Where Is Sports Betting Legal? Projections for All 50 States

Updated on Jan. 10, 2020

It’s been a year-and-a-half since the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on sports betting, allowing states to legalize it if they wish.

So where do we stand now? What states are in business, and how are they doing? What states are imminently coming online? And what states are on the back burner? We’ve compiled a comprehensive look at all 50 states (plus Washington D.C.), with projected legalization dates for every state.

To make this as simple as possible, there’s an interactive map below, and the text for each state is ordered by the projected year we expect them to come online. Two experts — Daniel Wallach, principal at Wallach Legal, the nation’s first law firm solely devoted to sports betting, and Jake Williams, vice president of legal and regulatory affairs for Sportradar — helped me with the projections and sub-categories for every state.

That’s enough of a preamble; let’s dive into the map and the full list. If you’d prefer to navigate directly to your state’s section, please click the links below.

Where Is Sports Betting Legal?

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Ala. | Alaska | Ari. | Ark. | Calif. | Colo. | Conn. | Dela. | Fla. | Ga. | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Ind. | Iowa | Kan. | Kent. | La. | Maine | Mary. | Mass. | Mich. | Minn. | Miss. | Mo. | Mont. | Neb. | Nev. | N.H. | N.J. | N.M. | N.Y. | N.C | N.D. | Ohio | Okla. | Ore. | Penn. | R.I. | S.C. | S.D. | Tenn. | Texas | Utah | Ver. | Virginia | Wash. | Wash. D.C. | W.V. | Wisc. | Wyo.

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Best Legal Sportsbook Offers & Promo Codes: NJ, PA, IN & WV

LEGAL (20 TOTAL STATES + WASHINGTON D.C.)

• Recently legal; no betting yet (7)
• Physical sportsbooks + mobile (9)
• Only physical sportsbooks (4)
• Only mobile betting (1)

Arkansas

Only physical sportsbooks

Legal sports betting in Arkansas officially launched on July 1, 2019, at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.

Voters approved a gaming expansion bill back in November, and Oaklawn was the first casino to be declared legal by the state. Expect more sportsbooks to launch ahead of football season.

Sports betting in Arkansas is all over-the-counter, meaning there’s no mobile wagering whatsoever. This spring, a bill popped up in the state legislature that would have legalized full mobile betting in the state, but it hit a snag with the inclusion of integrity fees for leagues.

Colorado

Recently legal; no betting yet

Colorado became the 19th state to legalize sports betting on Wednesday, Nov. 6, as the final votes from Tuesday’s referendum vote were counted.

The measure, which asked the public to approve a sports gambling tax to support the state’s water initiatives, passed 50.7% to 49.3%, a much tighter margin than anticipated.

Funding will be generated by increasing state taxes by $29 million annually and by taxing the state’s gambling operators a 10% rate on their net proceeds.

Colorado’s general Assembly had already passed House Bill 1327 back in May, which provided that sports betting would be legal in the mountain towns of Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek, if the referendum passed. It’s expected the state will have mobile wagering, which has accounted for more than 80% of the sports betting handle in New Jersey, the most successful state to launch in this new era of legal wagering.

Several sports betting operators have signed on in Colorado, including BetAmerica, Wynn Resorts and PointsBet, which is establishing a Western headquarters in Denver.

It’s expected that the state’s operators, which are controlled by Native American tribes, will begin taking wagers around May 2020. That would make it the seventh state west of the Mississippi to do so, joining Arkansas, Iowa, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana and Oregon.

Colorado casinos pulled in $842.1 million in 2018, a record for the state.

Delaware

Only physical sportsbooks

Was the first legal state after the Supreme Court’s ruling, ahead of New Jersey, which brought the PASPA case to the forefront. But Delaware’s lack of mobile betting and its decision to have the lottery run the show have put it far behind New Jersey in terms of betting volume. Betting handle was $10.5 million in March 2019.

Illinois

Recently legal; no betting yet

It took an extended weekend session by the Illinois legislature in early June, but the state surprised some by getting its sports betting bill to the finish line this year. (We originally had Illinois projected for 2020.)

When Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law on June 28, many expected the state would be up and running in time for football, but in an Aug. 8 meeting, the Illinois Gaming Board gave no indiction of when sports betting will launch. As Joe Ostrowski reported, the Gaming Board doesn’t meet again until Sept. 5,  the opening day of the NFL season, so it appears sports betting will not launch in time for football.

