Sports Betting Laws Across the U.S.

Have you dreamed of flying to Las Vegas to place a bet on your hometown team to win the big game? A flight to Vegas is no longer required!

Now that 2020 is in full swing, sports betting is officially legal in 16 states and one territory and has been increasingly popular since the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring that individual states have the authority to decide whether or not to allow sports betting in their jurisdiction.

Though each state/territory has slightly different laws, the types of legal sports betting primarily fall into two categories: retail or online.

Retail sports betting is restricted to certain approved locations — usually bars, restaurants, and sporting venues. You don’t need to be a resident of the state/territory to place a bet, but you need to place the bet in person. As for online sports betting, there are two ways to place your bet. Some allow you to download an app and place your bet remotely, while others require you to download the app and register in person at a designated location.

Ready to bet on the next championship game? Here’s a breakdown of which types of sports betting are legal across the U.S.

Arkansas

Retail: Allowed

Online: Not currently allowed but will potentially be considered at a later date.

Delaware

Retail: Allowed

Online: Not currently allowed but will potentially be considered at a later date.

Illinois

Retail: Pending

Online: Allowed, but in-person registration is required.

Indiana

Retail: Allowed

Online: Allowed and remote registration is permitted.

Iowa

Retail: Allowed

Online: Allowed, but in-person registration is required.

Mississippi

Retail: Allowed

Online: Not allowed

Montana

Retail: Betting is offered exclusively through the state lottery kiosks.

Online: Not allowed

Nevada

Retail: Allowed

Online: Allowed, but in-person registration is required.

New Hampshire

Retail: Allowed

Online: Allowed

New Jersey

Retail: Allowed

Online: Allowed and remote registration is permitted.

New York

Retail: Allowed

Online: Not currently allowed but will potentially be considered at a later date.

Oregon

Retail: Betting is offered exclusively through the state lottery kiosks.

Online: Not allowed

Pennsylvania

Retail: Allowed

Online: Allowed and remote registration is permitted.

Rhode Island

Retail: Allowed

Online: Allowed, but in-person registration is required.

Tennessee

Retail: Not allowed

Online: Allowed and remote registration is permitted.

Washington, D.C.

Retail: Allowed

Online: Allowed solely through the D.C. lottery app.

West Virginia

Retail: Allowed

Online: Allowed

Have questions about how to place your bets? Leave questions, comments, or your predictions on the best bets of the year in the comments below.

Sources:

https://sportshandle.com/sports-betting/

https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/help/sports-betting/where-is-sports-betting-legal