What States Allow Sports Betting? (Updated June 12, 2024)
Welcome to the Props.com “Can I Bet On Sports In A Non-Legal State?” guide.
The landscape of American sports betting has changed greatly in the past several years. Up until May 2018, a federal ban (PASPA, aka the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) kept most states from legalizing sports gambling. However, the Supreme Court struck down the ban, thus giving each state the right to legalize sports betting. In most states that haven’t yet chosen to legalize online betting, players can still enjoy daily fantasy sites and other sports betting alternatives.
Many states have taken advantage of this right, legalizing online sports betting and in-person wagering (a.k.a. retail sports betting). However, plenty have yet to pass a sports betting bill and still have an unregulated market. That said, can you still bet on sports in a non-legal state?
The good news is that, yes, you can still enjoy sports wagering even in non-legal states. We’ll discuss alternatives like Fliff, Underdog Fantasy, Sleeper Fantasy, Chalkboard Fantasy, and ParlayPlay, which let you legally enjoy sports gambling-style action.
Check out our guide to the Best DFS Sites for more on where to play daily fantasy sports.
We will also cover where sports betting is legal and illegal, and why you want to avoid offshore online sportsbooks (like Bovada). The latter, as you’ll learn, are dangerous online wagering alternatives that could end up taking your money.
Best Sports Betting Alternatives In “Non-Legal” States
Table Of Contents
Best Sports Gaming Options In Your State
Top Legal Sports Betting Alternatives
Legal Online Sports Betting States
States That Legalize Sports Betting, In-Person Only
Are Offshore Betting Sites Legal?
Top Legal Online Sportsbook & DFS Promos By State
Best Sports Gaming Options In Your State
The following table shows the best legal online sportsbooks, sweepstakes sites, and daily fantasy sites available in your state. Even in states that don’t yet have legal sports betting, you can still get in on fantasy prop contests and sweepstakes games that closely resemble prop bets and over/under (totals) bets at legal online sportsbooks.
If you’re viewing this page from a state with legal online sports betting, you’ll see sportsbooks, sweepstakes sites, and DFS sites on this list. If your state hasn’t yet legalized sports betting, you’ll see the best sweepstakes and DFS sites available in your state.
Top Sportsbook/DFS Picks in Ohio
Best Sports Gaming Apps In States Without Legal Sports Betting
You can still enjoy sports gambling in some capacity even if your state hasn’t passed sports betting legislation. Underdog Fantasy, Sleeper Fantasy, Fliff, Chalkboard Fantasy, and ParlayPlay offer online betting alternatives to legalized sports wagering.
These operators provide unique approaches to online wagering that keeps them legal in the absence of legalized sports betting. They also provide many of the same thrills as traditional sports betting, only in different formats.
| App Name | Type | Prop Betting/Pick'em Games? | Sign-Up Bonus* | Promo Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underdog Fantasy | Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes | 50% Deposit Match up to $1000 | PROPS |
| PrizePicks | Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes | Place $5, Get $50 Instantly | PROPS1 |
| Sleeper Fantasy | Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes | 100% Deposit Match up to $1500 | PROPS |
| Vivid Picks | Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes | 100% Deposit Match up to $300 | PROPS1 |
| Boom Fantasy | Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes | Risk-Free Entry up to $100 | PROPS |
| ParlayPlay | Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes | 100% Deposit Match up to $100 | PROPS |
| Betr Picks | Daily Fantasy Sports | Yes | 100% Deposit Match up to $200 | PROPS1 |
| Fliff | Sweepstakes Gaming | Yes | Spent $100, Get $500 | PROPS1 |
| Rebet | Sweepstakes Gaming | Yes | 100% Match up to $100 | PROPS |
Top Legal Sports Betting Alternatives
Fliff
Fliff is a social and sweepstakes sports picks app that offers an opportunity to win cash prizes. Unlike real-money mobile sports betting, it doesn’t require you to deposit to play. Instead, you can get play-money credits known as “Fliff Coins” for free or purchase. Fliff Coins allow you to make sports picks and compete against others through leaderboards and challenges.
