IS SPORTS BETTING LEGAL IN THE USA?

Until May 2018, gambling on sports in the USA was essentially restricted to putting a wager in person at a sportsbook in Nevada. That all changed when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), also Called the Bradley Act, was struck down by the Supreme Court. Now that PASPA is dead, each state has the capacity to establish its own laws for online and on site sports gambling.
Laws and rules surrounding sports betting fluctuate from state to state. New Jersey, for example, moved extremely fast and passed a legislation to allow legal sports betting online and in person in June 2018. West Virginia and Pennsylvania now allow in-person betting but not online. Other states, like California and New York, have to legalize sports wagering.
HOW DO YOU BET ON SPORTS LEGALLY in the United States?
Sports betting in the United States is regulated on a state-by-state basis, which means you have to live in or go to a state that has legalized sports betting betting in order to wager on sports legally (see map below). As soon as you’ve entered a state where sports gambling is legal, it is time to find a valid sportsbook, either online or by visiting a brick-and-mortar place (and again, this will vary state-by-state).
WHERE CAN I BET ON SPORTS IN THE UNITED STATES?
A map of where to wager on sports in the USA WHERE IS SPORTS BETTING LEGAL IN THE USA?
Nevada
Not much has changed in Nevada post-PASPA. Bettors can place wagers in person in one of the many sportsbooks around the state. Many sportsbooks do offer cellular wagering within state limitations but online accounts have to be enrolled, verified, and financed in person in the sportsbooks.
Find out More about betting on sports at Nevada
New Jersey
New Jersey became one of the first states to modify its regulation post-PASPA in June 2018. Bettors are now able to place wagers on sports at a number of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks as well as through online programs as long as you are within state limitations.
Find out More about betting on sports at New Jersey
West Virginia
West Virginia began offering legal sports gambling in August 2018 and is now available at sportsbooks in a few casinos. In late December 2018, online wagering became accessible through the BetLucky program, and other major players are expected to be online shortly.
Learn more about gambling on sports at West Virginia.
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State launched sports betting in November 2018 and now has five sportsbooks across the state. Online betting isn’t an option just yet but that could occur as early as 2019.
Learn more about gambling on sports in Pennsylvania.
Mississippi
Mississippi flipped the switch and started accepting single-game wagering on sports at August 2018. Sports gambling, like all gaming in the state, is currently limited to land- and water-based casinos. The law does permit mobile sports betting on casino property, even though it isn’t presently offered.
Find out more about sports gambling in Mississippi.
Delaware
Delaware moved fast post-PASPA and started accepting sports betting at its three casinos on June 5. The present law allows for online and mobile wagering, though it currently isn’t offered.
Find out more about sports betting in Delaware.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island began accepting sports bets in late November 2018 at the Twin River Casino and then in December 2018 in the Twin River Tiverton Casino. The legal age for betting on sports in Rhode Island is 18, whereas its 21 in most other nations. Online sports betting is lawful as of March 25, 2019, but isn’t yet available.
Learn more about sports betting from Rhode Island.
New Mexico
New Mexico took its first sports bet in October 2018 in the Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel. No new law has been passed, but after PASPA, sports gambling is allowed because a gambling compact that the casino has with the state. Sports betting is still illegal online and elsewhere in the nation.
Arkansas
Sports betting officially established in Arkansas on July 1, 2019, when the very first legal sports bet was accepted at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Currently, Oaklawn is the only real estate to offer sports gambling. Arkansas becomes the ninth state in the country to legalize sports gambling.
WHAT OTHER STATES WILL LEGALIZE SPORTS BETTING SOON?
Sports betting should be lawful in a few more states in 2019 and plenty more are expected to roll out new laws in the next several years.
California
A set of lawmakers from the Golden State are hoping to legalize sports betting since Sen. Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Adam Gray introduced a ballot measure in late June 2019. This would give Californians the opportunity to vote on changing the state Constitution — and legalize sports gambling — in the November 2020 election.
Connecticut
Connecticut, along with New York, needed a state-level law set up in 2017 ahead of their legalization from the federal authorities. Sports betting did not become a reality in 2018 but there’s hope for 2019 as a brand new bill appeared in March that would legalize sports betting.
Learn more about gambling on sports in Connecticut.
Illinois
Sports betting in Illinois is official after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it into law in late June following lawmakers and the Senate passed a wide expansion of gaming that includes sports betting in earlier in the month.
Find out more about gambling on sports in Illinois.
