In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports betting, leaving wagering rules and regulations to the states. Since then, sports betting has taken off all over the country, but not in every state. Below is a list of where you can legally bet on a game and where you cannot.
States where sports gambling is legal both online and offline
In these states, it legal to bet on sporting events at retail gambling sites, as well as online, with a few special cases.
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware: Three Delaware casinos began operating sportsbooks in June 2021. Mobile betting is coming soon.
- Illinois: Betting on in-state collegiate games is off limits in Illinois.
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana: Mobile sports betting isn’t offered in Louisiana, but it is legal. There is hope that it will be available early this year.
- Maryland: Online wagering is legal, but it has yet to launch.
- Michigan
- Montana: Sports betting in Montana is governed by the state’s lottery, so its site is the only one you can use to bet.
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island: In-person betting is currently available at two casinos. Online gambling is legal, but is still on the way.
- Tennessee: Tennessee is the only state with an online-only sports betting model, so there are no physical locations to place bets.
- Virginia
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
States where sports betting is legal at specific locations but not online
- Arkansas
- Mississippi: Online betting in Mississippi is limited to bets placed while at a casino.
- Nebraska
- New Mexico: New Mexico has no laws making sports betting illegal, so one tribal casino has set up a sportsbook. But it is, according to CBSSports,“not-outright-legal-but-also-not-technically-illegal.”
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Washington
- Wisconsin: Online betting is allowed only while at the retail betting sites.
States where sports betting is illegal
The following states do not allow sports betting. Many of these states have legislation pending to change that, but there’s no telling when or if it will pass.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- California
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
States where sports betting is legal, but has yet to be implemented
- Oklahoma: The tribes allowed to take bets haven’t launched their operations as of yet.
- Ohio: Ohio residents may have to wait until at least Jan. 1, 2023 to place bets on sports.
- Nebraska: Sports betting is legal in Nebraska, but regulations have yet to be formalized, so it might be awhile before you can make your wagers.
State where betting on sports is in legal limbo
- Florida: In Florida, sports betting was made legal, and the Seminole tribe launched an online sports betting operation on Nov. 1, 2021, but a judge halted it a few weeks later. Whether and when it returns is up to the courts.