This social sports betting site also offers “Fliff Cash,” which lets you play sweepstakes games. The sweepstakes games are similar to what an online sportsbook offers and provide the chance to win cash prizes. You can get Fliff Cash either by claiming it or through Fliff Coin purchases.
Fliff is legally available in 42 states and Washington D.C. The only states that don’t allow Fliff include AL, GA, ID, MN, MS, NV, SC, and WA. Not coincidentally, most of these states have no immediate plans to offer online sports betting in the future either.
Besides widespread legality, Fliff offers another advantage in the form of authentic-feeling online sports wagering. You can place several types of play-money wagers that are also commonly available at real-money online sportsbooks. These play-money bet types include moneylines, spreads, totals (a.k.a. over/under), and live bets.
Assuming you get Fliff Cash, you’ll be able to collect winnings after meeting a 1x playthrough requirement in sweepstakes games. This rollover requirement is typical at real-money mobile betting sites as well. After meeting playthrough, you visit your “Wallet,” verify your information, provide a valid ID, and withdraw funds. You need a minimum of $50 before withdrawing cash prizes.
Read our Fliff review here.
Fliff Sign-Up Bonus June 2024
Fliff States*
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
*Only states that allow players to collect Fliff Cash as a rewards for purchasing Fliff Coins are listed here.
Underdog Fantasy
Underdog Fantasy is the other notable legal sports betting alternative that’s available throughout much of America. It has backing from major celebrities and athletes, including Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant, Jared Goff, and Adam Schefter.
Like Fliff, Underdog Fantasy provides the chance to make sports picks based on player stats. These contests are known as Pick’em contests and resemble player prop bets you’d find at legal online sportsbooks.
The contests available at Underdog Fantasy include:
- Battle Royale – Daily draft games that cover the duration of all games on a league schedule for a single day. Battle Royale entries are available at a price range of $3-$300, and you choose anywhere from 3-12 players (based on a given contest).
- Best Ball – Season-long leagues without the usual fantasy sports tropes of free agents, trades, or the waiver wire. Contests cost a $25 entry, and you simply try to score as many fantasy points as possible.
- Pick’em contests – Fantasy props games separated into categories of Rivals and Over/Under. Rivals task you with picking which of two given athletes will best the other in a statistical category. Over/under tasks you with choosing if an athlete will go over or under a certain number in a statistical category. Note that Pick’em games resemble prop betting and totals betting, but in some states these contests aren’t available on the Underdog Fantasy app.
By now, you might wonder what separates Underdog Fantasy from Fliff. The answer is that Underdog is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) site rather than a social gaming platform. It can pay out cash prizes wherever it legally operates. Speaking of which, Underdog is available in 40 states and Washington D.C. CT, DE, HI, ID, IA, LA, MI, MT, NV, and WA are the only states that don’t allow Underdog Fantasy.
This DFS site offers payouts through PayPal and ACH. Unlike with Fliff, you don’t have to clear playthrough requirements just to get your money. The only exceptions include bonus funds, which come with terms and conditions (including rollover).
Check out our review of Underdog Fantasy.
Underdog Fantasy June 2024 Promo
For more on Underdog Fantasy’s bonuses and promotions, click here.
Underdog Fantasy States
Underdog Fantasy legally operates in more than 40 stated. Some states don’t allow access to the Pick’em games, while others only allow access to Underdog Champions, a peer-to-peer version of the Pick’em games.
The states listed here offer access to Underdog Fantasy Pick’em games unless otherwise noted:
- Alaska
- Alabama (Pick’em Champions games available)
- Arizona (Pick’em Champions)
- Arkansas (Pick’em Champions)
- California
- Colorado (Pick’em Champions)
- Florida (Champions)
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland (Pick’em games unavailable)
- Massachusetts (Pick’em Champions)
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri (Pick’em Champions)
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire (Pick’em games unavailable)
- New Jersey (Pick’em games unavailable)
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina (Pick’em Champions)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (Pick’em games unavailable)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania (Pick’em games unavailable)
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (Pick’em Champions)
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia (Pick’em Champions)
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming (Pick’em Champions)
Sleeper Fantasy
Sleeper Fantasy offers a top-notch daily fantasy sports platform for U.S. players
Sleeper offers an extensive fantasy player props games. These games, known as Sleeper Picks, cover all four major U.S. sports leagues, along with college basketball and college football.
