Us Based Sports Betting Sites

Posted on

After New Jersey's Supreme Court victory in May 2018, any state that wishes can legalize sports betting.

How Do I Stay Safe Playing at Sports Betting Sites in Georgia? The US online gambling industry is safer than ever. Not long ago, only a few sports betting sites were available in the country. Today, many of the biggest gambling companies in the world are operating in the United States. Considering that nine of the 113 US based major professional sports teams are located in Florida, you know the residents in the Sunshine State are online sports betting crazy. Our review of the Florida sports wagering industry advised on the best offshore sports websites available to Floridians. Washington, DC, sports betting sites The city council gave its approval to sports betting in 2018, but the bill wasn’t signed into law until the following January. GambetDC, an offering run by the lottery. Whether you’re betting on your favorite DC team, a US-based professional (or collegiate) sport, or something on the international market, these states sports betting sites have you covered. There is no point in joining a sportsbook in Virginia that can’t offer you extensive action across the board.

At the same time various state lawmakers are considering sports betting legislation, Congress is too. Senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and now-retired Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, co-introduced comprehensive sports betting legislation at the end of 2018. On Sept. 27, 2018 the House Judiciary Committee held a formal hearing on the topic.

The dual track of proposals -- state and federal -- have increased in frequency since the start of 2017.

To measure the change in the landscape, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of how likely it is for each jurisdiction to offer full-scale legal sports betting. A brief synopsis for the active states is included, with updates to follow.

Last updated on November 3, 2020.

Already there

1. Nevada

No longer the only state to permit a wide variety of legal sports betting, Nevada is a mature market that has existed for decades. Given its long history in successfully offering regulated sports wagering, many states might look to Nevada for best practices.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 223
Population: 3,034,392 (2,246,259 21+)

2. Delaware

On June 5, 2018, Delaware moved to offer single-game betting on a number of different sports at three casinos in the state. Expanded sports wagering options could take place at additional locations or online. Delaware's authorization of what Gov. John Carney described as 'a full-scale sports gaming operation' happened less than a month after the Supreme Court ruled that the federal law restricting single-game betting to Nevada was unconstitutional.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 3
Population: 967,171 (726,161 21+)

3. New Jersey

On June 11, 2018, Gov. Phil Murphy signed the sports betting bill that had passed the previous week. A William Hill sportsbook at Monmouth Park took the first bets on Thursday, June 14 at 10:30 a.m. ET. Gov. Murphy was the first customer in line. The Borgata in Atlantic City booked sports bets 30 minutes later. Other sportsbooks in New Jersey opened soon thereafter. For example, FanDuel's first sportsbook at the Meadowlands opened its doors on July 14.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams and collegiate events held within the state
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 9
Population: 8,908,520 (6,634,683 21+)

4. Mississippi

Two casinos owned by MGM Resorts booked their first sports bets in Mississippi on Aug. 1, 2018. Mississippi enacted a new law in 2017 that allowed for sports betting pending a favorable decision by the Supreme Court. In June 2018, the Mississippi Gaming Commission adopted implementing regulations that require all betting to take place in person, with mobile wagering to be considered later.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 29
Population: 2,986,530 (2,153,795 21+)

5. West Virginia

On Aug. 30, 2018, West Virginia became the fifth state to offer legal and regulated sports betting when the Hollywood Casino -- a sportsbook owned by Penn National -- opened its doors. The move came six months after the West Virginia legislature passed a new bill with the West Virginia Lottery Commission serving as the chief regulator.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 5
Population: 1,805,832 (1,375,788 21+)

6. New Mexico

On Oct. 16, 2018, the Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel booked its first sports bet in partnership with Nevada-based USBookmaking. Although New Mexico has not passed any new sports betting legislation since the Supreme Court's decision, the move by the Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel was made via a gaming compact with the state. According to Nedra Darling, spokeswoman at the Department of the Interior's Office of Indian Affairs -- the federal agency in Washington, DC that oversees tribal gaming compacts -- the New Mexico compacts permit 'any or all forms of Class III Gaming,' a category in the federal regulations that specifically includes '[a]ny sports betting and pari-mutuel wagering.'

Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 32
Population: 2,095,428 (1,529,540 21+)

7. Pennsylvania

The Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course booked the first legal sports bets in Pennsylvania in mid-November 2018. The move came just over a year after Gov. Tom Wolf signed a new sports betting bill as part of a broad legislation push that included online poker and DFS. The October 2017 bill became effective after the Supreme Court's May 2018 ruling upending the federal ban on single-game betting outside of Nevada.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 12
Population: 12,807,060 (9,645,705 21+)

8. Rhode Island

The Twin River Casino in Lincoln opened its doors for legal sports betting on Nov. 26, 2018. The move came five months after Gov. Gina Raimondo signed the state budget, which included language allowing sports betting. Only two locations would be allowed to offer sports betting under the law, with the state's lottery providing regulatory oversight. In early 2019, the law was tweaked to provide for mobile betting.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 2
Population: 1,057,315 (800,838 21+)

9. Arkansas

On July 1, 2019, the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort booked the first legal sports bets in Arkansas. Two other retail locations opened sportsbooks in the subsequent months. Sports betting is regulated by the Arkansas Racing Commission.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 3
Population: 3,013,825 (2,191,256 21+)

10. New York

On July 16, 2019, the first legal sports bets were placed in New York. J. Gary Pretlow -- a New York lawmaker and chair of the state's racing and wagering committee -- was among the first to place a wager at the Rivers Casino in Schenectady. The opening of a legal sportsbook came six years after New York passed a law to allow sports betting at four on-site locations, all in upstate New York. After lying dormant for years, the law was revived after the Supreme Court ruling in 2018 and the issuance of regulations earlier this year. The current law does not allow for mobile wagering.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: No betting on games involving in-state college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 28
Population: 19,542,209 (14,724,807 21+)

11. Iowa

Legal sports betting arrived in Iowa on Aug. 15, with multiple operators all opening their doors to customers on the first day. The move came three months after Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into a law a comprehensive bill to legalize sports betting in the Hawkeye State. Operators must pay a $45,000 licensing fee and there is a 6.75 percent tax on revenue. The new law permits mobile wagering. Betting on college sports is permitted, but certain kinds of in-game prop bets involving college games are banned. The new law bestows the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission with authority to regulate sports betting.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No prop betting on in-state college athletics
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 23
Population: 3,156,145 (2,286,374 21+)

12. Oregon

Legal sports betting returned to Oregon on Aug. 27 after a long hiatus, with the first bets booked on-site at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City. Oregon is one of a small number of states that already had a law on the books permitting some forms of sports betting, so the resumption of wagering did not require the legislature to pass any new law or have the governor amend an existing tribal-state compact. In mid-October, mobile sports betting arrived in Oregon too, with the state-run lottery overseeing the launch of a new website and app.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort, but sportsbook operated by the Oregon Lottery does not permit betting on games involving in-state colleges
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 10
Population: 4,190,713 (3,167,912 21+)

13. Indiana

Legal sports betting opened up at a number of locations in Indiana on Sept. 1. The Indiana Gaming Commission oversees all sports betting regulations and has issued licenses to operators across the state. Wagering on both college and pro sports is permitted, but betting on esports and high school sports is banned. Indiana's new law allows for both mobile and in-person wagering. Regulations permit sports leagues or colleges to request 'to utilize a geofence to prohibit wagers at the location of a particular sporting event.'

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No prop betting on in-state college athletics
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 14
Population: 6,691,878 (4,842,337 21+)

14. New Hampshire

Governor Chris Sununo placed the ceremonial first legal sports wager -- on the New England Patriots -- in New Hampshire on Dec. 30, 2019. The state's lottery is in charge of regulatory of regulatory oversight. Both retail and mobile sports betting will be permitted on a wide variety of sports, although no betting on New Hampshire's in-state colleges is allowed.

