As the laws and rules surrounding sports betting in America are different in each state, finding the states with legal sports betting could prove to be a time-consuming process. However, with our help, we will significantly reduce that time and provide you with a one-stop place for all your questions about sports betting online. We’ll explain which states do and do not allow gambling, how to spot bogus betting sites, and much more in our ultimate guide.

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We’ll share our expertise in the industry to enable you to enjoy the best legal online sports betting experience. Each month we test drive betting sites of all shapes of sizes, and on this page, we’ll present the best of the best for you. As all of the trusted bookmakers we feature are fully licensed and regulated, you can have confidence that your online experience will be safe and secure.

Sports available at American betting sites.

Thankfully, the days of arranging a road trip to Nevada to visit Sin City to place a sports bet are over. When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was unconstitutional in May 2018, individual states could decide to allow licensed sports betting as well as other online gambling activities such as casino and poker. Before the Supreme Court ruling, only four states, Oregon, Delaware, Nevada, and Montana, allowed sports-based gaming. As you can see from the picture below, more and more states are relaxing sports betting rules and regulations with many more expected in the future. If you want to know how to rate and find an operator, this detailed guide makes a firm case for best US betting sites here.

A map of the US

The map above shows the increasing spread of legalized sport betting states throughout the US. New Jersey was one of the first states to relax gambling laws; the Garden State approved sports betting regulations on June 7, 2018. They were soon followed by West Virginia (August 2018), Indiana, Pennsylvania (November 2018), New York (July 2019), Iowa (August 2019), Indiana (September 2019), New Hampshire (December 2019), Tennessee (Fall, 2020), North Carolina (2020) and Washington (2020). It’s worth pointing out that not all states that have sports betting allow online sports betting

with some states, New York, for example, requiring customers to visit a casino to place a sports bet physically.

Here is a list of the current States with legal sports betting:

  • Nevada – legal since March 19, 1931
  • Delaware – launched June 5, 2018
  • Mississippi – launched Aug. 1, 2018
  • West Virginia – launched Aug. 30, 2018
  • New Mexico – launched Oct. 16, 2018
  • Pennsylvania – launched mid-November 2018
  • Rhode Island – launched Nov. 26, 2018
  • Arkansas – launched July 1, 2019
  • Tennessee – launched July 1, 2019
  • New York – launched July 16, 2019
  • Iowa – launched August 15, 2019
  • Oregon – launched August 27, 2019
  • Indiana – launched September 1st, 2009
  • New Hampshire – launched December 30th, 2009
  • Illinois – launched March 9th, 2020
  • Michigan – launched March 11th, 2020
  • Montana – launched March 2020

On-deck circle States

  • Washington
  • North Carolina
  • Colorado

Legal Online Gambling States: Sports Betting and Casino Sites

The decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and allow states to issue licenses and regulate online gambling gives many Americans the opportunity to experience legal online sports betting for the first time. However, despite a relaxation of the rules at the federal level, not all states permit gambling in all forms.

Some allow online sports betting but not online casino, and some allow online poker but not sports betting. It’s also worth pointing out that not all states that have legalized sports betting allow online sports betting. Illinois, for example, passed a bill to legalize physical sportsbooks and online sports betting in June 2019 but will not allow bets online until late 2020. To make things simpler, we have compiled a list of states with legal online gambling.

State Online Sports Betting Online Casinos Online Poker
Delaware No Yes Yes
Georgia No No Yes
Illinois No No Yes
Indiana Yes No No
Iowa Yes No No
Kentucky No No Yes
Maine No No Yes
Michigan No No Yes
Nevada No Yes No
New Hampshire Yes No Yes
New Jersey Yes Yes No
New York Yes No Yes
Pennsylvania Yes Yes No
Rhode Island No Unregulated No
Tennessee Yes No No
Virginia No No Yes
West Virginia Yes Yes No

As online sports betting is a relatively new concept, especially for the American market, we often get asked what are the benefits of sports betting online as opposed to visiting a bookmaker at a casino. It’s a fair question, and one answer that springs to mind is the ability to claim special promotions that are available to new customers. These range from free bets, matched deposit deals, and even no-lose first bets and enhanced odds.

Another critical difference between online and offline betting is the technological advances that you can take advantage of when betting online. Features such as in-play betting allow you to bet while the action is still taking place, and you can even cash-out sports bets before the event has finished. With mobile sports betting, you can place bets whenever and wherever you like, saving you the time, stress, and expense of visiting a casino.