You make 2-8 selections on a single Sleeper Picks ticket, and each pick comes with it’s own unique multiplier. The different odds and payouts on each pick present a product similar to sports betting parlays.
For example, let’s take a look at an example Picks ticket from a recent day of NBA action:
- Anthony Davis 1.5 blocks – More (1.82x multiplier) or Less (1.73x multiplier)
- Jaylen Brown 4.5 assists – More (1.72x) or Less (1.8x)
- Victor Wembanyama 11.5 rebounds – More (1.63x) or Less (1.94x)
- Kristaps Porzingis 0.5 double-double – More (2.62x) or Less (1.3x)
Let’s say you chose the “More” line on the first three of these Sleeper Picks, and the “Less” pick for Porzingis. That four-pick ticket would pay a 16.09x payout if you hit all four picks.
Sleeper Fantasy Sign-Up Bonus June 2024
Sign up for a new Sleeper Fantasy account through the “CLAIM OFFER” link above, and get a 100% match on your first deposit, up to a max of $100.
Sleeper Fantasy States
You can play at Sleeper Fantasy in the following states; note that the Sleeper Picks games aren’t available in all of these states. Some states offer SleeperVS (the peer vs. peer version of Sleeper Picks):
- Alabama (SleeperVS)
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- California
- Florida (SleeperVS)
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas (SleeperVS)
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts (SleeperVS)
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia (SleeperVS)
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming (SleeperVS)
Check out our Sleeper Fantasy Review here.
Boom Fantasy
Much like some of the other sports gaming apps on this list, Boom Fantasy offers various types of fantasy props contests. These games aren’t quite identical to props and over/under betting at legal online sportsbooks, but they provide a great alternative.
Boom Fantasy operates in more than 20 states, and is a fun take on sports gaming. In states that don’t yet offer legal online sports betting, Boom Fantasy is a great way to get in on sports betting-style action.
Boom Fantasy Games
- Toss-Ups – Choose which player will win head-to-head in a stats contest (e.g., Kevin Durant to score more points than Nikola Jokic).
- Favorites – Pick if a player will finish over or under a certain number in a statistical category (e.g., Jacob deGrom over/under 7.5 strikeouts).
- Long Shots – Choose whether a player will perform better or worse than a given line.
The prize money you win for correct picks varies based on the contest type. Payouts for Boom Fantasy games are as follows, and vary depending on the number of correct picks:
- Favorites – Pays 1.3x to 3x your entry fee.
- Toss-ups – Pays 3x to 20x your entry fee.
- Long Shots – Pays 10x (two correct choices) or 40x (three correct choices).
You can sign up for Boom Fantasy with the link below and get a $100 risk-free entry to start playing the games at Boom.
Read our full review of Boom Fantasy.
Boom Fantasy Promo June 2024
Boom Fantasy States
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- California
- Washington D.C.
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
ParlayPlay
ParlayPlay functions as another great app for those looking for sports betting-style action. You can legally play the contests at ParlayPlay in more than 20 states.
The games at ParlayPlay cover several leagues, including NBA, NFL, NHL, English Premier League, Major League Baseball, NCAA basketball, and NCAA football.
ParlayPlay Games
- Hit It – Try to pick the range in which a player with finish in a certain statistical category. For example, choose if Derrick Henry will finish with 0-50 rushing yards; 5-75; 75-100; or 100+ yards.
- More/Less – Similar to over/under bets, More/Less tasks you with choosing if a player will go over or under a given line in a statistical category. For instance, you may pick Devin Booker to score more or less than 26.5 points.
