IS SPORTS BETTING LEGAL IN THE USA?
Until May 2018, gambling on sports in the USA was basically restricted to placing a bet in person at a sportsbook in Nevada. That all changed when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), also known as the Bradley Act, has been struck down by the Supreme Court. Now that PASPA is dead, each state has the power to establish its own legislation for online and in-person sports betting.
Laws and rules surrounding sports gambling vary from state to state. New Jersey, for example, moved extremely fast and passed a law to permit legal sports gambling online and in person in June 2018. West Virginia and Pennsylvania now allow in-person betting but not online. Other states, like California and New York, have to legalize sports wagering.
How Can You BET ON SPORTS LEGALLY IN THE USA?
Sports betting in the United States is regulated on a state-by-state basis, which means that you have to either live in or go to a state that has legalized sports gambling in order to bet on sports lawfully (see map below). Once you’ve entered a country where sports betting is legal, it’s time to find a valid sportsbook, either online or simply by visiting a brick-and-mortar location (and again, this can change state-by-state).
WHERE CAN I BET ON SPORTS IN the USA?
A map of the place to bet on sports in the United States WHERE IS SPORTS BETTING LEGAL IN THE USA?
Nevada
Not much has changed in Nevada post-PASPA. Bettors can place wagers in person at one of many sportsbooks around the state. Many sportsbooks do provide mobile wagering within state limitations but online accounts must be enrolled, confirmed, and financed in person at the sportsbooks.
Find out More about betting on sports at Nevada
New Jersey
New Jersey became one of the first states to change its law post-PASPA in June 2018. Bettors are now able to place wagers online sports at a number of brick-and-mortar sportsbooks as well as through online programs so long as you are within state limitations.
Learn more about gambling on sports in New Jersey
West Virginia
West Virginia began offering legal sports gambling in August 2018 and is currently available at sportsbooks in a few casinos. In late December 2018, online wagering became accessible through the BetLucky program, and other big players are expected to be online soon.
Learn more about gambling on sports at West Virginia.
Pennsylvania
The Keystone State launched sports gambling in November 2018 and now has five sportsbooks across the state. Online betting isn’t an option just yet but that could occur as soon as 2019.
Find out more about betting on sports at Pennsylvania.
Mississippi
Mississippi reversed the change and began accepting single-game wagering on sports in August 2018. Sports betting, like all gambling in the state, is presently limited to land- and – water-based casinos. The legislation does permit mobile sports gambling on casino land, though it isn’t presently available.
Find out more about sports gambling in Mississippi.
Delaware
Delaware moved fast post-PASPA and began accepting sports betting at its three casinos on June 5. The current law allows for online and mobile wagering, though it currently is not offered.
Learn more about sports gambling in Delaware.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island began accepting sports bets in late November 2018 in the Twin River Casino and then in December 2018 at the Twin River Tiverton Casino. The legal age for gambling on sports in Rhode Island is 18, whereas its 21 in most other states. Online sports betting is lawful as of March 25, 2019, but is not yet available.
Learn more about sports betting from Rhode Island.
New Mexico
New Mexico took its first sports bet in October 2018 in the Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel. No new law was passed, but following PASPA, sports betting is allowed because a gaming compact that the casino has with the state. Sports gambling is still illegal online and everywhere in the nation.
Arkansas
Sports betting officially established in Arkansas on July 1, 2019, once the first legal sports bet was accepted at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. Currently, Oaklawn is the only real estate to provide sports betting. Arkansas becomes the ninth state in the country to legalize sports gambling.
WHAT OTHER STATES WILL LEGALIZE SPORTS BETTING SOON?
Sports gambling should be lawful in a few more countries in 2019 and lots more are expected to roll out fresh laws in the coming years.
California
A pair of lawmakers from the Golden State are hoping to legalize sports gambling since Sen. Bill Dodd and Assemblyman Adam Gray introduced a ballot measure in late June 2019. This would give Californians the chance to vote on changing the state Constitution — and legalize sports gambling — at the November 2020 election.
Connecticut
Connecticut, along with New York, had a state-level law set up in 2017 ahead of their legalization by the federal government. Sports betting didn’t become a reality in 2018 but there is hope for 2019 as a new invoice appeared in March that could legalize sports betting.
Learn more about gambling on sports at Connecticut.
Illinois
Sports gambling in Illinois is official after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it into law in late June following lawmakers and the Senate passed a broad expansion of gambling that includes sports betting in earlier in the month.
Find out more about betting on sports at Illinois.