Are Offshore Betting Sites Legal & Safe?

For a newcomer to sports betting, it can often be challenging to know the difference between a legal US sports betting site and an offshore betting site since both can look very similar. However, using a website that is not licensed and regulated by a state could put more than your money at risk. And while using these unlicensed sites isn’t in itself illegal, only sportsbooks with a valid state license offer a safe place for American players to bet.

The chances are that if you have been using an internet search engine to search for a legal online sports betting agency, then you have seen results for sites such as Bovada, Mybookie, and Mybet that promise to accept most US players. However, the problem with these types of sites is that they are, in reality, advertising offshore betting sites. Take Bovada, for example, as they are based in Costa Rica, which means it’s not subject to US laws around sports betting and gambling. Which could lead to problems should you have a complaint with the company. We strongly recommend using only state licenced operators. In a later section, we will show you how to tell if a site is legal.

Legal Online Sports Betting in the US: A Quick Guide

As many of our visitors will be new to the wonderful world of online sports betting, we will use this section to cover all the essentials you need to know when betting online. We’ll share our tips on keeping you safe while betting and talk you through the whole process of how to bet on sports online legally. We’ll show you how to check if a site is licensed by a state and discuss what sports you can wager on.

Step 1: Make Sure Sports Betting is Legal in Your State

The Supreme Court’s decision to declare PASPA unconstitutional led to a flurry of states either initiating gambling legislation to legalize or a quickening of the pace in states that had already planned to challenge the American government over PASPA. Five states California, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, had already introduced sports betting legalization bills; therefore, it’s no surprise that these states were some of the first to benefit from the Supreme Court ruling.

For the consumer, the fact that individual states set their own gambling laws, passed legislation and regulations means it can be challenging to know with certainty what the situation is in a particular region. Information online is often out of date, due to the dynamic nature of the industry and to make matters worse, legitimate-looking websites are often little more than advertisements for offshore sports betting sites which don’t guarantee consumer protection. To avoid this, we highly recommend you check the legal status of gambling in a state by following our dedicated state guides. You’ll find these links at the end of this page or alternatively in the sidebar. We update these pages as the situation changes on a state level, which allows you to be confident in the information you receive from us.

So now you’ve established that sports betting is available in your state, the next step is to find a legal online sportsbook or sportsbooks that follows state gambling laws. The look and feel of a website can reveal a lot about the company, and there should be certain things you should be looking for before you sign-up and deposit any money. Never be pressured with a website offering a limited time special offer; there are plenty of great deals out there that are not time-limited, so you are not in a hurry to react. If you are unsure, websites such as Betting.us track the best betting sites the US has to offer on a monthly basis. The picture below highlights some of the main features you should be looking for on a betting site.

The footers of a licensed and legal betting site vs. an unlicensed offshore site.

Most of the critical information about a company is contained within the footer. This will give a good indication of the legality and trustworthiness of a site. The first thing to check is that the company has a license from the state you wish to bet in, the number of the registration should be listed, and we’d advise you to check the website of the gambling authority of that state. Often a tell-tale sign of a rogue site is a lack of information about who carries out independent testing of the service. Another red flag would be the lack of any information about the risk of gambling, check to see if The National Council on Problem Gambling is mentioned or any other responsible gambling messages.

Step 3: Create Account & Deposit Money

Once you have established that a site is a legal online sportsbook and is licensed , the next stage is to open up an account with the bookmaker. Registration will be free, and the whole process shouldn’t take much more than a few minutes, you can even do this mobile via your cell. Details you will be asked for include; name, address, cell number, email, a couple of security questions, full address details, and the last four digits of your social security number for identification purposes.

As we’ve mentioned earlier on this page, it is possible to claim a generous welcome bonus at this stage, which can boost the amount of money that you can use for online sports betting. These come in many shapes and sizes, but the golden rule regarding these promotions is to read the terms and conditions carefully. While most of these special offers are good value, beware of wagering requirements that require you to meet certain conditions. So please, read and then read again, all the small print before accepting a deal. A good tip at this stage is to check what payment methods are accepted at the legal sports betting site you are interested in. The safest betting sites are those that offer a wide range of ways to fund your account, such as PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, etc..

