When is sports betting legal?

PASPA

In 1992, PASPA, or the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, was passed by the US Congress. It effectively banned sports betting in most states except for a few. However, in 2018, the United States Supreme Court struck down PASPA, paving the way for legal sports betting. Since then, many states have legalized sports betting, with 25 states having laws in place as of 2021. This has resulted in a significant increase in revenue for the sports industry and has led to various economic benefits for states.

UIGEA

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is a United States law passed in 2006. It prohibits financial institutions from processing transactions related to online gambling. However, the law does not specifically outlaw sports betting and it is up to each state to decide if they want to legalize it. Over the past few years, more and more states are legalizing sports betting. In 2017, only one state had legal sports betting, but by 2021, 25 states had legalized it. As of now, the remaining states are still deciding whether to legalize sports betting or not.

(Source: American Gaming Association)

Federal Wire Act

The Federal Wire Act is a law that prohibits the use of wire communication facilities to transmit bets or gambling information. However, it does not make sports betting illegal per se. In 2018, the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), allowing each state to decide if they want to legalize sports betting. Since then, the number of states with legal sports betting has been steadily increasing. As of 2021, 26 states have passed laws to legalize sports betting, with more expected to follow suit.

Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was enacted in 1992, which made it illegal to bet on sports in the United States, with only a few exemptions. It wasn’t until 2018 that the Supreme Court lifted the ban, allowing individual states to legalize sports betting. As of now, 18 states have legalized sports betting and four states were exempted from the original ban.

Christie v. NCAA

In 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of New Jersey in the case of Christie v. NCAA, effectively allowing for individual states to legalize sports betting. Since then, seven states have legalized sports betting in 2018, four in 2019, and three in 2020. (Legal Sports Report)

Murphy v. NCAA

In the United States, the legality of sports betting varies by state. As of August 2021, 18 states have legalized sports betting, while six states have pending legislation. In 2018, the Supreme Court case “Murphy v. NCAA” effectively lifted the federal ban on sports betting, giving each state the power to legalize and regulate the industry on their own. Since then, legalized sports betting has generated millions of dollars in revenue for states. According to the American Gaming Association, legal sports betting revenue in 2021 has already reached $670 million.

Supreme Court ruling

Following a Supreme Court ruling in 2018, the legalization of sports betting in the United States has gained momentum. As of the end of 2020, 18 states had made sports betting legal, generating over 1 billion dollars in revenue.

State-regulated sports betting

State-regulated sports betting has become increasingly popular in recent years, with a total of 33 states having legalized it as of June 2021. In 2018, only one state had legalized sports betting, but by 2021, that number had increased to 22. Seven states legalized sports betting in 2019, three in 2020, and another 12 in 2021. These numbers show a growing trend towards the legalization of sports betting in the United States.

Offshore sports betting

Offshore sports betting is a form of betting that occurs outside of the United States jurisdiction. However, as of 2018, sports betting has been legalized in one state in the United States, with seven states legalizing it in 2019, 20 states in 2020, and 32 states as of 2021. As more states legalize sports betting, it is becoming accessible to more people across the country. This trend shows that sports betting is becoming more widely accepted and regulated within the United States.

(Source: American Gaming Association)

Daily fantasy sports

Daily fantasy sports is a type of online sports betting where players draft virtual teams and compete against others based on the statistical performance of real-life professional athletes. In 2015, only one US state had legalized daily fantasy sports betting. However, as of 2021, daily fantasy sports betting is legal in 25 US states. This growth in legalization can be attributed to the industry generating billions of dollars in revenue annually and creating jobs.
(Source: American Gaming Association)

Tribal gaming laws

Tribal gaming laws play a significant role in determining when sports betting is legal. In 1988, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act allowed federally recognized tribes to engage in casino-style gaming, and many tribes have since expanded to include sports betting. As of 2021, 33 U.S. states, including Washington D.C., have legalized sports betting, with 8 states having approved it but not launched yet, and 9 states with pending legislation. Tribal gaming laws are crucial in the legalization of sports betting and continue to shape the industry’s growth.

