Is online sports betting legal in the US?
Not in every state. Federal law defers to states. Our state table (checked Oct 13, 2026) counts 32 live, 6 on-property, 2 retail only, and 11 not legal.
Answer first
90s| Question people search | US reality | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Is online sports betting legal? | Only where that state licenses it | State gaming / lottery board list |
| Legal in all 50 states? | No — 11 states are not legal in our state table | state-status sports betting status |
| How many states are live? | 32 live + DC in the live bucket | Checked 2026-10-13 |
| On-property vs statewide app? | Different statuses — not the same | MS · MT · ND · SD · WA · WI |
| Florida like New Jersey? | No — FL is a tribal compact exclusive | FGCC + 2021 compact |
| California or Texas apps? | Not legal in the sports state table | CGCC · Tex. Penal Code § 47.02 |
In short
Key takeaways
- Online sports betting is legal only where a state or DC licenses it.
- The Supreme Court let each state decide in Murphy v. NCAA (2018).
- California and Texas are among the states where it is still not legal.
- Offshore sportsbooks are not licensed by any US state.
Progress
Four sports statuses we actually store
- 1
live
Statewide (or DC) licensed mobile/online sports wagering
- 2
on-property
Only on licensed / tribal land — not a home app
- 3
retail only
Counter or kiosk — not a statewide internet book
- 4
not legal
No licensed sports-wagering product in that status
Do not flatten Florida’s compact or a tribal-property book into “yes like New Jersey.”
Sports-status counts (51 jurisdictions, Oct 13, 2026)
| Status | Count | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| live | 32 | Includes DC. FL is live under the Seminole compact only |
| on-property | 6 | MS · MT · ND · SD · WA · WI — not a statewide app |
| retail only | 2 | NE · NM |
| not legal | 11 | AK · AL · CA · GA · HI · ID · MN · OK · SC · TX · UT |
Source: data/online/state-status.json, format=sports. Laws move — the regulator list beats this table.
Floor rules
Words on the sports betting status
Know before you sit
- live
- The state (or DC) has authorized and is operating licensed sports wagering that includes a remote/mobile lane — except where notes say compact-only.
- on-property
- Wagers are tied to a licensed or tribal facility. That is not a statewide geofenced app for every ZIP code.
- not legal
- No licensed sports-wagering product in our state table. California’s CGCC and Texas Penal Code § 47.02 are examples.
- Event contract
- A prediction-market listing is not this status. See Are prediction markets legal? — a different fight.
Status map
Sports betting status in all 51 jurisdictions
32
Live
6
On-site
2
Retail
11
None
- AL
- AK
- AZ
- AR
- CA
- CO
- CT
- DE
- DC
- FL
- GA
- HI
- ID
- IL
- IN
- IA
- KS
- KY
- LA
- ME
- MD
- MA
- MI
- MN
- MS
- MO
- MT18
- NE
- NV
- NH18
- NJ
- NM
- NY
- NC
- ND19
- OH
- OK
- OR
- PA
- RI
- SC
- SD
- TN
- TX
- UT
- VT
- VA
- WA18
- WV
- WI
- WY18
Age pip only when the sports row is not 21. ◆ = tribal-compact exclusive, not a multi-book market.
Green is statewide online. On-site means you must stand inside a licensed casino or tribal venue. Checked October 13, 2026.
States with live online sports betting
| State | Status | Min age | Regulator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Live | 21 | Arizona Department of Gaming |
| Arkansas | Live | — | Arkansas Racing Commission / DFA sports-wagering office |
| Colorado | Live | 21 | Colorado Division of Gaming |
| Connecticut | Live | 21 | DCP Gaming Division |
| Delaware | Live | 21 | Delaware Lottery |
| District of Columbia | Live | 21 | Office of Lottery and Gaming |
| Florida | Live | 21 | Florida Gaming Control Commission; compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida |
| Illinois | Live | 21 | Illinois Gaming Board |
| Indiana | Live | 21 | Indiana Gaming Commission |
| Iowa | Live | 21 | Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission |
| Kansas | Live | 21 | Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission and Kansas Lottery |
| Kentucky | Live | 21 | Kentucky Horse Racing Commission |
| Louisiana | Live | 21 | Louisiana Gaming Control Board |
| Maine | Live | 21 | Gambling Control Unit |
| Maryland | Live | 21 | MLGCC; SWARC awards mobile licences |
| Massachusetts | Live | 21 | Massachusetts Gaming Commission |
States with live online sports betting (cont.)
