Where Online Sports Betting is Legal

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey hasn't come out in stark opposition to legalized sports betting, which is a start, but nothing substantial is likely to happen anytime soon. Alabama requires that a law be approved by both the legislature and the voting public.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

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

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Lawmakers introduced another sports betting bill in early 2020, marking the second consecutive year of doing so. The legislation calls for the tribes to be permitted to offer sports betting within their 24 casinos in the state and would not allow for mobile betting within the state.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Legalization in California has two hurdles: It 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. The legislation calls for a November 2020 ballot question, but would need two-thirds support from the legislature to be put on the ballot. And while 18 tribes said they would be interested in backing the measure, it still appears to be a longshot to happen in 2020, especially since one million signatures are needed for a ballot initiative and it's hard to get signatures during a pandemic. Update: The aforementioned California sports betting bill will be discussed in the Senate on June 2, 2020.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Connecticut is nearly surrounded by legal sports betting states, and while bills were introduced in 2019, tribal conflicts proved to be too tough to overcome. Connecticut lawmakers introduced more legislation 2020 that would've legalized mobile wagering and in-person betting, but the problem is that the tribes think they deserve the exclusive right to sports betting.

• Can you bet online? Pending
• Can you bet in person? Pending

The D.C. Council approved a bill in December 2018 that would allow for sports betting. It officially became law in late March 2019. The plan was originally to have physical sportsbooks accepting bets by football season, but those efforts stalled amid controversy. Now, D.C. regulators say betting, including mobile wagering via the D.C. Lottery's app, will be up and running by March 2020.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Things looked dead in Florida after voters approved Amendment 3 in 2019, which allows Florida residents to exclusively authorize casino gambling within the state. But sports betting legislation expert Daniel Wallach said that the amendment would not stop the legislature from authorizing sports gambling. The issue is that, in order to do anything, the state needs approval of the Seminole tribe and things are at a standstill.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Polls in Georgia say that voters are in favor of legalized sports betting. Executives from the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta United also came out in support of sports betting in late 2019. On Feb. 20, legislation was filed to allow online sports betting in the state. This proposed bill would NOT require a constitutional amendment, which has been a topic of much debate as the state discusses legalized wagering. Even with the recent developments, it's far from certain Georgia will get legalized wagering any time soon. The state doesn't have casino gaming of any kind.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Hawaii is one of just two states currently without gambling of any kind, so sports betting will not be coming to the state for the foreseeable future.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

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

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Two different sports betting bills were under consideration by the Kansas legislature before the Coronavirus caused the session to be postponed until April 27. While the bills aren't totally dead yet for 2020, it appears unlikely they'll necessary floor time as lawmakers focus on the pandemic. It looks like 2021 at the earliest for legal sports betting in the state. Kansas had previously introduced a bill in 2019 that would have called for a steep tax rate and the required use of official league data.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

A sports betting bill zoomed through a legislative committee in the Kentucky House in early 2020, but quickly hit a snag as Republican lawmakers called the issue "divisive," as lobbyists successfully killed the bill, despite it appearing to have majority support in both chambers. Kentucky will now have to wait until 2021, at least, for legal sports betting -- and in odd years, the state requires bills to get 60% support for them to pass, an extra hurdle to clear that wasn't present in 2020. The good news is that Gov. Andy Beshear is a big proponent of sports betting legalization.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

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. That bill went no where. There has been recent movement on two sports betting bills, which have passed out of the Senate and are up for a vote in the House on Friday, May 22. If passed, it would put a referendum on the ballots for November, allowing each parish to vote yes/no on sports betting. Of note, the bills do not include online betting; the bills are similar to the one in neighboring state Mississippi.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

The Maine legislature voted to pass in-person and mobile sports betting legislation in the summer of 2019 and only needed Gov. Janet Mills’ signature to make it officially legal. But she officially vetoed the bill on Jan. 10, 2020, and a last-ditch effort from the legislature to attempt to overturn her veto failed. Maine is very unlikely to have sports betting in 2020.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Maryland's legislature officially passed a measure to put a referendum question on November's ballot, giving voters the choice on whether to legalize sports betting in the state. The way the question on the ballot is written -- “Do you favor the expansion of commercial gaming in the State of Maryland to authorize sports and event betting for the primary purpose of raising revenue for education?” -- would appear to give the measure a good shot at passing. If voters approve, Maryland lawmakers would have to then draw up more specifics on how sports betting will be implemented in the state. The Senate had included clear implementation measures in the bill it sent to the House, calling for mobile wagering and in-person betting at the state's existing casinos and racetracks. But those specifics around implementation were stripped out of the bill by the House, saying they rewarded existing entities that lacked any diversity. So if voters do officially legalize sports betting in November, it will likely take many more months for the state to start accepting bets. Set the over/under at the beginning of the 2021 NFL season.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has long been pushing for legalized sports betting, and on Feb. 28, state lawmakers took the first step to pushing through a bill that would make in-person and online wagering legal. It still has a long way to go, but it’s an optimistic sign for Massachusetts, which legal expert Daniel Wallach predicted would turn legal in 2020. Wallach’s reasoning? The state “does not have any unique legal barriers such as tribal compacts or constitutional prohibitions.” With a current session that extends through July 31, and New Hampshire breathing down its neck, expect Massachusetts to try to get something passed in 2020.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

