State after state launched regulated sports betting in 2020. And many more are seeking to enact proposed bills in 2021.

Whether your state is underway, legal but not yet live, considering legislation, or ruled the idea out entirely, this page has the lowdown on the sports betting situation in all 50 states and D.C.

Here are the states that have launched a regulated sports betting market.

Legal Sports Betting States

• Arkansas
• Colorado
• D.C
• Delaware
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• Nevada
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• West Virginia

• Not legal ❌

HB 315 was introduced in April 2019. The bill would create the Alabama Sports Wagering Commission to regulate the industry and allow for wagering on professional and collegiate events. Little movement since.

• Not legal ❌

It seems there’s no stopping the legal sports betting juggernaut! Even one of the least gambling industry-friendly states is set to join the ever-growing list with a sports betting bill active. Alaska sports betting would be operated by a yet-to-be-created, Alaska Lottery Corporation that would allow for any type of lottery game and feature sports betting. With there no land-based casinos in The Last Frontier, the market would primarily focus online.

• Not legal ❌
  

Introduced in February 2019, SB 1163 would legalize sports betting in Arizona. But the law would be for the state’s Indian tribes only.

• Sports betting limited to physical sportsbooks only ⚠️
  

It’s possible to bet over the counter in The Natural State - legal sports betting officially launched on July 1, 2019, at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Mobile sports wagering is not part of the framework at present.

• Not legal ❌

It looked as if, finally, sports betting in the most populous state would actually be a thing. But the Californian Indian tribes put pay to that idea, strongly opposing the proposal that would’ve allowed sports betting online and mobile.

The influential tribes want sports betting limited to casinos and horse racetracks with no online element at all. The tribes argue that sports wagering would financially harm land-based casinos.

It’s their view players will be more inclined to bet online from home if given the option, rather than visit a casino in-person and play slot machines, which are a valuable source of income.

According to Eilers & Krejcik, a CA-based research company focussed on the global gaming industry, California sports betting would generate $282 million within the first six months. Sports leagues and many CA sports teams were behind the now shelved plan. While the tribes have openly admitted that sports betting is inevitable, they want any deal to be strictly on their terms.

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

After a November ballot that legalized sports betting in Colorado, The Centennial State fully launched on May 1, 2020. Statewide mobile betting is available as part of one of the most gambling-friendly laws created so far. FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and BetRivers were among the first sportsbooks to launch. In mid-late May Bet365 entered CO sports betting. Many more are expected to launch through 2020 in what will be a highly competitive market.

• Not legal ❌
  

Try as they might, the lawmakers in the Nutmeg State are being held up in their attempt to legalize sports betting. A three-way lawsuit involving the tribal casinos, MGM Resorts and the Department of the Interior (DOI) needs to be resolved before sports betting becomes a possibility.

• Sports betting limited to physical sportsbooks only ⚠️

As one of five states exempt from the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, basic NFL parlay betting was possible before the federal ban was overturned. The First State then acted by name pipping New Jersey to the post and expanding its gambling framework. There’s no mobile wagering though.

• Not legal ❌
  

Not one, not two but three bills were filed November 18, 2019, going to show the appetite for sports betting in Florida. The proposed bills would allow for online betting, overseen by the state’s lottery. However, the Seminole tribe retains a great deal of power when it comes to gambling laws.

• Not legal ❌

There won't be sports betting in the Peach State before 2022 at the earliest. That’s after the latest attempt to legalize the industry failed to make it on the session agenda for 2020. Two bills were up for discussion, both of which would have permitted legal wagering on the state’s major league teams. However, with other more pressing issues up for discussion, sports betting was left on the sidelines and is not likely to be picked up until 2022.

• Not legal ❌
  

A 21-page bill was proposed in January 2019 that’d permit regulated sports gambling through a private entity.

• Not legal ❌

State law prohibits gambling and no sports betting legislation has been put forward. Next to no chance of introducing a legal industry.

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

It has been a confusing time for sports bettors in The Prairie State. The in-person sign-up requirement, part of the initial legislation, was removed in June by Governor J.B. Pritzker to help bettors make bets through the pandemic, only for it to be restored.

But after yet another U-turn, Illinois bettors are free - until at least October 17 - to register a betting account from a remote location. That means there's no need to to visit a land-based casino to create a betting account.

