What States Are Sports Betting Legal in?

A breakdown of where sports betting is legal in the United States and what states are next in line to offer legal sports betting.

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Introduction

Since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, states have been free to legalize and regulate sports betting within their borders. So far, more than two dozen states have done so, with more expected to join them in the coming years.

Here is a list of the states where sports betting is currently legal:

-Arkansas
– Colorado
– Delaware
– Illinois
– Indiana
– Iowa
– Michigan
– Mississippi
– Montana
– Nevada
– New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Washington West Virginia

Sports Betting in the United States

Currently, only four states have legalized and regulated sports betting industries within their borders- Nevada, Montana, Oregon, and Delaware. Three other states have laws on the books that would allow sports betting should the federal ban on sports wagering be lifted. Those states are New Jersey, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. There has been a lot of momentum in recent years to get sports betting legalized in more states, with lawmakers in over 20 states introducing bills in 2019 alone. However, most of those bills have stalled or failed to gain any traction.

Federal Laws Relating to Sports Betting

In the United States, sports betting is legal in four states: Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. There are federal laws that relate to sports betting, but they do not make it illegal. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) made it illegal for states to authorize or license sports betting. However, PASPA did not make sports betting illegal in the United States. In May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down PASPA as unconstitutional. This opened up the possibility for states to legalize and regulate sports betting.

State Laws Relating to Sports Betting

Eight states have legalized sports betting since the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting in 2018. State laws relating to sports betting vary widely, so it’s important to know the rules in your state before you place a bet.

Here is a brief overview of sports betting laws in the eight states where it is currently legal:

-Nevada was the first state to legalize sports betting, and it has been legal there since 1949. There are no limits on the amount you can bet, and you can bet on any sport.

-New Jersey legalized sports betting in 2018, and there are now several sportsbooks operating in the state. You must be 21 or older to bet, and there are limits on how much you can bet on each game.

-Pennsylvania legalized sports betting in 2019, and there are now several sportsbooks operating in the state. You must be 21 or older to bet, and there are limits on how much you can bet on each game.

-Rhode Island legalized sports betting in 2019, and there are now several sportsbooks operating in the state. You must be 18 or older to bet, and there are limits on how much you can bet on each game.

-West Virginia legalized sports betting in 2018, and there are now several sportsbooks operating in the state. You must be 21 or older to bet, and there are limits on how much you can bet on each game.

-Arkansas legalized sports betting in 2019, but it is not yet operational. You must be 21 or older to bet, and there will be limits on how much you can bet on each game when it does launch.
-Delaware was the first state to launch legal single-game sports betting after the Supreme Court’s decision, with bets beginning in June 2018 at three casinos in the state. You must be 21 or older to bet at Delaware’s casinos, but there is no limit on how much you can wager per game.

-Mississippi became the third state with legal single-game wagering when Sports Betting started at Mississippi casinos August 1st, 2018)with bets allowed at any casino that features Mississippi gaming machines., There is no limit to how much can be wagered per game in Mississippi

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act

In 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was enacted, which limited sports betting to just four US states: Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. Since then, there have been numerous attempts to repeal or weaken the law, but all have failed. In May of 2018, the US Supreme Court finally struck down PASPA in a 6-3 ruling, giving individual states the authority to legalize and regulate sports betting within their borders.

So far, nine states have taken advantage of this ruling and legalized sports betting: Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island West Virginia, New Mexico, and Arkansas. Many more are expected to follow suit in the coming months and years.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

In order to make online sports betting legal in the US, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed in 2006. This act made it illegal for any banks or financial institutions to process any transactions related to online gambling. However, this act did not make online gambling illegal, it just made it more difficult for people to gamble online.

There are currently four states that have legalized online sports betting and more are expected to follow suit in the near future. These states are Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Each of these states has their own specific laws and regulations surrounding online sports betting.

The main reason why online sports betting has not been legalized nationwide is because there is no federal law that specifically addresses it. This means that each state is free to make their own laws regarding online gambling. Until there is a federal law that specifically addresses online gambling, it is likely that each state will continue to make their own laws regarding it.

The Federal Wire Act

The Federal Wire Act is a federal law that prohibits the operation of certain types of betting businesses in the United States. It was first enacted in 1961 as a way to crack down on illegal gambling operations that were using interstate telephone lines to place bets. The law was later amended in 1962 to include betting on sporting events.

The Federal Wire Act does not explicitly make sports betting illegal. However, it does make it illegal for companies to engage in the business of placing bets or wagers on sporting events if those bets or wagers are placed using interstate wire communications. This means that sports betting businesses cannot accept bets or wagers over the internet, by phone, or through any other type of interstate wire communication.

The Federal Wire Act only applies to sports betting businesses and not to individuals who place bets or wagers on sporting events. Therefore, individuals are free to bet on sports through offshore sportsbooks or through illegal bookies without violating the law. However, businesses that accept bets or wagers from individuals in violation of the Federal Wire Act can be prosecuted and face sizeable fines and prison sentences.

Currently, there are no federal laws that specifically make sports betting legal in the United States. However, there are several states that have legalized sports betting within their borders and more states are considering doing so. These states have either passed their own laws making sports betting legal or they have amended their existing gambling laws to include sports betting. The following states have legalized sports betting:

-Nevada
-Delaware
-New Jersey
-Mississippi
-West Virginia
-Pennsylvania
-Rhode Island
-Arkansas
-New Mexico

State-by-State Analysis of Sports Betting Laws

The legal landscape of sports betting in the United States has undergone a drastic transformation in recent years. Thanks to a landmark decision by the Supreme Court in 2018, states are now able to decide for themselves whether or not to allow sports betting within their borders.

As of early 2020, more than two dozen states have already legalized sports betting, with many more considering it. This page provides a state-by-state analysis of sports betting laws, detailing when and how each state has moved to legalize sports betting.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as of May 2019, sports betting is legal in the states of Delaware, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. There are also several other states where legislation has been passed but sports betting has not yet gone live. These states include Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Montana and Oregon. It is expected that many more states will legalize sports betting in the near future.

Resources

Here are some resources to help keep you informed about sports betting legalization across the United States.

-https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/when-will-sports-betting-be-legal-every-state/19jxz8vnw5lw1k85cxhmrusti4
-https://www.legalsportsreport.com/11702/current-sports-betting-legislation/
-https://www.azleg.gov/viewdocument/?docName=https://www.azleg.gov/arisona_revision_statutes/?act%3D4%26name%3DBetting