Legal Sports Betting States: US Legislation Tracker
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.
This website () is owned and operated by Leadstar Media AB. They’re not quite the same as your traditional online sportsbooks, but they are the next best thing. That’s because we only include legal, licensed, and regulated sportsbooks that operate under US jurisdiction on our site. Below, you’ll find a complete list of legal US sportsbooks, along with our editorial breakdown of how they differ.
An open market with dozens of sports betting options has Arizona punching well above its weight in the U.S. sports betting landscape. To no one’s surprise, Illinois is a Top 3 sports betting market, trailing only New York and New Jersey. More surprising is New Jersey’s success, as the Garden State is the second-largest U.S. sports betting market. The following states are 99.999% unlikely to legalize sports betting. The following states could legalize sports betting within the next 3-4 years. In 2025, 39 states plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico have legalized some form of sports gambling, with mobile wagering legal in more than two dozen states.
States like New Jersey, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Arizona feature a wide selection of different online sportsbooks. Flourishing U.S. markets like New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and many others allow both online and in-person sports wagering. When it achieved the feat in mid-2021, Virginia was the fastest state to hit $1 billion in sports betting handle. Instead, Nevada has cemented its status as a sports betting destination, pulling in new sports bettors from across the country.
Some states allow full casinos, others only permit lotteries, and a few ban almost everything. The legal definition of gambling is shaped by each state. For this reason, every regulated market now enforces Responsible Gaming Statutes and Regulations designed to help players set limits and keep gambling safe. Sports betting, however, is rising fast, especially during the NFL season when wagers peak. The percentages in parentheses next to the betting data points indicate how the handle and revenue figures have changed from the previous year’s totals. As the table below shows, the legalization of online poker goes almost entirely hand in hand with the availability of iGaming.
In short, the UIGEA made it illegal for US firms to knowingly process financial transactions for illegal gambling sites. The UIGEA did not criminalize online gambling itself, but rather attempted to hamstring the industry by targeting the finances of illegal gambling operations hosted on overseas servers. Betting News is your trusted source for betting picks and up to date news and stats on the NFL, MLB, NHL and many other sports. Meanwhile, some states have begun talks and even implemented online horse betting. Land-based racetracks remain the primary IRL venues, while online platforms like TVG, or Twinspires offer remote wagering.
No states have moved to clamp down on gambling to any major degree in recent years, but many states have instead chosen to expand legal gambling options for their citizens. What’s legal in one state may be outlawed the next state over, so we like to provide that information on a state-by-state basis. This is where state gambling commissions come into play and spell out all the rules for legal forms of gambling within each state. State laws also tend to deal with the nitty gritty details of gambling regulation.
Note that some states restrict mobile play to users who are physically in a retail location. Sports betting has never been accessible to more Americans than it is now, but how exactly did we get here? A rollout should happen by December 2025, but we’ll keep you posted with updates on MO gambling laws. Sports betting bills have failed in Georgia in 2022, 2023, and 2024; some have made it through the Senate but never the House. To bet on sports anywhere in Wisconsin, you must be at least 21 years old.
When the Hoosier State legalized offline gambling in 2019, only casinos and offtrack betting sites could host sports betting as well. Sen. John F. Keenan introduced Bill SD 1657 in January 2025, which would increase the tax rate on sports betting sites to a whopping 51%, up from 15% on retail wagering and 20% on mobile bets. Bettors in Puerto Rico can now legally place bets at licensed retail sportsbooks, with online betting expected to expand further as more operators enter the market. The state initially launched with retail sports betting at its casinos, and it wasn’t until March 2022 that online sports betting became available, expanding the market significantly. With nine states across the U.S. considering to legalize or expand sports betting in casinos to mobile and online apps, the market will almost certainly expand in 2026.
Online Casinos (iGaming)
For now, however, bettors in these states must travel to a licensed venue to participate in legal sports betting. In these sports betting states, you must visit a physical location, such as a casino, racetrack, or tribal sportsbook, to place a bet. Missouri now offers both online and retail betting statewide, making it one of the most accessible markets for bettors. These states represent the core of the U.S. sports betting market, where multiple licensed operators compete to offer odds, bonuses, and betting options. The number of states with legal sports betting has steadily increased every year since 2018, and the trend is expected to continue.
The American Gambling Association and local hotlines offer resources for responsible play. With very few exceptions, gambling is simply not allowed. At the other end of the spectrum, players often ask What is the strictest state for gambling? When people ask Which U.S. state has the most gambling? There is no single federal rulebook that applies to every form of gambling. Millions of Americans face gambling problems each year.
- PASPA, the Federal Wire Act and the UIGEA aren’t designed to target individual bettors, but rather the institutions facilitating sports betting.
- The Act does not address or target players in any way, nor does it prohibit US players from enjoying online gambling options.
- If you’re an American bettor, it is no less than crucial that you bet only at licensed and legal online sportsbooks.
- Anti-gambling groups contend the lottery preys upon the poor and online lottery ticket sales only exacerbates the problem.
Native American tribes are required to use gambling revenue to provide for governmental operations, economic development, and the welfare of their members. Within six years after commercial gambling among Native Americans developed, 75 to 80 of the 300 federally recognized tribes became involved. Prior to this, the Native Americans had no previous experience with large-scale commercial gambling.
