State Legislation Hub

Arizona is one of the few states in the US to allow sportsbooks to partner with sports franchises alongside land-based casinos, which is why it has so many betting sites. You can visit retail sportsbooks at these locations or wager online anywhere in the state.

Online and retail sports betting are both legal in Arkansas, with retail sportsbooks going live in July 2019. The Arkansas Racing Commission added an initiative to the November 2018 ballot to see if voters wanted retail sports betting at land-based casinos. A 54% majority from this vote legalized retail sports betting in AK. While betting on professional sports was launched without restriction, lawmakers banned betting on in-state college teams. In addition, a 51% tax rate was set for any out-of-state sportsbooks to go live in Arkansas.

Colorado may be based in the Rockies, but the launch of sports betting has been very smooth for the state. After a referendum in November 2019 to confirm legislation passed earlier in the year, online and retail sports betting launched in May 2020. Every sportsbook needs to partner with a land-based casino, and there are plenty in CO. This has led to 26 operators going live in the state, making it one of the most diverse sports betting states in the US.

Connecticut legalized online and retail sports betting in May 2021 when Governor Ned Lamont signed HB 6451. This bill allowed the Connecticut Lottery to partner with one sportsbook operator to launch an online sportsbook and retail betting locations at off track betting sites. The CT Lottery partnered with PlaySugarHouse.

Sports betting has a long history in DE, with the state launching a lottery parlay betting game in 1976. This exempted (’grandfathered') Delaware from some PASPA restrictions, allowing state legislators to reintroduce parlay sports betting relatively quickly. As the state already brought back lottery parlays in 2009, the infrastructure was already in place for more legal sports betting, allowing Delaware to live up to its nickname and be the First State to accept legal sports bets after PASPA.

Illinois sports betting was legalized at retail locations on June 28, 2019, when Governor J.B. Pritzker signed bill SB690 into lIllinois sports betting was legalized at retail locations on June 28, 2019, when Governor J.B. Pritzker signed bill SB690 into law, paving the way for sports betting in the state. 

Indiana was quick to pass sports betting legislation after the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) in 2018. With each US state allowed to pass its own sports betting regulations, Indiana legalized betting in May 2019. The first IN retail sportsbooks were launched in September 2019. Online sports betting went live soon after, in October 2019.

Iowa has a long-standing history of gambling. It was the very first state to regulate riverboat casinos, launching its first floating gambling facilities in 1991. Today, the Hawkeye State is home to 19 state-regulated casinos and operates one of the most successful sports betting markets in the US.

Kansas legislators have been trying to legalize sports betting since the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) in 2018. After years of lawmakers disagreeing on the way forward, Governor Laura Kelly finally signed SB 84 on May 12, 2022, legalizing retail and online sports betting in the Sunflower State.

Kentucky is world-famous for the Kentucky Derby horse race, which attracts millions of dollars in pari-mutuel bets every year. Kentucky also approved sports betting early in 2023, and went live with retail sports betting on September 7th, 2023, with online sports betting following on September 28th, 2023.

Louisiana is unique compared to other states in the US, as it put the issue of legalization up to a ballot within each parish in the state. Each parish was allowed to legalize sports wagering, with 55 parishes accepting the new market.

Sports betting has been highly anticipated in Maryland since lawmakers put forward sports betting legislation in 2018. While it took longer than most people hoped, retail and online sports betting are both legal in MD after Governor Larry Hogan signed HB 940 in May 2021.

Betting in MA was already signed into law in 2022, and now both retail sports betting and online sports betting are live. Retail sports betting launched on January 31, 2023, and online sports betting followed on March 10, 2023. This means you users in the Bay State can now place wagers on the biggest sports events of the year.

With Michigan sports betting launching in 2020, it was a good omen that the first-ever bet was successful. On March 11, 2020, Michigan State Representative Brandt Iden (R) placed a successful $100 bet on Michigan State University Spartans to win the Big Ten Tournament, which they did, and he collected $350 in winnings. Retail sportsbooks opened that day, followed by online sportsbooks on January 22, 2021. Since then, the state’s sports betting industry has exploded, with a handle of nearly $500 million in October 2022.

Sports betting has been legal in Mississippi since 2018. However, currently, the state only allows in-person betting. Mississippi is one of a handful of states that introduced sports betting legislation before the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) in 2018. When they enacted the Fantasy Contest Act in March 2017, Mississippi legislators quietly removed language from the bill prohibiting operators in the state from taking bets on various sports markets.