| State | Status | Min age | Regulator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | Live | 21 | MGCB |
| Missouri | Live | — | Missouri Gaming Commission |
| Nevada | Live | 21 | NGCB / Nevada Gaming Commission |
| New Hampshire | Live | 18 | New Hampshire Lottery |
| New Jersey | Live | 21 | NJ DGE |
| New York | Live | 21 | NYS Gaming Commission |
| North Carolina | Live | 21 | North Carolina State Lottery Commission |
| Ohio | Live | 21 | Ohio Casino Control Commission |
| Oregon | Live | 21 | Oregon Lottery |
| Pennsylvania | Live | 21 | PGCB |
| Rhode Island | Live | — | Rhode Island Lottery |
| Tennessee | Live | 21 | Tennessee Sports Wagering Council |
| Vermont | Live | 21 | Department of Liquor and Lottery |
| Virginia | Live | 21 | Virginia Lottery |
| West Virginia | Live | 21 | West Virginia Lottery |
| Wyoming | Live | 18 | Wyoming Gaming Commission |
Sequence
How to check your state
Step 01
Name the state you are standing in
Licences follow physical location. A book legal in New York is not a California permit.
Step 02
Open the regulator, not the ad
Gaming board, lottery, or compact FAQ. Match the operator to that roster.
Step 03
Read live vs on-property vs not legal
If the state table says on-property, a statewide app claim is the wrong product.
Sports betting limited to venues or not launched
| State | Status | Min age | Regulator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | On-site only | 21 | Mississippi Gaming Commission |
| Montana | On-site only | 18 | Montana Lottery |
| Nebraska | Retail only | 21 | Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission |
| New Mexico | Retail only | 21 | Tribal gaming commissions; New Mexico Gaming Control Board oversees compacts |
| North Dakota | On-site only | 19 | Tribal gaming commissions; Attorney General Gaming Division for compact enforce… |
| South Dakota | On-site only | 21 | South Dakota Commission on Gaming |
| Washington | On-site only | 18 | Washington State Gambling Commission |
| Wisconsin | On-site only | 21 | Department of Administration for compact negotiations; tribal gaming commission… |
Floor rules
Federal laws behind the map
Know before you sit
- PASPA (1992–2018)
- Federal ban on state-licensed sports betting outside Nevada. The Supreme Court struck it down in Murphy v. NCAA on May 14, 2018.
- Wire Act (1961)
- Bars interstate transmission of sports bets. It is why every app geofences you inside one state.
- UIGEA (2006)
- Blocks payments to unlawful internet gambling. It does not legalize or ban anything by itself; state law decides.
- IGRA (1988)
- Lets tribes run Class II and Class III gaming. Class III needs a tribal-state compact.
Keep reading
Related pages
- Is online casino legal in the US? →Is online casino legal in the US?
- Is sports betting legal in California? →Is sports betting legal in California? No statewide sportsbook. CGCC: sports betting is not regulated.
- Is sports betting legal in Texas? →Is sports betting legal in Texas? No.
- Is sports betting legal in Florida? →Is sports betting legal in Florida?
- Are prediction markets legal in the US? →Are prediction markets legal? Event contracts sit in CFTC and state-court fights. Not a 50-state sportsbook map.
- Is online poker legal in the US? →Is online poker legal in the US? com. Live in DE, MI, NJ, NV, PA.
