Legal Sports Betting : Status by State April 2024

Chris Altman Sports Betting Expert

13 minute read

Here's a breakdown of the newest betting sites in the US market.

Legal online sports betting is a growing trend throughout the United States. Several states have already legalized sports betting, while many others have begun discussions on how such bills would benefit their state by taxing revenue on betting.

Locate your state above to see what the current legal status is and check out VegasInsider's list of US sportsbook bonus codes to get started with a little bit of extra value.

🚨 KENTUCKY IS NOW LIVE!

Check out the best sportsbooks in KY right here, and use the links on that page to get exclusive offers!

STATES WITH LEGAL ONLINE SPORTS BETTING

Wondering how to place an online sports bet now that it's legal where you live? Just click on your state for our expert review about the best betting sites and sports betting apps available near you!

Updated on : 04/26/2024

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Connecticut^a
• Kentucky
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Kansas
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Nevada
• New Hampshire^b
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Oregon^b
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island^b
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

^a: Betting is online, but provided only by FanDuel and DraftKings.
^b: Betting is online, but only with one state lottery run provider.

The best US sportsbooks have great welcome offers to get you started with your online sports betting.

Last Updated April 26, 2024 10:00 AM ET

STATES WITH LEGALIZED SPORTS BETTING LAUNCHING SOON

Come find out what's currently being discussed in your state and whether legal online sports betting could be coming soon to you. Click on your state for all the information you're looking for!

• Maine
• Florida
• North Carolina
• Vermont

STATES WITH SPORTS BETTING IN RETAIL ONLY

Online sports betting may not be available yet in these states, but there are other options when it comes to betting on your favorite sports or teams. Read our full coverage of all available sports betting options in your home state!

• Delaware
• Montana
• Mississippi
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• South Dakota
• Washington
• Wisconsin

STATES DISCUSSING LEGAL SPORTS BETTING

Most of theses states are still in the first stages of considering legal sports betting.

• Georgia
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Oklahoma
• Texas

STATES WITH NO MEANINGFUL SPORTS BETTING LEGISLATION

At the moment, these states seem far away from any meaningful legislation of online sports betting. However, we've still gathered the most interesting information available about sports betting in each.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• South Carolina
• Utah

CAN YOU BET ON SPORTS IF YOU ARE UNDER 21?

Users of online sportsbooks must be 21 in all but five states with legal sports betting. The five states where you can be 18 and older to bet legally online are Kentucky, New Hampshire, Montana, Rhode Island, and Washington. In all other states with legal, online betting, 21 is the minimum age for betting. Read more about responsible gambling guidelines.

AVAILABLE BET TYPES

The best sports betting sites have a variety of bet types. From straightforward moneyline bets to multi-selection accumulators, online sportsbooks cater to all levels of bettors. Here are some of the popular bets you may encounter at sportsbooks and on sports betting apps.

MONEYLINE

In a moneyline bet, you bet on a team to win the game outright. Although these are very straightforward bets, they aren’t always lucrative unless you bet on the underdog. Backing the favorite to win rarely gives you good odds.

POINT SPREAD

Point spread wagering is standard in basketball and football, among other sports. The sportsbook's oddsmakers will set a game's spread as either a negative or positive number. This number indicates the difference in scoring between two teams.

Typically, the favorite in a match will have a negative number since they're expected to score more points than their opponent, and you're betting on the difference between the teams' scores.

In a point spread bet, the winner or loser doesn’t matter. The important thing is that they cover the point spread. The favorite must win by the number of points allocated, whereas the underdog must win outright or lose by less than the number of points allocated.

Here’s an example: Team A is the favorite with a point spread of -3.5, and Team B has a point spread of +3.5. To win a bet on Team A, it must win by 4 points or more. To win a bet on Team B, the team must either win outright or lose by 3 points or less.

TOTALS (OVER/UNDER BETS)

A total bet is another straightforward wager. You are betting on whether both teams' combined scores will be under or over a specified number. If the sportsbook sets the number at 50, and you believe that the total game score will be more than that (ie: Team A scores 25 and Team B scores 27), you bet the over. Alternatively, you bet the under if you feel that the teams won’t reach that combined total.

PARLAYS

Simply put, a parlay bet allows you to combine multiple wagers on one slip. You can include different bet types and wager on various games, all on one ticket. To win a parlay bet, all individual selections on the slip must win; however, certain sportsbooks will offer parlay insurance that will enable you to get a payout even if one "leg" (one selection in your parlay) fails.

IN-PLAY BETS

You place an in-play bet when a match or game is already underway. This type of betting is also called live betting, and is at the forefront of mobile sports betting.

In days prior, live betting was impossible, as you'd wait at the counter and potentially miss an in-game occurrence as it happens. Now that mobile apps allow bettors to bet as the action happens, bettors can place bets on-the-fly. These in-play bets are always prop bets.

PROPS

Prop bets, or proposition bets, are smaller wagers placed on specifics within a game that don’t affect a game’s outcome. They are popular in football betting, but we see prop bets for multiple leagues on the best sports betting sites.

You can wager on anything from the Most Valued Player to the time of the first touchdown in a game. You can find prop bets on a majority of reputable online sportsbooks in the US and abroad.

FUTURES

As the name suggests, a futures bet is one on a game that’s taking place at a later time. The NFL Super Bowl and the NBA Finals are popular options for futures betting.

You would usually place a futures bet during the season for the final game. To win the bet, the team you’re backing must make it through to the finals and then win. You can also find futures for division winner, MVP, and more.

