Legislative Tracker: Sports Betting
States can now officially legalize sports betting if they want, after the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on May 14. Interest in the legalization of sports betting has been ramping up in the US recent years, even prior to that decision from SCOTUS.
There are now a variety of bills on file around the country and even some new laws on the books. Here is a look at current legislation by state:
States with legal sports betting
Seven states have legal, state-regulated sports betting industries.
- Nevada sports betting
- Delaware sports betting
- New Jersey sports betting
- Mississippi sports betting
- West Virginia sports betting
- Pennsylvania sports betting
- Rhode Island sports betting
In New Mexico, a tribal group is now offering NM sports betting under an existing Class III gaming compact.
Voters also legalized Arkansas sports betting this fall, though it will take several months to put the pieces in place.
The climate for sports betting legislation
The movement toward legal sports gambling began to surge as the NJ sports betting case was granted a new life in 2017. The US Supreme Court heard the case late that year and rendered a decision in 2018. The win for New Jersey means it and other states can legalize sports betting at their individual discretion.
In addition to the states with fully legal sports betting, a couple others have put partial laws in place pending further action:
2019 sports betting bills
These bills have been filed for the current legislative session:
| State | Bill(s) | Synopsis | Latest News |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | S 1158 | Bill would legalize sports betting under tribal operation. | Latest news |
| Connecticut | S 17 S 665 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Hawaii | H 1107 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Illinois | S 176 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Indiana | H 1363 S 439 S 552 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Iowa | H 101 H 102 H 103 H 124 S 1079 S 1080 S 1081 S 1100 | Study bills concerning the implementation of sports betting; one bill in each chamber includes daily fantasy sports. | Latest news |
| Kansas | H 2032 H 2068 S 23 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Kentucky | H 12 H 171 H 175 H 190 S 23 | Bills would legalize sports betting with different regulatory tacks. | Latest news |
| Maine | S 553 | Placeholder bill to ensure proper oversight of sports betting. | Latest news |
| Maryland | H 1132 | Bill would expand the state lottery program to include sports betting. | Latest news |
| Massachusetts | HD 2628 HD 2629 SD 903 SD 908 SD 1110 H 68 S 882 | Bills would study or legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Mississippi | H 1481 S 2667 | Bills to legalize online/mobile betting statewide died in committee. | Latest news |
| Missouri | H 119 H 859 S 44 S 187 S 195 S 222 S 327 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Montana | H 475 S 25 | First bill would legalize pari-mutuel sports betting. Second bill would legalize sports pools and sports tabs. | Latest news |
| New Hampshire | H 480 S 310 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| New Mexico | H 441 | Authorized 2018; Bill would prohibit the lottery from offering sports betting. | Latest news |
| New York | A 1339 A 3294 A 3963 S 17 S 1490 | Senate bills would legalize expanded sports betting. Three Assembly bills would create a task force to study online/mobile wagering; fourth relates to tracks and OTBs. | Latest news |
| North Dakota | H 1254 H 1295 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Ohio | H 714 S 316 | Placeholder bills indicate intentions to legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Oregon | H 2288 | Bill makes appropriations for revenue if lottery offers sports betting. | Latest news |
| Rhode Island | S 37 | Bill would legalize online/mobile sports betting. | Latest news |
| South Carolina | H 3409 S 57 S 71 | Joint resolutions would move to amend the constitution to permit sports betting. Third bill is a study bill. | Latest news |
| South Dakota | SJR 2 | Joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing sports betting. | Latest news |
| Tennessee | H 1 H 666 S 16 S 1055 | Bills would legalize sports betting by voter referendum at the county level. | Latest news |
| Texas | H 1275 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Vermont | S 59 | Study bill. | Latest news |
| Virginia | H 1638 H 1890 H 2210 H 2321 H 2536 S 1126 S 1238 S 1356 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Washington | H 1975 H 1992 | Bills would legalize tribal sports betting. | Latest news |
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:
2018 legislation
