Everything you need to know about sports betting in your state and how it may change in the future
Gambling is legal throughout the United States at the federal level, but if you’ve ever entered a casino or bought a scratcher out of state, you probably noticed that the gambling laws vary by state.
The right to gamble has come a long way from its controversial history in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but there is still some stigma attached to gambling depending on where you live, and different states have different laws that could prevent you from enjoying all types of gambling.
Whether you’re a fan of online casinos or brick and mortar casinos, there’s so good news for gambling aficionados, particularly those who love betting on sports. Let’s take a closer look at where sports gambling is now legal and what we can expect in the near future.
Overturning The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act
Last year, the Supreme Court deemed The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) as unconstitutional. President George H.W. Bush signed the PASPA into law in 1992, which banned states from regulating and taxing sports betting (which was already unlawful at the time).
With PASPA not in effect, each state can decide if they want to offer gambling and we’re likely to see an increase of sports gambling in the next couple of years.
Which States Allow Sports Betting?
Since PASPA was overturned in 2018, here are the states currently allow full-scale legalized sports betting:
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Mississippi
- West Virginia
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- Delaware
- Rhode Island
New York and Arkansas are the two states that have recently had a bill passed. New York can resume sports betting activity, such as fantasy sports, and Arkansas allows sports betting in four counties.
These states have recently introduced a bill regarding sports betting, but have not passed it yet:
- Washington
- Oregon
- California
- Arizona
- Montana
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Kansas
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Minnesota
- Iowa
- Missouri
- Louisiana
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Virginia
- South Carolina
- Maryland
- DC
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Maine
- New Hampshire
What About The Rest of the U.S.?
Don’t see your state on the list of states who are in the process of making sports betting legal? If you live in states like Alaska or Wisconsin, it may be a long time (if ever) before you see the legalization of gambling on sports.
Since these states have laws that prohibit all forms of sports betting, the process to legalize gambling on sports requires repealing or amending laws. It’s not impossible, but it will be a long and arduous process.
Here’s some good news: If you live in a state that currently prohibits sports gambling; you can always check out some of the best sports betting sites, regardless of where you live. The downside is that you might not see sports betting legalized, particularly if you live in a state like Utah, where making gambling unlawful is part of the state’s constitution.