Check out the Props.com ParlayPlay review.
ParlayPlay June 2024 Promo
ParlayPlay States
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- California
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
PrizePicks
PrizePicks operates as perhaps the fastest-growing sports gaming app in the U.S. Like many of the other apps in this section, PrizePicks focuses on fantasy player props, rather than traditional salary cap daily fantasy contests.
Here’s how the contests at PrizePicks work:
PrizePicks Games
- Flex Play – Flex Play contests resemble player prop parlays, but still pay out if you miss one pick. Flex Play options include: 2-Player (0.5x payout for one correct pick; 2x for two); 3-Player (1.25x payout for two correct picks; 2.25x for three); 4-Player (1.5x for three correct picks; 5x for four).
- Power Play – Power Plays resemble traditional parlays, derived from the fantasy player prop lines available on the PrizePicks app. Available options include: 2-Player (2x payout), 3-Player (5x payout), and 4-Player (10x payout). Power Play pays better than FlexPlay, but you must win every pick for a Power Play to win.
PrizePicks States
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington D.C
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Best Sports Gaming Options In Your State
Top Sportsbook/DFS Picks in Ohio
Where Is Sports Betting Legal?
You don’t have to live in a state that has passed online sports betting bills just to enjoy mobile wagering. Underdog Fantasy and Fliff are both great alternatives when no legal sportsbook exists in your state. But what if you want to enjoy traditional online betting in addition to sports betting alternatives?
The good news is that many states now legalize online sports betting and/or retail betting. You just need to know where you can place a legal sports wager to get started. The following sections cover where sports bettors can enjoy legal betting online and in-person .
Legal Sports Betting States (Online)
Online sports betting is more popular than in-person sports betting due to its convenience. It gives you the ability to place an online wager anytime through a desktop or mobile device. Mobile sports betting is particularly convenient because it’s available on smartphones and tablets.
Ideally, your state will provide online sports betting in addition to retail sports betting. Online wagering is handier for sports bettors and more lucrative for states and operators.
Below, you can see a list of states that have made online sports betting legal. Tennessee is the only state on this list that has online-only sports betting.
Legal Online Sports Betting States
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kenutcky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Best Sports Gaming Options In Your State
Top Sportsbook/DFS Picks in Ohio
States That Legalize Sports Betting, In-Person Only
Again, online betting is the more-lucrative venture versus retail locations. Nevertheless, some states have chosen to only allow retail sports betting and not online wagering. The North Carolina sports betting market is a perfect example of this situation.
You’ll have to visit a land-based sportsbook to place legal sports bets in these jurisdictions. The major problem here is convenience because it’s not always handy to make in-person bets. You might consider Fliff and Underdog Fantasy as alternatives in these states. After all, you can enjoy unique and legal styles of online betting at Fliff and Underdog.
If you still want traditional sports wagering, though, you’ll have to visit a retail sportsbook in certain states. These jurisdictions may offer wagering through the state-run lottery, commercial casinos, tribal casinos, and/or sports venues. The latter are interesting if you’re at a sports stadium and want to place a legal bet.
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Washington
- Wisconsin
Are Offshore Betting Sites Legal?
Some states have yet to legalize and regulate sports betting. Sportsbooks aren’t supposed to operate in states where there has been no sports betting legalization. Nevertheless, some online bookmakers offer sports betting to unregulated jurisdictions anyways.
These “offshore” betting sites are typically located in countries like Antigua, Belize, and Costa Rica. They may have a sports betting license in their home country. However, they don’t have the right to provide mobile sports betting in the US under state or federal law.
Nevertheless, it may still be tempting to use offshore sites for online sports betting. These unlicensed online sportsbooks provide real-money sports gambling in the absence of legal mobile or in-person betting.
However, a number of problems exist with unregulated online gambling sites. These online wagering sites suffer from one or more of the following downsides:
- No licensing – Offshore bookmakers don’t have a gaming compact or license with any states and operate illegally in the US.