Choose what to Wager On at Legal Sport Betting Sites

Now we have the account creation process out of the way, the fun begins, and it’s now time to concentrate on the main reason you are visiting this site, to bet on sports! If you are new to online sports betting, you may be wondering what sports you can place a wager on, and the short answer is a lot. You can bet on all the major US sports leagues as well as other sporting events around the globe. Here is just a small selection of the sports you can bet on in states with legal sports betting;

  • Football Betting (NFL, College, Superbowl)
  • Basketball (NBA, College, March Madness)
  • Hockey (NHL)
  • Baseball (MLB)
  • Soccer (MLS, Premier League, Liga MX & More)
  • Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts
  • Horse Racing
  • Golf (PGA)

Most Important USA Sports Gambling Laws

The abolishment of The Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act was, without doubt, a momentous moment for not only sports betting but for other types of gambling such as online poker and casino. Originally signed into law by President Bush in 1992, PASPA (also known as the Bradley Act) was a response by campaigners who voiced concern that America was in danger of sudden and rapid expansion of gambling interests. Pressure was placed on Congress to restrict further sports-based wagering. As a result, PASPA came into law, effectively banning sports betting in all states bar Oregon, Delaware, Montana, and Nevada. While PASPA is the most apparent law that affected gamblers, some other rules and regulations are in place that can affect you when sports betting online.

You may be considering if you live in a state that doesn’t allow sports betting to just use a legal sports betting site in a different state from your current location. If you do attempt to bet, the chances are that the sportsbook website or app will identify your real location and block your attempts. Even if you do bypass this restriction by using a VPN, you run the risk of being discovered by the bookmaker who could refuse to pay-out on winning bets for breaking the terms and conditions of the account, and it’s not worth the risk in our view. You might also fall foul of the Federal Wire Act as well with funds crossing state lines.

American legal gambling laws

Another tip for younger players under 21 is to check any age-restrictions in place. Some states have varying ages for different forms of gambling. The legal lottery and pari-mutuel betting age is usually 18 (19 in Alabama), but varies wildly when sports betting online. Kentucky, Montana, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming allow 18 year-olds to bet, in the rest of the states it ranges from 19 to 21. To find out the minimum age for your state, you can use our dedicated state pages. You’ll find these links at the end of this page or alternatively in the sidebar.

Conclusion: Future of Sports Betting in the US

The future of sports betting in the US looks very positive with 22 states either already accepting bets or being very close to passing the required legislation. The speed of change is also increasing, with three states legalizing gambling in March 2020 alone (Illinois, Michigan, Montana). It is, however, the number of states that are moving towards legalization that shows the desire for people to bet; currently, 25 states have introduced bills. The only states that have not displayed any legalization activity are Idaho, Wisconsin, and Utah. As Utah has an anti-gambling stance written into the state’s constitution, they are unlikely to change any time soon. For up to date information on the individual states, you can check out our state gambling laws section.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have now completed our sports gambling legal states guide, and we hope you found the information helpful and informative. In this last section, we will cover some of the most frequently asked questions regarding online betting sites USA, we’ve added links to the relevant sections, making it easy to find a more detailed explanation if needed.

Is online gambling and sports betting legal in the United States?

Since the abolishment of The Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018, no federal law covers the placement of wagers. Each state can decide its own rules and regulations, and the states control the licensing of bookmakers. To legally place a bet, you need to be in a state that allows online sports betting.

Where is sports betting legal in the US?

Currently there are seventeen states that have legalized sports betting. These are Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Arkansas, New York, Iowa, Oregon, Indiana, New Hampshire, Illinois, Michigan, and Montana. The best betting sites will soon also include Washington, Tennessee, North Carolina and Colorado.

Are sites like MyBookie and Bovada legal and safe?

You will often see sites that promise to accept all American players, no matter where you live. More often than not, these sites that you are being re-directed to are off-shore sports betting sites. While you may be able to place bets with no issues, the lack of licensing means you have minimal legal protection if things go wrong. For peace of mind and your safety, always choose legal online sportsbooks.

Is betting online legal in the US?

As each state is empowered to decide whether or not they allow gambling in their state, the rules do vary a lot between them. Some allow online poker but not online sports betting, and some allow online sports betting but not online casino. To make matters more complicated, some states allow sports betting but not online sports betting, and betting must be done in a physical location. Our section on states with legal online gambling gives more information.

Can I use the FanDuel or DraftKings app legally?

It depends on which state you currently reside in. Fan Duel users can currently use the app in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York (retail ONLY), Iowa (retail ONLY), and Indiana. DraftKings is accessible in most states bar Arizona, Alabama, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, and Washington. Still, we would urge you to check our state guides for more detailed information about a particular state.

Legal Sports Betting: State by State Guide