Indiana
Indiana has moved quickly in 2019 to create legalized sports betting a reality and on February 26 the state Senate passed a gaming bill (SB 552) that would comprise sports betting. The bill moved through the House in late April and received Gov. Eric Holcomb’s signature on May 8, meaning that legalized sports betting from Indiana is on its way. The planned launch date is September 1, 2019.
Learn more about betting on sports in Indiana.
Iowa
Sports betting is officially legal in Iowa following Gov. Kim Reynolds signed bill SF 617 into law on May 13, 2019. Iowa is looking at summer 2019 for the launch of sport gambling. The new law will allow for both retail and mobile wagering, though mobile accounts will need in-person registration via the end of 2020.
Learn more about betting on sports in Iowa
Maine
Maine has obtained a play from Illinois’ and Indiana’s playbooks in passing a sports betting bill in the last minute. Bill LD 553 made it through the Senate on June 18, 2019, then was approved unanimously by the House. The bill now faces extra votes along with a signature from the Governor, but it is predicted to be set into legislation in 2019.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced plans to legalize sports betting from the state when he introduced a bill to the nation’s legislature at mid-January, 2019. Baker’s invoice, or among those four others that were introduced in mid-January, is predicted to pass, meaning legalized sports betting in Massachusetts should be arriving shortly.
Learn more about gambling on sports in Massachusetts.
Michigan
It looked as it online sports gambling was to eventually become a reality in Michigan if lawmakers passed a bill in late December 2018 that would legalize it. A couple of days later, however, and only 3 days before leaving office, Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed the bill. Lawmakers will continue to try to legalize it but it will likely be 2021 before online sports betting is allowed in Michigan.
Montana
Montana became the ninth largest country in the country — and first in 2019 — to legalize sports betting when Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill on May 3. The nation lottery will oversee sports betting which will be managed through kiosks and mobile apps. The state expects to launch sports betting by the fall of 2019.
New York
New York is just another nation that had a state law that legalized sports betting on the novels before PASPA fell in May 2018. Back in 2013, New York voted to allow the building of four new casinos that would also take sports wagers. The Supreme Court’s decision last May triggered legalized sports betting in New York and all that was required was for the New York State Gaming Commission to pass a pair of sport wagering rules. That happened on June 10, 2019, making sports betting officially legal.
Learn more about gambling on sports at New York.
Oregon
Oregon already has a law in place that enables some types of sports gambling and really used to offer a football charge card through its nation lottery, though that ended about 10 years ago. The country plans to roll out single-game sports wagering through the state lottery and it is targeting September 8, 2019, since the launching date.
Tennessee
Tennessee became the fourth state to legalize sports betting in 2019 when Gov. Bill Lee returned the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act (HB001/SB0016) into the General Assembly on May 24 without his signature, allowing the bill to become law. Sports gambling in Tennessee is going to be unique since it’ll be online just and there will not be any brick-and-mortar locations.
Find out more about sports gambling in Tennessee.
Washington D.C.
The nation’s capital joined the sports betting scene in late 2018, passing a law that will enable its lottery to manage legalized sports betting. There are not any strategies for casinos and also the big-name programs will not be available within the authority, but there will be an internet app available, in addition to brick-and-mortar locations run from the DC Lottery. Expectations are for this to be live by September 2019.
Learn more about gambling on sports at Washington D.C.
SPORTS BETTING FAQS
How do you bet on sports?
There are many distinct ways to bet on sports. The most common approaches are generally betting on the moneyline (who will win the game), the spread (which team will win or not lose by a predetermined margin of points), and also the total (whether or not the entire number of points will be Over or Under a predetermined sum ). Learn more about sports gambling basics and strategies in our How to Bet section.
Is sports gambling legal in Europe?
Sports betting is governed on a country-by-country basis in Europe. Online sports betting is legal in many European nations, like the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Spain, and Russia.
Is sports gambling legal in Canada?
Broadly speaking, yes. Canadians can put sports bets via their provincial lotteries and may also set wagers with offshore sportsbooks who run in a legal grey area in Canada.
Are online gambling sites and apps safe?
For the most part, online gambling sites are safe. To make sure that you are protected, be certain to set your wagers with a legal sportsbook in the USA as these are heavily regulated by political authorities.
Which are offshore sports gambling apps and websites?
Offshore sports betting apps and sites refer to internet sportsbooks that run outside of the USA. Betting at one of these sites while at the USA is prohibited. Check out Covers’ sportsbook review page for a listing of legal sportsbooks in the united states.
Read more: conservativewatchnews.org