Legal Sports Betting States: Where to Bet August 2026
GA has considered expanding legal gambling, but there has been no official movement yet. While there are only a few casinos up and running, for now, we expect more to pop up over the years. The few bingos and casinos available are likely far from wherever you live. Here are some of the key states in the legal gambling scene. Rather, you can go to a legal gambling site right from your home. That is one of the biggest advantages of online gambling.
Oregon bettors can use the state’s Scoreboard App to participate in sports betting, which is legal at tribal operated casinos. While the Kansas legislature has proposed and rejected five bills aimed at legalizing offline sports betting, they do have one of the coolest casinos around. The only legal forms of gambling in the Peach State are the state lottery and using online betting sites.
West Virginia offers both online and retail sports betting, with the state’s five casinos each partnering with online platforms to provide mobile wagering options. Virginia’s sports betting market includes both online platforms and retail sportsbooks located at newly established casinos. Maryland’s sports betting market has been legal since 2021, offering both online platforms and retail sportsbooks.
How many states have legal online casinos?
However, due to the dominance of big brands like FanDuel and DraftKings, it has been difficult for smaller sportsbooks to survive. So that means no offshore sportsbooks like Bovada, MyBookie, and BetUS. You can click each option to get a quick summary of what the sportsbook offers, while our top choices have full reviews dedicated to them. House Bill 1815 was introduced in early 2022, and it proposed a 55% state tax on revenue by legal sportsbook in Hawaii. Mazatzal Hotel & Casino was the first retail sportsbook to open its doors in Arizona. Wyoming legal sports bettors can wager on national and local leagues in both professional and college sports.
Each state has to decide which body is best equipped to implement and manage the jurisdiction’s sports betting market. In some jurisdictions, such as Connecticut, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and D.C., the lottery commission (or similarly termed body) will either have regulatory and/or oversight authority over sports betting. If you’re tired of waiting, Fliff Sportsbook offers a unique social sports betting experience. An online-only sports betting bill passed through a South Carolina subcommittee on March 30, 2023. 2024 wasn’t the year that Georgia legalized sports betting. Georgia came close to legalizing sports betting in 2023, but ultimately couldn’t get one of its many proposals over the line.
The world of online sports betting in the USA offers a wide range of options for bettors. Only 11 U.S. states do not offer legal sports betting in some form. Pennsylvania was one of the first states to legalize sports betting, as legislators had the wherewithal to pre-authorize sports betting in a gaming expansion law passed in 2017.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is the newest of the three laws and deals with the financial side of online gambling. This law originally applied to gambling via wire transmissions back in the early 60s and has since expanded to include all forms of online gambling. A concise understanding of these laws allows USA residents to make informed decisions regarding involvement in sports gambling entertainment. Looking for the best Las Vegas online casinos for real money?
State Specific Betting Sites
No new laws legalizing sports betting were passed during the one-year waiting period specified by PASPA, so true sports betting was effectively banned everywhere in the US other than Nevada. Nevada already had legal sports betting at the time and was therefore granted the sole exemption from PASPA for full-on sports betting. That decision did not actually legalize sports betting all by itself, but instead struck down a federal law that prohibited all states except Nevada from legalizing or regulating sports betting. Customers can sign up for sports betting accounts from anywhere in the nation, even in states that don’t permit online sports betting.
These promotions, which are regulated by state gaming authorities, are designed to attract and retain customers. Understandably, there are quite a few questions regarding what’s legal and where. Multiple lower courts agreed with the leagues, but lawyers representing New Jersey contended PASPA itself was an unconstitutional law. The state is down one of its retail locations as the Cleveland Guardians have closed the Fanatics Sportsbook at Progressive Field. Resorts World Bet left New York State at the end of June, and Las Vegas Sands recently withdrew its bid to open a $4 billion casino complex on Long Island. BetMGM is increasing the minimum bet for all wagers to $2.50, and Hard Rock Bet is instituting a minimum $2 bet.
