IS SPORTS BETTING LEGAL in the United States?
Until May 2018, betting on sports at the USA was essentially restricted to placing a wager in person at a sportsbook at Nevada. That changed when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), also Called the Bradley Act, was struck down by the Supreme Court. Now that PASPA is dead, every nation has the power to set its own laws for online and in-person sports gambling.
Laws and rules surrounding sports betting fluctuate from state to state. New Jersey, by way of instance, moved extremely quickly and passed a legislation to allow legal sports gambling online and in person in June 2018. West Virginia and Pennsylvania currently allow in-person betting but not online. Other states, like California and New York, have yet to legalize sports wagering.
HOW DO YOU BET ON SPORTS LEGALLY in the United States?
Sports betting in the USA is regulated on a state-by-state basis, which means you have to either live in or go to a country that has legalized sports betting gambling so as to wager on sports legally (see map below). As soon as you’ve entered a state where sports betting is legal, it is time to obtain a legal sportsbook, either online or by visiting a brick-and-mortar location (and again, this will vary state-by-state).
WHERE CAN I BET ON SPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES?
A map of the place to bet on sports in the USA WHERE IS SPORTS BETTING LEGAL IN THE USA?
Nevada
Not much has changed in Nevada post-PASPA. Bettors can place wagers in person in one of many sportsbooks around the country. Many sportsbooks do offer mobile wagering within state limits but online accounts have to be registered, verified, and financed in person at the sportsbooks.
Find out More about gambling on sports at Nevada
New Jersey
New Jersey became among the earliest states to modify its regulation post-PASPA in June 2018. Bettors are now able to place wagers online sports at a number of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks as well as through online programs as long as you are within state limits.
Learn more about betting on sports at New Jersey
West Virginia
West Virginia began offering legal sports betting at August 2018 and is currently available at sportsbooks in a few casinos. In late December 2018, online wagering became available through the BetLucky app, and other major players are expected to be online shortly.
Find out More about betting on sports at West Virginia.
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State established sports betting at November 2018 and currently has five sportsbooks across the state. Online betting isn’t an option just yet but that could happen as early as 2019.
Find out more about gambling on sports in Pennsylvania.
Mississippi
Mississippi flipped the switch and started accepting single-game wagering on sports in August 2018. Sports betting, like all gaming in the country, is presently limited to land- and – water-based casinos. The law does allow mobile sports gambling on casino property, even though it isn’t presently available.
Learn more about sports betting in Mississippi.
Delaware
Delaware moved fast post-PASPA and began accepting sports gambling at its casinos on June 5. The present law allows for mobile and online wagering, even though it currently is not offered.
Learn more about sports betting in Delaware.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island started accepting sports bets in late November 2018 at the Twin River Casino and then in December 2018 at the Twin River Tiverton Casino. The legal age for betting on sports in Rhode Island is 18, whereas its 21 in most other states. Online sports gambling is legal as of March 25, 2019, but isn’t yet available.
Find out more about sports betting in Rhode Island.
New Mexico
New Mexico took its first sports wager in October 2018 in the Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel. No new law was passed, but after PASPA, sports gambling is allowed because a gaming compact which the casino has the state. Sports betting remains illegal online and elsewhere in the nation.
Arkansas
Sports gaming formally established in Arkansas on July 1, 2019, once the very first legal sports wager was accepted at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Currently, Oaklawn is the sole real estate to provide sports gambling. Arkansas becomes the ninth state in the country to legalize sports gambling.
WHAT OTHER STATES WILL LEGALIZE SPORTS BETTING SOON?
Sports gambling should be legal in a few more states in 2019 and plenty more are expected to roll out fresh laws in the next several years.
California
A set of lawmakers in the Golden State are hoping to legalize sports gambling as Sen. Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Adam Gray introduced a ballot measure in late June 2019. This would give Californians the chance to vote on changing the state Constitution — and legalize sports gambling — in the November 2020 election.
Connecticut
Connecticut, along with New York, had a state-level law in place in 2017 ahead of their legalization from the federal authorities. Sports gambling didn’t come to be a fact in 2018 but there’s hope for 2019 as a new invoice appeared in March that could legalize sports betting.
Find out more about betting on sports at Connecticut.
Illinois
Sports betting in Illinois is official after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it into law in late June following lawmakers and the Senate passed a wide expansion of gambling that includes sports betting in earlier in the month.
Learn more about gambling on sports at Illinois.
