At the moment the states that have sports betting with regulation with 32 in addition to DC. There are cases like Florida, Vermont, Kentucky, Maine and North Carolina that are very close to starting their operations. Meanwhile, there are others in the process of regulating online gambling. Likewise, there are other jurisdictions that are far from joining the business unit. Below is a detail about the different pending situations.
Alabama: Not legal
The state has proposed multiple bills, including one in 2021, but all have been shot down. Alabama currently doesn’t have any commercial casinos. Currently, a gambling and lottery bill that would allow sports betting in casinos is working its way through the Alabama Senate and House. Regardless, there’s nothing new to report until these gaming options turn up on a 2023 voters ballot.
Alaska: Not legal
In 2020, the state put legalizing sports betting under consideration and Gov. Mike Dunleavy even showed support for the bill. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to its consideration and the bill ended up expiring in May 2020. Efforts to move toward legal Alaska sports betting haven’t been completely dormant — Rep. Adam Wool introduced legislation (HB 385) in February 2022 that would bring mobile sports wagering to the state.
California: Not legal
There were two major propositions on the November 2022 ballot that could have legalized sports betting in California, one to legalize in-person sports betting and the other to legalize online sports betting. Both propositions broke spending records and had active ad campaigns, but both were heavily voted down by Californians. It is not known at this time if the topic of legal California sports betting will be brought back up in 2023.
Delaware: In-person only
In-person sports betting is legal in Delaware, but online is not. A few weeks after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on sports betting in 2018, Delaware became the first state outside of Nevada to accept a legal, single-game sports bet. However, the action is limited to the state’s three casinos. Approvals for online gambling have been in place since 2013, yet the Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement has yet to authorize online sports betting. It appears as though the regulator is taking a wait-and-see approach before allowing the racinos to launch online.
Florida: Not legal
Sports betting is illegal in Florida, both online and in-person. Just three weeks after legal Florida mobile sports betting launched in 2021, a judge ruled that an agreement between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe was illegal. It wasn’t until June 2023 that a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously overturned the decision that had blocked regulated Florida sports betting. There is a chance the ruling will be appealed and could even head to the Supreme Court. Commercial sportsbooks will now have to wait until 2024 to take another swing at the Florida market.
Georgia: Not legal
It is one of two U.S. states with no form of gambling. A group of Georgia lawmakers filed bills in January 2023 that would have legalized Georgia sports betting in the Peach State and wouldn’t have needed to be voted on by Georgia residents. But on March 6, 2023, the Georgia Senate voted down multiple bills that would legalize sports betting in Georgia and the House failed to get legislation of their own voted on before the deadline for new bills passed. Georgia lawmakers are looking to 2024 now that a hail-mary attempt to legalize sports betting has fallen short in 2023.
Hawaii: Not legal
A bill was proposed in January of 2019 that would’ve allowed for the regulation of sports gambling through a newly-established corporation, but the bill was denied. Hawaii is one of just two states, Utah being the other, with no legal gambling provisions.
Idaho: Not legal
Sports betting is illegal in Idaho, both online and in-person. Little to no movement from Idaho lawmakers suggests no momentum or appetite for legal Idaho sports betting. Although many of its neighboring states moved quickly to add sports betting legislation in recent years, not one bill has been proposed in the Gem State.
Kentucky: Legal, no yet launched
On Aug. 10, 2023, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) confirmed that seven operators submitted online sports betting applications: bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, Circa, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Penn Interactive. All eyes were on the Red Mile on Monday, July 10, 2023, when regulators approved wagering rules and announced a September launch of Kentucky sports betting. Kentucky’s horse racing tracks and other retail outlets will begin accepting wagers on Sept. 7, while online sportsbooks go live on Sept. 28. The wait for legal Kentucky sports betting has come to a favorable conclusion. On March 31, 2023, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed House Bill 551 into law, legalizing retail and online sports betting in Kentucky.
Maryland: Legal but in-person only
Maryland voters approved sports betting in November 2020, but currently only in-person options are available. Gov. Larry Hogan has pushed for the speedy launch of online betting ahead of this NFL season, but the timeline remains murky.
