Where is sports betting legal, and which states will be next?

Dave Carney 4/13/2021      

What’s on the table today?: Where is sports betting legal, and where might it be legal next?

The history of sports gambling in the United States is a long, sordid affair, with numerous plot twists and turns, bad actors, and games being thrown, before Nevada became the first (and for many years) the only state in the country to allow legalized sports betting in 1949.

So much has changed since then, and in 2018 the United States Supreme Court ruled that all states that wish to take part in legalized sports gambling could, with states being given free reign over how that would work in their particular state.

The thrust behind the US Supreme Court decision was the state of New Jersey who propositioned the United States Supreme Court to overrule and near century old law that prohibited legalized sports betting outside of Nevada. New Jersey long considered the “2nd Home” of legal casino gambling wanted to know…”why can’t we allow sports betting too?”…to which the Supreme Court answered..”you can now, have at it!”.

In the three years since that landmark ruling, 18 states and the District of Columbia have followed suit allowing legalized sports betting in various fashions; from in-person only, to online in-person and online only, with as many as 6 more states likely joining the ranks in 2021. 

My personal hope is that within the next 5 years the entirety of the United States will be allowing at least some form of legal sports gambling. States stand to make so much taxable revenue from the proceeds of legalized sports gaming, that in turn, could make drastic and lasting impacts on people and services in those states, desperately in need of the infusion of capital. It’s also a FREEDOM of choice, which I do still believe is an ethos of the American way of life, and one that I thoroughly enjoy!

So, which states HAVE legal sports gambling and which do we think will LIKELY have legal sports gambling in the next year or so? Here’s the list, starting with the states that HAVE legal sports betting, and what kind of betting they allow. Below that, we’ll look at which states will LIKELY have legal sports gambling in the next year or so according to experts in the industry and in the law.

States with LEGAL sports gambling:

Arkansas (Only physical sportsbooks), Colorado (Full mobile betting with multiple options), Delaware (Only physical sportsbooks), Illinois (Full mobile betting with multiple options), Indiana (Full mobile betting with multiple options), Iowa (Full mobile betting with multiple options), Michigan (Full mobile betting with multiple options), Mississippi (“In-person online” betting), Montana (“In-person online” betting), Nevada (Full mobile betting with multiple options (in-person sign up required), New Hampshire (One mobile betting option), New Jersey (Full mobile betting with multiple options), New Mexico (Only physical sportsbooks), New York (Only physical sportsbooks), Oregon (One mobile betting option), Pennsylvania ( Full mobile betting with multiple options), Rhode Island (One mobile betting option), Tennessee (Full mobile betting with multiple options), Virginia (Full mobile betting with multiple options), Washington D.C. (One mobile betting option), West Virginia (Full mobile betting with multiple options)

States that will LIKELY have legal sports gambling in the next year:

Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Dakota, Washington

Ummmmm…where is Wisconsin???! C’mon guys!

**For more info on TOTAL plays, OVER/UNDER, and PLUS/MINUS plays, TEASER cards and more, check back through some previous columns for detailed information**

REMEMBER – don’t bet based upon my recommendations. Do your research. Stay in your lane