The Oregon Lottery rolled out its mobile app, which eventually will include a sports betting option, on Sept. 11 in the Apple App Store. Lottery officials said the expectation is that some sort of sports betting game should be available on the app in the fall of 2019.
The app, which allows lottery customers to check for winning numbers, is in its infancy and will ultimately have myriad options for the consumers to use. According to lottery officials, the plan is to have the Android version of the app available some time in November, and at that the point, the lottery will begin marketing it.
The app is in its “launch” version and users should expect incremental changes as times wears on.
The Oregon Lottery Launched Its Mobile App in the Apple App Store Earlier This Month. A Sports Betting Game Is Planned for Fall 2019
It won’t be necessary for Oregon to pass new legislation before launching sports betting through the lottery app, state officials believe. Oregon was one of four states outside of Nevada that were grandfathered in to allow sports betting under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in May.
That said, Oregon does not currently have a tax structure specific to sports betting or mobile gaming, so the state legislature may have to create such a framework.
According to the map on the World Casino Directory, Oregon is home to 24 gaming locations, mostly along the I-5 corridor between Portland and Medford. The casinos range from card rooms to tribal casinos. The state also have horse tracks and 11 OTB parlors, as well as a summer horse racing circuit and run a has a “hub” system to accept wagers on horse and dog racing from out-of-state bettors.
As the lottery launches its mobile app, it is taking care in considering the tribal casinos, which are not governed by state law, but do have a pact that spells out taxation and other key issues. There are nine tribes in Oregon and more than 90 pacts have been crafted or renewed between 1992-2016.
Also See: Are Western States Lagging on Sports Betting? West Coast Edition
