Sports and gambling are two major industries in the United States. However, until fairly recently, the intersection of these two activities—gambling on sports—was limited to a small number of states. Today, it's far easier to participate in sports betting, thanks in part to a myriad of online and mobile options. However, it can still be heavily restricted or even outright unavailable depending on your location. Here's what to know about sport betting laws by state.

Understanding Sports Betting

Sports betting is a type of gambling that revolves around predicting and wagering on the outcome of competitive physical activities. The term sports betting can encompass athletic competitions, such as basketball or American football, non-athletic events (i.e., auto racing), and non-human contests (i.e., horse racing). Although not technically sports in the traditional sense, some online sports betting websites also offer the chance to wager on non-sporting events, such as the results of political elections or entertainment events, such as the Oscars.

There are several different types of sports bets, with some of the most common being spread bets, prop bets, totals, and moneyline bets. Spread bets are wagers that a team will either win by or (should they lose) cover a specific number of points. Prop bets refers to wagers on specific events (i.e., who wins the coin toss or scores the first touchdown). Totals, also known as “over/under” bets, pay off if the total scores for both teams are over or under a predicted total. With moneyline bets, the amount won is based on the likelihood a particular team will win or lose (i.e., bets on underdogs pay more).

Sports betting activities are typically facilitated by sportsbooks, which are companies or individuals that accept bets. Sportsbooks can be retail locations that offer in-person bet placement or online/mobile platforms. A sportsbook is functionally the same thing as a bookmaker, though the latter term is typically used solely in reference to an individual person. Physical sportsbooks may be found in professional sports venues, casinos, racinos (combination race track and casino), etc. If a sportbook offers betting on races but is located outside a racetrack, this is known as off-track betting (OTB).

Previously, sportsbooks in the U.S. were only able to operate legally in Nevada. Following a 2018 Supreme Court decision, many states have legalized both sportsbooks and, by extension, sports betting itself.

Sports Betting Laws by State

In the U.S., according to the American Gaming Association, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting. This means that single-game sports betting is legally available to consumers within these states in some form, whether retail, mobile, or both. Four states have pending legislation or scheduled voter referendums about the issue. In eight states, sports betting remains illegal.

Even in states where sports betting is both legal and available, there may still be limitations. For instance, our research found that in North Carolina, New Mexico, North Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin, only tribal casino operators are permitted to offer sports betting. As such, even though sports betting is considered legal and there is an operational market, no online sportsbooks are currently available within these states. Other restrictions can include bets being limited to in-state collegiate teams or specific events. Age requirements also vary, with some states requiring gamblers to be at least 18 years old, while others have a higher minimum age of 21 years old.

The Bottom Line

If you're considering betting money on the outcome of a sporting event, it's important to be aware of the opportunities and restrictions in your state. Even where sports betting is legal, the odds are stacked against you and there's a much greater risk compared to other ways you could be putting your money to work, such as investing. As such, always make sure you're wagering money that you're certain you can afford to lose.