US States With Legal Gambling 2024

Is Online Gambling Legal in the United States?

Yes, in many states across the country some form of online gambling is completely legal. The world of legal online gambling is constantly evolving across the U.S. with each passing year.

Playersbest.com compiled all of the information that you might need when it comes to states with legal gambling, legal online gambling, legal online casinos, and legal gambling age. As these laws and legislation continue to evolve, look back to this article for updates on different states with legal gambling.

States With Legal Online Gambling

There are currently 29 states with legal online sportsbetting of some type. Washington D.C. also has legal online gambling within its area. Some of these states with legal gambling have been around for decades, while others are brand new to the game, and are currently establishing legal online casinos. Certain gambling legal states have fully regulated online betting markets, while others only allow in person betting when at a casino or other establishment. Even more are trying to become the next states with legal sportsbetting. Bills look to establish gambling legal states in many different ways. The landscape is constantly shifting under our feet, but we will be here to update you on all of the latest up-to-date information!

States Without Legal Online Gambling Legislation

It is likely that most, if not all states in the U.S. will legislate and regulate gambling at some point in the future. The truth is most of these will be gambling legal states sooner rather than later. For some that future looks a whole lot closer than others. As you can see, the lion’s share of places on the list below are considering becoming gambling legal states, or want a state run legal online casino. Still though, there are some in which even a state lottery is forbidden, and any sort of gambling laws besides prohibition seem like a long ways off.

A Short History of Gambling Laws in the United States.

Gambling has been around in the United States before it was even officially the United States. Before there were states with legal sportsbetting, there were colonies that participated in legal sportsbetting. Historian Neal Millikan has even found that close to 400 lotteries were held across the 13 colonies. The local newspapers were used to advertise them. In 1769 the British criminalized the lotteries. This was another justification for tension between the colonies and the British, which we know would lead to the American Revolution years later.

Gambling legal states fluctuated greatly with the times and people’s religious attitudes. Betting stayed common throughout the country in wealthy cities like New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco especially during and after the Gold Rush. The Great Depression only sped up the gambling movement when Nevada, like plenty of other states in 1931, saw casinos as a way to bring in more revenue.

States with Legal gambling on sports were getting more popular until the 1992 Congress passed the Bradley Act, or PASPA. The Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 got rid of states with sportsbetting and in turn many of the previously gambling legal states. Nevada was spared from this law, and a few other exceptions were carved out in certain states, but this effectively ended gambling legal states in most of the country. PAPSA remained in place until 2018.

Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association 2018

Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association was a tenth amendment case that went through the legal system and to the Supreme Court. Governor Philip D. Murphy represented the State of New Jersey and challenged to have PASPA overturned, which would allow for the return of more states with legal sportsbetting. The case started arguments on December 4th 2017 and on May 14th 2018 the Supreme Court ruled on a 7-2 to reverse a lower court ruling, and again on a 6-3 vote that the entire PASPA law was unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court agreed with New Jersey that the Federal Government was commandeering power that the states had to regulate their own gambling industries. Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion stating that, “Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each state is free to act on its own.”

The anti-betting side was unable to hold up their argument which relied on the Supremacy Clause. The Clause argues that the Federal Government has supreme right over individual states and in this case can take priority over state laws.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor was joined in dissent with Justice Ruth Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg wrote the dissent in which she gave her opinion that overturning  PASPA entirely was not only excessive, but based solely on the desire to establish states with legal gambling.

Gambling Legal States post 2018

Many states assumed the Supreme Court case would finish PASPA being repealed and therefore started legislation to establish gambling legal states even before the case was over. Delaware became the first new state to legalize sports gambling less than a month after the Supreme Court decision on June 5th 2018.

Not even a week later New Jersey signed a bill into law on June 11th 2018. Since then more states have been bringing forward legislation to legalize sportsbetting in their state in different ways. Even the major pro sports leagues have been trying to make sure the new legislation is a benefit for them. The NFL is the only major American sports league that still publicly opposes sports gambling.

After New Jersey numerous states across the country began putting together bills to become the next gambling legal states.There are currently many states who have passed gambling bills into law, but are organizing how to implement the laws and have yet to open or allow any legal online casinos.

The newest betting trend now sees states open legal online casinos or state run apps in which bettors can gamble from their phone anywhere in their state. Certain states still only allow in person betting, but most are looking to add online or mobile components. Tennessee has done the opposite, only allowing for legal online gambling, but no betting in person.

The Next Gambling Legal States

Favorable gambling laws are not an issue of if, but when in many states. Ohio state Senator Kirk Scuring recently introduced a bill in April 2021 that would allow for domestic gambling on sports in the Buckeye state. The state’s lawmakers are currently debating this bill which would allow for legal online casinos and in person retail locations. We could possibly see Ohio become the next in the long line of states with legal sportsbetting.

Oklahoma sits in limbo when it comes to the states with legal gambling. In April 2020 Kevin Stitt, the Oklahoma Governor, reached an agreement on a gaming concept that included sports gambling. Multiple steps have been taken to make this a reality, but there still remain bipartisan state lawmakers and the Oklahoma attorney general who are in opposition to expanded gambling laws in the state. Because of this the future of legal sportsbetting in Oklahoma remains uncertain.

Nebraska voters made their choice in November 2020 and after six months Governor Pete Rickets signed a bill to regulate in-person sports betting. While no online or mobile betting is currently being planned, this could change with time. Best guess is that the state’s first sportsbooks will likely accept bets starting in Fall 2021. However, no betting on Nebraska college sports will be allowed.

Arizona has likely seen more than enough tax revenue for sportsbetting go to their neighbor Nevada so now they want in on the game. In May of 2021 gaming compacts were approved that contained sports wagering and fantasy sports. In person and online will be a full go as soon as a regulatory board is set up. Best guess on when they will start accepting wagers should be somewhere in late 2021.

Realistically the very next state to start taking money for legal online gambling and in person gambling will be Connecticut. Approved in May 202, the Governor Ned Lamont gave his signature the very next day. Only the Federal Department of the Interior is now needed, and my best guess is that sometime in September that will happen. Connecticut is another state that will not allow gambling on any college sport team residing in the state.

In Conclusion

America’s history with gambling, like many other vices, is one that is full of stops and starts, and likely will continue that way. Although a federal ruling on gambling laws is unlikely, more and more states are recognizing the benefits of being able to regulate their local markets. The majority of individual state gambling laws will continue to change. Be sure to check back here often for all of the news on legislative changes and to find the newest states with legal gambling.

Gambling Legal States FAQ