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

The launch of sports betting in Indiana was seamless. From being signed into law on May 8, 2019, to launch day on September 1, the whole process took a little over four months to complete. The Hoosier State became only the fourth state to offer full-scale mobile wagering (in-person and mobile).

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅ (in-person registration until Jan. 1, 2021)

In time for the football season, Iowa kicked off with both retail and mobile sports betting on August 15, 2019, barely three months after legalizing the industry. The deal comes with one proviso - until the first day of 2021, bettors must register for mobile betting accounts in-person.

• Not legal ❌

The outlook for legal betting in Kentucky appears bright after the state senate passed a sports betting bill that will allow for retail and statewide mobile wagering. As part of the legislation, revenue from online sports wagering will be taxed at 10%, brick-and-mortar casinos at 7.5%. Betting on high school sporting events will be off the menu according to the framework set to be overseen by the Kansas Lottery.

• Not legal ❌

A bill to legalize sports betting in Kentucky failed to pass in the state legislative session, ending hopes of a regulated in the Bluegrass State - at least for now. Having held high hopes for 2020 initially Kentuckians will have to wait until 2021 when the bill is expected to be revived.

• Not legal ❌

November 3 is the key date for Louisiana sports betting. State Governor John Bel Edwards has signed a bill into law which will see the matter voted on, parish-by-parish. If legal wagering is voted in, the next stage will see the Louisiana Gaming Control Board create the rules and regulations in 2021.

Any potential market in the Pelican State is not expected to include full-scale mobile sports betting. Instead, expect a similar framework to Mississippi where mobile wagering is limited to brick-and-mortar casinos. Louisiana is home to a population of around 4.6 million and two pro sports teams - The New Orleans Saints (NFL) and New Orleans Pelicans (NBA).

• Not legal ❌
  

It looks like Maine will not be getting legal sports betting after all! Following Gov. Mills' decision to veto legalized sports betting in early January (2020), it had been hoped the House could overturn the decision. However, with the U-turn failing to get the votes required, the original decision stands. Considering how far down the line sports betting in Maine progressed, the latest news is hugely disappointing and compounded by the probability of having to start over in 2021.

• Not legal ❌

Momentum was building for legal sports betting with voters thought to be in favor of expansion. This could still be confirmed in a sports betting referendum penciled in for November 2020, though, it's believed many voters remain unconvinced of the benefits of a legal market.

• Not legal ❌

The topic of sports betting is likely to be reviewed again in the Fall. That's after legislation for a legal industry was left off an economic bill by the Massachusetts Senate during July. Hope remains high that this is only another delay in preventing the inevitable from happening.

The consensus has always centered on when not if sports betting arrives in the Bay State. But while the rest of the US races around to get legal betting underway, MA state legislators remain unflustered and are keen to learn from the movements of other states and give the go-ahead only when the state is 100% ready.

When it eventually does, one can presume Boston-based DraftKings will head the queue of operators set to make up a highly competitive market for bettors, as well as sportsbooks alike. For now, sports bettors have the option of legal betting in bordering states, New Hampshire, or Rhode Island.

Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

Having waited over a year Michiganians can finally bet on sports online. The Wolverine State launched online sports betting and online casino simultaneously on January 22, 2021, with nine brands available from the outset. These include popular names such as DraftKings, FanDuel BarStool, PointsBet, and BetMGM. Bettors can sign-up and wager from a mobile device anywhere in state lines.

• Not legal ❌
  

The issue of sports betting remains difficult while the state’s tribes continue to oppose the idea. A draft bill failed to get off the ground in May 2019 and there has been next-to-no movement since.

• Sports betting limited to physical sportsbooks only ⚠️

Since Mississippi sports betting launched in August 2018, bettors have been restricted to on-site wagering. Unsurprisingly, this has had a negative bearing on revenue generated.

But state legislators have been casting an envious eye at the prosperous mobile markets in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Subsequently, a new bill that would legalize full-scale online sports betting has been filed.

The chance to capitalize on bordering states and attract sports bettors from Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana - all without mobile sports betting - is believed to be a key factor behind the decision to push for unrestricted online wagering.

• Not legal ❌
  

Hopes were high for Missouri sports betting to arrive in 2020 but those plans have now been temporarily shelved. In better news, the bills put forward included provisions for full-scale mobile wagering. One to watch for 2021.

