Which U.S. states have legal sports betting?
May 18th, 2021
In May of 2018, the Supreme Court opened the door for states across the U.S. to legalize sports betting when it repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).
Since then, more than 20 states, and Washington D.C., have launched online or in-person sports betting operations, which has driven substantial tax revenue to individual states.
As soon as next week, Florida could pass legislation that would make it the largest state in the country to legalize sport gambling. By doing so, Florida is expected to generate an additional $6 billion over the next decade.
According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), more than $51 billion has been legally wagered on sports since 2018.
Below, we take a look at the states that currently offer legal sports betting, along with those who are on the verge of entering the market.
States where sports betting is legal and operational
| State | Wagering type |
|---|
Arkansas | In-person |
Colorado | In-person and mobile |
Delaware | In-person |
Illinois | In-person and mobile |
Indiana | In-person and mobile |
Iowa | In-person and mobile |
Michigan | In-person and mobile |
Mississippi | In-person |
Montana | In-person |
Nevada | In-person and mobile |
New Hampshire | Mobile |
New Jersey | In-person and mobile |
New Mexico | In-person |
New York | In-person, mobile TBD |
North Carolina | In-person |
Oregon | In-person and mobile |
Pennsylvania | In-person and mobile |
Rhode Island | In-person and mobile |
Tennessee | Mobile |
Virginia | Mobile |
Washington, D.C. | In-person and mobile |
West Virginia | In-person and mobile |
Nevada: Long the predominant player in sports betting, Nevada opened its first sportsbook in 1949 and was exempt from PASPA when it passed in 1992.
While many people still flock to the state to wager on sports, in addition to playing slot and table games at its popular casinos, Nevada has faced increased competition from other states that recently entered the sports betting arena.
New Jersey: The state responsible for seeking the Supreme Court's repeal of PASPA is New Jersey, which has seen a tremendous boom in revenue from sports betting since 2018.
It is estimated New Jersey brought in around $5 billion in sports bets in 2020 and beat Nevada's handle every month of last year.
More than 80 percent of New Jersey bets are taken online, though physical sportsbooks exist in Atlantic City and at the Meadowlands.
Following the repeal of PASPA, Mississippi and Pennsylvania were quick to join the retail sports betting market, as well.
TwinSpires Sports operates inside Harlow's and Riverwalk casinos in Greenville and Vicksburg, Mississippi, respectively. As of now, no online wagering is permitted in the state.
Pennsylvania: The Keystone State accepted its first legal retail sports bet in 2018 and has averaged the third-largest monthly handle since it launched online sports betting in 2019. TwinSpires Sports debuted online in Pennsylvania on April 20, 2021.
Michigan: Projected to become a major market for sports betting, Michigan introduced in-person wagering in March 2020 and online wagering toward the end of last year. TwinSpires Sports launched in Michigan on Jan. 22, 2021.
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Indiana: Quickly after Indiana passed legislation in early 2019, sportsbooks began operating in the state in September of that year. The state saw exponential growth in sports betting, particularly during football season. TwinSpires premiered its sports betting app and desktop product in April 2021.
Colorado: In 2020, Colorado joined Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Indiana in recording more than $200 million in monthly betting handle. TwinSpires Sports began operating in Colorado on April 23, 2021.
Tennessee: In November 2020, Tennessee became the first state to approve statewide, online-only sports betting. Brick-and-mortar casinos are prohibited in the state. TwinSpires Sports launched in Tennessee on March 18, 2021.
States where sports betting is legal, but not operational
Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Washington are all on the brink of opening sportsbooks, either online or in-person.
In April 2021, Arizona passed an online sports betting bill that will permit statewide mobile wagering, along with some of the country's first in-stadium sportsbooks.
Sports wagering could come to New Orleans and surrounding Louisiana cities, as well as Deadwood and some tribal locations in South Dakota, by late 2021.
Wyoming passed similar legislation to Tennessee that authorizes statewide mobile sports betting without the presence of any brick-and-mortar casinos in the state.
Where does the rest of the country stand on sports betting?
A lot has changed since the Supreme Court overturned PASPA in May 2018.
With legal sports wagering available in nearly 40 percent of U.S. states, this once-controversial pastime has seen a substantial shift in perception.
Ads for sports betting on billboards, public transportation, and outdoor furniture are up 193% since 2018, according to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA).
Major sports leagues, like the NFL, MLB, and NBA, now hold official sports betting partnerships, and places, like Nationals Park, are set to open sportsbooks inside stadiums as soon as this summer.
A majority of U.S. states have at least entertained the idea of legalizing sports betting in the future, and many could pass some form of legislation by 2022.
Hawaii, Alaska, and Idaho have made no movement on the front, and Utah ā the only state without any major legal gaming form ā is unlikely to approve sports wagering.
For the rest of the country, legal sports betting will soon become ubiquitous and usher in a new source of revenue, as well as a new era of entertainment.