Best New Mexico Sportsbooks April 2024
| Online Sportsbooks · States · New Mexico |
Following the PASPA lift in 2018, New Mexico has become the 6th state in the US to lift the ban on brick and mortar sports betting. However, the status of New Mexico online sportsbooks still remains unchanged.
For the time being, the state still doesn’t allow online sports betting or online casinos within its borders. In this article, we are going to go through some of the options NM citizens have when it comes to sports betting. We will also take a look at the current legislation regarding sports betting and see if and how it will change.
WHY CAN'T I BET ON SPORTS IN NEW MEXICO?
Technically you can bet on sports in New Mexico, but you will have to get in your car to drive to one of the many land-based sportsbooks. Mobile sports betting still remains illegal in the state.
If the state is looking to implement online sportsbooks in New Mexico, that will require renegotiation of the Tribal-state compact.
CONTENTS
- New Mexico Sportsbooks
- New Mexico Betting Laws
- New Mexico Sportsbooks: Events & Betting Markets
- Common Payment Options
- Best New Mexico Sportsbooks FAQ
- Final Thoughts on Betting in New Mexico
NEW MEXICO DAILY FANTASY SPORTS (DFS)
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is a new way to play on major league sports teams and players in New Mexico. Try your sports knowledge skills by playing DFS, on a variety sports events like NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL PGA, MLS, and more.
NEW MEXICO SPORTSBOOKS
Since October 16, 2018, several sportsbooks have set up shop in New Mexico. In time, we can expect the number to continue to increase. Keep in mind that only people aged 21 or over will be allowed to bet legally in any of the sportsbooks.
Below, we will go through sportsbooks that are currently operating and see what you can expect.
SANTA ANA STAR CASINO HOTEL
Santa Ana Star Casino is located 10 miles north of Albuquerque. It spans on 100,000 square feet and is currently in the top 3 New Mexico casinos in terms of annual revenue. It was the first casino to officially extend its services to sports betting. The casino launched its sportsbook in partnership with a Nevadan firm called USBookmaking.
The sportsbook is open Monday - Friday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. as well as Sunday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m local time. There are even self-serving stations for the times when the sportsbook is closed. Since online sports betting is still not allowed, you can only bet within the casino’s premises.
In terms of New Mexico sports which you can find in the sportsbook, the operator lists NFL, NBA, MLB, College Basketball, College Football among others. On the operator’s casino and sports betting websites, there is only general information about the establishment. So, in order to find the full list of sports and betting odds, you will need to travel down to New Mexico and visit the casino yourself.
BUFFALO THUNDER RESORT & CASINO
Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino started offering sports betting in March 2019. It’s the second casino to do so after Santa Ana Star. The resort is about 15 minutes north of Santa Fe and it is operated by the Pojoaque Pueblo tribe.
At the time of writing, the sportsbook didn’t have established working hours. However, you can expect the sportsbook to be open during normal business hours.
The sportsbook does offer live betting, which means that punters will get to place bets during matches. It also offers parlay betting, allowing you to place multiple bets on a single ticket. Again, there isn’t a lot of information available on the New Mexico sports on offer or the betting odds.
Before the new regulation on online sports betting, the operator will not be releasing any sports betting websites. If there is a mobile app, it will probably be geo-locked and the usage will be restricted to the casino’s premises.
ISLETA RESORT & CASINO
Isleta Resort & Casino has made a more recent venture into the sportsbook business. Like Santa Ana Star, the casino has partnered with USBookmaking. This means that visitors are able to bet on a myriad of markets. These include the English Premier League, UFC, NASCAR, Pro Football, NBA, WNBA, etc.
The working hours listed on the Isleta Resort casino and sports betting websites say the following. The sportsbook is open for business from Monday to Thursday 8 am - 10 pm, as well as Friday to Sunday 7 am - 11 pm. There are also 4 wagering kiosks, for the ones who don’t like waiting for clerks.
INN OF THE MOUNTAIN GODS RESORT
The sportsbook at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort is powered by Caesars Sportsbook. This is the first, and so far the only, sportsbook in New Mexico which is powered by Caesars. As such, the sportsbook can rely on Caesars' experience, technology, and infrastructure to offer a top of the line experience.
NEW MEXICO BETTING LAWS
There are certain differences in the way New Mexico implemented setting up its sportsbooks compared to the other states. In effect, the state’s casino owners (most of whom are Native Americans) used a loophole to allow sports betting practically as soon as the federal PASPA ban was lifted. This happened without any approval from the state legislators. It was possible due to the complex relationship between the federal law, state law, and tribal compacts.