While Montana is famous for its wild, natural beauty; there is a new type of entertainment to attract visitors to the Treasure State. Online and retail sports betting went live in MT in March 2020 after Governor Steve Bullock signed HB 725 into law in May 2019.

If there’s one state synonymous with gambling, it’s Nevada. Launching its regulated betting market back in 1949, the Silver State is the blueprint for sports betting in the US. Nevada nearly had a monopoly on legal sports betting throughout the duration of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). NV is also the only state to ever pass the $1 billion mark in monthly betting revenue. Though its monopoly of US sports betting ended in 2018, the state’s gambling success has only continued to grow.

New Hampshire became the 14th US state to legalize sports betting after Governor Chris Sununu signed HB 480 into law in July 2019. The bill legalized both retail and online sports betting, though mobile wagering launched in the state eight months ahead of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.

When thinking about legal sportsbooks in America, New Jersey immediately comes to mind as a state that is buzzing with sports betting activity and action. In fact, NJ was at the forefront of the campaign to legalize sports betting nationwide. 

Of all the US states currently offering legal live and online sports betting, New Mexico is one of the most unique and, in some ways, complex. Although it’s possible to legally bet on sports within the state, no recent laws have been passed. Instead, what some local casinos have done is to invoke their tribal gaming rights.

While New York is home to New York City, the biggest city in the US, the state hosts the most sports franchises in the country. The market always seemed perfect for sports betting, and NY was one of the earliest to pass sports betting legislation with the Casino Gambling Amendment in 2013.

Governor Roy Cooper signed SB 154 in July 2019, allowing North Carolina to legalize retail sports betting through gaming compacts with Native American tribes. After signing deals with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba Nation, there are three retail sportsbooks live in NC. Two of these are operated by Caesars Sportsbook.

Retail sports betting arrived in North Dakota in December 2021 when the Dakota Nation Gaming Enterprise launched the Dakota Nation Sportsbook. Since then, three sportsbooks have opened on tribal land, despite no state sports betting law passing the legislature. Tribal casinos can open sportsbooks thanks to a Class III gaming compact.

The Ohio gambling landscape has changed massively in recent years. A decade ago, OH’s legal gambling options included off-track pari-mutuel betting on horse racing, the state lottery, and land-based charitable bingo games. In 2023, both mobile and retail sports betting joined this selection. Nowadays, you can gamble in four land-based casinos and seven racinos across the state. Thanks to Bill HB29, signed by Governor Mike DeWine, legal online sports betting launched in the Buckeye State on January 1, 2023.

Oregon has a long sports betting history, with the state’s lottery launching multi-game parlay betting back in 1989. It was before the US introduced the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), which banned states from creating new sports betting legislation. However, because Oregon had its sports betting laws in place before PASPA, it was allowed to continue operating wagering as it had before, making it one of the four states ‘grandfathered’ by PASPA.

The story of sports in Pennsylvania will forever be split between the state’s two main cities: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. While the rivalry between these two cities and the sports teams is intense, it has also helped PA become one of the biggest betting states in the US. 

Rhode Island was the eighth state in the US to legalize sports betting after the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). This decision ended Nevada’s near-monopoly on sports betting, allowing each US state to write its own gambling laws and pass legislation. Currently, both online and retail sportsbooks are available in RI.

South Dakota’s links to gambling stretch back to the days of cowboys and card games. However, since the frontier ended, the state has reined things in somewhat. At present, sports betting isn’t legal. What’s more, only certain types of casino game are permitted. For example, although slots, blackjack and live poker are available, bingo, video poker, craps, keno and roulette aren’t.

Tennessee made history in May 2019 when it passed legislation to become the first US state to legalize an online-exclusive sports betting market. Until then, every other state had only launched online sportsbooks with retail sports betting. The mobile-only launch didn’t hamper the TN sports betting industry, as the state has handled more than $5 billion in bets since the betting market launched.

Most forms of gambling are banned in Vermont, as is the possession of gambling equipment and slot machines. Private or social gambling at any location is also prohibited.

Legal sports betting arrived on Virginia’s shores in January 2021 when the state’s first online sportsbook launched. Retail sportsbooks followed suit in July 2022, when the first of four voter-approved casinos opened their doors in the state. Currently, two retail and fourteen online sportsbooks are available to players in VA.

While currently available on the grounds of tribal casinos, sports betting is legal and live in Washington State, having launched in September 2021. Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 2638 to legalize sports betting in March 2020. This decision was surprising given that many state officials and residents have been traditionally opposed to sports betting.

