U.S. States with Legal Sports Betting

Since the overturning of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992, sports betting has been a huge growth market in the United States. It all began in  2018, when the Supreme Court struck down this federal ban on sports betting, giving states the authority to legislate and regulate sports betting themselves. 

It was announced in 2018, during the PASPA hearing, that over $150 billion dollars was lost by the U.S. economy from gamblers choosing to bet on sports offshore in 2017. 58 billion of that was bet on the NFL in that year alone, and $10.4 billion on the NCAA’s March Madness. 

Once states were free to legalize on their own, only a few states passed bills to legalize sports betting in the first few months, then a few more trickled in within the year, and here we are two years later, with 23 states having legal sports betting of some kind within their state’s borders. 

The states that went through with it and legalized sports betting created huge pockets of revenue for their states thus far, and it’s greatly helping their economy in the long run. Many states are allowing their local lotteries to regulate sports betting, and some are leaning on the casinos and racetracks to handle gambling all in one place. 

Some states have partnered with international sportsbooks like William Hill or BetOnline, which can offer the same five-star services they’ve been providing for years offshore. Popular fantasy football companies like DraftKings and FanDuel opened sportsbooks and are leading the market, having their products endorsed by almost every state that has legal betting. 

In March, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, it put even more pressure on struggling state economies – which in turn made some lawmakers re-evaluate their stance on sports betting. 2020 was projected to be the highest record year for sports betting as a whole – but COVID-19 put every sport on hold, and closed down many casinos and betting parlors for several months. 

There are certainly a few standout states that are leading the industry in terms of sports betting, and those with online sports betting offer a huge convenience for residents. Not having to leave the house to place a wager makes it more likely that they’ll bet on sports, and in some states, there are only a few casinos which can be upwards of two to three hours to get to, so convenience is key. 

States like Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, and Iowa all recently launched online sports betting products and are leading the pack in terms of sign ups and users. Tennessee is launching their online sports betting software on November 1st and it’s rumored to be unlike anything else in the entire country – even Las Vegas. 

While these state-run online sportsbooks are all fantastic, they aren’t perfect and subject to limitations, so it’s important to do your research and read sportsbook reviews before you sign up. There are plenty of online sports betting sites out there, and many don’t know what each of them has to offer. 

States with Legal Sports Betting 

1. Arkansas 
2. Colorado (online available)
3. Delaware
4. Illinois (online available)
5. Indiana (online available)
6. Iowa (online available)
7. Michigan
8. Mississippi
9. Montana
10. Nevada (online available)
11. New Hampshire (online available)
12. New Jersey (online available)
13. New Mexico
14. New York (online available)
15. North Carolina
16. Oregon (online available)
17. Pennsylvania (online available)
18. Rhode Island 
19. West Virginia (online available)
20. Tennessee (online available)
21. Washington D.C. 
22. Washington 
23. Virginia (online available)

If you reside in any of the above states, you’re able to bet on sports based on the legislation provided by your state and the lawmakers who will be enforcing it. If sports betting is not yet legalized in your state, you could still bet online at any of the larger offshore sportsbooks.