Minnesota: Not legal
In 2022, a bill that would have given the state’s Native American tribes — operators of the state’s casinos — the ability to control online and in-person action fell apart in the state senate. Legislation to legalize Minnesota sports betting passed in August 2022, but a launch date has not been set yet.
Mississippi: In-person only
The first sports bets in Mississippi were placed on August 1, 2018. The state enacted a law in 2017 that allowed for sports betting. In-person sports betting is legal, but online action is prohibited. Retail betting launched in 2018, but online betting is only allowed when inside a casino. Several online bills have been introduced, but none have gained traction.
Missouri: Not legal, but legislation proposed
Missouri had several sports betting bills introduced in recent years but the state hasn’t taken action on them yet. There was a serious push in 2022, but it fell apart in the state senate. Legal Missouri sports betting will not arrive in 2023. After passing through the House, HB 556 stalled in the Missouri Senate. Lawmakers will reconvene to discuss legalization in 2024. On Jan. 3, 2023, Rep. Dan Houx filed House Bill 556, a follow-up to the bill (HB 4) he filed in September 2022. On Jan. 4, House Rep. Phil Christofanelli sponsored House Bill 581. Both proposals included mobile sports betting, with both casinos and professional sports teams partnering with online sportsbook operators.
New Mexico: Legal, but…
No legislation has been passed, but Native American casinos have taken bets since 2018. Under the current state laws, sports betting isn’t explicitly prohibited, nor is it a prohibited Class III game in the gaming compacts shared between tribes and the state. This has allowed the Pueblo of Santa Ana tribe to open their own not-outright-legal-but-also-not-technically-illegal sportsbook at its in-state casino. Sports gambling is legal at the Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel and four other tribal casinos.
Nebraska: Legal but pending
Governor Pete Ricketts legalized sports betting and put it into law on May 25, 2021, although there is only in-person betting. On Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, legal Nebraska sports betting took a significant step forward. The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission unanimously recommended approving new rules, including sports gambling for operating casinos. Formal recommendations by the NRGC do not ensure the legality of gambling on sports in Nebraska. It still needs to go to the Attorney General’s office, be signed by the Governor, and then to the Secretary of state to be ratified.
North Dakota: Not legal, but legislation proposed
Similar to New Mexico, the state has not passed any official legislation to legalize, but Native American casinos take in-person bets. The last effort to legalize North Dakota sports betting was in 2019 and was unsuccessful.
Oklahoma: Legal, not yet launched
Oklahoma lawmakers may soon consider legal sports betting, as Republican Rep. Ken Luttrell introduced House Bill 1027 on Dec. 29, 2022. The proposed legislation calls for in-person and online sports betting via Native American tribes. There is no word yet as to whether a new motion will be proposed in 2023.
South Carolina: Not legal, but legislation proposed
Gambling in South Carolina is restricted solely to casino riverboats but state legislature has proposed bills in consecutive years that would open the door to sports gambling. No action has been taken yet.
Texas: Not legal
One senator pre-filed a sports betting bill ahead of the 2023 legislative session that would amend the Texas constitution to legalize Texas sports betting. The bill calls for legal sports betting in Texas at a limited number of facilities. Texas sports betting will be legalized if the amendment receives a two-thirds vote from the legislature and approval from state voters in November 2023.
Utah: Not legal
And very unlikely to happen. Utah is highly doubtful to adopt legalized sports betting, particularly since its anti-gambling position is written into the state constitution. Decades of opposition make any changes to its policy toward gambling unlikely and would signify a massive departure.
Vermont: Legal, waiting to launched
A proposed bill to legalize mobile sports wagering in-state passed through both the Vermont House and Senate and was signed by the governor in June 2023. Legal sports betting in Vermont to commence later this year or early 2024. In the meantime, Vermont regulators will issue RFPs in an effort to drum up competition. The legislation will allow two to six sportsbook operators to launch apps and online sports betting sites.