Nevada sports betting

Nevada sports betting has a long history, dating back to 1949 when it became the first state to legalize sports betting. In 1955, the state imposed a 10% tax on sports betting revenue. However, in 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) prohibited all states except for Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware from allowing sports betting. Finally, in 2018, the Supreme Court overturned PASPA, allowing states to legalize sports betting. These facts were compiled from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the Supreme Court ruling in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Atlantic City sports betting

Atlantic City sports betting became legal in New Jersey on June 11, 2018. As of 2019, New Jersey had a total handle of $4.58 billion and a total revenue of $299.4 million from sports betting, second only to Nevada’s $5.32 billion total handle and $329.1 million revenue. Pennsylvania also saw success with legalized sports betting in 2019, with a total handle of $1.49 billion and a total revenue of $84.1 million. (Factual reference: https://www.thelines.com/new-jersey-sports-betting-revenue-handle-june-2018-december-2019/)

Mississippi sports betting

Mississippi legalized sports betting in 2018, and is one of five states to do so in that year. As of September 2021, there are 22 U.S. states (plus the District of Columbia) that have legalized sports betting. The industry is projected to continue growing, with revenue expected to reach $8 billion by 2025. Mississippi’s sports betting regulations are overseen by the Mississippi Gaming Commission.

West Virginia sports betting

West Virginia legalized sports betting in 2018, and since then has become home to 5 sportsbooks. Total sports betting handle in the state has reached $552,374,161, with total revenue amounting to $50,291,315.

Delaware sports betting

Delaware was one of the first states to legalize sports betting after the Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018. On June 5, 2018, Governor John Carney placed the first legal sports bet in the state at Dover Downs. Since then, Delaware has allowed retail sports betting at its three horse racing tracks and expanded to mobile betting. In 2020, the state saw over $102 million in sports betting handle. (Source: Legal Sports Report)

Pennsylvania sports betting

Pennsylvania legalized sports betting in 2018, following a Supreme Court ruling that allowed states to legalize sports gambling. In 2020, Pennsylvania had a total sports betting handle of $3.6 billion, generating $189.7 million in revenue. Pennsylvania is home to 14 sports betting operators.

Rhode Island sports betting

Rhode Island sports betting was legalized in November 2018. It became the eighth US state to allow sports betting. In 2019, the total amount wagered in Rhode Island was $305.5 million. The revenue generated by sports betting during the same year was $34.7 million. In 2020, these figures decreased slightly, with $281.5 million wagered and $30.3 million in revenue. However, in the first two months of 2021, Rhode Island sports betting has already seen $54.2 million wagered and $5.2 million in revenue. These statistics suggest that Rhode Island sports betting continues to be a popular and profitable industry.

New Jersey sports betting

New Jersey was one of the first states to legalize sports betting after the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban in 2018. Since then, the industry has grown rapidly in the state. In 2020 alone, New Jersey sportsbooks accepted over $6 billion in wagers and generated nearly $400 million in revenue. The state has also seen a surge in online sports betting, with over 90% of wagers being placed on mobile devices in 2020. Despite facing competition from neighboring states, New Jersey remains one of the largest sports betting markets in the United States.

(Source: New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement)

New York sports betting

Sports betting became legal in New York in 2019, but the state had yet to establish a legal framework for it. In-person sports betting is currently available at four upstate casinos, but mobile sports betting has yet to launch. In 2020, the state brought in a total of $3.6 million in sports betting revenue. However, the projected annual revenue for New York sports betting by 2025 is estimated to reach $1 billion. This potential revenue has prompted discussions about expanding sports betting to other parts of the state.

Oregon sports betting

Oregon sports betting was legalized in August 2019. Since then, many other states have also followed suit. As of 2021, there are now 25 states plus the District of Columbia that have legalized sports betting in one form or another. Nevada was the first state to do so way back in 1949, but it was only after a Supreme Court ruling in 2018 that opened the doors for other states to jump on board. This has led to a massive increase in revenue for the states that have legalized it, with a total handle of $21.5 billion in 2020 alone.

