Is gambling illegal in my state, or is sports betting legal in my state? Where is US online sports betting legal or in retail locations? If you’ve come here wondering that, we’ve got you covered. Check below the map, too, for links to relevant information in your state.
When will online sports betting be legal in my state?
Hover over any state to find out what, if anything, is happening in terms of sports betting legalization there.
KEY:
- Green = Legal
- Orange = Legalized but not yet live
- Yellow = Legislation on the table
- Blue = No meaningful legislation action
More info by state
| STATE | STATUS | BILL/LEGISLATION | MOBILE / RETAIL SPORTSBOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Pending | A sports betting bill that included mobile predictably failed in 2019. The Governor has appointed a team to study gambling in the state. They have until the end of 2020 to produce a recommendation. New bills aren't likely until they've finished. | TBD |
| Alaska | No action | ||
| Arizona | Legal | Arizona sports betting is both legal and live. The state senate passed its bill, HB 2772, by a 23-6 margin in April 2021. The vote satisfied the need for a 2/3rds majority. Governor Deucy signed the legislation on April 15, officially legalizing both online and retail sports betting. After a clean rollout process, the state's first legal wagers were placed on September 9th, 2021, the first day of the NFL season. | Both |
| Arkansas | Legal | Retail sports betting went live in July 2019. | Retail only to start |
| California | Pending | In early 2020 California published a ballot initiative put forth by the state's 18 Native American tribes that would legalize sports betting, in addition to roulette and dice games, at tribal casinos. In order for it to make an appearance on November's ballot, the tribes will need to acquire the necessary number of signatures by June 25th. | Would be retail only |
| Colorado | Legal | Colorado online and retail sports betting went live in early 2020. | Both |
| Connecticut | Pending | Several bills are on on table but a tug-of-war between stakeholders and tribal-state compacts have stalled progress. | Would be both in any final bill |
| Delaware | Legal | Grandfathered under PASPA; no new legislation deemed necessary | Retail only |
| District of Columbia | Legal, not yet live | The Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 legalized sports betting in D.C. The Council voted in February to bypass an RFP process and award a sole-source contract to Intralot to roll out the city's only mobile sportsbook. Capital One Arena will be the nation's first retail sportsbook inside of a professional sports venue. | Both |
| Florida | Pending | There's been some chatter and one bill on the matter but ultimately, the Seminole Tribe will likely play a big role in how and whether legal sports betting proceeds | TBD |
| Georgia | Pending | Georgia began entertaining the addition of sports betting in fall of 2019. Public hearings have been held in 2020 and support seems to be gathering steam. Recent polling indicates that a growing majority of Georgia voters want to see sports betting and casino gaming. There's hope. | TBD |
| Hawaii | No recent action | A bill to study legal sports betting went nowhere. | |
| Idaho | No action | ||
| Illinois | Legal | Well, they did it. SB 690 was the vehicle. The first legal bets were accepted at Rivers Casino Des Plaines on March 9th, 2020. | Both |
| Indiana | Legal | Went live in September 2019. | Both. Remote online sportsbook registration allowed. |
| Iowa | Legal | Retail and online sportsbooks launched together in August 2019. | Both, but in-person registration is required until Jan. 2021 |
| Kansas | Pending | In February '20 the Kansas Senate passed a bill that would permit sports betting online, and in person at the four state-owned casinos. There is some pushback from those who think the bill is too casino-friendly, but its progress thus far is promising. | Would be both |
| Kentucky | Pending | With backing from the Governor, a sports betting bill was introduced in the Senate in 2020. However, a number of recently proposed amendments may jeopardize its chance of passing. More bi-partisan support might be needed to move forward. | TBD |
| Louisiana | Pending | Bill has passed state senate to legalize on casino premises. Vote would ultimately have to go to parish-by-parish vote. | Retail |
| Maine | Pending | Maine came close, but will have to regroup after its House voted in February '20 to kill the most recent bill. | TBD |
| Maryland | Legal, not yet live | Get ready, MD! 10 mobile sports betting licenses will be up for grabs, all tied to brick-and-mortar gaming facilities. 30 retail-only licenses for restaurants, bars, and other interested parties are also included. Expect online sports betting in MD sometime in the fall of 2021. | Both |
