Idaho Sports Betting

Idaho Sports Betting

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).

There is some hope for sports betting fans, as the State of Idaho has allowed Native American tribes to offer land-based casino gambling. Currently, ID is home to seven land-based casinos owned by four tribes. In addition, pari-mutuel horse racing betting is available at six racetracks and off-track betting facilities across the state.

Learn more about sports betting in Idaho in our expert guide below. Find out nearby states you can visit if you want to bet and the latest sports betting legislation ID.

Idaho Legislation Timeline

2016: The Attorney General of Idaho, Lawrence Wasden, declares Daily Fantasy Sports illegal. He notes that these competitions go against Statute 18-3801 of the constitution.

May 14, 2018: The US Supreme Court declares PASPA unconstitutional and overturns the act. This allows states across the US to start creating sports betting legislation, including Idaho. 

Popular Sports to Bet on in ID

Sports betting is illegal in Idaho. In addition, there are no major league sports teams in the state. However, Idaho has plenty of sports fans, and major league markets will be incredibly popular if sports betting goes live. Here’s what may be available with Idaho sports betting in the future. 

NFL Betting in Idaho

The NFL is the biggest betting sport in the US. Therefore, it will likely be very popular in Idaho. Sportsbooks will provide lots of promotions and bets on NFL games, including team and player prop bets. This allows you to bet on the performances of your favorite athletes with markets like touchdowns scored, receiving yards, and sacks.

NBA Betting in Idaho

Every sportsbook will cover the NBA if sports betting is legalized in Idaho. You’ll find lots of pre-game odds on NBA games, but you’ll also be able to place in-play bets as the action unfolds. Live bets will have updated odds as events unfold.

MLB Betting in Idaho

While there are no MLB teams in Idaho, there are still plenty of baseball fans. There will be a wide range of baseball markets available at legal ID sportsbooks if wagering legislation passes. One bet type that will be available is future betting. You can place future bets on teams to win the World Series or claim the MVP award. The earlier you place these wagers, the better odds you’ll get. 

NCAA Betting in Idaho

Even in states where sports betting is legal, there are different regulations for college sports betting. For example, New Jersey does allow betting on in-state teams, and Colorado prohibits player-prop betting. However, if NCAA betting was available in Idaho, it would be very popular. The University of Idaho Vandals and Idaho State University Bengals both play in the Big Sky Conference and compete in FCS football. Meanwhile, the Boise State University Broncos play FBS in the Mountain West.

If college sports betting is legalized, you may be able to back these teams in sports like football and basketball. 

NHL Betting in Idaho

If sports betting goes live in Idaho, every betting site will provide markets on the NHL. You’ll be able to place bets on moneyline, point spreads, totals, and more bet types on every NHL game. Along with regular season games, you can bet on every postseason game and the Stanley Cup.

In addition, some sportsbooks may offer odds on other ice hockey competitions like the ECHL. The Idaho Steelheads play in the ECHL and may be available for betting if sports betting is legalized.

Where can I Bet on Sports in Idaho?

Judging where sports betting may be available in the future is difficult, as no lawmakers have submitted any legislation to the Idaho Legislature. 

While sports betting is unlikely to be legalized, it may be introduced as a retail market first. ID has embraced some types of retail gambling, including pari-mutuel horse racing betting and casinos. Retail sportsbooks will be likely to go live in partnership with tribal land-based casinos. 

In case sports betting becomes available in Idaho in the future, it will likely be offered at in-person sportsbooks based in land-based casinos. Given the casinos in Idaho are all operated by Native American tribes, the following venues will likely offer sports betting:

The Idaho Racing Commission only allows betting on a limited number of races in the state each year. Still, ID’s six racetracks in Idaho are also likely to offer some form of sports betting (at least pari-mutual betting) in case it becomes legal in the state. 

Bordering States

While sports betting is still illegal in Idaho, you can legally visit neighboring states where wagering is available and bet. Of Idaho’s six neighboring states, five have legalized sports betting. You can see the rules and regulations you need to follow when visiting below.

Wyoming

Sports betting was legalized in Wyoming in early 2021, with lawmakers making WY the second US state to launch an online-only sports betting industry behind Tennessee. The first online sportsbooks went live in September 2021, with BetMGM and DraftKings launching. Four betting sites are available in WY, including some of the biggest US brands like Caesars and FanDuel.