Bear in mind that placing a bet on your mobile device is only possible through the only licensed app—Sports Bet Montana. Sports betting launched in Kansas on September 1, 2022, with Gov. Kelly placing the first bet—$15 on the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LVII at 10/1 odds. Wagering on sports had its debut in March 2020 when BetRivers Sportsbook took the first bet. Hawaii is a state with one of the strictest possible anti-gambling laws.
You must be 21 years of age or older to participate in Nevada online sports betting. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has raised the legal sports betting age from 18 to 21, effective July 15, 2026. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June 2024 essentially solidified the Seminoles’ monopoly over Florida online sports betting until at least 2051. The nation’s capital has a very interesting approach to online sports betting. Players must be 21 years of age or older to legally participate in Delaware sports betting.
From the most popular sports to niche events, making them an attractive option for US residents with limited options in-state. Yet, bettors in certain states still face limitations to what they can wager on. The AGA estimates that US players wager over $60 billion per year on offshore sites. This affected the industry’s growth and drove some offshore operators away from the US market.
For many less popular sites, its just easier to stay out of the US market altogether. You can play real money poker online using any of the sites listed here. US legal online poker is extremely popular, though it’s largely unavailable from domestic operators. If you want to wager on impeachment odds, debate odds, political props, and Presidential elections, you can “stuff the ballot box” at any reputable offshore betting site.
Gambling online has truly become one of the most popular venues of online entertainment. The UIGEA is directed at payment processors and attempts to establish a safe and secure environment for processing gambling related transactions free of fraudulent and money laundering activities. The law was https://www.pokernewsdaily.com/sportsbooks/ passed in 1992 and exempted Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Delaware.
Starting with the 2026 tax year, you can only deduct 90% of your gambling losses against your winnings, down from 100%. This is the single biggest change for US bettors this year, and it has nothing to do with which state you live in. Article VI, Section 27 of the Utah Constitution prohibits all forms of gambling, and amending it requires a two-thirds legislative supermajority plus voter approval.
Initially intended to address organized crime, the Department of Justice has since used the act to prohibit all forms of online gambling, including sports betting. Since then, PASPA’s repeal and national support for legal sports betting has created a new boom in the industry. Online sportsbooks based outside of the USA (like the ones featured on this page) operate outside of the jurisdiction of United States betting laws. The legality of sports betting (both online and otherwise) is decided on a state-by-state basis. US residents living in states without sports betting approval can still enjoy a variety of betting options through safe offshore sportsbooks. The following resource is available for reference for organizations and others concerned about the legalization of sports betting, and how it may increase instances of gambling disorder in their communities.
❌ 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.
You can find our online sportsbook reviews in our reviews section, the majority of which are available in the United States. The top offshore sportsbooks are totally legit, safe, and trustworthy. They offer many deposit options, bonuses, great mobile sites/apps, and huge customer service teams. Online sportsbooks have decades of experience and know-how to make a great platforms. Sports betting remains illegal in Texas as of July 2026, and the next real opening is the 2027 legislative session because the Texas legislature meets in odd-numbered years.
Prediction Markets Move into College Football as On3 Signs Polymarket Deal
Gov. Lamont placed the first in-person sports bet on September 30, 2021, while mobile sports betting went fully operational on October 19, 2021. Each casino is allowed up to two skins for online sportsbooks. DraftKings, BetMGM, and FanDuel are the first big sports betting companies with signed sportsbook deals in the state. There are no sports betting legalization plans in Alaska. While PASPA was enacted from 1992 to 2018, only Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana were exempt from the federal ban on sports betting in some form. Sports enthusiasts across the nation welcomed the change as it allowed all states to decide whether or not to legalize sports betting.
The Wire Act prohibited the use of wire communication facilities to transmit bets and wagers on sports events across state lines. However, the accessibility of sportsbooks across these states still varies significantly. MyTopSportsbooks reviews and recommends sportsbooks independently.We might earn a comission if you sign up to a sportsbook using our links. These are the best offshore sportsbooks available where you are!
Despite the rapid expansion of legal sports betting states, there are still several parts of the country where regulated wagering is not permitted. Missouri joined the list of states with legal sports betting when it launched on December 1, 2025, becoming the 39th state to legalize wagering. The remaining states either offer retail-only betting at casinos or have legalized betting but have not yet launched. Offshore betting sites that are not licensed in the US states they accept customers from are breaking state and federal online gambling laws. As more states embark on legislative efforts to legalize online gambling, more sportsbooks and racebooks are sure to enter the market. As a licensed sports betting affiliate in several key states, Betting USA receives compensation for player referrals to online sportsbooks.
An established name making its way into new markets, Bet365 delivers a huge range of betting options for all sports, with a special emphasis on soccer and tennis. A handful of states have passed legislation authorizing retail sportsbooks at stadiums. Most sports betting operators contract geolocation out to GeoComply, a company that specializes in location verification.
Sports betting in the District of Columbia officially launched on May 28, 2020, with the introduction of GambetDC, an online and mobile sports betting platform operated by the DC Lottery. The process was relatively swift, as Delaware had already been offering limited sports betting through parlay cards since 2009. Delaware made headlines on June 5, 2018, by becoming the first state outside Nevada to fully legalize sports betting, following a landmark Supreme Court decision.
Because these sites use state-of-the-art SSL and TLS encryption standards – and because they never share or sell private information with third parties – you can rest easy knowing that your gambling hobby is not only legal but secure, as well. If you use the legitimate gambling services listed here, you are guaranteed a safe, secure betting experience. It is a hefty investment and a lot of work to offer US-friendly online gambling, and not all brands are in a position to meet the standards necessary for success.