According to NM state law: betting within NM is considered a fourth-degree felony, punishable by 18 months in jail, and a fine which can reach $5,000. However, gambling conducted on Indian Land is governed by tribal law.
Namely, the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act defines three classes of gaming as legal. Class 1 and Class 2 are clearly defined. However, Class 3 is, basically, a catch-all category which includes all games not listed in the first two, i.e. sports betting.
So, the casino owners realized that there is no clause preventing them from offering sports betting in their Tribal-state compact. With PASPA repealed, the only legal obstacle to sports betting disappeared. Hence, the lawmakers could do little but accept the decision.
As we have said, Santa Ana Star Casino was the first one to offer sports betting. This opened up the floodgates to other casinos. Now, one year later, there are four establishments offering sports betting. But with dozens of casinos active in NM, it is only a matter of time when more will join in.
It remains to be seen if and when the state of New Mexico will want to step in and impose stricter regulations. One thing is for sure - the implementation of online sportsbooks in New Mexico will require renegotiation of the Tribal-state compact.
NEW MEXICO SPORTSBOOKS: EVENTS AND BETTING MARKETS
All of the currently active sportsbooks have an excellent selection of betting markets. The sportsbooks will include most of the sports and events which are popular in the US. One obvious side effect of New Mexico betting sites not being allowed is the following: unlike online sportsbooks, brick and mortar ones make it difficult to compare betting odds. Especially since none of the operators has made the odds available online. So, whichever sportsbook you decide to bet in, you will be lacking choice.
Nevertheless, let’s go through some of the most popular types of bets and betting markets in the US.
COMMON TYPES OF BETS
Depending on the types of sports, sportsbooks usually offer a variety of different betting options. Whether we are talking about the future New Mexico betting sites or the current land-based betting. These are some of the most common ones:
Win Bet
Also known as moneyline wager, the most straightforward betting type. It involves betting on the winner of the match, game or any other event.
Point Spread
One of the most popular types of bets in the US, commonly placed on football, basketball and a number of other sports. The bookmaker creates a spread, where they deduct a number of points from the favorite and give points to the underdog. You win the wager if the favorite wins by more than the designated spread. In case you bet on the underdog, you win if they win, or lose by less than the designated number of points.
Totals/Over-Unders
The bookmaker sets a number of points to be scored in a game. Bettors then bet whether the actual number of points will be higher or lower.
MOST POPULAR SPORTS TO BET ON
US punters naturally gravitate towards sports which have a large following in the States. These include the NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLB, soccer and a variety of college leagues.
POPULAR NEW MEXICO EVENTS
These are some of the popular sporting events in New Mexico:
- New Mexico Bowl
- Sandia Speedway
- Lost Tierra Torture
- USASA Winter Carnival
BEST TEAMS TO BET ON
Finally, here is a list of some popular New Mexico sports teams:
- Albuquerque Isotopes (MiLB)
- Duke City Gladiators (IFL)
- New Mexico United (USL Championship)
- Albuquerque Sol FC (USL League Two)
- New Mexico Lobos (NCAA D-I)
- New Mexico State Aggies (NCAA D-I)
COMMON PAYMENT OPTIONS
New Mexico casinos will take the most commonly-used payment options, which include cash and credit cards. If online sportsbooks start operating within the state, we would expect them to support a variety of online payment services.
BEST NEW MEXICO SPORTSBOOKS FAQ
Having in mind the complexity of the online sportsbooks in New Mexico, we will refer you to our FAQ section for any additional questions you might have.
WHAT DO I NEED TO REGISTER AT A BETTING SITE IN NEW MEXICO?
Unfortunately, for now, you cannot register at online sportsbooks, since online sports betting in New Mexico is not yet legal.
IS IT SAFE TO DEPOSIT MONEY AT ONLINE SPORTSBOOKS IN NEW MEXICO?
As soon as New Mexico online sportsbooks become legal, we have no doubt that it will be safe to deposit funds.
CAN I SET BETTING LIMITS?
Betting sites usually allow users to set a limit. It is safe to assume that New Mexico betting sites will eventually allow betting limits.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON BETTING IN NEW MEXICO
As you can hopefully see, the status of betting in New Mexico is rather complex. The lack of state legislation following the PASPA repeal means that sportsbooks currently operate in a sort of a grey area. It also means that it might potentially take a lot of time before online betting becomes available. This is due to the fact that there has to be a new Tribal-state compact which will address the issue.
At this point, there is a great chance that new brick and mortar sportsbooks will continue to open throughout the state. In any case, we will continue to follow the latest developments regarding the best New Mexico sportsbooks and update you with any new information.