Type of wagering permitted: Mobile
Notable prohibitions: No betting on in-state colleges
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 0
Population: 1,356,458 (1,042,882 21+)

15. Illinois

Legal sports betting arrived in Illinois on March 9, 2020. The move came less than a year after the Illinois legislature passed a broad gaming bill that allowed for both online and in-person sports betting. With Governor J.B. Pritzker's signature, the new law also provided for betting on-location at venues such as Wrigley Field. Operators and certain data providers are required to obtain a license under the new law.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: No wagering on minor leagues or Illinois college teams
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 10
Population: 12,741,080 (9,391,158 21+)

16. Michigan

Legal sports betting in Michigan commenced on March 11, 2020, with two Detroit-area casinos launching on the same day. The move came less than three months after Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the 'Lawful Sports Betting Act' into law. The new law provides for wagering on a wide variety of sports, including college contests.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 27
Population: 9.995,915 (7,428,72721+)

17. Montana

Legal sports betting arrived in Montana in March 2020. The move came after Governor Steve Bullock formally signed into law a 28-page bill that brought sports wagering to Big Sky country via the state's lottery. Governor Bullock cited the Montana Lottery's 'proven track record of responsibility and integrity' when signing the bill.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 13
Population: 1,062,305 (793,151 21+)

18. Colorado

May 1, 2020 marked the launch of legal sports betting in Colorado, with multiple operators allowing residents to open accounts online and place wagers. The move came less than six months after Colorado voters -- by a narrow margin -- approved a ballot measure that would provide 'for the regulation of sports betting through licensed casinos.' Both mobile and retail sports betting are permitted. Tax revenue from sports betting will help fund various state water projects.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions: None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019): 35
Population: 5,695,564 (4,210,663.00 21+)

19. Washington, D.C.

In June 2020, the D.C. Lottery launched its 'GameBetDC' platform allowing consumers 'to wager while in the District on major sports worldwide' via computer or mobile device. Sports betting in nation's capital followed the passage of the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 and a Congressional review period during which time Congress did not formally object. The Office of Lottery and Gaming provides regulatory oversight of all sports wagering in D.C.

Type of wagering permitted: In-person and mobile
Notable prohibitions:No betting on games involving colleges located in D.C.
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019):None
Population: 705,749

20. Tennessee

Regulated sports wagering -- all online -- launched on November 1, 2020 in Tennessee with four licensed operators offering a wide variety of options. The 'Tennessee Sports Gaming Act' permits statewide mobile sports betting without any brick-and-mortar anchor. As such, there are no in-person retail sports betting locations in the state. Subject to an exception, Tennessee's new law requires all licensed operators to 'exclusively use official league data for purposes of live betting.'

Type of wagering permitted: Mobile only
Notable prohibitions:None
Number of casinos (as of Dec. 31, 2019):None
Population: 6,829,174

On-deck circle

21. North Carolina

On July 26, 2019, Governor Roy Cooper signed into a law a bill to 'allow sports and horse race wagering on tribal lands,' with such betting designated as a 'Class III' gaming activity under the state compact. The new law permits betting on both college and professional sports, but all bettors must place their wagers in-person at one of two retail locations.

22. Washington

Governor Jay Inslee signed Washington's sports betting bill into law on March 25, 2020. The new law permits sports wagering at Class III tribal casinos in the state. Mobile sports wagering is not allowed statewide, but is permitted when on-site at a licensed tribal casino. Betting on an 'esports competition or event' is allowed, but the new law bans wagering on games involving in-state colleges or minor league professional events. The new bill delegates regulatory oversight to the Washington State Gambling Commission.

Us Based Sports Betting Sites

23. Virginia

After some back-and-forth between Governor Ralph Northam and the legislature, legalized sports wagering was approved in the Commonwealth of Virginia in April 2020. Online betting is allowed, but wagering is not permitted on Virginia-based college sports or certain youth sports.

24. Maryland

In November 2020, Maryland voters approved 'sports and events betting for the primary purpose of raising revenue for education' by about a 2-1 margin. A regulatory framework must be created by Maryland lawmakers before any sports wagering takes place. The Maryland referendum would potentially allow for both in-person and mobile sports betting throughout the state.

25. South Dakota

On November 3, 2020, voters in South Dakota approved a ballot measure permitting 'sports wagering in Deadwood.' Other tribal locations in South Dakota could see the arrival of regulated sports betting too. State lawmakers must now establish a regulatory apparatus and tax rate for legalized sports wagering.

26. Louisiana

In November 2020, voters in the vast majority of Louisiana's 64 parishes approved a ballot measure permitting 'sports wagering activities and operations.' As a result, regulated sports wagering could come to New Orleans and certain other cities as early as 2021. Lawmakers will be tasked with setting up a regulatory scheme during an upcoming state legislative session.

Moving toward legalization

All of these states have seen some degree of legislative activity towards the legalization of sports betting the past few years.