Illinois’ bill is unique in this it gives its brick-and-mortar operations — casinos, racetracks and sports venues — an 18-month head start over online-only operators like FanDuel and DraftKings. The licensed brick-and-mortar operations can offer mobile betting right away, but there’s a little more friction in the process, as in-person registration will be required for 18 months.

Under the bill, sports stadiums such as Wrigley Field (Cubs), the United Center (Bulls), Soldier Field (Bears) and Guaranteed Rate Field (White Sox) could apply to have betting kiosks.

Indiana

Physical sportsbooks + mobile

Signed into law on May 8, and officially went live on Sept. 1, as the Indiana Grand Casino (just southeast of Indianapolis), Ameristar Casino (half-hour drive from Chicago) and Hollywood Casino (half-hour drive from Cincinnati) all started accepting legal wagers. There were 13 casinos accepting sports bets as of late September 2019.

Mobile betting launched in the state on Oct. 3. Rush Street Interactive, which will run the online book for French Lick Casino, was the first to get approved. Once mobile wagering gets launched, it will be set up similar to what we’ve seen in New Jersey, which has had the most sports betting success of any state outside of Nevada since the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban back in May 2018.

Iowa

Physical sportsbooks + mobile

Signed into law on May 13, and started accepting bets on Aug. 15. Eight of the 19 casinos in Iowa launched on Aug. 15, Eighteen of the 19 casinos in Iowa have been approved for a license to accept sports bets, and they can launch as soon as Aug. 15.

Prior to launch, Legal Sports Report reported that Brian Ohorilko, an administrator for the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, expected seven Iowa casinos to take mobile sports bets on Aug. 15. The one wrinkle with mobile betting: You’ll have to register in person before being able to bet on your phone. That provision will remain in place until Jan. 1, 2021.

Michigan

Recently legal; no betting yet

On Dec. 11, the final day of the year for the Michigan state Legislature, a bill passed that legalized sports betting and fantasy sports, and nine day later, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed it into law.

The legislation calls for full mobile wagering within the state.

Michigan’s bill taxes sports betting at 8.4% and sets the price for licenses at $100,000. An initial $50,000 application fee and $50,000 a year operation fee. The goal is to have the state’s operators ready to accept over-the-counter bets by March Madness.

The costs are similar to neighboring Indiana, whose costs are $100,000 per year for a license. Neighboring Illinois, which has legalized sports betting but isn’t operational, has set costs for a license as high as $10 million for retail casinos for the first 18 months. After that, online only casinos, like FanDuel and DraftKings, would be charged up to $20 million.

There’s also a chance Michigan could be up and running before Illinois, which officially legalized sports betting in June but has not moved quickly to get it operational.

Mississippi

Physical sportsbooks + mobile

Has mobile betting, but, similar to Montana, it’s very restrictive, only permitted while inside a casino. Betting handle was $32.4 million in March 2019.

Montana

Recently legal; no betting yet

Signed into law on May 3. The state lottery will oversee everything. Bettors will be able to place a wager inside licensed bars and restaurants via kiosks or on their phone, but mobile betting will not work outside of those bars and restaurants. Stated goal is to have things up and running by football season.

Nevada

Physical sportsbooks + mobile

Full mobile as long as you’re within the state’s borders. Betting handle was $596.8 million in March 2019, the highest month ever in the history of the state.

New Hampshire

Only mobile betting

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed a sports betting bill into law on July 12, and mobile wagering will officially launch on Dec. 30 with DraftKings making a leap in the state. DraftKings will be the only mobile operator in the state besides the New Hampshire Lottery.

Retail sports betting will also be coming to the state, but not until a bit later. Six cities have approved retail locations, according to a report from the Union Leader: Berlin, Claremont, Franklin, Laconia, Manchester and Somersworth.

New Jersey

Physical sportsbooks + mobile

The closest version to Nevada we’ve seen since the Supreme Court’s ruling a year ago. Both residents and non-residents can place wagers via their phones, so long as they’re within the state’s borders. New Jersey has brought in $2.32 billion in bets in the nine-and-a-half months on record, 80 percent of which have come via mobile.

