Legislative Tracker: Sports Betting
key takeaways
- In 2018, the Supreme Court struck down PASPA, the federal ban on sports betting. This decision allows each state to determine whether it wants to legalize sports betting within its borders.
- Nearly every US state legislature has at least introduced a sports betting bill at some point since 2018. Two-thirds of states have some form of legal sports betting, while just less than half have mobile sports betting via smartphone or computer.
- This page monitors sports betting bills at every step through their legislative journey from introduction through passage or failure.
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.
2022 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)
- Maryland sports betting (Approved by voters in November 2020, bill passed in April 2021, law signed in May 2021)
- Nebraska sports betting (Approved by voters in November 2020, bill passed in May 2021, law signed in June 2021)
- Ohio sports betting (Bill passed in December 2021, law signed in December 2021, anticipated launch on Jan. 1, 2023)
- Massachusetts sports betting (Bill passed in August 2022, signed into law Aug. 10, launch anticipated in fall 2022 or early 2023)
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
- Florida sports betting
- Illinois sports betting
- Indiana sports betting
- Iowa sports betting
- Kansas sports betting
- Louisiana sports betting
- Nevada sports betting
- New Hampshire sports betting
- New Jersey sports betting
- New York sports betting
- Michigan sports betting
- Mississippi sports betting
- Montana 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.
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
| State | Bill |
|---|---|
| Arizona | SB 1158 SB 1163 |
| California | California Sports Wagering Initiative, No. 18-0003 |
| Connecticut | S 665 S 17 |
| Hawaii | H 1107 |
| Illinois | S 176 |
| Indiana | H 1363 S 552 |
| Iowa | H 101 H 102 H 103 H 124 H 198 S 1079 S 1080 S 1081 S 1100 S 1168 |
| Kansas | HB 2032 HB 2068 S 23 |
| Kentucky | HB 12 HB 171 HB 175 HB 190 S 23 |
| Louisiana | SB 266 |
| Maine | SB 553 |
| Maryland | H 1132 |
| Massachusetts | HD 2628 HD 2629 SD 903 SD 1110 H 68 S 882 |
| Minnesota | Safe and Regulated Sports Gambling Act of 2019 |
| Missouri | HB 119 HB 859 SB 44 SB 187 SB 195 SB 222 SB 327 |
| Montana | HB 475 SB 25 |
| North Carolina | SB 154 |
| North Dakota | H 1254 H 1295 |
| New Hampshire | H 480 S 310 |
| Ohio | S 316 |
| South Carolina | H 3409 S 57 S 71 |
| South Dakota | SJR 2 |
| Tennessee | H 1 S 16 H 666 S 1055 |
| Texas | H 1275 |
| Vermont | S 59 |
| Virginia | H 1638 H 1890 H 2210 H 2321 H 2536 S 1126 S 1238 S 1356 |
| Washington | H 1975 H 1992 |
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 | 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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