Legal Sports Betting States: Where is Sports Betting Legal in 2024?

Alabama: Not Legal

Alabama sports betting is illegal in all its forms. In May 2024, the Alabama lawmakers ended this year's legislative session without legalizing sports betting in the state.

Alaska: Not Legal

Alaska sports betting is prohibited, and there are no signs of this changing anytime soon.

Arizona: Legal

On April 12, 2021, the state Senate approved Senate Bill HB 2772, which legalized retail Arizona sports betting and online sports betting. Online operators in Arizona took their first wagers five months later in September.

Retail licenses have been issued to professional sports teams and Native American tribes.

Arizona sports betting is now in an interesting place. According to reports, FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM control more than 90% of the sports betting market, so some operators have left the state, including Unibet, WynnBET, and SaharaBets. 

This has allowed Arizona to open up more licenses. bet365 and Fanatics were two of the earliest recipients of these new licenses. On Aug. 2, the Arizona Department of Gaming announced that Sporttrade was awarded one of the available licenses. It's now accepting bets in the Grand Canyon State.

Arkansas: Legal

Arkansas sports betting was legalized in 2018. At first, bets could only be placed at one of three land-based casinos: the Saracen Casino Resort, Southland Casino, and the Oaklawn horse racing track and casino.

After new rules met legislative approval in 2022, online sports betting became legal and officially launched in April of that year.

In May 2024, the Arkansas Racing Commission postponed any discussion on a plan to legalize iGaming statewide. No date has been set for when the commission might address that issue. 

California: Not Legal

Despite legislative efforts to legalize California sports betting, it remains illegal. The most recent failure came in 2022 when California voters rejected Proposition 27, an initiative to legalize sports wagering. The earliest that betting can become legal in the state is 2026.

Tribes in California and other similar states might use Florida as a template in amending their current state compacts to legalize sports betting without having to endure a costly ballot initiative, analysts say.

Colorado: Legal

Mobile and land-based Colorado sports betting became legal during the spring of 2020. Retail sports betting is limited to casinos in Black Hall, Central City, and Cripple Creek.

Several online operators are available to choose from, including Caesars, Fanatics, and BetMGM.

Connecticut: Legal

Both in-person and online Connecticut sports betting were legalized in 2021. While there are other retail locations, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun tribal casinos are the two most popular places in the state to bet on sports. Fanatics, DraftKings, and FanDuel are available online.

Delaware: Legal

In 2018, Delaware became the first state outside Nevada to legalize sports betting. Until recently, the state only supported retail sports betting at one of the state’s three racinos.

However, at the beginning of 2024, BetRivers launched its state app to offer online Delaware sports betting.

Florida: Legal

Retail and online sports betting is legal in the Sunshine State; however, the situation in Florida is more complicated than in most legal states.

In-person Florida sports betting is available at certain casinos run by the Seminole Tribe. Meanwhile, Hard Rock Bet, an app relaunched in 2023 after being shut down for two years, is the only legal option for online sports betting in Florida. The Florida Seminole Tribe owns and operates the Hard Rock brand, including its sportsbook.

Other online operators challenged in court what they believed to be the tribe's monopoly. However, on June 17, 2024, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case, meaning the Seminoles will maintain control of sports betting in the state through the end of a 30-year pact that began in 2021. 

Georgia: Not Legal

While several bills that would legalize Georgia sport betting have been put to the vote in the last few years, none have passed. In-person and online sports betting are still illegal in the state. 

Hawaii: Not Legal

All kinds of gambling, including sports betting, are illegal in Hawaii. While bills have been introduced in legislative sessions that would legalize Hawaii sports betting, none have passed.

Idaho: Not Legal

In-person and online Idaho sports betting is prohibited. It’s not likely to become legal anytime soon since not a single bill has been proposed to introduce it.

Illinois: Legal

Illinois sports betting went live in March of 2020. Retail wagering is available at facilities throughout the state, and there are currently eight options for Illinois online sports betting, including Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM Sportsbook.

The Illinois House of Representatives approved the state budget, including a major sports betting tax increase, earlier in 2024, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it into law. This comes after the state saw a handle of $1.26 billion in March of this year. It goes without saying, but there was strong opposition to the tax increase. 

The Sports Betting Alliance has said that the increase would be "devastating" to the industry.

Indiana: Legal

Land-based and mobile Indiana sports betting became legal in 2019. There are 13 online operators to choose from.