Legal online and retail sports betting arrived in Washington D.C. after Congress approved the legalization in May 2019. However, the laws in the District are very different from most jurisdictions in the US. The Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) oversees all sports betting and operates its own online sportsbook, GambetDC You can use this betting site anywhere in the District of Columbia.

West Virginia was one of the first states to pass sports betting legislation, legalizing retail and online sports betting prior to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA). However, the WV market didn’t launch until the US Supreme Court struck PASPA down.

Retail sports betting has been legal in Wisconsin since Governor Tony Evers renegotiated tribal gaming compacts to include sports betting in 2021. Online sports betting on tribal land is also available. The new gaming compact from Gov. Evers allowed each Native American tribe to renegotiate individual compacts and add sports betting. Several tribes have agreed to new deals, and there are three retail sportsbooks in WI.

With a population of just over 580,000, Wyoming is the least populated state in the US. However, it ranks 10 in the country by size. The sparse population over a vast territory made in-person sports betting unattractive. But Wyoming lawmakers still saw vast potential in online sports betting. Therefore, WY followed the Tennessee betting model and became the second US state to legalize an online-only sports betting industry. Governor Mark Gordon signed HB 133 in April 2021, and the first betting sites went live in September of that year.

In May 2018, the US Supreme Court overturned a 27-year-old law that prevented individual states from offering legal sports betting. While many states reacted by drafting new sports betting bills, Nebraska was not one of them. Neighboring states such as South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri have all started the legislative process to legalize sports betting. This is a worry for those in Nebraska, who fear losing millions in revenue to adjacent states with more relaxed betting laws.

Like in states that traditionally opposed gambling, mobile, and sports betting remain illegal in Alabama. The Yellowhammer State has been historically resistant to sports betting, even as other states in the South, like Tennessee and Mississippi, have adopted safe and legal betting.

The state of Alaska has never been very welcoming to gambling, and that frosty attitude has remained with sports betting. Online and retail sports betting are both illegal in AK, and it looks unlikely this will change any time soon.

California has the largest population of any US state. As such, it is home to no less than 15 professional sports teams. Although legislation efforts are trailing behind other states, CA is perfect for legal sports betting.

While Florida may be famous for its sunny beaches and vibrant people, the state is also one of the most passionate about sports in the US. With millions of fans loving professional and college sports, sports betting and FL is a match made in heaven.

Georgia is typical of many southeastern states in the US and has been cautious with legalizing sports betting. Lawmakers disagree over legislation, so online and retail sports betting are still unavailable.

Gambling of any kind has always been outlawed in Hawaii. The popular tourist destination has always sought to avoid any activities which could detract from its reputation as a family resort.

Online and retail sports betting are currently illegal in Idaho, and it appears set to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Idaho has a strong Mormon population, and the faith considered gambling a vice. No sports betting bills have been submitted to the Idaho Legislature since the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA).

Maine is known for its fantastic vacation spots, mountains, beaches, and iconic parks. However, it can add another attraction to its extensive list soon - legal mobile and retail sports betting.

Minnesota has no online or retail sports betting, as all efforts to legalize sportsbooks have failed to pass by state legislators. That hasn’t been for lack of trying, as legislation has been submitted every year from 2019 to 2022.

For a while, it seemed like Missouri was going to be one of the first states in the US to legalize sports betting. But all efforts to pass legislation in the state stalled. MO lawmakers submitted six bills before the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) was struck down, but it wasn’t until 2022 that a bill passed either the House or Senate. That bill still died without reaching the state’s governor for signature.

Online and retail sports betting are not legal in Oklahoma, despite the efforts of Governor Kevin Stitt. In 2020, Stitt signed new gaming compacts with the Comanche Nation and Otoe-Missouria Tribe to allow these Native American tribes to provide retail sports betting. However, neither tribe ever launched a sportsbook, as other state legislators filed lawsuits against the gaming compacts.

South Carolina has always been a conservative state when it comes to gambling. There is no legal casino gaming or sports betting in the state, with only the state lottery and charitable raffles and bingo games permitted.

Sports betting is currently not legal in Texas, as many lawmakers are traditionally opposed to gambling. This makes it tricky for any betting legislation to pass through the House and the Senate. In addition, sports betting is illegal through the Texas Constitution, meaning that even if a sports betting bill passes, it will still have to be approved in a voter ballot.

Online and retail sports betting are both illegal in Utah, and this is likely to be the case for a while. Sports betting is prohibited by Chapter 10, Part 11 of the Utah Criminal Code and the state’s constitution. Since the striking down of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) which allowed states to legalize sports gambling, lawmakers have not made an attempt at legalization in UT.