It has been more than four years since the Supreme Court overturned the federal prohibition on sports wagering, thereby paving the way for individual states to decide whether or not to legalize the activity.
If you are wondering what states are on the verge of joining, and which states are still being considered? We have collected a detailed look at all 50 states (plus Washington, District of Columbia), including estimated decriminalization dates for each of the states.
Nearly every state has at least entertained the idea of legalizing sports betting, but entrenched political resistance and complicated tribal alliances will probably prohibit more than a dozen states from offering internet wagering for many years to come.
States Where Sports Betting is Legal
Alabama (Not Legal)
Numerous proposals, including one in 2021, have been put forth by the state, but they have all been rejected. There are no operational casinos in Alabama at the moment.
Alaska (Legal)
The legalization of sports betting was placed on the table for the state of Alaska in 2020, and Governor Mike Dunleavy expressed his support for the measure. Despite this, the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to its consideration, and the measure will ultimately be allowed to lapse in May 2020.
Arizona (Legal)
On April 15, 2021, sports betting became legal in Arizona. The current legislation in Arizona allows for a total of twenty licensees.
Arkansas (Legal)
Online betting is legal in Arkansas. It wasn’t until July 2021 that the first legitimate sportsbook was introduced, and it wasn’t until February 2022 that the first internet sportsbook went live. It is legal to place bets on teams competing at the professional and university levels that are based within the state.
California (Not Legal)
A significant proposal to allow sports betting in person and another to authorize sports betting online were both in the November 2022 election. Both initiatives set spending marks and had ongoing advertising efforts, but Californians overwhelmingly rejected both. Whether legal sports wagering in California will be discussed again in 2023 is unknown at this moment.
Colorado (Legal)
On May 1, 2020, the state of Colorado became the 19th state to authorize gambling, and as of that date, multiple operators enabled residents to create accounts online and place bets. There are regulations that must be followed for collegiate sports played within the state: Betting on the results of events is permitted, but wagering on individual players in university competitions is not allowed.
In the election of 2020, the state of Colorado increased the number and variety of gambling activities it is permitted to offer. Additionally, the state abolished certain gambling restrictions.
Connecticut (Legal)
Online betting became legal in Connecticut on September 30, 2021
Delaware (Legal)
Less than a month after the Supreme Court’s ruling, Delaware began offering legal sports wagering in 2018. Although there aren’t any local online sportsbooks, online sports wagering is allowed. All college sports betting is banned on home teams.
Florida (Complicated)
It is challenging to say. Sports betting was for a moment authorized and lawful, but it is currently anticipating an update due to legal concerns.
A judge declared a deal between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe to be unlawful just three weeks after it became legal to wager on sports online. Since then, the case has been pending in federal court. Even though the Department of the Interior and the Seminole Tribe submitted papers in August 2022 to restore a new agreement, talks on the subject might not begin until the summer of 2023.
Georgia (Not legal, but approval proposed)
On January 31, 2023, a group of Georgia legislators submitted a bill to legalize sports betting in the state. Sports wagering in Georgia could be legalized more quickly under the recently proposed law because it wouldn’t require a constitutional change and wouldn’t be put to a referendum among Georgians.
Hawaii (Not legal)
A bill that would have allowed for the regulation of sports betting through a newly established corporation was put forth in January 2019 but was later rejected.
Idaho (Not Legal)
There is currently no bill under consideration.
Illinois (Legal)
In June, legislation was approved to make it possible to gamble on sporting events; however, under the terms of the new law, university competitions that take place within the state cannot be bet on. It will make wagering legal in a variety of locations, both in-person (including at Wrigley Field) and online at a variety of websites.
As of the 9th of March in the year 2020, bets could be placed in the territory. In-person wagering on university sporting events is the only method permitted; placing wagers online is not an option. Betting on the results of university games played within the state is permitted, but wagering on the performance of individual players is not permitted.
Indiana (Legal)
In September 2019, betting on professional and collegiate sports became legal, and it is now possible to do so both online and offline in a number of places. It is legal to wager on the results of collegiate sports, but making player prop bets is not permitted.
Iowa (Iowa)
In 2019, Iowa approved sports betting, and by the end of that summer, several sites were accepting wagers. State legislation permits betting on both professional and collegiate athletics. It is legal to wager on the results of intrastate college sports, but placing individual prop bets is not permitted.
Kansas (Legal)
On July 1, 2022, Kansas legalized online sports wagering.
Kentucky ( Not legal, but legislation has been proposed)
In the year 2022, attempts to have a resolution approved were unsuccessful. There is currently no information available to indicate whether or not there are plans to present another proposal in 2023 to legalize betting on sports in the state of Kentucky.
Lousiana (Legal)
Many towns began offering retail sports wagering in October 2021. In January 2022, mobile sports betting was launched.
Maine ( Though not authorized, legalization proposed)
Although legislation allowing for internet sports betting was approved in May 2022, no start date has been determined.
Maryland (Legal)
Following the 2020 election, Maryland legalized sports betting; local sportsbooks opened in the Baltimore region in December 2021. In November 2022, Maryland’s first online casino went live.