Nevada is the grand-daddy of gambling and sports betting in the United States. Gambling has been legal in Nevada since 1949 and was exempt from the Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which went into place in 1992 and outlawed sports betting across the nation.
On May 14, 2018, PASPA was overturned, allowing each state to propose and create their own laws and regulations for sports betting. As such, Nevada is starting to have competition for their piece of the gambling pie, but for now, you’ll still find the most amount of gambling-related activities in the Silver State.
There’s little in the gaming landscape that is not legal in the state of Nevada. From slots to table games, daily fantasy, poker, and card rooms, sports bettors and gamblers alike have plenty to choose from. Mobile wagering is readily available through various apps, though casino games like slots are not legal online.
Online poker for real money is also only available from two operators, the World Series of Poker and Real Gaming. Finding a retail location to play games is a fairly simple task. Nevada has more slots and table games than every other state combined, and they can be found all over the state. Not only at can you play at casinos, but you can also gamble at bars, restaurants, gas stations, the airport, and many other locations.
Once home to only minor league sports teams, the sports and gambling scenes only look to be on the rise in Nevada with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights coming to the city in the 2017/18 season and the NFL’s Vegas Raiders relocating from Oakland in 2020.
Nevada Sports Betting at a Glance
Nevada offers a plethora of gambling and sports betting opportunities for residents and tourists.
Nevada serves the locals of the Silver State, but it is the prime destination worldwide for gaming, entertainment, trade shows, conventions, and more.
There are currently 136 active casinos in Nevada, many of which operate their own sportsbooks. With the quickly growing expansion of legalized sports betting in the United States, additional options and new operators will undoubtedly find their way to Nevada. You can keep informed with the latest NV financial figures and analysis monthly via our Nevada sports betting revenue page.
While Nevada still has the most locations to place a bet in person, the expansion of sports betting across the country brings several newer operators into the fold. Competing sportsbooks have begun to offer a more varied menu of futures, bonuses, and special features like cashing out your bets early, which may not be found at many Nevada sportsbooks. It’s inevitable that these offers will make their way to Las Vegas to give bettors even more opportunities soon.
The list of casinos and operators in Nevada is large but some of the biggest include: The Westgate, Wynn Las Vegas, Stations Casinos, Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts, William Hill, and The South Point, to name a few.
Nevada Sports Betting FAQs
When did sports betting become legal in Nevada?
Sports betting has been legal in Nevada since 1949.
How many casinos are in Las Vegas?
Counting the casinos on the strip, as well as in the downtown core and suburbs, there are 136 casinos in Las Vegas.
How much money is bet on sports in Nevada?
In 2019, Nevada’s sports betting handle reached a yearly record of $5.3 billion.
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