It should be no surprise that sports betting has yet to be approved in Utah, considering its firm stance against all forms of gambling.
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned on May 14, 2018. On that day, courts voted to allow each state to propose and create their own laws and regulations for sports betting. However, Utah’s constitution is written in a way that is staunchly opposed to gambling. The closest thing to gambling you can find is bingo halls.
Though horse racing does exist in Utah, wagering on these races is not allowed. The only thing gamblers do have in Utah is daily fantasy sites.
Utah’s strict rules against gambling are rooted in the population’s Mormon faith. Mormons are opposed to anything which could be considered a vice, which includes gambling and sports betting.
Utah is one of only two states that don’t have any form of legalized gambling, the other being Hawaii. It is also one of only five states to not even have a state lottery.
At the very least, Utah is conveniently located between Colorado and the gambling leader of Las Vegas. Legal sports betting is only a short road trip away for Utah residents.
When Will Sports Betting Be Legal in Utah?
In short, sports betting will likely not be legalized any time soon in Utah.
That may be an exaggeration, but perhaps not when you consider that gambling laws in Utah fall into a section called “Offenses Against Public Health, Safety, Welfare, and Morals” in their criminal code. Even some socially free to play casino games are technically considered illegal. If we go a step further, Utah law states that even if online gambling were to be legalized at a federal level, it would still remain illegal in Utah.
If anything, gambling laws have intensified of late, as gift cards allowing customers to enter into sweepstakes were recently banned in 2020.
There have been zero, and there are currently no sports betting bills or discussions being had in Utah.
Utah Sports Betting FAQs
Is sports betting legal in Utah?
No forms of gambling are allowed in Utah and that includes sports betting. The closest thing would be daily fantasy games which are considered games of skill.
Does Salt Lake City have casinos?
Utah is one of just two states including Hawaii, where there are no forms of legalized gambling.
What are the major sports teams in Utah?
The biggest sports teams in Utah are the Utah Jazz, Real Salt Lake, and the college teams at Utah State and BYU.
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