• Sports betting limited to physical sportsbooks only ⚠️

Legal sports betting is officially a thing in Montana. As per legislation, bettors will need to visit a licensed retail location such as a bar or gas station to physically place a wager. Though, it’s possible to register and deposit via the Sports Bet Montana app operated by Intralot, one of the leading sports betting providers.

However, a closed market - as this essentially is - will almost certainly limit Montana’s capacity to generate substantial revenue.

• Gambling prohibited 🚫
  

State law prohibits gambling and no sports betting legislation has been put forward as a result.

• Mobile sports betting legal but limited to in-person sign-up ⚠️

Having legalized sports betting in 1949, The Silver State held a legal monopoly of single-game wagering for over six decades. No longer is this the case of course. While the market is the most mature, it doesn’t come with the same flexibility as recently legalized states; bettors must register for an account in-person, likewise with collecting winnings.

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

Mobile sports betting in New Hampshire launched on December 30th. Governor Chris Sununu placed the first bet on Tom Brady and co. to win the Super Bowl, only for them to fall at the first hurdle. Nonetheless, New Hampshirites have full-scale mobile wagering (remote registration permitted) in place sooner than expected.

There's also a retail location available for bettors in The Granite State. DraftKings, selected by the New Hampshire Lottery as the sole provider of NH sports betting, has launched it's first land-based sportsbook at The Brook. DraftKings will operate as many as 10 retail locations across the state.

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

Almost solely responsible for removing the federal ban on sports betting, the state of New Jersey wasted little time in legalizing online gambling and implementing a framework. NJ sports betting was signed into law on June 11, 2018, with the first online sportsbook launched two months later.

The availability of both retail and full-scale mobile wagering in a gambling hotspot resulted in the Garden State becoming market leaders almost instantly.

• Sports betting limited to physical sportsbooks only ⚠️

Sports betting in New Mexico hasn’t been legalized. In one of the more unique cases a loophole in the law that permits all forms of Class III gambling, including sports betting, has been fully exploited by one tribal casino. The Santa Ana Casino Hotel operated by the Pueblo of Santa Ana (a tribe of around 500 people) remains the only legal sports betting location in NM. Wagering is permitted on-site only.

• Sports betting limited to physical sportsbooks only ⚠️

Legal sports wagering in New York officially began on July 16, 2019. Four commercial and three tribal casinos kicked things off, albeit without mobile wagering. Subsequently, the Empire State is losing out on much-needed revenue to New Jersey. This is set to continue with Gov. Andrew Cuomo continuing to oppose online sports betting, going as far as to leave it out of his state budget.

• Sports betting limited to physical sportsbooks only ⚠️

Sports betting was signed into law in July 2019 but limited to two tribal casinos. Bets are accepted in-person at Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino and Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort. Mobile wagering is not yet permitted although state lawmakers are believed to be considering the idea of a gambling expansion that’d permit sports betting statewide.

• Not legal ❌
  

A bill introduced in January 2019 to legalize professional and collegiate sports was flattened almost without being debated.

• Not legal ❌

The Buckeye State has taken a giant leap forward in its bid to legalize sports betting after a sports gambling bill that went to and fro in the Statehouse for over a year was approved at the end of May. The bill still faces obstacles to be made law - let’s face it which US sports betting bill doesn’t! But if and when it does pass Ohioans - able to cross the border into Indiana to bet legally currently - can look forward to the idea of betting from home via a mobile device.

• Not legal ❌

There’s a right old ding-dong developing in Oklahoma over the approval of tribal gaming compacts. Despite opposition, Governor Kevin Stitt effectively made sports betting legal in Oklahoma when he signed deals with the Otoe-Missouria Tribes and the Comanche Nation. But the state argues that the governor did not have the authority to rewrite existing state law and failed to adhere to the Model Tribal gaming Act normally used to determine compacts. The subject is now one for the Oklahoma Supreme Court to sort.

• Mobile sports betting legal but limited to one mobile app ⚠️
  

One of a handful of states already with sports betting legislation having been grandfathered-in under PASPA, the practice of legal sports betting required no new legislation. Yet, it still took Oregon until August 2019 to offer legal sports betting, becoming the 12th state to do so. The market caters includes both land-based and mobile wagering, albeit the latter is limited to a state-run lottery betting app, Oregon Lottery Scoreboard.