Minimum betting ages, licensed operators and permitted wager types are also determined at the state level. Tackle the rugby betting odds with our in-depth guide to the world’s most popular leagues. Learn how to bet on tennis matches and the various options available to fans, including head-to-head matches, props, live match wagering, and more. Our NBA betting guides is packed full of features from explaining the odds to who the hot shooters are this season. College football fans are some of the most serious who participate in online gambling. Who doesn’t want to enjoy legal football wagering action on America’s favorite pastime?
That changed after lottery officials in New York and Illinois asked the Department of Justice to issue guidance regarding their plans to begin selling online lottery tickets. As a result, a handful of operators run by well-known brands in the horse racing industry offer their services across most of the country. This page describes what types of wagers are legal right now, along with a preview of things to come based on legal issues playing out in legislatures across the country. Overall, the general tone in the United States today is drifting to a more accepting view of gambling.
Legal Online Sports Betting FAQ
New Hampshire legalized online sports betting in December 2019 with HB 480 and launched on January 2, 2020. A referendum to legalize online sports betting is on pace to reach the November 2026 general election ballot. Attorney General Russell Coleman sued Kalshi, Polymarket, Coinbase, Robinhood, and Webull in June 2026 for alleged illegal sports betting, and the CFTC sued Kentucky a week later. Bill 151 (HB 151) was introduced in 2024 proposing the legalisation of sports betting, establishing a state lottery, and allowing in-person casino gambling. It is more accurate to say online sports betting is not illegal at the federal level.
❌ Online sports betting is not legal (except when physically at a licensed casino) Maryland voters legalized sports betting in November 2020, but the market did not launch until November 2022, the longest go-live period in the US market so far. Louisiana is divided into parishes, and at the end of 2020, 55 of the state’s 64 parishes approved legal sports betting, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. Retail betting launched in March 2020 and online followed in June that year, after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the state’s sports betting law in June 2019.
At the moment, these states seem far away from any meaningful legislation of online sports betting. These are states with active legislation intended to make betting apps and sportsbooks legal. Today, each state is allowed to legislate sports betting internally, with the below map showing the states that either have betting (online or in-person) or plan to offer it soon.
To maintain our transparency and unbiasedness, we designed an all-inclusive 10-step sports betting review process that covers all the aspects of a sportsbook. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court declared PASPA unconstitutional, freeing every state in the US to legalize and regulate sports betting as it sees fit. To date, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting.
This ensures you know how many options you will have for each sportsbook we review. That includes using each sportsbook’s customer service to assess their response time and ability to provide solutions. As of the last update of this guide, you can bet on your mobile phone with DraftKings and BetMGM.
- According to revenue reports from states with legalized sports betting, Americans wagered over $164bn on sports betting in 2025 alone, generating over $3.7bn in tax revenue for the US.
- The legal framework for sports wagering includes state statutes, gaming regulations, tribal compacts, and federal laws.
- Find the latest bonuses in our collection of the best Tennessee sportsbook promos.
- People prefer betting against the spread in the NBA, especially in lopsided matchups.
Various laws and even constitutional amendments have been introduced, though none have become law. The laws vary greatly by state, so understanding the patchwork can be confusing to some people. In a space like gambling, access to digital currency payments is paramount and something that attracts players to specific platforms. Here are the sites that are most available across the United States. And while 2024 saw a pair of gambling bills introduced, they both fell short short of being passed. A resolution brought to the state’s House of Representatives failed by a margin in January 2025, with the majority of dissenters concerned about the negative impacts of gambling.
In a 2018 vote, 54% of Arizonian voters supported gambling expansion in the state, which brought retail sports betting to up to four gambling venues. Customers can place bets on sports at tribal casinos and sites owned by professional sports teams and franchises. Under the Alaska Statutes, all forms of gambling, including sports betting, are illegal.
Terms and conditions affecting the bonus offers available to you vary by location. Betway makes it easy to get started and then keeps you there with its huge selection and numerous ways to bet. With the rise in prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi, which are regulated by the Commodity Trading Futures Commission (CFTC) and available in all states, the landscape really has changed. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players. With the early cash out feature, bettors can lock in a win at a reduced payout or jump ship to cut their losses.