Betting handle was $372.5 million in March 2019, its second-biggest month ever, behind only January of this year.

New Mexico

Only physical sportsbooks

No bill passed, but Native American tribes have interpreted that their sportsbooks are legal under their state tribal gaming compacts.

New York

Only physical sportsbooks

The New York Gaming Commission voted on June 10 to allow in-person betting in four upstate casinos — Resorts World, Rivers Casino, Tioga Downs and Del Lago — located hundreds of miles away from New York City. Wagering officially launched on July 16.

For a little while this summer, it looked like mobile betting might also be coming to New York, as the state Senate passed a bill with online wagering provisions. But it took less than two days for that bill to die in the Assembly over questions of whether legalizing mobile sports betting would require an amendment to New York’s constitution.

In early January of 2020, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Joe Addabbo, reintroduced it in both the Senate and Assembly.

So while you can now legally bet in person at the four upstate casinos, bettors can hope that 2020 is the year mobile betting comes to the Empire State, though it’s far from a sure thing.

North Carolina

Recently legal; no betting yet

North Carolina wasn’t on our radar in the beginning of the year, but a bill easily passed the Senate in April, and on July 15, the same bill passed the House with bipartisan support. It officially became law on July 26, when Gov. Roy Cooper graced the bill with his signature.

The legislation allows for legalized sports wagering in-person at two tribal casinos: Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel and Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, both of which are located in the western portion of the state, 3-4 hours away from Charlotte and 5-6 hours away from Raleigh.

While the bill does not permit any mobile wagering, the state is expected to launch a gaming commission to study the potential expansion of betting. Perhaps most important to the college-sports-crazed North Carolinians, the bill will allow for betting on college sports teams within the state.

Oregon

Physical sportsbooks + mobile

No bill passed, but Oregon was one of four states to be grandfathered into legal sports betting prior to the passage of PASPA and on Aug. 27, it became the 12th state to offer legal sports wagering.

The Chinook Winds Casino was the first book in the state to accept sports bets. Mobile betting, which is run by the Oregon Lottery, officially launched on Oct. 16 after multiple delays.

Pennsylvania

Physical sportsbooks + mobile

As of late July, four sportsbooks have launched their mobile betting products in Pennsylvania — FanDuel, SugarHouse, Parx and Rivers. FanDuel is the only one of the four with its iOS app up and running. All four are live on Android devices. Betting handle was $44.5 million in March 2019.

Rhode Island

Physical sportsbooks + mobile

Legal betting age is 18, unlike any other state, which is 21. Rhode Island launched its mobile betting product just before the start of football season, becoming the seventh state to allow customers to bet outside of a physical sportsbook.

Tennessee

Recently legal; no betting yet

Gov. Bill Lee let a sports-betting bill become law without his signature in late May 2019. Tennessee will be the first legal state to offer only online wagering. There will be no physical sportsbooks, as the state doesn’t have any casinos.

While it was originally thought that wagering would be live in time for football season, an August report from TNBets quoted the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Rick Staples, as saying, sports betting would launch “November at the earliest” but likely not until January.

Washington D.C.

Recently legal; no betting yet

The D.C. Council approved a bill in December that would allow for sports betting. It officially became law in late March. The plan was originally to have physical sportsbooks accepting bets by football season, but according to a recent report, operators won’t be able to apply for licenses until September at the earliest, meaning launch is at least a few months away. Mobile betting will not be available until January 2020.

After the passage of the bill, controversy engulfed D.C.’s decision to use the lottery administrator Intralot as the sole sports betting operator. The Washington Post reported on June 28 that the five sub-contractors for Intralot, which would receive more than half of the $215 million deal over five years, all have connections to officials in the District, calling into question whether the no-bid contract was a “pay-for-play” deal, as D.C. Council member David Grosso put it.

But in a final debate over the District’s gaming contract on July 9, the council voted, 7-5, to approve the controversial deal, giving Intralot the sole rights to operate online sports betting in D.C.

West Virginia

Physical sportsbooks + mobile

Mobile betting was temporality suspended in the state for nearly six months, but it’s back now after the launch of FanDuel and DraftKings in the state in late August.