- No oversight from local gaming regulators – Unregulated online betting sites aren’t subject to local regulation from a gaming body or state lottery (e.g., Oregon Lottery). They can get away with almost anything as a result.
- Late or nonexistent payouts – Due to the lacking oversight, an offshore online sportsbook doesn’t have to separate operating funds from player deposits. As a result, some offshore operators are underwater and make late payments—or don’t even pay at all.
- Little-to-no protections for problem gamblers – Most offshore sites don’t have any prevention tools in place for those with an online gambling problem.
Even if your state isn’t legalizing sports betting, you don’t have to settle for offshore bookmakers. You can enjoy apps like Fliff, Underdog Fantasy, and Boom Fantasy until your jurisdiction decides to have a sports betting launch.
These sports betting alternatives operate according to state and federal laws. Unlike offshore operators, they’re subject to penalties in the U.S. if they go astray. That said, you can have more faith when playing at these sports betting alternatives. They’re licensed, regulated, and follow the laws wherever they operate.
Best Legal Mobile Sports Betting Apps
The best legal mobile sportsbook apps available to U.S. bettors include:
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- BetRivers
- BetMGM
- Caesars Sportsbook
Sports Betting Out Of State
If you live in a state with legal, regulated sports betting, you might wonder how to bet online out of state. Or perhaps you live in an area where betting on in-state college sports is illegal, and want to travel to another state to wager on your favorite college team.
If you travel to another state with where sports betting launched already, you can usually use your login credentials for given mobile sportsbooks across different states. For example, if you bet with DraftKings Sportsbook in New York, you can login to DraftKings and legally place bets in New Jersey or Pennsylvania.
When you find yourself in a state without regulated online betting options, however, keep some of the following sports betting alternatives in mind:
Best Sports Gaming Options In Your State
Top Sportsbook/DFS Picks in Ohio
Top Legal Online Sportsbook & DFS Promos By State
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
Can I Bet On Sports In A Non-Legal State FAQ
Can I use DraftKings in a different state?
You can bet on the DraftKings app in any state in which DraftKings legally operates. You cannot legally bet with DraftKings, however, in states in which it isn’t an authorized online sports betting operator.
Check out the Props.com DraftKings Sportsbook States guide for the complete list of states in which you can legally bet online with DraftKings.
Can I use FanDuel in a different state?
Yes, as long as it’s one of the states in which FanDuel Sportsbook legally operates.
Check out the Props.com FanDuel Sportsbook legal states guide for the complete list of states in which you can legally bet online with FanDuel.
Is Fliff legal?
Yes. Fliff operates as a sweepstakes gaming app, legal across most of the U.S. The Fliff app offers sweepstakes games that are identical to what you would find at a real-money sportsbook, but uses sweepstakes credits as currency.
Fliff offers one of the best options in states that have yet to legalize sports gambling.
Can you bet on sports in California?
California hasn’t yet legalized online sports betting or retail sportsbooks. Your best options for sports gaming in California include Fliff, Underdog Fantasy, ParlayPlay, PrizePicks, ThriveFantasy, and Boom Fantasy.
Check out out guide to the best California sports gaming apps for the full rundown on the top CA daily fantasy sites and apps. If and when California passes an online sports betting bill, check back with this guide for the best mobile sports wagering options.
Can you bet on sports in Texas?
Like California, Texas hasn’t yet legalized sports betting. If you want to engage in some legal sports gaming in the Lone Star State, check out the sports betting alternatives listed in this guide.
Legal Texas sports betting will probably become a reality at some point. For that to happen, Texas would have to draw up a proposal that would legalize sports betting, and get the required approval from state legislators and/or the Texas voting public.
Check out the best legal sports betting alternatives available in Texas by clicking here.
Is Bovada legal?
No. Bovada is an illegal, offshore gambling site. If you play at Bovada, you put your money and personal information at risk. In just about every U.S. states, you have access to legal sportsbooks and sports betting alternatives, and we highly recommend you stick with those options.
Check out our guide to the best Bovada alternatives.