Sports Betting States: US Legalization Tracker & Bill Updates

Key Takeaways

• Currently, 38 states, plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, offer legal sports betting in some format. There are 30 states that have online sports betting via either smartphone apps or websites. DC and Puerto Rico also allow online betting.
• In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down PASPA, the federal ban on sports betting. This decision allows each state to determine whether it wants to legalize sports betting within its borders.
• Nearly every US state legislature has at least introduced a sports betting legalization bill at some point since 2018. More revisited or introduced new legislation in 2024.
• This page monitors sports betting bills at every step through their legislative journey, from introduction through passage or failure.

Legal Sports Betting States: Latest US Laws and Bill Updates

Online sports betting account for the vast majority of legal wagering on sports throughout the United States. While online betting is not new, any website or app outside Nevada that offered sports betting inside the United States before 2018 did so illegally.

Earlier in 2024, North Carolina became the 30th state to launch online sports betting, upgrading its offerings on March 11. Now, these states, along with Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, have legal, regulated sports betting industries.

Some tribes in New Mexico, North Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin offer sports betting under an existing Class III gaming compact.

Mississippi allows app-based sports betting but only on site at licensed casinos. Montana offers in-person betting through lottery terminals and an app that only works in authorized Sports Bet Montana locations.

Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah are states where there is no sports betting.

Active 2025 Online Sports Betting Bills

Many states have now concluded their legislative sessions for the year, and only one state still has active sports betting legislation. This list will grow as more sports betting legislation is introduced in the future.

Missouri: Bills in the legislature stalled once again in 2024. However, the Missouri secretary of state’s office recently approved a sports betting ballot initiative, so voters will have their say on the issue at the polls in November. The measure needed 170,000 valid signatures to go onto the ballot, and 340,000 were submitted. The signature-gathering process was later challenged by Missouri-based legal consultants, but the judge ruled in favor of Secretary of State John Ashcroft.

There is also new federal sports betting legislation. The SAFE Bet Act was introduced by Rep. Paul Tonko and Sen. Richard Blumenthal in September 2024 and addresses affordability, advertising, and AI in the industry. The act would also ban prop betting on college sports.

Other Key Sports Betting Bills

Delaware: The House Administration Committee advanced sports betting bill HB 365, which would have expanded the state’s online sports betting market. However, lawmakers ended up leaving the proposal on the table. BetRivers remains the only active sportsbook in the state.

Illinois: Governor J.B. Pritzker signed off on the state’s 2025 budget, which includes a tax hike on sports betting operators in the state.

New York: New York Sen. Joe Addabbo introduced a bill, S9044, that would raise the legal age for participation in fantasy sports contests from 18 to 21. The bill would also allow the state to potentially collect an extra $150 million in revenue from fantasy contests. The bill did not pass prior to the end of the legislative session.

North Carolina: Rep. Marcia Morey introduced HB 967, a bill that would outlaw college player prop bets in North Carolina. The bill did not advance before the end of the legislative session.

Nebraska: During a special session in the summer of 2024, Sen. Eliot Bostar introduced LB13 alongside a constitutional amendment to expand sports betting in the state to include online options. The session ended without the issue receiving much traction.

Which States Could Legalize Sports Betting Next?

States seeking additional sources of tax revenue and wanting to better address responsible gambling issues continue to look into sports betting legalization and regulation.

In recent years, these states examined sports betting bills but failed to get them across the finish line.

• Alabama: Senate versions of a bill died in the House again in 2024. Prospects appeared promising before sports betting was removed from a lottery bill that eventually failed.
• California: A ballot effort in 2022 to legalize mobile wagering failed, drawing less than 20% support from California voters. Tribal gaming interests control the future of sports wagering in the state.
• Georgia: Multiple bills came close to passage in recent years but fell short because of competing political pressures. A push went through the Senate in 2024, but the House could not come to an agreement by the end of the March session.
• Minnesota: A promising legislative push fell apart late in 2023 and 2024.
• Mississippi: While sports betting is already legal in Mississippi, it is only available in person, or online while physically located at a sportsbook. A proposal during the 2024 session was passed by the House but died in conference committee in the Senate.
• Nebraska: While retail sports betting is already available in Nebraska, new legislation introduced during a special session could make online sports betting legal as well.
• Oklahoma: Many stakeholders within the state, including the governor, support sports betting. However, getting a bill passed that satisfies the needs of tribes and legislators has been an issue.
• Texas: A bill to legalize sports wagering passed the House in 2023, a first in Texas. The bill quickly stalled in the Senate and cannot be picked up until 2025, when the legislature next meets.

Online Sports Betting Legalization Timeline

The number of states with legal online sports betting grew quickly in the years after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on single-game wagering in 2018. There are now 30 states with online betting, and more are on the way.

Below is a list of mobile launch dates for every legal state.

2010

Nevada becomes the first state to launch online sports betting when the STN Sports app goes live in October.

2018

Aug. 1 – New Jersey

Dec. 27 – West Virginia

2019

May 28 – Pennsylvania

Aug. 15 – Iowa

Sept. 4 – Rhode Island

Oct. 3 – Indiana

Oct. 16 – Oregon

Dec. 30 – New Hampshire

2020

May 1 – Colorado

May 28 – Washington, DC

June 18 – Illinois

Nov. 1 – Tennessee

2021

Jan. 21 – Virginia

Jan. 22 – Michigan

Sept. 1 – Wyoming

Sept. 9 – Arizona

Oct. 19 – Connecticut

2022

Jan. 8 – New York

Jan. 28 – Louisiana

March 5 – Arkansas

Sept. 8 – Kansas

Nov. 23 – Maryland

2023

Jan. 1 – Ohio

March 10 – Massachusetts

Sept. 28 – Kentucky

Nov. 3 – Maine

Nov. 7 – Florida

2024

Jan. 3 – Delaware

Jan. 11 – Vermont

March 11 – North Carolina

How Online Sports Betting Legalization Laws Affect Athletes and Coaches

There are 25 jurisdictions that explicitly prohibit an athlete or related person from betting.

These jurisdictions are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, DC, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Of those, four include penalties for the person betting, while the others penalize the sportsbook or license holder. Those four are Colorado, Michigan, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Ten jurisdictions explicitly via law and or regulation bar the use of non-public information. These are Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, DC, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Which State Was the First to Legalize Online Sports Betting?

New Jersey was the first state to legalize online sports betting, launching in August 2018 after the Supreme Court overturned PASPA. Since then, sportsbooks have dominated the market. New users can often claim bonuses using a sportsbook promo for free bets or deposit matches. These promotions have fueled the rapid growth of online sports betting across the United States. Today, many states offer legal sports betting sites, following New Jersey’s lead.

Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Your State?

The legality of sports betting varies by state, with some allowing it while others do not. In states where it is permitted, betting sites frequently offer sportsbook promos to attract bettors. Many bettors take advantage of these offers to maximize their potential winnings. Be sure to review your state’s regulations to determine if sports betting is permitted.