27. Oklahoma

In April 2020, two federally-recognized tribes reached agreement with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on new gaming compacts that include sports betting. On June 8, 2020, Governor Stitt announced that the Department of the Interior had approved the compacts, paving the way for sports betting to start in Oklahoma as soon as the 'compacts are published in the Federal Register.' A bipartisan group of state lawmakers, along with Oklahoma's attorney general, have expressed opposition to the expansion of sports betting in Oklahoma and the prospect of legalized sports wagering remains uncertain.

28. Maine

On the last day of the state's 2019 legislative session -- June 19 -- Maine lawmakers passed 'An Act to Ensure Proper Oversight of Sports Betting in the State.' Shortly thereafter, the governor vetoed the bill. The legislature could re-introduce the bill later.

29. Nebraska

On November 3, 2020, Nebraska voters approved certain amendments to its state constitution legalizing 'all games of chance.' If the new constitutional amendments are construed to include wagering on sporting events, legalized sports betting could arrive in Nebraska upon the establishment of certain regulations.

30. Connecticut

31. Kentucky

32. Massachusetts

33. Minnesota

34. Missouri

35. Kansas

36. South Carolina

37. California

39. Ohio

40. Arizona

41. Hawaii

42. Texas

43. Georgia

44. Vermont

45. Alabama

46. Florida

47. Alaska

48. Wyoming

No legalization activity ... yet

49-50. Idaho and Wisconsin

These states have not had any publicly-announced bills devoted to sports betting legalization.

Unlikely

51. Utah

Utah's anti-gambling stance is written into the state's constitution. Any change to existing state policy toward gambling would be a massive departure from decades of opposition to any form of gambling, including lottery tickets, table games and sports betting.

Legal sports betting is now available in nearly half of all US states, largely thanks to a pivotal 2018 decision from the US Supreme Court.

SCOTUS that year struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), paving the way for the expansion of state-regulated betting beyond the borders of Nevada. Once the undisputed capital of the sports gambling world, Las Vegas may eventually yield its title to larger cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York.

The decision by the US to legalize sports betting has also put pressure on other countries to follow suit. Specifically, legal sports betting in Canada is advancing quickly as a direct result of cross-border competition between casinos.

Map of legal US sports betting

So far, 24 US states and the District of Columbia have either passed sports betting legislation or begun regulating the activity under existing laws.

Where is sports betting legal in the US?

Half of the states with legal sports betting also allow online wagering via the web and mobile devices.

  • Illinois*
  • Indiana
  • Iowa*
  • Nevada*
  • New Hampshire
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island*
  • Tennessee
  • Virginia

* Requires in-person registration

The most recent addition to the list is Michigan, which launched mobile betting on January 22, 2021, following a gradual roll-out of retail betting the preceding year. Virginia beat it out of the gates by a single day, with its first sportsbook starting to take bets on January 21.

Sports betting apps and websites generate upwards of 85% of the total handle in jurisdictions that allow remote account registration. That percentage is substantially smaller across the group of states in which in-person signup is a prerequisite to mobile betting.

See the full breakdown of US sports betting revenue on Legal Sports Report.

US sports betting apps

Below are some of the most popular sports betting apps available in the US. Click through to see reviews for each, including current bonuses and promotions available to new bettors.

  • Betway (coming soon)
  • PlayUp (coming soon)

Most US sports betting apps are available for both iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) and Android.

Of course, not every app is available in every state with legal sports betting. Access to a given jurisdiction typically requires obtaining a land-based gambling license or partnering with a property that already has one.

These market-access deals are the primary vehicle for expansion, with most smaller casinos choosing to outsource their sports gambling operations.

US sports betting FAQ

Here are answers to some common questions about legal US sports betting.

Is sports betting legal in the US?

Thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision to repeal PASPA in 2018, there is no longer any federal law that prohibits wagering on sports. Legal sports betting has subsequently expanded into more than 20 US states, with nearly every other contemplating legislation.

How old do I have to be to bet on sports in the US?

Policymakers are responsible for determining the minimum age for legal sports betting in each state, ranging from 18 in some to 21 in most. Check with your local gaming regulator for the rules where you are.

Us Based Sports Betting Sites

Where can I bet online in the US?