You must use a sportsbook licensed by the Wyoming Gaming Commission and play within the borders of Wyoming. However, unlike many betting states in the US, Wyoming has a minimum gambling age of 18. 

Montana

When Montana lawmakers legalized online and retail sports betting in May 2019, they created a market monopoly through the Montana Lottery. The Lottery-backed SportsBet Montana is the only sportsbook available in MT and launched on March 11, 2020.

You can bet anywhere in Montana if you are over 18, or you can visit more than 300 bars, casinos, and alcohol retailers to place wagers. 

Oregon

Oregon was one of four US states to be grandfathered by PASPA, as it already had sports betting legislation when lawmakers enacted the betting ban. When the US Supreme Court struck PASPA down in 2018, Oregon didn’t need to pass any new legislation to launch sports betting.

Lawmakers decided to have one online platform to serve the whole state, which the Oregon Lottery originally operated. However, the Oregon Lottery Scoreboard app was replaced by an exclusive partnership with DraftKings in 2022. You can use the Dk app on federal land in OR.

However, Native American-owned land-based casinos launched retail sports betting under different regulations. This means you can find college sports betting markets at retail sportsbooks, which are not available using DraftKings. There are three retail sportsbooks, including BetMGM at Spirit Mountain Casino. 

Nevada

Following the PASPA ruling, Nevada was the only state in the US to offer a full range of sports bets for more than 15 years. While it no longer has a monopoly on sports betting, it is still one of the biggest betting states in the US.

Online and retail sports betting are both legal in NV. You can find more than 150 retail sportsbooks at land-based casinos across Nevada. You can also bet online using a sportsbook licensed by the Nevada Gaming Commission. There are dozens of online sportsbooks, including some of the biggest US platforms like Caesars and WynnBET. There are also local betting sites like STN Sports, the first online sportsbook to go live in NV.

Washington

Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 2638 to permit Native American tribes to offer sports betting in Washington in 2020. You can find retail sportsbooks at tribal casinos across WA, with the first betting location opening at Snoqualmie Casino in September 2021. 

Snoqualmie was responsible for another first by launching an online betting app in December 2021. You can only use the betting app on the premises of Snoqualmie Casino. So far, it is the only online betting platform available in Washington. 

Utah

Nicknamed the Mormon State, Utah has a 62% Mormon population. One of the faith’s vices is gambling, so no forms of gambling are legal. It is very unlikely sports betting will be legalized in the near future.

Idaho Sporting Events

While there may be no major league sports teams in Idaho, there are still plenty of exciting sports events. ID plays host to a huge college bowl game and has previously hosted UFC and skiing events. Check out the best events below.

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

From its anthropomorphized potato mascot, “Spuddy Buddy”, to its glass trophy full of potatoes, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is one of the most unique sports events in the US. The college football bowl game started in 1997 as the Humanitarian Bowl, based on the Idaho World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame. However, after signing a deal with the Idaho Potato Commission in 2011, the name became the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.  

The most successful team in the bowl’s history is the University of Idaho Vandals, with the team winning all three games it has attended. Idaho also holds the record for the most points scored by one team, winning 61-50 against the Colorado State University Rams in 2016. Famous MVPs from the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl including a bunch of NFL QBs, such as Matt Ryan, Colin Kaepernick, and Josh Allen. 

UFC Fight Night

In 2018, the CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho, played host to UFC Fight Night 133. The event saw a matchup between former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and Balgoy Ivanov. Ivanov used to be the WSOF heavyweight champion. More than 5,000 spectators watched as dos Santos beat Ivanov by decision after five rounds.

The event also featured a rescheduled fight between former WSOF strawweight champion Jessica Aguilar and Jodie Esquibel, which was meant to take place at UFC Fight Night 131. Aguilar won a unanimous decision after three rounds.

Across all 13 fights, there were two knockouts and one technical knockout. All knockouts were caused by punching.

US Alpine National Championships

The US Alpine National Championships is one of the most prestigious events in US skiing, and it frequently comes to Sun Valley in Idaho. The competition is usually held after the last World Cup race in March.

The first championship in ID was in 1937, where Dick Durrance won the downhill, slalom, and combined events. Amazingly, Durrance completed the clean sweep again in 1940 to give him six event victories at Sun Valley.