As required by law, all sites have retail partners, so land-based sports wagering is also readily available in the state.

Fanatics Sportsbook joined Indiana in February 2024 and immediately captured more attention than PointsBet, the site that came before it. From February through April, Fanatics had a higher handle and drew more revenue than PointsBet did in the same amount of time the year prior. 

Iowa: Legal

Since it was legalized in 2019, in-person and mobile Iowa sportsbooks have been made widely available. In addition to 18 brick-and-mortar casinos, bettors can choose from several online options in Iowa, such as Fanatics and Caesars.

With Fanatics coming to Iowa, the state can only hope that it’ll help inject some life into the sports betting landscape. The state’s sports betting handle fell to under $210 million in April, down 23% compared to March but up 21.4% year over year.

Kansas: Legal

Kansas sports betting has been legal online and in-person since legislation passed in 2022. Bettors can place wagers at four in-state retail casinos and six online operators.  

Like Iowa, Kansas saw a dip in sports betting handles from March to April. But given the state's prominence in college basketball, this is to be expected. 

In April, the Kansas Legislature amended its gambling law, which allowed the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska to offer sports betting on its reservation. 

Kentucky: Legal

Launched in September 2023, Kentucky is one of the newest states where sports betting has become legal. Numerous horse racing tracks across the state offer retail Kentucky sports betting, and eight online sites, including Caesars and Fanatics, allow bettors to place wagers remotely.

Louisiana: Legal

Sports betting is legal in Louisiana both online and in person. Retail sports betting began in October 2021, and online sports betting soon followed in January 2022. Currently, race tracks, as well as commercial and tribal casinos across the state, host retail betting locations.

Meanwhile, bettors can sign up for as many as eight Louisiana online sportsbooks.

Louisiana could see a falloff in gaming revenue if Texas legalizes sports betting and commercial casinos, says the Louisiana Gaming Control Board chairman, adding that some of the nine Louisiana parishes without sports betting still might legalize sports wagering. The incoming Louisiana Gaming Control Board chairman vows to keep gaming "free from criminal and corrupt elements."

Retail locations in northwest Louisiana expect a double-digit increase in sports betting now that the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners are in the SEC. Sports betting is illegal in Texas and Oklahoma but legal in Louisiana.

Maine: Legal

Maine sports betting is legal. Currently, there are only two online sportsbooks, Caesars and DraftKings, that are operating in the state. However, expect this to change in the near future because there are 10 retail betting licenses, as well as two additional online licenses available.

Maryland: Legal

Online Maryland sports betting launched in November 2022, nearly a year after retail betting became legal.

Now there are eleven online sites taking wagers, including Fanatics Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook.

Massachusetts: Legal

Massachusetts sports betting is legal both in-person and online sports betting. The state’s retail casinos accepted the first wagers on the last day of January in 2023. Then, online operators launched in Massachusetts in March 2023, just ahead of the start of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. 

It should be noted that Massachusetts does not allow betting on college player props or in-state college teams (unless they are in a tournament.)

Michigan: Legal

Legal Michigan sports betting went live on March 11, 2020. You can bet on sports in person at most of the state’s tribal and commercial casinos, and online sports wagering is readily available.

Minnesota: Not Legal

Federally recognized tribes of Minnesota have blocked the expansion of gambling in the state; consequently, neither retail nor online Minnesota sports betting is legal. However, legalization bills have been introduced, so there is still hope.

Mississippi: Legal

Sports betting is legal in Mississippi and can be accessed at casinos throughout the state. While there are numerous retail locations across the state, online Mississippi sportsbooks* are only available when bettors are physically present on the premises of licensed casinos.

Missouri: Legal, But Not Live

Voters have officially approved Missouri sports betting. On Nov. 5, 2024, Missouri voters passed Constitutional Amendment 2, which will legalize online and retail sports betting.

The amendment stipulates that sports betting must launch in Missouri no later than Dec. 1, 2025, though insiders believe it could be as early as the summer of 2025. It allows for 13 casinos and pro sports stadiums, plus two untethered licenses, to launch sports betting.

Montana: Legal

Montana has legalized in-person sports betting through its lottery system. There are well over 100 different sites with sports wagering kiosks, but there is no mobile sports gaming in the state.

