Legislative Tracker: Sports Betting

States can legalize sports betting if they choose after the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on single-game wagering in 2018. To date, nearly two-thirds of US states approved some form of legal sports wagering, whether via mobile apps or in-person sportsbooks.

Interest in the legalization of sports betting was ramping up in the US in recent years, even prior to that decision.

2023 sports betting bills

There are now a variety of bills on file around the country and even some new laws on the books. Below is a look at current legislation by state. These states, in particular, are close to having legal sports betting:

• Maine sports betting (Bill passed in May 2022, law signed in May 2022, anticipated launch by mid-2023)
• Nebraska sports betting (Approved by voters in November 2020, bill passed in May 2021, law signed in June 2021)

States with legal sports betting

These states (and Washington, DC) have legal, regulated sports betting industries:

• Arizona sports betting
• Arkansas sports betting
• Colorado sports betting
• Connecticut sports betting
• Delaware sports betting
• Illinois sports betting
• Indiana sports betting
• Iowa sports betting
• Kansas sports betting
• Louisiana sports betting
• Maryland sports betting
• Massachusetts sports betting
• Michigan sports betting
• Mississippi sports betting
• Montana sports betting
• Nevada sports betting
• New Hampshire sports betting
• New Jersey sports betting
• New York sports betting
• Ohio sports betting
• Oregon sports betting
• Pennsylvania sports betting
• Rhode Island sports betting
• South Dakota sports betting
• Tennessee sports betting
• Virginia sports betting
• Washington DC sports betting
• Washington sports betting
• West Virginia sports betting
• Wyoming sports betting

North Carolina has limited sports betting via tribal casinos. In New Mexico and Wisconsin, some tribes now offer sports betting under an existing Class III gaming compact. Mississippi allows online sports betting but only on-site at licensed casinos.

The climate for sports betting legislation

The pent-up demand for legal sports betting in the United States became evident quickly after the Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on single-game wagering in 2018.

Nearly three years later, nearly 80% of US states have either legalized sports wagering or introduced legislation to do so.

Many states are taking full advantage of the opportunity by approving mobile sportsbook apps and statewide betting. Others are choosing the more limited route of in-person wagering at sportsbooks.

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, more states chose to examine legalizing sports betting as a way to offset budget losses.

It is widely accepted that people are wagering on sports in every state, many illegally through unlicensed offshore sportsbooks. Capturing that revenue through a regulated market that is also better equipped to identify and treat problem gambling appeals to state legislators throughout the country.

How sports betting laws affect athletes and coaches

There are 25 jurisdictions that explicitly prohibit an athlete or related person from betting:

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• Washington DC
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

Of those, four include penalties for the person betting – the others penalize the sportsbook/license holder:

• Colorado
• Michigan
• Virginia
• West Virginia

Ten jurisdictions explicitly via law and/or regulation bar the use of non-public information:

• Arizona
• Illinois
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• South Dakota
• Washington DC
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

Legislative live streams

Want to follow along as a sports betting bill is considered in a hearing or legislative session? Here’s a guide to all the video and audio streams for US legislatures:

Previous sports betting bills

Here is the recent history of bills related to sports betting in the United States:

2019 legislation

2018 legislation

2017 legislation

2016 legislation

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