| Massachusetts | Pending | Whole lot of bills on table and a governor in support. There's a decent chance for it to happen in 2020. | Would be both |
| Michigan | Legal | Retail sports betting began in Michigan on March 11, 2020. Michigan online sports betting and casinos went live in January 2021. | Both |
| Minnesota | Pending | 2019 efforts didn't pan out, though there is still optimism. Legislators will try again in 2020. | Retail only |
| Mississippi | Legal | Retail sportsbooks went live in August 2018 and have been a success. They'll take another shot at mobile wagering in 2020. | Retail only |
| Missouri | Pending | Discussions, hearings, but no consensus. It's unlikely 2020 will be the year for Missouri. | Probably both |
| Montana | Legal, not yet live | Bill passed in May 2019 to legalize through the Montana Lottery in bars and taverns. | Retail only |
| Nebraska | Pending | Spurred into action by Iowa's sports betting success, Nebraska introduced LB 990, the Adopt the Games of Skill Act, in early 2020 which defines sports betting, DFS, and poker as such. The bill would pave the way for the legalization of each. The proposed legal gaming age is set at 19, and it would include in-state college bets. We'll see how it progresses. | TBD |
| Nevada | Legal | Mecca of sports betting since 1949 or so. | Both |
| New Hampshire | Legal | Went live in December 2019. | Both |
| New Jersey | Legal | Went live in June 2018. | Both |
| New Mexico | Legal-ish | There's sportsbooks operating at five tribal casinos currently. The state AG has interpreted the tribal-state compacts as allowing sports wagering. | Retail only |
| New York | Legal | Regulations approve in-person sports betting. A state-run, online sports betting structure was approved in 2021. Early 2022 seems a likely timeline for the debut of online betting. | Retail only, online coming soon |
| North Carolina | Legal | Retail sports betting is now legal and live in the state of North Carolina. Betting is only available at a pair of tribal casinos: Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River. Mobile wagers will have to wait. | Retail only |
| North Dakota | Pending | Two bills to legalize were on the table but didn't pass before the 2019 session closed. | Unclear |
| Ohio | Pending | An updated version of HB 194 is moving forward in Ohio. The bill allows for casinos, tracks, VFWs, and other fraternal organizations to seek sports betting licenses. The Ohio Lottery will serve as the regulatory body. This progress is very promising, expect additional updates soon. | Both |
| Oklahoma | Pending | In a holding pattern. Need buy-in from state tribes. | |
| Oregon | Legal | The first retail sportsbook opened in August 2019. Online wagering began shortly after in October, run by the Oregon Lottery. | Both |
| Pennsylvania | Legal | Went live in June 2019. | Both |
| Rhode Island | Legal | Legalized in 2018 at the state's two casinos, Twin River in Lincoln and the Tiverton, which launched in late 2018. | Both |
| South Carolina | No action | ||
| South Dakota | Legal, not yet live | Gov. Noem put pen to paper in March, legalizing sports betting in Deadwood, SD. The law is retail only, and only in the city of Deadwood. September 1 is the current launch target. | Retail only |
| Tennessee | Legal | Online only sports betting went live in mid 2020 | Online only |
| Texas | No action | ||
| Utah | Never | ||
| Vermont | Pending | Legislature has seen a few bills but none yet with traction. | Unclear |
| Virginia | Legal | Virginia online sports betting went live in early 2021. Retail sports betting coming in the future. | Both |
| Washington | Legal | Washington officially legalized sports betting on March 25, 2020. The law permits sports betting in-person, at tribal casinos within the state. Wagers on professional and collegiate athletics are permitted, though in-state college teams are off limits. The state of Washington took its first legal bets on September 9th, 2021. | Retail only |
| West Virginia | Legal | Went live in August 2018. | Both |
| Wisconsin | No action | There's a little talk, but no action yet. Bettors have been crossing state lines into Iowa to place bets, and there is a desire to keep that revenue local. Changing the state's constitution is still a ways off though, and legalization could lead to complications with tribal casinos looking to renegotiate terms. | TBD |
| Wyoming | Legal | Wyoming launched online sports betting on September 1, 2021. Like Tennessee, Wyoming only offers online betting. The minimum age to wager in the state is just 18. | Online only |