Nebraska: Legal

The state legislature of Nebraska legalized in-person sports betting in 2021. However, online wagers are still illegal, which is not expected to change soon.

Nevada: Legal

Nevada is the home of legalized gambling in the United States. It offers in-person sports betting at any of its many casinos and other retail establishments. Nevada is home to perhaps the most famous gambling destination in the world: Las Vegas, which hosts over 40 casinos along the main strip.

Nevada made online sports betting legal in 2010.

New Hampshire: Legal

In-person and online sports betting are both legal in New Hampshire. However, for mobile betting, DraftKings Sportsbook is the only option in the state due to a contractual license agreement. This arrangement restricts all other operators from accepting bets online in New Hampshire.

New Jersey: Legal

New Jersey was the state that challenged PASPA, which led to the Supreme Court overturning the law in 2018. So it’s not surprising that the state immediately took advantage and legalized New Jersey sportsbooks that very year. Now, the state allows betting in person at Atlantic City casinos and NJ horse tracks, as well as online. 

New Jersey again cleared the $1 billion mark in handle in April 2024. Additionally, on May 15, Unibet officially closed down in New Jersey, and players could no longer access their accounts. 

Despite being one of the states most known for gambling, along with Nevada, New Jersey prohibits bets of any kind on in-state college teams and games.

New Mexico: Legal

New Mexico has Native American casinos that operate under compacts with the state per the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Under the terms of the compacts, they have been allowed to open retail sports betting locations at their gaming facilities.

Online sports betting is not permitted, and sports bettors cannot wager on college games involving schools in New Mexico.

New York: Legal

Legal sports betting in New York went live in 2019 when retail betting sites launched at upstate casinos. Online betting began in January 2022 and has since grown to nine operators. 

New York sportsbooks' handle approached $2 billion in April, seeing $1.96 billion, a 5.9% increase from March. 

North Carolina: Legal

Online North Carolina sportsbooks were legalized on June 14, 2023, and officially launched in March 2024. Seven sites launched, all on March 11. 

Governor Roy Cooper called for legislators to allow bettors to deduct sports betting losses from their taxes, and the sports betting handle climbed to nearly $650 million in April 2024. 

During the 2024 legislative session, two lawmakers submitted bills to ban college player proposition bets. In May, two North Carolina lawmakers told Gambling.com their bills to ban college player prop bets probably would not win legislative approval this year, adding they might seek other ways to ban those bets. Indeed, that legislation never made it out of committee in 2024. 

Retail locations were legalized in the Tar Heel State in 2019, and retail Caesars Sportsbooks have operated at tribal casinos since 2021. Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy is adding a poker room and 12-story hotel tower in two phases.

North Dakota: Legal

Tribal casinos in North Dakota have opened retail sports betting locations under existing gambling compacts. North Dakota’s state legislature has not legalized online betting, but there is some support among lawmakers.

Ohio: Legal

Ohio sportsbooks are legal both in-person and online. There are nearly 20 online betting operators, and there are many retail locations throughout Ohio, as well. Sports wagers can even be placed at select Kroger grocery stores in Cincinnati and Dayton.

As of Aug. 29, Betr, the Jake Paul-founded microbetting site, has soft-launched in Ohio, where it's held a sports betting license for some time. Several sportsbooks, including Betway and SuperBook, left the state over the summer as they exited the U.S. market.

Oklahoma: Not Legal

Sports betting is not legal in Oklahoma. As with several other states where sports betting is illegal, gaining the approval of tribes in the state is the primary obstacle. 

However, Governor Kevin Stitt supports legalization, which suggests there may be a path forward. By mid-May, bills that would legalize sports betting appeared unlikely to win approval at the 2024 legislative session.

Oregon: Legal

The first legal Oregon sports bet was placed at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in August 2019. Online sports betting is legal and live as well. 

However, DraftKings is currently the only legal online operator in Oregon.

Pennsylvania: Legal

Pennsylvania sportsbooks are legal both online and in person. 

The sportsbook at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course opened in November 2018. Legal mobile betting in Pennsylvania followed in 2019. 

Rhode Island: Legal

Rhode Island, which legalized sports betting in 2018, has two casinos that allow sports betting. The Lottery Commission oversees online Rhode Island sports betting. 

The lottery-run Sportsbook RI is the only online sports betting app available in the state.