| State | Bill(s) | Synopsis | Latest News |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | ACA 18 | Constitutional amendment would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Connecticut | H 5307 S 540 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| District of Columbia | B 22-944 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | |
| Illinois | H 4214 H 5186 S 7 S 2478 S 3125 S 3432 | Bills would legalize or prohibit sports betting. | Latest news |
| Indiana | S 405 H 1325 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Iowa | H 2448 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Kansas | H 2533 H 2752 H 2792 H 2793 S 455 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Kentucky | BR 155 H 536 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Louisiana | H 245 S 266 | Bills would legalize sports betting via referendum. | Latest news |
| Maryland | S 836 HB 1346 HB 1014 | Bills would legalize sports betting via referendum. | Latest news |
| Massachusetts | S 2273 | Bill would study legalization and regulation of sports betting. | Latest news |
| Michigan | H 4060 H 4261 H 4926* | Bills would legalize sports betting; first via referendum; second would allow parlay wagering; third would legalize online gambling. *Passed by legislature Dec. 2018 but vetoed by governor. | Latest news |
| Mississippi | H 1113 H 1154 | First bill would prohibit sports betting; second would study tax rates for sports betting. | Latest news |
| Missouri | H 2320 H 2406 H 2535 S 767 S 1009 S 1013 | Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| New Jersey | A 3911 A 4111* S 2602 | *Passed June 2018. Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| New York | A 11144 S 1282 S 7900 A 5438 A 10322 A 11225 | Bills would broaden legalization of sports betting; last two would create a task force to study sports betting. | Latest news |
| Ohio | H 714 S 316 | Placeholder bills express intent to legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Oklahoma | H 3375 S 1175 | Bills would legalize sports betting as part of tribal gaming package; "sports pools" language removed by amendment. | Latest news |
| Rhode Island | S 2045 H 8320 H 7200* | *Passed June 2018. Bills would legalize sports betting; third is the state budget proposal. | Latest news |
| South Carolina | H 3102 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| West Virginia | H 2751 S 106 S 415* H 4396 | *Passed March 2018. Bills would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| US | H 783 H 4530 | Bills would allow individual states to legalize sports betting. |
2017 legislation
| State | Bill(s) | Synopsis | Latest News |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | ACA 18 | Constitutional amendment would legalize sports betting in the state. | Latest news |
| Connecticut | H 6948* | *Passed July 2017. Bill would allow regulators to prepare for legal sports betting, should state and federal law allow. | Latest news |
| Hawaii | H 927 | Bill would study legalization and regulation of gambling, including sports betting. | Latest news |
| Kentucky | B 155 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Maryland | H 989 | Bill would create a task force to study sports betting. | Latest news |
| Michigan | H 4060 H 4261 H 4926 | Bills would legalize sports betting; first via referendum; second would allow parlay wagering; third would legalize online gambling. | Latest news |
| Mississippi | H 967* | *Passed March 2017. Bill would allow state to regulate sports betting under fantasy sports law. | Latest news |
| New Jersey | S 3375 | Bill would repeal sports betting prohibition. | Latest news |
| New York | S 1282 A 5438 | Bills would broaden legalization of sports betting. | Latest news |
| Oklahoma | S 857 | Bill would legalize sports betting as part of tribal gaming package. | Latest news |
| Pennsylvania | H 519 H 271* | *Passed Oct. 2017. Bills would legalize sports betting; first is standalone bill; second is part of omnibus gambling expansion package. | Latest news |
| South Carolina | H 3102 | Bill would legalize sports betting and gambling. | Latest news |
| West Virginia | H 2751 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| US | H 783 | Bill would allow individual states to legalize sports betting. |
2016 legislation
| State | Bill(s) | Synopsis | Latest News |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | A 1441 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Delaware | S 183 | Bill would expand existing sports betting lottery. | Latest news |
| New Jersey | Bill became law in 2014; challenged in court. | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| New York | S 940 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
| Pennsylvania | HR 619 | Bill would legalize sports betting. | Latest news |
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