK have reached an agreement with the state’s governor to include sports betting. The compacts were approved by the feds in June 2020, and retail sports betting may launch once new rules are published in the federal register. |
| South Carolina | YES | “Pro-gambling legislation … officially died when the regular session ended [in early May 2018],” per the Charleston Post and Courier. |
| Alabama | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Alaska | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Florida | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Hawaii | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Idaho | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Minnesota | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Nebraska | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| North Dakota | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Texas | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Utah | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. (Don’t hold your breath.) |
| Vermont | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Wisconsin | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
| Wyoming | NO | Awaiting sports-betting legislation. |
Sports Betting Legalization Timeline
- November 4, 2020: Voters in three states – Louisiana, Maryland, and South Dakota – approve ballot measures authorizing some form of legal sports betting.
- November 1, 2020: Tennessee launches the first online-only sports betting market in the United States.
- June 18, 2020: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signs an executive order temporarily suspending the in-person registration requirement for online sports betting. BetRivers launch their online betting platform the same day.
- May 1, 2020: Sports betting launches online in Colorado.
- April 29, 2020: Virginia enacts a fairly comprehensive sports-betting law.
- Mar 25, 2020: Limited sports betting becomes legal in Washington state.
- Mar 11, 2020: Sports betting commences at Michigan casinos.
- Mar 9, 2020: Sports betting commences at Illinois casinos.
- Nov 6, 2019: Sports betting becomes legal in Colorado via referendum.
- Aug 27, 2019: The first legal sports wagers are placed in Oregon.
- July 12, 2019: Sports-betting legislation is passed in New Hampshire.
- May 13, 2019: Iowa legalizes sports betting.
- May 3, 2019: Montana legalizes sports betting.
- Aug. 30, 2018: Sports betting officially opened in West Virginia. The Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races accepted West Virginia’s first legal sports wager.
- Aug. 1, 2018: Sports betting officially opened in Mississippi with the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi and Gold Strike Casino in Tunica offering the first wagers to the public.
- June 22, 2018: Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed the state’s sports-betting bill into law, though only two RI casinos are able to accept single-game bets, and they won’t be set-up to do so until autumn 2019.
- June 20, 2018: New York’s legislative session ended without passage of the sports-betting bill that was before the NY State Legislature, confirming a previous statement from Governor Cuomo that no such bill would be passed in 2018.
- June 18, 2018: lawmakers in Kentucky are writing a new bill that would legalize sports betting in the state.
Bipartisan group of state lawmakers say they’ll write a bill to legalize, regulate sports betting in Kentucky, generate “$5.5 million to nearly $26 million per year” in tax revenue pic.twitter.com/dQaPT2ZjSM
— Ryland Barton (@RylandKY) June 18, 2018
- June 11, 2018: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the sports-betting bill passed by the state legislature. Betting will commence at locations such as Monmouth Park racetrack and Borgata Hotel Casino on Thursday, June 14th.
- June 7, 2018: New Jersey’s sports-betting bill was passed unanimously by the state legislature and is now in the hands of Governor Phil Murphy. As soon as it is signed, venues such as Monmouth Park will start offering sports wagering. But Murphy has said he has no timetable for signing the bill.
- June 5, 2018: Delaware officially started accepting sports-betting wagers.
- June 1, 2018: NY Governor Andrew Cuomo stated that New York will not pass a sports-betting bill in 2018 as there is not enough time remaining in the legislative session (which ends on June 20th).
- May 31, 2018: Delaware will officially become the first new state to offer sports betting, starting Tuesday, June 5th, 2018.
- May 31, 2018: Illinois’ current legislative has adjourned without passage of a sports-betting bill. It is now unlikely that the state will have legal sports betting in place in 2018.
After Late Flurry, Legal Illinois Sports Betting Looks Like It’s On Hold For Now https://t.co/aE5YYYkO3S #ilpolitihub
— IL Politihub (@ILPolitihub) May 30, 2018
- May 22, 2018: Regulators in New York are treating a 2013 constitutional amendment as legalizing sports betting. They are currently crafting guidelines to govern sports betting in the state even if additional legislation is not passed.
