Legal US Sports Betting Sites: State Laws And Mobile Apps
For most forms of gambling, the legal age is 21 in the Garden State. Ironically, its last off-track betting site closed its doors for good in 2018. Since 1992, Missouri has been best known for its riverboat casinos.
In July 2019, Tennessee legalized sports betting through the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act. Patrons to these casinos can use mobile devices to place bets but only while they are on the casino premises. South Carolina does not support any forms of gambling within its borders, including sports betting. In 2019, Gov. Gina Raimondo signed Senate Bill 37, which initiated mobile sports betting in the state.
Some quickly agreed to permit regulated sports betting, while it took others more time to deliberate. No, sports betting availability still varies by state in the U.S. In terms of popularity and options, states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada are often considered some of the best for sports betting. Because laws differ depending on your location, it is important to review your local regulations before placing bets online. Our platform promotes a safe, balanced approach to sports betting, ensuring it remains enjoyable and protects users’ well-being. NFL is the king when it comes to sports and sports betting in North America, and it’s also our favorite sport to bet on.
Prediction Markets Arrive
An Indian tribe may conduct Class II gaming if that form of gaming is permitted anywhere inside the state in which the tribe is located. The IGRA leaves Class I gaming solely in the hands of Indian tribes, who may regulate it as they see fit. After California v. Cabazon affirmed Indian tribes’ right to conduct gaming, Congress stepped in with the IGRA to establish a framework under which Indian tribes may conduct gaming but still provide some measure of federal oversight. The Federal Government should prevent interference by one State with the gambling policies of another, and should act to protect identifiable national interests; and The Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978 (IHA) was passed to protect the legality of horse wagers placed across state lines. The UIGEA was signed into law by President George W. Bush in October of 2006.
It is unlikely that either state will legalize state-regulated sportsbooks any time soon. State-approved sportsbooks don’t offer prop lines on politics, entertainment, and novelty sports. Super Bowl LVII reportedly generated approximately $16 billion in wagers across all sports betting channels. This was until New Jersey fought in a historic Supreme Court case to authorize state run sports betting in 2018 and won. Since 2018, the US Government made a landmark decision to empower states to regulate sports betting, opening up new possibilities for economic growth and individual choice.
What factors are stopping states from offering legal sports betting?
- Colorado also prohibits player prop bets on college athletes.
- In 2026, the size of sportsbook bonuses has decreased but sports betting sites that are regulated overseas still have large promotions available.
- College games are open for wagering, but college player props are prohibited.
- A federal judge ruled on July 9, 2026 that New York’s gambling laws are not preempted by federal commodities law, directly contradicting the Third Circuit.
In response, FanDuel and DraftKings will add a $0.50 per-bet fee in Illinois. The House Judiciary Committee has recommended HB 1861, https://www.pokernewsdaily.com/sportsbooks/ the bill to legalize iGaming in Arkansas, for interim study. Retail licenses have been issued to professional sports teams and Native American tribes.
Federal law largely leaves the regulation of online horse racing betting to the states. To date, the following states have passed laws and either already have sportsbooks in operation or will soon. Of those four states, only Nevada had a complete exemption allowing true, single-game sports betting. This is a fairly recent development because for years, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) prevented all but four states from authorizing sports betting. It is state law that determines things such as accepted business hours for casinos, how quickly winning sports wagers must be paid and so on. States have wide leeway in determining how to regulate gambling and betting as long as it doesn’t contradict federal law.
Among them are sportsbook operators, sports leagues, casinos, and gaming facilities, including commercial casinos and Native American entities, as well as state and federal lawmakers and state lotteries. A good alternative to sports betting in California at this time is Kalshi, a legal federally regulated prediction market. New Hampshire has an exclusive contract with DraftKings as the sole sports betting operator, both online and at retail locations. Nevada, long known for its robust sports betting industry, continues to thrive with numerous sportsbooks and a mature regulatory framework. Montana’s sports betting is operated through the state lottery, with wagering available primarily at licensed retail locations. The following section provides a glance at the markets in states that have legalized sports betting and where operations are live.