South Carolina: Not Legal

Sports betting is currently illegal in South Carolina. A sports betting bill has stalled in the state’s House after passing the Senate in 2023. However, current governor Henry McMaster opposes gambling, so sports betting will unlikely be legalized anytime soon.

South Dakota: Legal

South Dakota legalized retail sports betting in 2021. Casinos in Deadwood and some tribal properties offer it.

There is no provision for online sports gaming, but lawmakers are in favor of mobile sports betting, so it is still a possibility.

Tennessee: Legal

Online sports betting became legal in Tennessee in 2020, but the state is still adding to its roster. With no limit on licenses, there is a lot of competition among nearly a dozen online Tennessee sportsbooks.

In-person betting is not offered because there are no retail locations in the state. 

Texas: Not Legal

Although bills have been introduced to legalize sports betting (including one in 2023), it remains prohibited in Texas. Legislative sessions only occur every other year in Texas, so 2025 is the earliest a sports betting bill can be considered again.

In advance of the 2025 legislative session in Texas, Las Vegas Sands Corp. is circulating an online petition to expand gaming in the Lone Star State. 

Utah: Not Legal

Utah is one of two states, along with Hawaii, that doesn’t allow gambling. The state has a large population of Mormons who are strongly opposed to gambling on religious grounds, so it’s possible that sports betting will never be legalized.

Vermont: Legal

Online sports betting went live in Vermont on January 11, 2024, prompting the launch of three online VT sportsbooks: DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel. 

Currently, there are no retail locations in the state. Unlike other states, Vermont doesn’t require sites to have a land-based partner; instead, the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery is responsible for choosing which sites can launch. 

Like Massachusetts, the Green Mountain State prohibits wagers placed on in-state collegiate teams unless the team is in a tournament or the playoffs.

Virginia: Legal

Online sports betting went live in Virginia at the beginning of 2021. Over a dozen legal sites now operate in the state. 

On Oct. 24, Sporttrade went live in Virginia, making it the fifth state where the sportsbook has a presence. The Sporttrade iOS app was made available on the launch date with plans to an Android app later in the year. Sporttrade joins several other long-established Virginia sportsbooks.

In-person betting is also an option at several Virginia casinos. Wagering in collegiate sports is illegal.

Washington: Legal

Tribal casinos in Washington, some of which have partnered with online operators, started taking bets in September of 2021. You can bet on mobile while on the premises of one of these casinos, but statewide online wagering is not yet legal. 

Washington sports betting on in-state collegiate games is not allowed.

West Virginia: Legal

Both in-person and online West Virginia sports betting are legal. There are brick-and-mortar sports betting locations in the West Virginia horse tracks and The Greenbrier, a private resort. 

Fanatics and Caesars Sportsbook are among the online sports betting sites operating in the state.

Wisconsin: Legal

Sports betting is legal in Wisconsin only at tribal casinos. Legal online sports betting would require an adjustment to the state constitution. 

It is worth noting that in-state betting on college competition is prohibited.

Wyoming: Legal

Online Wyoming sports betting sites are legal. There are no retail options, but the tribal casinos may launch retail sports betting soon under the terms of their compacts, using the New Mexico model.

Washington D.C.: Legal

DC sports betting is undergoing a major change this summer. In April 2024, FanDuel replaced GameBetDC, the city-controlled online sports betting platform, as the official partner of the DC Lottery. In the first 30 days, FanDuel brought $1.9M to the city.

However, in June 2024, the city council approved the 2025 fiscal year budget, which included provisions for up to seven online sports betting operators to launch. Before the council officially approved the new budget, FanDuel president Christian Genetski said FanDuel would terminate its relationship with the DC Lottery and continue as an independent operator. 

Mayor Muriel Bowser returned the budget unsigned to the city council, allowing it to go into effect without her signature. 

On Wednesday, July 17, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook expanded their online presence in Washington, D.C., allowing bettors to place wagers anywhere in the district. Previously, online bets were restricted to the two-block radii surrounding Nationals Park and Capital One Arena.

Hotels, bars, and restaurants can apply for retail sports betting licenses. The Office of Lottery and Gaming regulates the District of Columbia sports betting. 

Puerto Rico: Legal

A 2019 bill legalized sports betting in Puerto Rico. BetMGM and Caesars are the two apps available to make wagers on the island. However, to use the apps, you must first register in person at the operator's land-based locations: Casino del Mar (BetMGM) and Casino Metro (Caesars).