- May 21, 2018: experts in Pennsylvania estimate it will still be six months to a year before the state offers sports betting, despite existing legislation rendering it legal for all intents and purposes.
- May 19, 2018: New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney asked Monmouth Park racetrack (which intended to offer its first sports bets on May 28, a.k.a. Memorial Day, to hold off until new regulations are in place. The new timeline suggests New Jersey will start offering sports betting some time in June 2018.
- May 19, 2018: Rhode Island officials are hoping to have sports betting up and running in the state by October 2018, per WPRI.com.
- May 18, 2018: Mississippi’s Gaming Commission has proposed a set of rules to regulate sports betting in the state. If approved, casinos in Mississippi could start accepting sports bets as early as July 21st.
- May 18, 2018: Governor John Carney believes Delaware’s existing legal framework already allows the state to offer single-game sports betting. Delaware is preparing “to launch full-scale sports gaming … next month,” i.e. June 2018.
- May 17, 2018: Following in the footsteps of the NFL, which had long opposed sports betting, the NCAA issued a statement that it supports federal regulation and oversight of sports betting: “the NCAA supports a federal model addressing legalized gambling and has suspended its championship host policy related to sports wagering.”
- The new policy allows NCAA championship competitions to be held in states that allow sports betting (including Nevada).
The NCAA has decided to enable championship play in states where sports betting is legal. If you’re wondering about when/how Las Vegas gets might get tapped to host, the details are in this story. https://t.co/W3GT7ac4K7
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) May 17, 2018
- May 17, 2018: Rhode Island Lottery Director Gerald Aubin appears to believe that existing legislation in the state authorizes sports betting, but it is unclear whether lawmakers agree.
- May 15, 2018: Monmouth Racetrack in Oceanport, NJ, states that it will be ready to accept sports bets on Memorial Day (May 28, 2018).
Monmouth Park had betting machines shipped there weeks ago from Nevada. Can now turn them on. Have spent last couple months getting sports bar ready to become sports book. pic.twitter.com/KDWH1vTeCx
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 14, 2018
- May 15, 2018: Casinos in Mississippi — including Island View in Gulfport — are aiming to have sports betting in place as of summer 2018.
- May 14, 2018: shortly after PASPA is struck down, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch states that he will introduce a federal sports betting bill.
- May 14, 2018: PASPA is ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States’ (SCOTUS) ruling in Murphy vs. National Collegiate Athletic Association (Murphy).
- Post-Murphy ruling, the NFL appears to ease its historical opposition to sports betting.
The NFL says, in the wake of today’s ruling, that it will call on Congress to enact a “core regulatory framework” for legalized sports betting.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 14, 2018
- Jan. 2018: the NBA and MLB start lobbying in certain states for legislation legalizing sports betting, trying to ensure that the inevitable bills include provisions that are favorable to the leagues.
- 2017-18: several states (including Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia) pass laws legalizing and regulating sports betting if and when it is no longer prohibited by federal law.
- Jun. 2017: SCOTUS agrees to hear New Jersey’s appeal of Murphy.
- Oct. 2016: New Jersey appeals Murphy to SCOTUS.
- 2013-2016: New Jersey loses Murphy at every level of court before the case reaches SCOTUS.
- Aug. 2012: The NCAA and all major pro sports leagues sue New Jersey over the legislation that purports to legalize sports betting, arguing that it violates PASPA, a federal law that requires all states to enact sports-betting prohibitions.
- The case is styled: Murphy vs. National Collegiate Athletic Association (Murphy).
- Mid-2012: the New Jersey legislature passes a bill legalizing sports betting at racetracks and casinos.
- 2011: New Jersey voters approve an amendment to the state’s constitution allowing the state legislature to legalize sports betting.
Discussion
Let's have fun and keep it civil.
