Can I Bet on the 2026 NFL Draft? State-by-State Rules for Draft Betting
By Paul Costanzo in Sports Betting News
Published:
- You can legally bet on the NFL Draft through an online sportsbook in 26 states, plus DC
- Some of those states have restrictions on when you can bet and what you can bet on
- Through prediction markets, you can trade on NFL Draft picks and props in all 50 states
Yes, you can bet on the 2026 NFL Draft. But how you do it depends on the state you are in.
There are 26 US states, plus Washington, D.C., in which you can use a legal online sportsbook to bet on the NFL Draft. In the other 24 (as well as the 26 legal states), you can trade on draft picks and props through prediction markets.
Restrictions are in place at those legal sportsbooks in some states, but if you want to get in on the NFL Draft action starting with the first round on Thursday night, you can find a way wherever you are in the US.
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State-by-State NFL Draft Betting Rules
Some form of legal online sports betting is available in 33 states and Washington, D.C. Most of those allow you to wager on the draft using the best NFL betting apps.
But seven of those of those do not allow any traditional betting on the NFL Draft. That includes Pennsylvania, where the draft is being held this year.
States With NFL Draft Betting Restrictions
Even some of the states that allow NFL Draft betting have their own restrictions that limit wagering to various levels.
- Arizona: No live betting on the NFL Draft, so you must place picks before the start of that night’s action. This typically means draft betting in Arizona is mostly done when the first round begins on Thursday, but second or third day markets could technically pop up.
- Iowa, Nevada and West Virginia: NFL Draft markets close 24 hours before the first pick.
- Kansas: No player-specific NFL Draft props.
- Massachusetts, Michigan and North Carolina: Overall draft bets must be made before the No. 1 pick, bets on specific rounds must be made before that round begins, and any pick-specific bet must be made at least two picks before that pick is announced.
What NFL Draft Markets are Available at Prediction Markets?
With less regulation, prediction markets such as Kalshi, Polymarket and OG are offering more NFL Draft markets than online sportsbooks.
At Kalshi, for instance, you can trade on head-to-head draft positions of players — Jordyn Tyson vs. Makai Lemon, for example — which team will draft a specific player, exact picks, the first receiver to be drafted and much, much more.
Even while prediction markets fend off lawsuits challenging their legality, they can be accessed and used legally in all 50 states as they are regulated at the federal level by the CFTC.
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Evergreen Writer/Editor; Sportsbook Expert
With nearly two decades of experience in sports media, Paul Costanzo turned his professional attention to sports betting and online gambling in January of 2022. He's covered every angle of the industry since then, managing and creating content for PlayMichigan and The Sporting News, and now SBD.