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PROJECTED 2020 (9 total states)

• Still under consideration by legislature (3)
• Waiting for next legislative session (3)
• Possible referendum required (1)
• Passed legislature, but currently in limbo (1)
• Tribal gaming conflicts (1)

Kansas

Waiting for next legislative session

Legislature got far down the road before session ended. Expect quick approvals when it returns in 2020.

Kentucky

Waiting on next legislative session

It was thought that Kentucky would need a constitutional amendment to be able to allow sports betting within the state, but attorney Daniel Wallach told the legislature on Dec. 16 that there was nothing in the state’s constitution that prohibits sports gambling since it’s a game of skill. Wallach found a discussion from 1890 that said the state’s constitution only banned games of luck, not games of skill such as sports betting.

Rep. Adam Koenig has filed a sports betting bill for the 2020 General Assembly session that would give the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) the authority to regulate sports betting in the state. Race tracks could operate sportsbooks, along with the Kentucky Motorspeedway. Under the proposed bill, online betting would be available after a bettor registered in person at the book.

In 2020, the bill would need a 51% yes vote from both chambers to pass, and a signature from the governor to officially become legal.

Louisiana

Possible referendum required

The Louisiana legislature tried to get some steam behind a sports betting bill in May 2019, but the efforts failed in the House.

Not long after, though, the Senate passed a new bill on fantasy sports regulation, which also includes some language around sports betting, according to AP reporter Melinda Deslatte. That bill went no where. If/when a sports betting bill ever gets passed by lawmakers, each municipality in Louisiana will have to approve of it for wagering to become legal.

Massachusetts

Still under consideration by legislature

While residents have pressured the state to get going, driven by smaller surrounding states having legal sports gambling, Massachusetts isn’t exactly imminent. One bill would allow the state to give out online/mobile licenses without it having to be tied to a land-based casino. That would be a welcome development for DraftKings, which is headquartered in Boston and the No. 1 mobile sportsbook in New Jersey.

Missouri

Still under consideration by legislature

There are a couple bills in Missouri, some which include what is perceived by many to include fees that would be disadvantageous to operators.

North Dakota

Tribal gaming conflicts

Two bills were introduced. One failed in the house and one failed in the senate.

Ohio

Still under consideration by legislature

There are two warring bills with a fight over who would run a sports betting enterprise in the state. Positive? The legislative session goes to the end of the calendar year.

Virginia

Waiting for next legislative session

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a gaming bill on March 22, 2019, but rather than immediately legalizing casinos and sports betting in the state, the signature merely commissioned a study on betting.

On Nov. 19, the next step in the process took place, as a gaming bill was pre-filed in the House per Sports Handle. The study is due to be filed to the Virginia Lottery Board by Dec. 1.

We’ll learn much more about the possibility of legalizing sports betting in Virginia in the coming months, but it’s clear the state is trying to push the ball forward as neighboring West Virginia’s sports betting handle grows.

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PROJECTED 2021 (8 TOTAL STATES)

• Tribal gaming conflicts (2)
• Possible referendum required (2)
• Under consideration by legislature (2)
• Still under consideration by legislature (1)
• Waiting for next legislative session (1)

Alabama

Still under consideration by legislature

This is all you need to know about Alabama: Its House of Representatives just passed a bill legalizing fantasy leagues in an attempt to reverse what is not allowed by the state constitution.

Arizona

Tribal gaming conflicts

Will the tribes run sports betting in the state? The tribes themselves can’t even decide if or how they want to be involved, so this is going to take a while to sort itself out.

California

Possible referendum required

California, which has 17 major pro sports teams and one fifth of the country’s population, has a double whammy: Legalization would likely require a change to the state constitution, and all gaming is controlled by tribes.

On June 27, we got a surprise: California assemblyman Adam Gray and State Senator Bill Dodd introduced a sports betting bill, according to ESPN’s David Purdum and the Los Angeles Times. The legislation calls for a November 2020 ballot question, but would need two-thirds support from the legislature to be put on the ballot.

That effort appears to have gotten a big boost on Nov. 13, when 18 tribes said they would be interested in backing the measure, which would allow them to cash in on retail sports betting.