Indiana
Indiana has moved fast in 2019 to make legalized sports betting a reality and on February 26 the state Senate passed a gaming bill (SB 552) that would include sports gambling. The bill proceeded through the House in late April and received Gov. Eric Holcomb’s touch on May 8, meaning that legalized sports betting in Indiana is on its way. The planned launch date is September 1, 2019.
Learn more about betting on sports at Indiana.
Iowa
Sports betting is legal in Iowa following Gov. Kim Reynolds signed bill SF 617 in law on May 13, 2019. Iowa is looking at summertime 2019 for the launching of sports gambling. The new law allows for both retail and mobile wagering, though cellular accounts will need in-person registration through the end of 2020.
Find out More about gambling on sports at Iowa
Maine
Maine has taken a play out of Illinois’ and Indiana’s playbooks in passing a sports betting bill at the last minute. Bill LD 553 made it through the Senate on June 18, 2019, then was approved by the House. The bill now faces extra votes and a touch from the Governor, however, it’s expected to be set into law in 2019.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced plans to legalize sports gambling in the state when he introduced a bill to the state’s legislature in mid-January, 2019. Baker’s invoice, or one of the others which were introduced in mid-January, is predicted to pass, meaning legalized sports gambling in Massachusetts must be coming soon.
Learn more about betting on sports in Massachusetts.
Michigan
It seemed as it online sports gambling was to eventually become a reality in Michigan if lawmakers passed a bill in late December 2018 that could legalize it. A couple of days later, however, and only 3 days before leaving office, Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed the bill. Lawmakers will continue to try and legalize it but it is going to likely be 2021 prior to online sports gambling is allowed in Michigan.
Montana
Montana became the ninth largest state in the nation — and first in 2019 — to legalize sports gambling when Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill on May 3. The state lottery will oversee sports betting gambling which is administered through kiosks and mobile apps. The country expects to launch sports gambling by the autumn of 2019.
New York
New York is another nation that had a state law which legalized sports betting on the books before PASPA fell in May 2018. Back in 2013, New York voted to allow the building of four new casinos which would also take sports wagers. The Supreme Court’s decision last May triggered legalized sports gambling in New York and all that was required was for the New York State Gambling Commission to pass a pair of sport wagering rules. That occurred on June 10, 2019, making sports gambling officially legal.
Learn more about gambling on sports at New York.
Oregon
Oregon already has a law in place that allows some types of sports betting and actually used to offer you a football parlay card through its state lottery, even though that stopped about 10 years back. The country plans to roll out single-game sports wagering throughout the state lottery and it is targeting September 8, 2019, as the launch date.
Tennessee
Tennessee became the fourth state to legalize sports gambling at 2019 when Gov. Bill Lee returned the Tennessee Sports Gambling Act (HB001/SB0016) into the General Assembly on May 24 with no trademark, allowing the bill to become law. Sports gambling in Tennessee will be unique in that it’ll be online only and there won’t be some brick-and-mortar places.
Find out more about sports betting in Tennessee.
Washington D.C.
The nation’s capital combined the sports betting scene in late 2018, passing a law which will allow its lottery to administer legalized sports gambling. There are no strategies for casinos and the big-name apps will not be accessible within the authority, but there will be an internet app available, as well as brick-and-mortar locations run from the DC Lottery. Expectations are for this to be live by September 2019.
Learn more about betting on sports at Washington D.C.
SPORTS BETTING FAQS
How can you wager on sports?
There are many different ways to bet on sports. The most common approaches are usually betting on the moneyline (who’ll win the game), the spread (which team will win or not lose by a predetermined margin of points), and also the total (whether the total amount of points will be Over or Under a predetermined total). Find out more about sports betting basics and strategies in our How to Bet section.
Is sports gambling legal in Europe?
Sports betting is governed on a country-by-country foundation in Europe. Online sports gambling is legal in many European countries, like the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Spain, and Russia.
Is sports gambling legal in Canada?
Broadly , yes. Canadians can place sports bets using their provincial lotteries and can also set wagers with offshore sportsbooks who run in a legal gray area in Canada.
Are online gambling sites and apps safe?
For the most part, online gambling sites are safe. To ensure you are protected, make certain to place your wagers with a legal sportsbook in the USA as these are heavily controlled by political authorities.
What are offshore sports betting apps and sites?
Offshore sports gambling apps and sites refer to internet sportsbooks that operate outside of the USA. Betting at one of these sites while in the USA is prohibited. Check out Covers’ sportsbook review page for a list of legal sportsbooks in the united states.
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