Idaho Sports Betting: Legal ID Sportsbooks & Legislation Updates
Sports betting is not legal in Idaho, and there’s still no real sign that’s changing anytime soon. Not a single Idaho legislator has introduced a bill to legalize it since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA, was struck down in May 2018, more than eight years ago now.
That makes Idaho’s timeline tough to predict, since there’s simply no legislative appetite for the idea at the moment. In the meantime, the state is almost certainly losing tax revenue to its neighbors: five of Idaho’s six border states, Montana, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, and Oregon, all have legal sports betting. Utah remains the lone holdout, alongside Idaho itself.
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Is Sports Betting Legal in Idaho?
No. Idaho does not allow sports betting, either online or at retail sportsbooks. Unlike many neighboring states that have embraced regulated wagering, Idaho lawmakers have shown little interest in legalizing sports betting, and no major legislation has gained momentum in recent years.
That could change eventually, but there is currently no active path toward a regulated sports betting market. For now, Idaho remains one of the more restrictive states when it comes to sports wagering.
When will online sports betting launch in Idaho?
Without any movement at the legislative level, it’s nearly impossible to estimate when, if ever, online sports betting will launch in the state.
One thing is certain: if Idaho wants to keep up with neighboring states, it would likely have to launch online sports betting. Otherwise, business may continue to travel over its borders.
Oregon’s sports betting market is completely online right now and allows for remote registration. The Oregon border isn’t far from Idaho’s biggest metropolitan area, which includes the capital of Boise.
Other Forms of Idaho Sports Betting
While traditional sports betting is off the table in Idaho, residents can still find a few alternative ways to engage with sporting events and future outcomes.
Idaho Prediction Markets
Prediction markets are currently accessible in Idaho through platforms that allow users to trade contracts based on future events. Their status remains somewhat unsettled, however, as these platforms operate under a different framework than traditional sportsbooks and continue to face regulatory scrutiny in various parts of the country.
Betting on Horse Racing in Idaho
Horse racing and parimutuel wagering are legal in Idaho, making racing one of the few forms of regulated sports-related betting available in the state. Live racing takes place at several fairgrounds and racing venues throughout Idaho, with race meets typically held during the spring and summer months.
Idaho residents can also wager on horse racing through simulcast betting and licensed advance-deposit wagering (ADW) platforms. Online racebooks such as TwinSpires and FanDuel Racing provide access to races from Idaho and major tracks across North America, allowing bettors to place wagers from their computers or mobile devices.
Some of the biggest advance deposit wagering operators, like FanDuel Racing, also accept customers from Idaho. That means horse racing bettors can place bets on their computers or phone. Check out more information on how to bet on the Kentucky Derby on the FanDuel Racing app here.
Daily Fantasy Sports in Idaho
Daily Fantasy Sports are generally considered prohibited in Idaho. Several major DFS operators do not accept players from the state, reflecting Idaho’s broad gambling laws and the absence of legislation specifically authorizing fantasy contests.
Potentially popular sports to bet on in Idaho
There aren’t any professional sports teams in Idaho, though there is at least one college team that gets a professional level of respect.
The Boise State Broncos are Idaho’s only Division I FBS football team. Boise State is a regular when it comes to postseason college football bowls, so no doubt the Broncos are amongst the top favorite teams in the state.
Of course, Idaho would have to allow betting on in-state colleges in order to bet on Boise State. Some states, like New Jersey and Virginia, have decided to ban betting on those games.
There are plenty of sports teams located in Idaho’s border states that could also be popular bets. Those include the MLB‘s Seattle Mariners, the NBA‘s Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz, the NHL‘s Vegas Golden Knights, and the NFL‘s Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks.
Idaho Betting Timeline
2024: FanDuel Racing expands into Idaho, giving residents another legal online option for wagering on horse racing through advance-deposit wagering (ADW).
2023: Idaho’s horse racing industry continues to operate under the state’s parimutuel wagering framework, with live race meets and simulcast betting remaining among the few legal forms of sports-related wagering available to residents.
2016: Daily Fantasy Sports operators agree to stop accepting Idaho customers after the Idaho Attorney General concludes that paid fantasy contests violate state gambling laws. Most major DFS platforms subsequently withdraw from the state.
1992: Idaho voters approve a constitutional amendment prohibiting casino-style gambling while allowing certain exceptions, including the state lottery, parimutuel betting, and tribal gaming.
1989: The Idaho Lottery launches after lawmakers authorize a statewide lottery system, creating one of the state’s first forms of regulated gambling.
The Bottom Line on Idaho Sports Betting
Sports betting is still illegal in Idaho, and unlike most holdout states, there isn’t much of a live debate about it: not one legislator has introduced a bill to legalize it in the more than eight years since PASPA fell in May 2018. Daily fantasy pick’em contests are banned too, so the workaround bettors lean on in other non-betting states doesn’t apply here. What’s actually available are federally regulated prediction markets and legal horse racing wagering.
- 📈 Best Prediction Market Pick: Polymarket | Polymarket remains accessible to Idaho users and offers the widest range of sports and event markets among the prediction platforms operating there.
- 💰 Real-Money Alternative: FanDuel Predicts | FanDuel’s contract-trading platform gives Idaho users a way to put real money on game outcomes without a sportsbook license behind it.
- 🐎 Horse Racing Fills the Gap | Advance-deposit wagering platforms such as FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires have operated legally in Idaho for years, making live and simulcast horse racing the closest thing to a licensed real-money sports wager in the state.
- 🚫 No DFS, Either | DraftKings and FanDuel both stopped offering paid daily fantasy contests in Idaho back in 2015 under an agreement with the state attorney general, a stricter stance than most states that only bar sports betting itself.
- 🛑 No Bill, No Momentum | Idaho legislators haven’t introduced a single sports betting bill since PASPA was struck down in 2018, and nothing suggests that’s about to change.
With no legislative push, no tribal sportsbook compacts on the table, and DFS off-limits too, prediction markets and legal horse racing wagering are Idaho bettors’ only real options for now.
Idaho sports betting FAQ
No, currently sports betting is not legal in Idaho.
There are no locations where sports betting can take place in Idaho.
Idaho residents can currently access prediction market platforms, though the legal status of these markets remains unsettled and differs from traditional sports betting regulations.
No, since sports betting is not legal, no mobile betting is allowed in the state.
There are online sportsbook operators that will say they can accept bets from anywhere in the US, including Idaho. These offshore sportsbooks are not licensed to take bets from any US jurisdiction, however.
That means if someone chooses to bet with these websites they will have no consumer protections. There will be no legal recourse to force an offshore sportsbook to pay out a winning bet or return customer funds if the website shuts down.