Betting on sports is something that many people love to do around the world, but which has been illegal across the US until very recently. This changed in 2018 though, when the US Supreme Court’s decision to give individual states the power to make sports betting legal made waves. As a result of this, people all across the USA began to look forward to legalized sports wagering.
The question of where you can bet on sports legally in the US is an important one and cannot be ignored. It goes without saying that you do not want to be on the wrong side of the law and should only place bets in states which legally allow it! But what is the current state of legal sports wagering in the United States?
2022 sports betting bills
Staying up to date with the legalities of what you do for work or play is always sensible. Knowing more information about common injuries at work for example is helpful for staying safe as an employee. By the same token, knowing the legal picture around sports betting is wise if you are interested in trying this out.
2022 has already been a busy year for sports betting across the USA. But which states have passed sports betting bills in 2022?
· Maine (LD585 signed into law May 2022)
· Massachusetts (House Bill 5164 signed into law August 2022)
· Kansas (Senate Bill 84 signed into law May 2022)
In addition, the following states brought sports betting bills up for discussion in 2022 but failed to pass them:
· Alabama
· Alaska
· Georgia
· Hawaii
· Kentucky
· Minnesota
· Missouri
· North Carolina (Senate Bill 688 expected to be discussed again in early 2023)
· South Carolina
· Vermont
States with legal sports betting
Although 2022 has been a busy year for sports betting bills, some states have already been through this process. But which states have legalized betting on sports?
· New Jersey
· New York
· Delaware (land-based only)
· Virginia
· West Virginia
· Iowa
· Michigan
· Washington D.C.
· Arizona
· Arkansas
· Connecticut
· Colorado
· Indiana
· Illinois
· Louisiana
· Kansas
· Nevada
· New Hampshire
· Rhode Island
· Mississippi (land based and on-premises mobile betting only)
· Oregon
· Montana (land based and on-premises mobile betting only)
· Pennsylvania
· Tennessee
· South Dakota
· Wyoming
· Washington
· New Mexico (land-based betting only)
· Maine
· Massachusetts
The climate for sports betting legislation
The climate for sports betting legislation has been helped by the popularity of betting on sports rising in recent years. The old stigmas around it seem to have vanished and the younger generation in particular are not only enjoying betting on games but also have no hang-ups around it. In addition, the digital transformation in sports wagering has made it more convenient than ever to bet on games or races now.
From a political point of view, there are additional reasons why the climate for legislation on sports betting is so positive currently. As well as the inclination to give people what they want and secure votes in future elections, the huge extra revenues legal sports betting offers to states is tempting.
Previous sports betting bills
While we might have already looked at some of the sports betting bills in 2022, it is also interesting to look back at previous ones before this. While there are too many to list, the most important ones include:
· Bill S2603 passed in New Jersey during 2018
· Delaware 2009 sports betting bill passed in 2018 after PASPA removal
· New Hampshire sign HB 580 into law during 2019
· Mobile sports betting made legal in New York when signed into 2021 State Budget Bill
· HB 2772 passed in 2021 to make sports betting legal in Arizona
2023, beyond & never
In terms of states due to launch legal sports betting in 2023 or beyond. Maine is worth mentioning. With their sports betting bill passed in May 2022, it is thought they will open up their market by mid-2023.
In addition, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio and Massachusetts have passed sports betting bills and anticipate to launch betting in late 2022/early 2023. Looking further ahead, we think that California and Florida are ripe for legal sports betting in the near future.
When it comes to states who might never legalize sports betting, Utah is the most obvious example, due to its strong religious beliefs around this activity. Both Alaska and Hawaii seem to have little appetite for making sports betting legal either.
US sports betting a fast-changing landscape
Since 2018, the sports betting landscape in the USA has changed quickly and led different states to do their own thing. If you like to bet on sports, it pays to keep up with the latest sports betting news for each state.
