Online Sports Betting – Legal in Which States?

Have you ever wondered if online sports betting is legal in your state? If so, you’re not alone. Many people are unsure about the legality of online gambling, and sports betting is no exception.

However, the good news is that online sports betting is legal in many states across the US. In fact, as of 2019, there are only a handful of states where online sports betting is not yet legal.

So, if you’re looking to place a bet on your

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Introduction

Online sports betting is legal in some states in the US, but not all. Currently, Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have laws in place that allow for online sports betting. There are also a few other states that have proposed legislation that would make online sports betting legal, but those laws have not yet been passed. If you are interested in placing bets on sports online, you will need to check the laws in your state to see if it is legal.

The Current State of Online Sports Betting in the US

Online sports betting is currently only legal in Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Montana and Oregon have laws on the books that would allow sports betting, but they have not yet been implemented. Rhode Island is currently working on legislation to legalize online sports betting. No other states have active legislation regarding online sports betting.

Federal Laws

The only federal law that applies to sports betting is the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992. This law basically said that states were not allowed to offer sports betting. Prior to PASPA, only four states – Nevada, Montana, Oregon and Delaware – had laws in place to allow sports betting. After PASPA was enacted, these four states were grandfathered in and allowed to continue offering sports betting.

In May of 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down PASPA as unconstitutional. This opened the door for all states to offer sports betting if they so choose. As of right now, there are 20 states plus Washington D.C. that have laws in place to offer sports betting. There are many other states working on legislation, but have not yet passed anything into law. It’s expected that many more states will have legal sports betting in the near future.

State Laws

Currently, online sports betting is only legal in Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. In May of 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which had prevented states from legalizing and regulating sports betting. This decision gives each state the authority to make its own laws regarding sports betting. Many states have already passed legislation to make sports betting legal, and more are expected to do so in the near future.

In order to place a bet online, you must be physically located in a state where online sports betting is legal. Most online sportsbooks use geolocation technology to track your location and ensure that you are not trying to place a bet from outside of the state.

The Future of Online Sports Betting in the US

The landscape of online sports betting in the United States is changing rapidly. With more and more states legalizing sports betting, it is becoming easier for Americans to bet on their favorite sports. There are still some states that have not legalized sports betting, but that is likely to change in the near future.

Federal Legislation

The future of online sports betting in the United States is somewhat uncertain at the moment. There is currently no federal legislation in place that expressly outlaws or legalizes online sports betting, so it exists in something of a grey area. However, there are two pieces of federal legislation that could have an impact on online sports betting in the future.

The first is the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which was passed in 1992. PASPA essentially prohibits sports betting in all states except Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware. PASPA has been challenged in court several times, but so far it has been upheld. If PASPA were to be overturned, it would open up the possibility of online sports betting becoming legal in more states.

The second piece of legislation is the Federal Wire Act, which was passed in 1961. The Wire Act prohibits interstate gambling, but it is not clear whether it applies to online gambling. The Department of Justice has interpreted it as applying to all forms of gambling, but this interpretation is not universally accepted. If the Wire Act were found to not apply to online gambling, it would open up the possibility of online sports betting becoming legal across state lines.

At the moment, then, the future of online sports betting in the US is somewhat uncertain. However, if either PASPA or the Wire Act were to be changed or overturned, it could have a big impact on the legality of online sports betting in the US.

State Legislation

The movement to legalize online sports betting started in 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that had effectively prohibited all but four states from offering sports betting. The ruling, in the case of Murphy v. NCAA, opened the door for individual states to decide whether to allow sports betting and how to regulate it.

Since then, many states have passed laws or put forth legislation to allow sports betting, with more expected to do so in the coming years. Here is a look at the current status of online sports betting in the United States:

-Alabama: No legislation has been introduced as of 2019.
-Alaska: No legislation has been introduced as of 2019.
-Arizona: No legislation has been introduced as of 2019.
-Arkansas: Sports betting is not legal as of 2019. However, bills were introduced in both the House and Senate in early 2019 that would authorize sports wagering if neighboring states also legalize it.
-California: No legislation has been introduced as of 2019. A constitutional amendment will likely be required before sports betting can be legalized in California.
-Colorado: Sports betting is not legal as of 2019 but was authorized by a voter referendum in November 2019 and is expected to launch sometime in 2020. Details on regulation are still being worked out.
-Connecticut: Legislation has been proposed unsuccessfully in each year since 2018 to legalize sports betting in Connecticut. The latest proposal would allow both retail and online/mobile sports betting but stumpage fees on casinos for promoting gambling addiction prevention efforts must first be increased from 0.25% to 1%.
-Delaware: Sports betting has been legal since 2009 but is only offered at physical locations such as casinos and racetracks. An attempt to expand it to include online/mobile wagering failed in 2018 but another bill was introduced early in 2019 that would authorize such bets if neighboring states also legalize it.-Florida: No legislation has been introduced as of 2019 although many lawmakers have expressed interest in pursuing it.-Georgia: No legislation has been introduced as of 2019.-Hawaii: Sports betting is not legal as of 2019 and there are no current plans to change that.-Idaho: No legislation has been introduced as of 2019.-Illinois:-Indiana:-Iowa:-Kansas:-Kentucky:-Louisiana:-Maine:-Maryland:-Massachusetts

Conclusion

Now that we’ve looked at the legality of online sports betting in each US state, it’s time to answer the big questions: is it safe, and can I make money?

The simple answer to both of those questions is yes – as long as you bet with a reputable and licensed sportsbook. There are plenty of safe and secure online sportsbooks operating legally in the US, and as long as you stick to those, you can bet with confidence.

When it comes to making money, there’s no easy answer. Sports betting is a risky business, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll make a profit. However, if you approach it sensibly and with a sound strategy, there’s no reason why you can’t make some money from it.