Georgia is another big one, with a large population and massive interest in professional and collegiate sports. California is moving to get rid of DFS after Attorney General Rob Bonta declared it illegal. Look for more legislation regarding college player props to pop up, and for states with tight online restrictions to have expansion bills introduced, like the one that recently failed in Nebraska. NCPG estimates put the social cost of problem gambling around $14 billion. While rules can vary by state, the American Gaming Association does have a Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering, which is generally followed by all legal operators.
Learn how Grammy odds work, where eligible U.S. players can find betting markets, and what to know before placing a wager on the awards ceremony. Learn how Emmy futures bets work, where eligible U.S. players can find available markets, and what to know before placing a wager on the ceremony. Our Emmy Awards betting guide explains how to wager on television’s biggest awards show, covering popular betting markets, odds, and major award categories. Our UFC betting guide covers everything you need to know about wagering on Ultimate Fighting Championship events, including Fight Nights, numbered pay-per-views, and championship bouts.
Ultimately, the battle ended up in the Supreme Court, where top lawyers Ted Olson (for New Jersey) and Paul Clement (for the leagues), both who served at one time as U.S. A combination of New Jersey lawmakers, led by Ray Lesniak, plus officials from Monmouth Park Racetrack and former Gov. Chris Christie, wouldn’t stand for it. You must also be located within the state where you are placing the bet. If you’re in need of a sign up offer, they are available. Otherwise, we recommend taking a look at our list of the best DFS sites. Both of them filled the void created by the now-defunct federal law.
Snoqualmie Casino opened in September of 2021, and this gaming tribe was first to supplement its retail sportsbook with an online betting app on the property’s grounds. Washington Governor Jay Inslee approved a compact to allow in-state gaming tribals casinos to operate retail sportsbooks in March of 2020. Retail and online sportsbooks are illegal, but the state has land-based casinos. The state of Wisconsin allows certain types of gambling in tribal gaming casino, including sports betting. Legislation of sports betting in Michigan came in March of 2020, but online sportsbooks had to wait until January of 2022 to go live.
This dual approach allows residents to place bets in-person at public venues or online through licensed platforms like FanDuel, BETMGM, and DraftKings. While Nebraskans can wager on professional, collegiate, and international sports, prop bets and wagers on in-state college teams, such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, are off-limits. An efficient online rollout was completed just a month later, with BetRivers and DraftKings taking the state’s first online bets on October 3rd. The first regulated sports bets were placed on March 9, 2020, at the Rivers Casino Des Plaines. This Act made accepting money from someone participating in illegal online gambling on US soil a criminal act. Congress reduced taxes on sportsbooks even further, resulting in a boom across Nevada.
Sports betting started up a few months after governor Andy Beshear signed HB 551 into law in March 2023. There are 14 sportsbooks in operation in the Hoosier State with FanDuel and DraftKings out in front. Sports betting was approved in 2021, but the state has faced legal issues that have delayed its path to a full launch. Before mobile betting legislation was approved, Arkansas residents could only bet in person at those three locations. This means that bettors in Arkansas can now wager on mobile apps for Oaklawn Racing Casino, Southland Casino, and Saracen Casino.
Every sportsbook offers a welcome bonus to bring in new customers. The Third Circuit ruled in April 2026 that federal commodities law preempts state gambling law for sports event contracts. Sportsbooks and online casinos servicing Americans hit a big bump in the road in 2006 when the US government passed the UIGEA.
The 2023 State Legislative Session in Missouri appears to be running out of time for introducing a bill for legalizing sports betting. After the US Supreme Court favored the US states in deciding whether to legalize sports betting in May of 2018, Minnesota’s House and Senate have not moved on the situation. https://www.pokernewsdaily.com/sportsbooks/ Illinois is one of the top 5 US sports betting markets, with Chicago as one of the biggest sports cities. Governor JB Pritzker signed the Illinois bill that legalized sports betting in June of 2019.