Expanding your sports betting business in the U.S. market comes with many questions: Where is sports betting legal? Which are the states that allow sports betting? And what types?
OddsMatrix has compiled a definitive list of American states where sports betting is legal, partially legal (where only some forms of betting are allowed) and illegal.
The U.S. has had a long history of gambling and sports betting, with a veritable tug-of-war happening between gambling laws and the people who want to enjoy betting in various forms.
Throughout it all, the American appetite for it remains as voracious as ever, and attitudes have shifted in favour of allowing U.S. states to establish their own legislation—without federal intervention.
Late summer 2018 was a landmark moment for the industry, with New Jersey spearheading the movement that led to the Supreme Court striking down PASPA on 10th Amendment constitutional grounds.
Since then, revenues have exploded. As early as 2020, New Jersey was approaching 1bn USD in online casino GGR, and the state alone is one of the world’s largest online gaming markets. Across the U.S., the industry grew to a whopping 6bn USD in 2020, with multiple states setting new records.
Since sports betting was made legal in 2018, sports betting statistics have shown that the industry has been growing at an unprecedented rate, mostly due to technical advancements and access to one crucial tool: data.
Today, data is the fuel that powers sports betting. The U.S., especially, is seeing sports betting data rise in importance, not only in the last five years but practically on a month-by-month basis.
OddsMatrix estimates that sports data feeds will be a vital asset for emerging sports betting businesses in the U.S. in the months and years to come, as new operators look to gain a vital insight into the market and player preferences.
Operators, leagues, and media brands are counting on automated, low-latency feeds for their insights. As the industry grows, it continues to demand highly accurate odds and markets to attract, engage, and retain millions of sports fans 24/7. Catering to these demands is the only way to both attract and retain a sizable player base, something that every emerging U.S. market will want to do.
The legalization of sports betting in the United States follows a combination of federal and state-level legal processes, shaped primarily by a key Supreme Court decision. Here’s a breakdown of how the process unfolded and continues to work:
The primary federal law governing sports betting was the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992, which effectively banned sports betting in most states, except for a few like Nevada.
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down PASPA in the landmark case Murphy v. NCAA, ruling that it was unconstitutional because it commandeered state governments by preventing them from changing or repealing their own laws.
This decision did not automatically legalize sports betting nationwide. Instead, it returned the power to regulate sports betting to the states.
After the PASPA repeal, each state became responsible for deciding whether to legalize sports betting and how to regulate it. The process typically involves the following steps:
a. Legislation
Sportsbooks (e.g., DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM) must apply for licenses.
Depending on what forms of sports betting are legalized in a state, there are a few primary methods in which bettors can place wagers: at retail/land-based venues and online.
Retail, land-based properties include casinos, racinos, horse racing tracks, sports stadiums, and even select OTB parlours and retail facilities. Online wagering affords bettors with varying degrees of convenience, depending on how restrictive a state’s sports betting regulations are. Mobile and online bettors are not allowed to place interstate wagers.
As far as U.S. law is concerned, the categories of legal betting are:
Erik Nyman, President Americas at OddsMatrix’s mother company, predicts that the U.S. will become “a more successful online operation than European countries as with only a handful of states live, the U.S. market will outgrow Europe shortly, with far fewer people.”
The list of legal sports betting states continues to grow. Hardly a month goes by without new legislation being proposed or an active bill being passed. Currently, it’s up to 30 states and Washington, DC, but the official launch is still pending in some spots.
Legal online sports betting is available in 19 states, and efforts are underway to make it a reality in Ohio and Maryland.
“Live, Legal” denotes states where single-game sports betting is legally offered to consumers through retail and/or online sportsbooks. States classified as “Legal – Not Yet Operational” have authorized sports betting but have yet to launch it. “Active or Pre-Filed Legislation” denotes jurisdictions where bills to legalize single-game sports betting have been pre-filed/introduced in the state legislature or where a voter referendum is scheduled.
