In May 2018, the US Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting, giving each state the green light to make the practice legal within their own jurisdiction.

 

Since then, more than half of the country has introduced legal sports betting in some capacity, with many other states in the process of doing so. 

 

To help paint the picture, the team here at Bet Basics has put together a list of US states that you can legally wager on sports in.

 

ARIZONA

  • Mobile & Online betting
  • In-person betting

Arizona passed a wide-ranging online sports betting bill in April 2021, with a number sportsbooks becoming active in September. The laws in Arizona allow for statewide mobile betting, with a plethora of gambling options.

 

ARKANSAS

  • In-person betting

Arkansas allows in-person betting at its two casino sportsbooks, the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort and Saracen Casino Resort, which both opening in 2019. There is no online or mobile betting permitted and this does not look likely to change in the near future.

 

COLORADO

  • Mobile & Online betting
  • In-person betting

Colorado has quickly developed into one of the strongest sports betting markets in the US, since allowing its first legal wagers in 2020. Just about every sports wagering option you can imagine is available to bettors in Colorado, resulting in more than $200 million in monthly turnover amongst online sportsbooks operating in the state such as BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel.

 

DELAWARE

  • In-person betting

Despite being the first state outside of Nevada to allow for single-game sports betting back in 2018, Delaware is still yet to legalise online and mobile betting.

 

ILLINOIS

  • Mobile & Online betting (must sign-up in person)
  • In-person betting

Illinois legalized online betting in June 2020, under the proviso that bettors must register in person with a retail sportsbook before wagering online. This condition is expected to be revisited in 2022, which could further open up the online sports betting market to one of the USA’s most passionate sports fan bases.

 

INDIANA

  • Mobile & Online betting
  • In-person betting

Online sports betting has been legal in Indiana since September 2019, making it one of the more mature markets in the US. That growth is expected to continue with more and more major sportsbooks establishing a presence in the state.

 

IOWA

  • Mobile & Online betting
  • In-person betting

Similar to Indiana, Iowa approved legal sports betting in late 2019, with many sportsbooks flocking to the state in order to take advantage of some of the cheapest licensing fees in the country.

 

MICHIGAN

  • Mobile & Online betting
  • In-person betting

In-person betting has been legal in Michigan since March 2020, with online betting launching roughly a year later in early 2021. Mobile sports betting has become extremely popular with the Michigan market, largely due to the relaxed legislation and plethora of betting options available.

 

MISSISSIPPI

  • In-person betting

Mississippi legalized in-person sports betting in August 2018. Mobile gambling on sports is technically allowed on the condition the bettor is located inside on of Mississippi’s legal casinos while placing their bet.

 

MONTANA

  • In-person betting

Since March 2020, Montana has allowed legal in-person sports betting via the organization which operates the state lottery. With this being the only option for sports bettors in the state, Montana is one one of the smallest betting markets in the US.

 

NEVADA

  • Mobile & Online betting (must sign-up in person)
  • In-person betting

Despite being somewhat of an oasis for in-person sports betting for decades, Nevada is not as advanced as some other states in regards to mobile betting. This is because they require in-person sign-up at a sportsbook before a bettor can wager online, which severely limits the amount of action mobile betting apps see in the state.

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

  • Mobile & Online betting (one option only)
  • In-person betting

Currently, DraftKings is the only online sportsbook legally allowed to operate in New Hampshire, although other in-person sportsbooks are accessible as well.

 

NEW JERSEY

  • Mobile & Online betting
  • In-person betting

Having led the charge to get the federal ban on sports betting lifted, it’s no surprise that New Jersey is as good as it gets in terms of being an absolute haven for land-based and online sports bettors and sportsbooks alike. With annual turnover in the vicinity of $5 billion a year and favorable legislation for bookmakers, there’s no better place in the US to gamble on sports.

 

NEW MEXICO

  • In-person betting

While there’s no state government legislation in place allowing sports betting, Native American operated casinos have deemed the practice legal based on existing state-tribal gaming compacts. 

 

NEW YORK

  • In-person betting

New York offers legal in-person betting at a small handful of upstate commercial and tribal casinos. It’s anticipated mobile betting could become legal as early as 2022 in an effort to recoup some of the lost gambling revenue ending up in the coffers of its New Jersey neighbours. 

 

NORTH CAROLINA

  • In-person betting

North Carolina passed a bill permitting in-person sports betting at two tribal casinos in July 2019. It’s anticipated that mobile betting is not far off.

 

NORTH DAKOTA

  • In-person betting

Similar to New Mexico, Native American operated casinos offer in-person sports betting, but there is not state government legislation in place. A bill proposing the legalization of online sports betting was voted down in 2021.

 

OREGON

  • Mobile & Online betting (one option only)
  • In-person betting

Since 2019, Oregon has allowed legal mobile betting through its state lottery app only. A small number of Native American casinos also run sportsbooks for in-person betting.

 

PENNSYLVANIA

  • Mobile & Online betting
  • In-person betting

Pennsylvania was one of the early adopters of online betting, launching it in 2019 and quickly becoming the third-largest state in terms of sports betting turnover. However, larger fees and the fact they only allow for 14 sportsbook licenses to operate within their state, has stunted the industry’s growth somewhat.

 

RHODE ISLAND

  • Mobile & Online betting (one option only)
  • In-person betting

Currently, William Hill is the only online sportsbook legally allowed to operate in Rhode Island, although other in-person sportsbooks are accessible at the state’s two casinos as well.

 

SOUTH DAKOTA

  • In-person betting

Fresh on the legal sports betting scene, South Dakota only opened its first in-person sportsbooks in September 2021 for Deadwood casinos and certain tribal gaming facilities.

 

TENNESSEE

  • Mobile & Online betting

Tennessee is an interesting case in that it is the only US state that ONLY offers online sports betting. However, a number of rules and restrictions could limit the industry’s growth in this market over the coming years.

 

VIRGINIA

  • Mobile & Online betting
  • In-person betting

The online sports betting market in Virginia has grown rapidly since it opened in July 2021. There is a cap on the number of sportsbook licenses available, although most of the big names such as BetMGM, William Hill, DraftKings and FanDuel have already taken a seat at the table.

 

WASHINGTON

  • In-person betting

Washington allowed sports betting at Native American casinos starting in September 2021. Similar to Mississippi, mobile betting is only allowed if the bettor is in one of these casinos while wagering.

 

WASHINGTON D.C.

  • Mobile & Online betting (limited options)
  • In-person betting

D.C. allows mobile betting only through its district-operated GamBet app, which has developed a disappointing reputation for offering odds well below market value. In terms of in-person betting, William Hill operates the sole retail sportsbook located at the Capital One Arena. Bettors can also wager on the William Hill mobile app if they’re in the arena.

 

WEST VIRGINIA

  • Mobile & Online betting
  • In-person betting

Mobile sports betting has been legal in West Virginia since August 2019 with the likes of DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and William Hill amongst the sportsbooks available to bettors.

 

WYOMING

  • Mobile betting

While there are currently no legal in-person betting options in Wyoming, online betting has been legal since September 2021.

 

As the world of online sports betting continues to gain traction across the USA, the list of states where the practice is legal is only going to continue to grow. Many states are currently in the process of either debating or passing bills making online and mobile gambling on sports legal, so if you’re in one of these states make sure you continue to watch this space and regularly check our list of Bet Basics recommended 100% licensed and regulated legal sportsbooks to wager with.