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

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

In March 2020, two separate sports betting bills cleared committee in the House and will now be heard on the House floor. Both of the proposed bills would allow for online and in-person wagering; the key difference between the two is their tax rate and whether they require the use of official league data. Missouri is attempting to keep up with neighboring Iowa and Illinois, which have legalized sports betting, and Kansas, which appeared poised to do so in 2020 before the Coronavirus struck. Now the odds are extremely unlikely that either Missouri or Kansas will make any moves in 2020.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Lawmakers in Nebraska have introduced three different bills, but they appear to be a longshot, especially considering the state turned down the right to expand casino gambling at its racetracks years ago.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? Pending

North Carolina wasn’t on our radar in the beginning of 2019, but a bill easily passed the Senate in April 2019, 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, but sports betting will remain restricted to the two tribal casinos for the time being.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Two separate sports betting bills died in the North Dakota legislature in 2019. It's a longshot to see significant movement here in 2020.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Ohio is surrounded by states that have legalized sports betting (or appear poised to do so in 2020), so it’s no surprise that state lawmakers are trying to advance legislation. The issue is that there are two different bills competing with each other — one in the House, the other in the Senate. Both bills call for mobile wagering but have key differences in the state agency tasked with regulating sports betting. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has previously said that he wants to legalize sports betting in the state, and he's pushed the legislature to put a bill on his desk prior to November's elections to avoid the possibility of a special interest group putting an initiative on the ballot. On May 28, 2020, the Ohio House passed a sports betting bill that will now go to the Senate this summer. The two branches will work out differences between the bills -- notably whether the lottery or a casino commission will regulate the industry -- with the goal to legalize sports betting in 2020. We're predicting Ohioans will be able to legally wager on sports at the beginning of 2021.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

If anything is to happen, it has to go through the tribes. So while we've seen lawmakers express interest in raising sports betting legislation in the past, it will always be harder to get it to the finish line compared to states without tribes.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Several bills have been introduced in the past in South Carolina, but none have gained any traction. This appears to be a longshot to happen any time soon.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

South Dakota is one step away legalizing sports betting after both the House and Senate passed a sports betting measure. Now it's up to the state's voters on whether South Dakota will have legal wagering. Two wild cards: Gov. Kristi Noem opposes sports betting expansion, and the tribes in the state will also have to get on board eventually.

• Can you bet online? Pending
• Can you bet in person? Pending

Sportsbooks haven’t started taking bets yet in Tennessee, but you can expect some of the major players like Draftkings, FanDuel, BetMGM and more to operate there. The state has no limit on online sports betting licenses. Operators must pay $750,000 and a 20% tax rate, which are on the high end among newly legal states but not outrageous. It might prevent some smaller players from entering the market. The mandatory 10% hold, however, will be the biggest deterrent to many operators, since they’ll struggle to generate meaningful revenue if bettors continue wagering illegally due to unfair pricing.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Texas lawmakers introduced a sports betting bill in 2019, but it didn’t go anywhere. Texas lawmakers have shown a hesitancy to support any kind of casino expansion legislation, but when they reconvene in January 2021, Wallach thinks there’s a good chance something gets done. There are few barriers in the way, and there is such a love of sports in the state, Wallach reasoned.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Sports betting is likely never coming to Utah. It's one of just two states currently without gambling of any kind.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Early in 2020, Vermont lawmakers filed a mobile-only sports betting bill. The movement, unsurprisingly, comes on the heels of neighboring New Hampshire launching mobile sports betting at the end of 2019. Given a history of previous skepticism in the state surrounding sports betting — and Vermont’s lack of commercial gambling of any kind — don't be surprised if the state falls short of legalization in 2020

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? Pending

Virginia became the 22nd state to legalize sports betting after the legislature passed a bill in April that met Gov. Ralph Northam's specifications. A few details on the legislation: It allows for mobile and in-person betting. The state's lottery is in charge of approving licenses for online-only operators. We could see up to 18 online sportsbooks, which is similar to the set up we've seen have success in New Jersey. And you will not be allowed to bet on Virginia college sports team under the bill. Betting regulations must be completed by Sept. 15 at the latest. While there's still a lot to be hammered out, don't be shocked if Virginia is up and running before the end of the year.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? Pending

Washington has some of the least gambling-friendly laws in the country, but in early 2020, lawmakers in both the House and Senate successfully passed a bill that would legalize sports betting in the state's tribal casinos. And on March 25, 2020, Gov. Jay Inslee signed the bill into law, making Washington the 21st state to officially legalize sports betting and the first to do so in 2020. The tribes lobbied for the bill, as it restricts mobile wagering to within their casinos. Bettors will not be allowed to wager on games involving in-state collegiate teams as part of this bill.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

Legalizing sports betting in Wisconsin would require a change to the state constitution. The process for doing so: Passage in the Senate, passage in the Assembly and voter approval in a statewide referendum. And even if all that occurs, the tribes in the state, which operate 26 casinos, loom as the ultimate wild card.

• Can you bet online? No
• Can you bet in person? No

There are only three licensed casinos in the entire state, and while multiple bills were proposed in February 2020, Wyoming isn't on the short list of states to pass legalization anytime soon.