About half of states with regulated sports betting also allow mobile wagering. See the upper section of this page for the full list of states with legal online sports betting.

How is sports betting taxed in the US?

Sports betting is taxed at the federal, state, and in some cases local level.

State taxes vary across the map, ranging from 6.75% in some up to a whopping 34% in Pennsylvania. Laws in some places also direct a share of revenue to local jurisdictions, such as the 2% that goes to PA counties with casinos. In some others, like New Jersey, retail and online betting are taxed at separate rates.

States in which the lottery operates sports betting typically employ a more lopsided revenue-sharing structure. The lotto keeps about half of all revenue in this group of states — Delaware, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island — leaving the other half to be shared across the entire supply chain.

Uncle Sam also gets his cut of the proceeds, of course. Congress long ago installed a federal excise tax on sports betting amounting to 0.25% of the total amount wagered, and it remains on the books today.

Bettors are additionally responsible for paying standard income tax on their sports betting profits.

Online Sports Betting Sites Usa

Are offshore sports betting sites legal in the US?

No. Federal law prohibits gambling sites based in foreign countries from serving US customers, though a lack of enforcement has allowed these offshore sportsbooks to flourish.

Legality aside, operators like Bovada and MyBookie are not licensed or regulated by any reputable gaming authority.

Is it legal to bet on college sports?

The NCAA and some of its member universities argue that collegiate betting carries too many integrity risks to be widely available, and the response from lawmakers has been mixed.

New York and New Jersey, for instance, chose to exclude betting on in-state college teams or events. Iowa does allow bets on in-state teams, but not on props involving individual players. In Oregon, all college sports are off the board.

That said, most states with legal sports betting broadly allow action on most college sports.

Is it legal to bet on esports and mind sports?

Most sports betting laws in the US neither explicitly include nor exclude competitive activities that don’t meet the traditional definition of a “sport,” such as esports and strategy games like chess.

Nevada was the first state to allow any form of esports betting, approving events on a case-by-case basis.

New Jersey regulators additionally allowed sportsbooks to take wagers on the League of Legends World Championship in 2019, while lawmakers in the state have for two consecutive years considered a bill that would expressly authorize such markets.

Indiana, on the other hand, does not allow any esports betting whatsoever. West Virginia has a partial ban that only allows wagers on esports events in which all participants are adults.

In most other states, the issue remains legislatively unsettled.

Is it legal to bet on US elections?

While there is no federal law governing US election betting, it is unlikely any state will allow trading on political markets in the near term. That is, of course, ignoring the few minutes in 2020 during which officials in West Virginia believed such wagers were legal.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission does not permit election markets, in part because such speculation is prohibited under state law in many jurisdictions — including WV. Political wagering additionally raises concerns about the manipulation of the democratic process and is generally incompatible with public policy.

There are two exceptions; the Iowa Electronic Markets and the website PredictIt both operate as educational endeavors under No Action letters from the CFTC.

Us Based Sports Betting Sites

What are integrity fees?

The concept of the integrity fee was one of the first points of contention to emerge following the fall of PASPA.

Beginning shortly thereafter, professional leagues (led by the NBA and MLB) began lobbying lawmakers for direct inclusion in their sports betting legislation. The industry, they argued, could not exist without their proprietary games.

The leagues’ request for compensation initially took the form of an integrity fee amounting to 1% of all wagers, an ask that was later reduced to .25%. Such a fee is not only legally unfounded but also untenable for an industry that operates on such tight margins.

Lawmakers in every relevant state rejected the notion of direct payments to leagues, so lobbyists instead pivoted toward monetizing official data by legislative mandate.

Us Based Sports Betting Sites Uk

What is official league data?

Official league data refers to the set of statistics complied directly by a sports governing body or, more commonly, one or more authorized third-party collectors. The two biggest — Genius Sports and Sportradar — are responsible for distributing this data on behalf all major sports leagues.

Best Sports Betting Site

In the eyes of the courts, most sports data is legally in the public domain and can not be copyrighted.

Us Based Sports Betting Sites

Regardless, data has become the subject of significant chatter amid the expansion of regulated sports betting in the US as leagues lobby for mandates that would prohibit bookmakers from using unofficial sources. So far, only three states have imposed any sort of limited data mandate — Illinois, Michigan, and Tennessee.