In April 2018, Nevada was the only state where bettors could legally place sports bets online or at retail sportsbooks. That is no longer the case. In 2025, 39 states plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico have legalized some form of sports gambling, with mobile wagering legal in more than two dozen states.
The scarcity of sports betting wasn’t due to a lack of interest. The rapid expansion of sports betting legalization in the U.S. was due to the removal of a federal prohibition, which the Supreme Court struck down in May 2018.
Legal Online Betting In The U.S.
Once the sole domain of Nevada, single-game sports betting has spread across the U.S. following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) by the Supreme Court in May of 2018.
Passed in 1992, PASPA, with limited exceptions, prohibited states from legalizing sports betting. With the federal ban removed, the choice to pass sports betting legislation is in the hands of individual states, and many have taken action.
Thirty-nine (39) states currently offer legal sports betting in some form. More than two dozen states offer online sports betting, while a handful of states only allow in-person wagering at retail locations.
State-specific gambling regulation agencies oversee each state’s sports betting industry. In most states, the agency that regulates other forms of legal gambling, or the state lottery, is in charge of overseeing sports betting.
Online Sports Betting Legal States
Online sports betting is legal in the following states (plus DC and PR):
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Missouri (pending)
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Puerto Rico
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington, DC
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
States With Retail-Only Sportsbooks
The following states have retail sports betting (in-person bets), but do not allow online sports betting:
- Mississippi
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Washington State
- Wisconsin
States That Could Legalize Sports Betting
The following states might legalize sports betting within the next 3-4 years.
- California
- Minnesota
- Florida
- Georgia
- Texas
- Oklahoma
States That are unlikely to Legalize Sports Betting
The following states are 99.999% likely to never legalize sports betting.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Idaho
- Hawaii
- South Carolina
- Utah
How Does Mobile Wagering Work?
Legal sports betting occurs at the state level, and each state that legalizes sports betting is a separate, unique market with its own sports betting sites. Online sportsbook sites use geolocation technology to pinpoint a bettor’s location, ensuring they are placing a legal sports wager through licensed betting apps within the state’s borders.
One of the major benefits of mobile betting is convenience. Betting in the state is legal from anywhere inside a state’s borders via their computer or mobile device, saving them a trip to a retail sportsbook that might be hours away.
Another benefit is speed. Mobile bettors can quickly find wagers and bet online through a sportsbook app without waiting in lines. The speed of mobile transactions is critical to customers interested in placing in-play wagers, where time is of the essence and lines can change in seconds.
There is no denying the popularity of mobile sports betting, as more than 90% of bets are placed online in states that offer retail and mobile betting.
Federal law dictates that states can also legalize other forms of online gambling, such as online casinos and poker. So far, however, the number of states allowing legal sportsbook sites dwarfs the number that allow other forms of online gambling.
Major U.S. Sports Betting Markets
New York
After a mobile sports betting launch in January 2022, New York quickly became the top sports betting market in the country. The Empire State boasts nine online sportsbooks, including some of the biggest names in the industry. BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars all operate a New York sports betting license
New Jersey
The lawsuit brought by New Jersey paved the road to legal sports betting, and to no one’s surprise, New Jersey was one of the markets to regulate sports betting and launch following the repeal of PASPA. More surprising is New Jersey’s success, as the Garden State is the second-largest U.S. sports betting market.
Nevada
Nevada is the original sports betting state, but the Silver State hasn’t suffered from sports betting expansion. Instead, Nevada has cemented its status as a sports betting destination, pulling in new sports bettors from across the country.
Illinois
Illinois is a populous state with several storied sports franchises, from the Chicago Bulls of the NBA to the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks to the Cubs and White Sox to “Da Bears,” of the NFL. To no one’s surprise, Illinois is a Top 3 sports betting market, trailing only New York and New Jersey.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania was one of the first states to legalize sports betting, as legislators had the wherewithal to pre-authorize sports betting in a gaming expansion law passed in 2017. However, launching the first legal mobile sports betting apps would take more than a year.
Michigan
Michigan online sportsbooks went live in January 2021, and the market quickly became one of the strongest performers, with the Wolverine state often landing in the Top 5 when it comes to sports betting handle and revenue.
Michigan’s gaming compact allows both commercial and tribal casino operators to offer online sports betting.
Arizona
An open market with dozens of sports betting options has Arizona punching well above its weight in the U.S. sports betting landscape. The state is an excellent example of good policy decisions leading to a high-performing market.
Virginia
Virginia’s population and open market have made it a sports betting success story. When it achieved the feat in mid-2021, Virginia was the fastest state to hit $1 billion in sports betting handle.
The Old Dominion functions as an online-only sports betting state for now, but land-based commercial casinos and sportsbooks will eventually allow in-person betting in Virginia as well.
How To Find Legal Sports Betting States (Step-by-Step)
Step 1 – Check this Props.com Legal Sports Betting States Guide
Only 11 U.S. states do not offer legal sports betting in some form. Flourishing U.S. markets like New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and many others allow both online and in-person sports wagering.
Step 2 – Research the Laws in Your State
Props.com offers comprehensive resources on the U.S sports betting industry. Depending on the state in which you wish to bet, you might have 13 or more different mobile sports betting apps at your disposal.
States like New Jersey, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Arizona feature a wide selection of different online sportsbooks. Other states, like Washington, limit bettors to in-person wagering at tribal casinos.
Step 3 – Choose Your Sportsbooks
If you live in or near a state with legal online sports betting, you can bet at online sportsbooks/mobile sports betting apps from anywhere within that state.
Check out the Props.com guide to legal online sportsbooks to see which sports betting brands are available in each state.
Step 4 – Place Your Bets!
Expect more states to legalize sports betting in the coming years. You can research some of the biggest U.S. sports betting markets with the Props.com states index.
