Sports and Gambling Are Major Industries in the United States

Legally, until very recently, just a handful of states allowed sports betting. Now, thanks to a wave of fresh legislation, sports betting is much more available, especially because of online and mobile betting. Additionally, crypto-friendly online casinos have become increasingly popular, offering a more decentralized and anonymous way to place bets. Nevertheless, the growth out of this evidence differs indeed vastly across the country, as some states either impose quite restrictive measures or even outright bans. Next, there is a breakdown of the laws governing sports betting by state and all that you need to know.

Key Takeaways

• Sports betting typically requires working with a bookmaker, which can operate either in a retail setting or through online and mobile platforms, depending on state laws.
• A total of 38 states and Washington D.C. have legalized sports betting in some form, allowing bets on individual games at retail or online sportsbooks.
• The legality of sports betting varies significantly across states, with some imposing restrictions such as betting limits or age restrictions.

Sports Betting: How It Works

Wagering on sports means making predictions on whether certain events will occur in competitive sports before making a bet on the predicted outcome. Betting on sports goes beyond traditional competitions like basketball and football, covering auto racing, horse racing, and other non-sporting events like political elections and the Academy Awards.

The most common types of sports bets include the point spread, which asks whether a team will win by a certain margin known as "covering" the point spread; prop bets that consist of very specific events during the game, such as who scores first; totals, or over/under bets, paid off if the total pointsjointly scored by both teams is higher than or lower than projected; and moneyline bets, which point to who will win the game but offer a payout based on that team's likelihood to succeed, as articulated in the associated odds.

Sports betting involves bookmakers who will take bets on whichever one will win an event. That can happen in person at retail locations-like casinos, racetracks, or sports arenas-or by online/mobile. OTB is when a bookmaker places bets away from the racetrack. In the past, it used to be that legal sports betting in the United States was restricted to Nevada, with a landmark decision by the Supreme Court in 2018 rolling back the federal prohibition against sports betting and allowing individual states to regulate that activity themselves.

Sports Betting Laws by State

According to the American Gaming Association, 38 states and the District of Columbia allow sports betting in one form or another. This entails the presence of retail sports betting, mobile betting, or a combination of the two for consumers in those states. In one state--Missouri--sports betting has been legalized but is still not operational. And still, there are 11 states that have laws altogether against sports betting; among them is Texas, which will consider legislation that could, maybe, provide for its legalization.

Which States Allow Online Sports Betting?

In total, 38 states plus Washington, D.C., have legalized some form of sports betting, with 29 of these states also permitting online and mobile sports betting. Such growing acceptance shows the increasing demand for sports betting platforms that are easily accessible within the state.

Which States Have Illegal Sports Betting?

Presently, the states in which sports betting has not been legalized are Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.

Is Sports Betting Legal on a Federal Level?

The Supreme Court did away with the federal prohibition against sports betting so that individual states are free to choose legalizing and regulating the activity. No federal law exists to provide nationwide legalization for sports betting, therefore states have the freedom to set their own rule and regulations about it.

Conclusion

Sports betting is an area where, although there may be many options available, there can be multifarious twists and turns regarding legality, restrictions, and requirements in one state or another. Even in those states that allow for sports betting, the odds are frequently against the bettors, and the risks of gambling are far more severe than any other manner of investing money. Always ensure that you are only betting what you can afford to give away.