While this is a matter of opinion, the staff here at Sportsbooks Online have searched far and wide to determine which sports betting site will provide you with the best experience. Wagr was a unique Tennessee sportsbook focused on peer-to-peer betting and a social element. Fubo Sportsbook was a sports betting operation from the digital streaming cable service fuboTV. Once an up-and-comer with a solid sports betting app, MaximBet abruptly closed its doors in November 2022. After going live in several states, they decided to punt on sports betting and fully re-focus on horse racing.
For now the best options remain the offshore sportsbooks. Residents in Arizona also have access to offshore sportsbooks that are widely used across the United States. They have 34 casinos that operate on Indigenous lands, the only place where they are allowed legally in the state. With such a sparse population, online betting is the way to go in Alaska. If you want to avoid the crowds and the tourist prices on the strip, online gambling is also legal throughout Nevada.
TwinSpires was Churchill Downs’ attempt at launching an online sportsbook. Despite being a major sponsor of many teams and the NHL, the European sportsbook decided to pack up its bags and focus only on casino in a few states. Not to be confused with the Nevada-only Wynn Sports, the online national sportsbook from Wynn Casino was shuttered in 2024. Hard Rock Bet stands out primarily for its exclusive presence in Florida, where it operates as the only online sportsbook in the state due to its agreement with the Seminole Tribe.
Known for its user-friendly platform, Fanatics Sportsbook offers a variety of betting options and is expanding its presence across the U.S. sports betting market. Unlike many states, Wyoming opted for a digital-only approach, with no retail sportsbooks, allowing residents to place bets conveniently from their devices. This came after Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 2638 in March 2021, allowing sports betting at tribal casinos. To the surprise of many, Virginia approved legal sports betting in March 2020. Pennsylvania actually passed online sports betting legislation in 2017 while PASPA was still in play. There’s just one online sports betting option, Scoreboard, which is run by the Oregon lottery and began accepting wagers in October 2019.
Some states allow online sports betting but prohibit online casinos or poker, while others allow only in-person betting. The online sports betting sites from offshore remain available here. While bettors in the Lone Star State can enjoy online sports betting, three major horse racing tracks, and several casinos, offline sports betting remains unapproved. You can also use their sports betting app, or any of the widely available sports betting sites, The legal gambling age in Big Sky Country is 18.
This really opened up the market for where you can bet on sports legally. Legal online gambling is more common in the USA than offline betting. Another aspect of this great sportsbook that has drawn the attention of bettors is the fact that they offer a range of cryptocurrencies as payment methods. Ironically, the states that allow local online sportsbooks sometimes, in rare cases, limit access to offshore bookies.
New Jersey is another major hub, with Atlantic City’s casinos and a strong online presence. Land-based casinos are still a cornerstone of U.S. gambling. Sports betting has grown faster than any other form of gambling since 2018. While they offer entertainment, they do not provide the same experience as a full online casino.
Prophet Betting Exchange launched as the very first sports betting exchange in the US in 2022. Shutting down on May 25th, 2026, and deciding to re-launch as a prediction market itself, Sporttrade is no longer available as a traditional real-money online sportsbook any state. A locally-owned sportsbook, Crab Sports aimed to give Maryland bettors an alternative to the big sportsbooks. For the sake of posterity we have kept their presence here, but we recommend checking out one of betting sites listed above instead. Backed by the broader Hard Rock brand and casino network, it offers a recognizable and straightforward betting experience with a functional rewards program. The tradeoff is that odds don’t always stack up to those of the other major US betting sites.