- Is daily fantasy sports legal in the US? →Is daily fantasy sports legal? Only where a state licenses or registers it. California opinion 23-1001 says no.
- Is buying lottery tickets online legal in the US? →Is buying lottery tickets online legal? Only via that state’s lottery app or a regulated courier.
Go play
Where to play in Las Vegas
Tap a resort — each row opens that casino’s White Gambling page (hours, parking, loyalty, floor facts). Sorted by published table units when we have them — confirm on property.
Open a casino page
Real listings · not adsRanked lists
Open a shortlist that matches this guide
Same intent, inventory first — tap through for the places we already publish for Las Vegas.
After the 90 seconds
Questions before and after you play
A 90-second guide cannot cover every table moment. Tap a group, then a question — answers are short paragraphs, not one-liners.
01National status
Is online sports betting legal in the United States?
Only where a state (or DC) licenses it. There is no federal sportsbook licence. Our sports state table, checked Oct 13, 2026, stores 32 live statuses, 6 on-property, 2 retail only, and 11 not legal. UIGEA defers to state law; it does not legalize a nationwide app.
02How to read a yes
Is this page legal advice?
No. It restates counts and statute hooks from state-status.json (checked Oct 13, 2026) and the linked regulator pages. For your own bets, read the board’s current roster or ask qualified counsel.
03More questions people ask
Which states have legal online sports betting?
As of our October 13, 2026 check, online sports betting is live in 32 jurisdictions: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming. Every other state either has no law, has a law that has not launched yet, or limits play to a physical venue. Check the state regulator before you deposit, because launches and repeals happen mid-year.
How old do you have to be for online sports betting?
It depends on the state, not on the app. Of the 32 states where online sports betting is live in our October 13, 2026 check, 27 set 21 as the minimum age and 2 allow 18 or 19 (New Hampshire, Wyoming). The operator must verify age and identity before the first real-money wager, so a younger player is refused at sign-up, not at cash-out.
Why can I bet in one state but not the next one?
Because the Supreme Court left the decision to each state in Murphy v. NCAA (May 14, 2018). Since then each legislature wrote its own law, picked a regulator, and set an age and a tax rate. Apps use geolocation to keep the wager inside the licensing state, so crossing the border switches betting off.
Is betting with an offshore sportsbook legal?
No US state licenses offshore sportsbooks. They pay no state tax, follow no state complaint process, and several regulators publish warnings about them. If a site is not on your state regulator list, you have no regulator to turn to when a payout is refused.
Sources
- NYS Gaming Commission — Sports Wagering · accessed Oct 13, 2026Example live market. Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law § 1367-a.
- Florida Gaming Control Commission · accessed Oct 13, 2026FL sports live under 2021 compact with the Seminole Tribe — not a multi-operator list.
- California Gambling Control Commission · accessed Oct 13, 2026CA sports not legal in our state table; in-person sportsbook described as illegal.
- Texas Penal Code § 47.02 · accessed Oct 13, 2026Bet on a game or contest is a Class C misdemeanor — TX sports not legal.
- UIGEA — 31 U.S.C. § 5361(b) Not from a registry (Reference source, not an official registry) · accessed Oct 13, 2026Federal payments law does not alter state gambling law.
- Supreme Court — Murphy v. NCAA, 584 U.S. 453 (2018) · accessed Oct 14, 2026Struck down PASPA on May 14, 2018.
- New Jersey sports betting — official regulator source. Statewide online sports pools. · accessed Oct 13, 2026New Jersey: live for online sports betting.
- Pennsylvania sports betting — official regulator source. Statewide interactive, tethered to a sports-wagering certificate. · accessed Oct 13, 2026Pennsylvania: live for online sports betting.
- Nevada sports betting — official regulator source. Statewide mobile after in-person account opening. No single public skin all · accessed Oct 13, 2026Nevada: live for online sports betting.
- Ohio sports betting — official regulator source. Mobile management-service providers. Section number still to save. · accessed Oct 13, 2026Ohio: live for online sports betting.