Be sure to explore the incredible offers with the BetMGM bonus code.

WHERE WILL SPORTS BETTING BECOME LEGAL IN THE US?

Ever since Nevada made the initial move to legalize sports betting, there has been a steady stream of states following suit, with many states keen to provide the best sports betting options. Some states are in the process of passing the necessary bills, while others are lagging a bit further behind and still deciding on the relevant structures for regulation.

OHIO LEGAL SPORTS BETTING

Ohio has been attempting to get legal online sportsbooks since 2019, when two legislators (one House rep and one state Senator) put forward their own versions of a bill. Neither passed, but the championing of Sen. Kirk Schuring pushed forward his own version of a bill. Tacking that Senate bill onto a Veteran ID card bill from the House (HB 29) was able to get legal online sports betting for Ohioans, and sports betting launched on January 1, 2023.

MASSACHUSETTS SPORTS BETTING

Instead of a bill, the Massachusetts House included sports betting revenues into a 2021 economic plan signed off by the legislature and the governor. That's similar to the way things went down in New York, with the approval of the budget essentially acting as an approval of legal sports betting. However, it was still up to the House and Senate to agree on and pass a bill.

2021 came and went without a real proposal for betting, but 2022 saw the arrival of H.5164, which got enough momentum to be voted and signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker, a famously pro-betting politician. Sportsbooks in MA are now offering legal online betting as of March 10, 2023!

New customers 21+ only, must be present in MA. T&Cs apply. Users must not be excluded from betting. If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling and needs support, call 1-800-327-5050 or visit https://helplinema.org to speak with a trained specialist free and confidentially 24/7.

HISTORY OF SPORTS BETTING LEGISLATION IN THE US

EARLY ROOTS

Like many countries, gambling in the United States of America has its roots in centuries-old history. It started with lotteries, which in the 17th and 18th centuries were ways for the fledgling US government to bring in capital to build the nation. Among other things, these funds went towards developing schools and universities. Yale, Harvard, and Princeton all benefited from lottery funding.

Fast forward to the 19th century, and many people perceived gambling as corrupt since society was leaning towards a more temperate America. In 1860, authorities banned all forms of gambling and sports betting, apart from horse racing. In those days, horse racing was viewed differently from other sports betting types and was generally enjoyed by the elite society.

Horse racing experienced a boom in the latter part of the 19th century. This changed in 1910 when the gambling ban was extended to include lotteries. Although horse racing was still exempt, the stigma attached to gambling and sports betting resulted in many racetracks closing down.

20TH CENTURY LANDSCAPE CHANGES

The gambling landscape changed again in the 1930s when funds were in short supply after the Great Depression. In Nevada, authorities lifted the ban on table games where players bet against the house, like poker and blackjack. One thing led to another and, in 1949, the state eventually legalized sports betting.

High taxes, organized crime, and various Acts prohibiting the movement of information and materials required for sports betting led to many sportsbooks closing down. However, in the mid-1970s, the government imposed lower taxes on sportsbooks, and for the first time, a sportsbook could operate inside a casino.

The Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978 was a turning point for sports betting. This Act made it legal for bettors in states with legal gambling to wager on horse races outside their state. It was a sign that lawmakers recognized the potential in regulated sports betting. Congress reduced taxes on sportsbooks even further, resulting in a boom across Nevada.

PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR SPORTS PROTECTION ACT

In 1992, Congress introduced the PASPA. This Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act led to a massive decline in sports betting. It prohibited states from allowing sports betting on professional and amateur sports, with a few exemptions. Horse and dog racing could continue, as could sportsbooks in Las Vegas and sports lotteries in Delaware, Oregon, and Montana.

Contrary to expectation, PASPA didn’t sound the death knell for sports betting. Some four years later, the internet became an integral part of connecting bookmakers to bettors. On January 17th, 1996, online sports betting was born, and the first wager was placed across state lines. Online sportsbooks started to flourish and became a viable form of legal sports betting.

UNLAWFUL INTERNET GAMBLING ENFORCEMENT ACT

Online sports betting hit a snag in 2006 when the federal government passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This Act made accepting money from someone participating in illegal online gambling on US soil a criminal act.

While it didn’t specifically prohibit online betting, the UIGEA targeted the financial transactions linked to sports betting. The result was that online sportsbooks with any legal or financial connection to the US withdrew from the country.

PASPA REPEAL, PRESENT DAY

In May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that PASPA effectively took away each state’s authority to regulate sports betting. SCOTUS overturned the federal ban imposed by PASPA. Each state now has the responsibility of determining how to monitor and control online betting within state lines: that's why services like GeoComply are so important: you can't place a bet across state lines due to the nature of legislating online sports betting.

Since the overturning of the ban, there’s been a massive movement towards legal sports betting. More and more states are putting structures in place to make the best sports betting available to its residents.

INDEX OF LEGAL SPORTS BETTING BILLS BY STATE

Below is a list of states with some form of legal sports betting, and a link to the bills or laws in that state, including when sports betting legally started there. In some cases, sports betting is legalized through budget approvals or through gambling commissions, linked below.

Chris Altman

Chris Altman is a sports betting writer and content expert with almost a decade of experience. He's covered everything, but his current focus is on reviewing sportsbooks and online casinos and keeping tabs on sports betting legislation. Chris has been with VegasInsider since 2019 and has freelanced in the sports betting content industry for years. More from Chris Altman