Connecticut

Tribal gaming conflicts

The toughest opponents to sports gambling continue to be the tribes and Connecticut is no exception. While one remedy is to give the tribes sports gambling, making a new deal comes with complications. In early June 2019, House speaker Joe Aresimowicz said the bill is “proving to be as difficult as I thought it was, going into it,” according to the WWLP News in Connecticut

Florida

Tribal gaming conflicts

On Nov. 18, 2019, multiple sports betting bills were filed in the Florida legislature. This figures to be an uphill battle, given the stranglehold the powerful Seminole tribe has over gambling in the state. (The tribe has previously opposed the sports betting/DFS legalization in the state.)

Earlier in 2019, voters turned down a referendum that would have provided for sports betting in the state, leading some to believe that Florida will be one of the last states in the game.

Georgia

Under consideration by the legislature

Executives from the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta United came out in support of legalizing sports betting in Georgia in late 2019. Georgia lawmakers are taking note, as they’re slated to discuss sports betting legislation in early 2020. It was originally thought that a constitutional amendment would be required to legalize sports betting in Georgia, but as attorney Daniel Wallach noted, that might not be the case.

Maryland

Possible referendum required

The state failed to get anything done this year, which means that it’s next year at best to pass something. Expectations are, if that happens, that actual sports betting doesn’t come until 2021.

Texas

Waiting for next legislative session

Texas is also one of the few states where fantasy still isn’t even legal. There’s a strong push by some to get sports gambling legalized, though lobbyists might be stronger.

Vermont

Under consideration by the legislature

Early in 2020, two Vermont State Senators — Michael Sirotkin and Dick Sears — filed a mobile-only sports betting bill in Vermont. The movement, unsurprisingly, comes on the heels of neighboring New Hampshire launching mobile sports betting at the end of 2019.

That’s quite a change from when PASPA was overturned, and the executive director of Vermont’s lottery said he didn’t know of a single person who wanted sports betting in the state.

Given the previous skepticism in the state surrounding sports betting — and Vermont’s lack of commercial gambling of any kind — we’ll be conservative with its projection and bump Vermont only up to 2021.

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NOT IN SIGHT (13 TOTAL STATES)

• Little to no action (6)
• Tribal gaming conflicts (4)
• Possible referendum required (2)
• Vetoed bill (1)

Alaska

Little to no action

Alaska is pretty much nowhere on sports gambling. The 49th state might actually be the 49th to legalize it.

Hawaii

Little to no action

One of the most inactive states. A bill was created to study the issue.

Idaho

Little to no action

State laws as written are currently against gambling, save for horse racing. State doesn’t allow fantasy.

Maine

Governor vetoed bill

A bill zoomed through the House and Senate on June 19, 2019, as the legislative session neared its end. But Gov. Janet Mills opted not to sign it, and then vetoed it on Jan. 10, 2020 after the new legislative session opened.

Maine’s bill would have allowed for full mobile betting throughout the state, and give operators the option to be online-only (meaning FanDuel, for example, wouldn’t have to attach itself to a land-based casino to operate a mobile product within the state). The online-only retailers would face a steeper tax rate, though: 16%, compared to 10% for brick-and-mortar operators.

“Before Maine joins the frenzy of states hungry to attract this market, I believe we need to examine the issue more clearly; better understand the evolving experiences of other states; and thoughtfully determine the best approach for Maine,” Mills said in her veto letter.

While a strong bill is off the table for now, it doesn’t sound like you can declare sports betting in Maine dead for good.

Minnesota

Tribal gaming conflicts

The state’s 11 federally recognized tribes do not want expansion of gaming. That’s an issue.

Nebraska

Possible referendum required

There’s not too much optimism in Nebraska after the state turned down the right to expand casino gambling at its racetracks years ago.

Oklahoma

Tribal gaming conflicts

If anything is to happen, it has to go through the tribes.

South Carolina

Possible referendum required

See Georgia.

South Dakota

Tribal gaming conflicts

Will go through tribes if a constitutional amendment passes.

Utah

Little to no action

Sports betting is likely never coming to Utah.

Washington

Little to no action

Gambling would first go through the tribes to the legislature, and if it passed, it would allow the tribes to negotiate with the governor. A lot of red tape.

Wisconsin

Tribal gaming conflicts

State’s constitution prohibits gambling. Tribes are said to want to keep the status quo.

Wyoming

Little to no action

Three licensed casinos in the entire state. No legislation has even been introduced.