Indiana
Indiana has moved quickly in 2019 to make legalized sports gambling a fact and on February 26 the state Senate passed a gaming bill (SB 552) that would include sports gambling. The bill moved through the House in late April and received Gov. Eric Holcomb’s touch on May 8, meaning that legalized sports betting from Indiana is on its way. The planned launch date is September 1, 2019.
Find out more about gambling on sports in Indiana.
Iowa
Sports gambling is legal in Iowa following Gov. Kim Reynolds signed bill SF 617 in law on May 13, 2019. Iowa is considering summer 2019 for the launching of sports betting. The new law allows for both retail and mobile wagering, though mobile accounts will require in-person registration via the end of 2020.
Learn more about gambling on sports at Iowa
Maine
Maine has obtained a play from Illinois’ and Indiana’s playbooks in passing a sports gambling bill at the last minute. Bill LD 553 made it through the Senate on June 18, 2019, and then was approved by the House. The bill now faces extra votes along with a touch from the Governor, but it is expected to be set into law in 2019.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced plans to legalize sports gambling in the country when he introduced a bill to the state’s legislature in mid-January, 2019. Baker’s bill, or among those others that were introduced in mid-January, is expected to pass, meaning legalized sports gambling in Massachusetts should be coming soon.
Find out more about gambling on sports at Massachusetts.
Michigan
It seemed like it online sports gambling was to eventually become a reality in Michigan if lawmakers passed a bill in late December 2018 that would legalize it. A couple of days later, however, and just 3 days before leaving office, Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed the bill. Lawmakers will continue to try to legalize it but it is going to probably be 2021 prior to online sports gambling is permitted in Michigan.
Montana
Montana became the ninth largest country in the nation — and in 2019 — to legalize sports betting when Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill on May 3. The state lottery will oversee sports betting gambling which will be administered through kiosks and mobile apps. The state expects to launch sports gambling by the fall of 2019.
New York
New York is just another nation that had a state law that legalized sports betting on the novels before PASPA dropped in May 2018. Back in 2013, New York voted to enable the building of four new casinos which would also take sports wagers. The Supreme Court’s decision last May triggered legalized sports gambling in New York and all that was required was to the New York State Gaming Commission to pass a set of sport wagering rules. That occurred on June 10, 2019, making sports betting officially legal.
Find out More about betting on sports in New York.
Oregon
Oregon already has a law in place that enables some forms of sports gambling and actually utilized to offer a football charge card through its nation lottery, even though that ended about a decade back. The country intends to roll out single-game sports wagering through the state lottery and it’s targeting September 8, 2019, as the launch date.
Tennessee
Tennessee became the fourth state to legalize sports gambling in 2019 when Gov. Bill Lee returned the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act (HB001/SB0016) into the General Assembly on May 24 without his signature, allowing the bill to become law. Sports gambling in Tennessee is going to be unique since it’ll be online just and there won’t be some brick-and-mortar places.
Find out more about sports betting in Tennessee.
Washington D.C.
The nation’s capital joined the sports gaming arena in late 2018, passing a law which will allow its lottery to administer legalized sports betting. There are not any strategies for casinos and the big-name programs won’t be accessible within the authority, but there will be an internet app available, in addition to brick-and-mortar locations run from the DC Lottery. Expectations are for it to be live by September 2019.
Find out More about gambling on sports at Washington D.C.
SPORTS BETTING FAQS
How can you wager on sports?
There are several distinct ways to bet on sports. The most common approaches are usually betting on the moneyline (who’ll win the game), the spread (which team will win or not lose by a predetermined margin of points), and the total (whether or not the entire number of points will be Over or Under a predetermined total). Find out more about sports betting basics and strategies in our How to Bet section.
Is sports gambling legal in Europe?
Sports gambling is governed on a country-by-country foundation in Europe. Online sports gambling is legal in several European countries, such as the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Spain, and Russia.
Is sports gambling legal in Canada?
Generally speaking, yes. Canadians can place sports bets using their provincial lotteries and can also place wagers with offshore sportsbooks who run in a legal grey area in Canada.
Are online gambling sites and programs safe?
For the most part, online betting websites are safe. To make sure that you are protected, be sure to place your wagers with a legal sportsbook from the USA as all these are heavily regulated by governmental authorities.
What are offshore sports betting apps and websites?
Offshore sports gambling apps and websites refer to online sportsbooks that run outside of the USA. Betting at these sites while in the United States is prohibited. Check out Covers’ sportsbook review page for a listing of legal sportsbooks in the USA.

Read more: newyork-info.com