Top Sportsbooks by State Availability
Online sports betting launched a little less than a year later, on November 23, 2022. Retail sports betting went live in December 2021 with the launch of Live! Online sports betting officially launched on January 28, 2022. Legal sports betting in Kentucky officially went live on September 28, 2023, with Governor Beshear placing the first bet at Churchhill Downs. Sports betting was legalized in Kansas in May 2022 when Gov. Laura Kelly signed SB 84 into law. Sports betting became legal in Illinois thanks to the Sports Wagering Act Governor J.B Pritzker signed into law in June 2019.
Nevada had Vegas, the capital of gambling, where sportsbooks were established. Online poker sites and gambling sites active in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware have been in operation for years now and at no point has anyone mounted a serious legal challenge to those sites based on the UIGEA. This in turn impacted the finances of unauthorized gambling sites and convinced the biggest names in online gambling to exit the US market. The sports betting games exempted in the other three states were limited in nature. Players can enjoy both IRL Brick-and-Mortar casinos and online platforms, depending on local laws. Check out our list of the best U.S. online racebooks to place bets safely and legally.
Oregon kicked off its sports betting industry in August 2019 with the opening of its first retail sportsbook. Ohio jumped into the sports betting scene on January 1, 2023, rolling out both retail and online options for eager bettors. The state launched its online sports betting operations on March 11, 2024, with Governor Cooper placing a ceremonial bet on the Carolina Hurricanes to win the NHL Stanley Cup. After agreeing to a generous, near-even revenue split with the state, DraftKings was chosen to be the sole online sports betting operator.
The state and federal lawyers intervened, and the whole matter ended up in court. With the Mormons deeply seated in Utah, the state has not allowed gambling in any shape or form. The local sports leagues include the Cheyenne Stampeders (WSHL) and the Wyoming Cowboys (NCAAF).
Retail sports betting is alive and well at more than twenty locations around the state. This localized governance style adds an intriguing layer to Louisiana’s sports betting landscape, reflecting its distinctive cultural and political nuances. Kentucky officially entered the sports betting scene with the signing of House Bill 551 by Governor Andy Beshear on March 2023.
Iowa has been launched in the online sports betting space for quite some time and offers some great variety to bettors. Indiana has had legal online sports betting for quite some time, with an outstanding array of operators available in the state. As we mentioned earlier, many states are enamored by the prospect of adding a legal sports betting market. As more states create legal sports betting markets, the handle, revenue, and profit margins all increase. Others may have online sports betting but completely restrict online casino games, whereas in other states they typically go hand-in-hand. It is likely that more sports betting laws will come into effect as the market continues to hit unprecedented heights, and more states come under growing pressure to legalize the industry.
Online casinos are a great way to save the trip and bring the fun into the comfort of your home, or anywhere else you choose to play. Our betting guides are the simplest way to understand what is available to you as a gambler. Feel free to use our lists as a basis for which sportsbook you choose to visit, but remember that your evaluation of the sportsbook is just that—yours.
College games are open for wagering, but college player props are prohibited. Gov. Janet Mills signed LD 585 into law in May 2022, and all four of Maine’s federally recognized tribes can acquire a license. Retail launched in October 2021 and mobile at the end of January 2022. The state also enacted a 14.25% excise tax on prediction market contracts, which the industry is challenging in federal court. Kentucky has taken the hardest line in the country on prediction markets. In April 2026, Iowa became the first legislative chamber in the country to advance a bill that would license and tax prediction markets rather than ban them.
It is the most widely accepted and used sportsbook in the USA! Read reviews and find your new favorite sportsbook today! Sports betting legislation will vary by state in any case.
The sportsbooks featured in this guide are all legally licensed and regulated offshore. This is because all four states already had some form of sports betting in place at the time of the bill’s passing. Following you will find a brief overview of each law and access to a more in depth explanation of the laws and what how they impact the US sports gambling market. We have pages dedicated to each of these three laws, breaking down what they mean and how they affect US online sports gambling. Instead, it developed state by state, with a huge push after 2018 when sports betting became possible nationwide. From that point forward, states were free to regulate sports betting.