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

The Keystone State passed sports betting legislation in 2017 in hope of a favorable Supreme Court decision. Hollywood Casino took the state’s first legal sports bet in November 2018. Mobile sports betting in PA followed in May 2019 to open up a market second only to New Jersey.

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

If regulators in The Ocean State had their chance again, they’d look back and ask themselves why they ever enforced in-person registration. Same for any other state who decided to go down this route.

Even before the current climate arose, making sports bettors travel to one of the state’s two casinos to complete the sign-up process severely limited the RI market.

But it seems mistakes have been learned and the in-person element will be removed entirely. This’ll mean sports bettors in Rhode Island can create an account, as well as bet, from home.

• Not legal ❌
  

There has been a movement toward permitting betting on sports with a bill proposed. But a referendum is likely required to amend state constitution before South Carolina can move forward. Competition in the region increases the likelihood, albeit you’re looking at least mid-2021 before a legal bet is made.

• Not legal ❌

We should discover the extent of South Dakota’s desire for a regulated betting market in November when the question of sports betting is decided by state voters. If there is enough in favor of the industry, legal sports betting will launch at retail establishments in Deadwood. Mobile apps could then follow statewide.

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

The Volunteer State finally launched sports betting on November 1, 2020. The entirely online market, the first of its kind in the US, has FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM amongst its list of licensed operators so far.

• Not legal ❌
  

One of a number of states looking to legalize this year with the aim of launching in 2021. A bill was introduced in February 2019 that’d require sports betting operators to pay a $250,000 fee and a 6.25% tax on each bet placed. Mobile wagering on pro and college sports would feature. But a referendum to amend state constitution is likely to delay matters.

• Not legal ❌

As a state strictly against any form of gambling (as spelled out in the State Constitution), Utah ranks the most unlikely candidate to welcome sports betting.

• Not legal ❌

The second smallest state is set to explore the possibility of legal sports betting. A committee dedicated to assessing how a regulated market would work in The Green Mountain State will soon get to work once the Senate gives the green light, as expected.

Whether the bill gets past the House though remains to be seen, though, there is the realization betting is common already. The state may as well try to regulate the industry and generate tax revenue instead of helping to fund the illegal industry, while also seeing money exit the state through bettors crossing the border to wager legally in neighboring New Hampshire.

Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

• VA became the first state in 2021 to launch a regulated sports betting market. FanDuel got online sports betting underway in the Old Dominion on January 21, in partnership with Washington Football Team. The sportsbook was the sole option for the best part of three days before, yep, you guessed it, DraftKings launched online sports betting in Virginia. BetMGM is a confirmed operator in VA and will launch in due course.

• Legal retail and mobile sports betting limited to tribal casinos ⚠️

Sports betting is officially legal after Gov. Jay Inslee put pen to paper and signed the bill through. The Evergreen State is the 21st to authorize legal sports betting and the first of 2020. But the market comes with its limitations - sports wagering can take place at tribal casinos only. Mobile betting is restricted to these properties.

• Statewide mobile sports betting legal and live ✅
  

The launch of DC sports betting has certainly experienced a few bumps in the road. But it is now officially live! Gambet DC, operated by the DC Lottery and powered by Intralot, is available through a web browser and will be available on iOS and Android apps at the start of June.

Bettors will be allowed to wager from a mobile device but only in specific areas of D.C. Within two blocks of major sports stadiums such as Capital One Arena and Audi Field is forbidden for example. Retail sportsbooks meanwhile, were expected to follow but the launch has been put back to summer 2021.

• Full-scale mobile sports betting ✅

The fifth state to legalize sports gambling in August 2018, West Virginia had to contend with a temporary suspension of its online offering due to a dispute between the only online provider and its technology provider. The launch of both FanDuel and DraftKings has seen the mobile market back on track. Five land-based casinos offer legal sports betting in WV.

• Not legal ❌

Gambling is forbidden, as per State Constitution hence no legislation has been introduced.

• Not legal ❌

And just like that, the prospect of legal sports betting in the Equality State is back where it started. At zero. The bill introduced on February 12 which would’ve have made mobile sports betting legal in Wyoming failed to pass The House a little over two weeks later. Despite the potential to improve state coffers, it appears the idea of gambling is not deemed in the best interest of the state.