Montana sports betting

Montana became the ninth state to legalize sports betting in May 2019, with the passing of the Montana Sports Betting Act. Since then, the state’s sports betting revenue has steadily increased, reaching $1.5 million in 2019, $3.3 million in 2020, and $4.3 million as of June 2021. Montana’s Department of Justice oversees sports betting regulations, and allows for both in-person and mobile betting.

New Mexico sports betting

New Mexico legalized sports betting in 2018 after a Supreme Court decision lifted a federal ban on the practice. However, sports betting is only legal in tribal casinos, and online or mobile sports betting is not currently allowed in the state. In 2019, New Mexico tribal casinos earned over $1.8 million in revenue from sports betting.

Illinois sports betting

Illinois legalized sports betting on March 9, 2020, following the US Supreme Court decision to overturn the federal ban on sports betting. In-person betting is legal and available at several casinos, racetracks, and sports arenas within the state. Mobile sports betting is also legal and can be accessed via licensed online sportsbooks. Illinois sports betting generated a total handle of $1.8 billion in 2020, with significant growth expected in the coming years. (Source: Illinois Gaming Board)

Iowa sports betting

Iowa sports betting was first legalized in 2019, allowing in-person sports betting at licensed casinos. In 2021, Iowa expanded its sports betting legislation to include online and mobile betting platforms. This has led to a surge in revenue for the industry as more and more consumers are seeking convenient ways to place bets on their favorite sports teams. The legalization of sports betting has also had a positive impact on the state’s economy by creating jobs and generating tax revenue. These changes in Iowa’s laws have made sports betting accessible to a wider audience, cementing its position as a popular pastime in the state for years to come.

Indiana sports betting

Indiana sports betting was legalized in 2019, allowing residents to engage in legal sports wagering. In 2020, online sports betting launched in the state, making it convenient for residents to place bets from their own devices. In 2021, a bill was passed to allow college sports betting in Indiana. These changes have made it easier and more convenient for sports fans to engage in legal betting activities while supporting their favorite teams.

Source: Indiana Gaming Commission, https://www.in.gov/igc/2471.htm

Arkansas sports betting

Located in the southern part of the United States, Arkansas is one of the latest states to legalize sports betting. It was in 2018 when residents of the state voted to amend the existing state constitution to allow sports wagering. Since then, the Arkansas Racing Commission has been tasked to oversee the regulation and licensing of sports betting operators. As of now, sports betting is legal in Arkansas, but only in some specific locations, including racetracks and casinos. Off-site betting is yet to be fully implemented in the state as regulators continue to develop the necessary regulations and guidelines.

Tennessee sports betting

Tennessee sports betting became legal on November 1, 2020, making it one of the newer states to allow sports betting. The state’s regulatory body is the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation, which oversees and regulates the industry. With the growth of online sports betting, Tennessee sports betting is expected to provide substantial revenue for the state. This is demonstrated by the figures, which show that Tennessee sports betting generated nearly $180 million in handle in its first two months of operation.

Virginia sports betting

Virginia sports betting was legalized in January 2021. Online betting is also available in Virginia. Virginia’s sports betting laws require that all sportsbooks use official league data to settle in-game bets, a requirement that is unique to the state. Virginia imposes a tax of 15% on sports betting revenue, with the majority of the revenue going towards public education funding. [Source: https://www.virginia.gov]

Colorado sports betting

Colorado sports betting was legalized on May 1, 2020. Since then, the industry has boomed, generating over $203.9 million in revenue in its first year alone. As of 2021, there are 33 licensed operators offering sports betting in Colorado. The legal sports betting market in the state is projected to continue growing, reaching an estimated $1.5 billion in annual handle by 2023. Factual reference: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/enforcement/sports-betting-statistics