Here’s a list that shows what states have legal sports betting, as well as what types:
| State | Online | Mobile | Retail | Casino |
| Arizona Alaska Alabama | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ ⬥ |
| Arkansas | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ | ||
| Colorado | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| Connecticut California | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ | ⬥ |
| Delaware Idaho | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ | ⬥ |
| Illinois | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| Indiana | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| Iowa | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| Louisiana | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ | |
| Maryland Minnesotta | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ |
| Michigan | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| Mississippi | ⬥* | ⬥* | ⬥ | |
| Montana | ⬥* ‘ | ⬥* ‘ | ⬥* ‘ | |
| Nebraska | ⬥ ^ | |||
| Nevada | ⬥ | ⬥ | ||
| New Hampshire | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| New Jersey | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| New Mexico Missouri | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ ⬥ | ⬥ |
| New York | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| North Carolina | ⬥ | |||
| Ohio | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ ^ | ⬥ ^ | |
| Oklahoma | ⬥* | ⬥ | ||
| Oregon | ⬥ ‘ | ⬥ ‘ | ⬥ ‘ | |
| Pennsylvania | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| Rhode Island | ⬥ ‘ | ⬥ ‘ | ⬥ ‘ | |
| South Dakota | ⬥ | |||
| Tennessee Texas | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| Virginia | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ ^ | |
| Washington DC | ⬥ ‘ | ⬥ ‘ | ⬥ ‘ | |
| Washington | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| West Virginia | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ | |
| Wisconsin | ⬥ | |||
| Wyoming | ⬥ | ⬥ | ⬥ |
⬥Legal
^ Legal but not live yet
* Only available when on licenced premises
‘ Only available through state-owned operators
As of 2025, sports betting remains illegal in the following U.S. states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Each state’s prohibition stems from a combination of political, cultural, and legal factors.
Efforts to legalize sports betting in Alabama have repeatedly stalled. In 2024, House Bill 151, which aimed to legalize various forms of gambling including sports betting, passed the House but was amended in the Senate to exclude sports betting, leaving only the state lottery. The state’s conservative values and religious influences contribute to the resistance against expanding gambling laws.
Alaska has traditionally maintained a strong anti-gambling stance. Retail and online sports betting are banned, and there has been little legislative movement toward legalization. The state’s wealth, partly due to its oil and gas resources, may reduce the perceived need for additional revenue from gambling.
Despite being the most populous state, California has not legalized sports betting. In 2022, two competing ballot initiatives failed, largely due to conflicts between tribal casinos and commercial operators. Native American tribes, which have significant control over gambling in the state, have been hesitant to support measures that could dilute their exclusivity.
Georgia remains one of the few states that still bans sports betting. Although legislation has been introduced multiple times, it has not yet been successful. The state’s conservative political climate and limited forms of legal gambling contribute to the ongoing prohibition.
Hawaii has some of the strictest anti-gambling laws in the nation. All forms of gambling, including sports betting, are prohibited. While there have been proposals to introduce gambling, they have consistently faced strong opposition.
Idaho prohibits sports betting and other forms of gambling. There are currently no active bills or significant movements toward legalization, reflecting the state’s conservative approach to gambling.
Minnesota has seen multiple attempts to legalize sports betting, but disagreements between tribal casinos and other stakeholders have impeded progress. In 2025, a bill failed to advance due to a lack of consensus, and the issue remains unresolved.
Oklahoma’s efforts to legalize sports betting have been complicated by disputes between the state government and tribal nations. Governor Kevin Stitt proposed a plan to allow sports betting, but it lacked support from the tribes, leading to a stalemate.
South Carolina has not legalized sports betting. While there have been discussions and proposals, none have gained significant traction, and the state’s conservative values continue to influence its stance on gambling.
Texas has made multiple attempts to legalize sports betting, but legislation has failed in recent years. The state’s conservative politics and lack of a ballot initiative process make it challenging to advance gambling legislation.
Utah maintains a strict prohibition on all forms of gambling, including sports betting. The state’s strong religious and cultural opposition to gambling makes legalization highly unlikely in the foreseeable future.
These states represent the remaining holdouts in the nationwide trend toward legalized sports betting. While some may eventually reconsider their positions, deeply rooted cultural, political, and economic factors continue to influence their current prohibitions.
OddsMatrix is the EveryMatrix sportsbook solution designed to provide all the necessary tools to help operators expand their sports business and increase profits. It combines modern front-end and sophisticated back-office to offer complete customizability, support, and monitoring.
OddsMatrix sports data feed API offers extensive odds, fixtures, stats, scores, and settlements for the most popular tournaments and betting markets inside and outside the U.S. We provide secure, time-tested data, delivering real-time odds for both live and pre-live events.
As a company expanding its portfolio to include betting data on U.S.-popular sports, you need to know more than just the answer to “Where is online Sports Betting legal?” You need the right partner to help you tackle challenges and provide you with accurate data feed covering odds, fixtures, scores and settlement on U.S. popular sports. Someone who can provide you with know-how on how to structure and offer U.S. sports and how to tap into very specific U.S. sports fan cultures across multiple countries.
In 2025 and beyond, data-driven technology will continue to drive growth and innovation, highlighting the punters’ thirst for U.S. sports-data driven wagering.
Get in touch with us, and let’s identify the choices and support that empower you to thrive and be highly profitable in your markets.
NOTE: The information in this article might have changed since the time of its publication. Get in touch with us today if you wish to and find out more about the OddsMatrix sports data feed and API services.
