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Is sports betting legal where you are?

The short version: 31 states plus Washington DC have legal online sports betting. The details vary wildly — and they change. This page is date-stamped; always verify with your state's gaming regulator before wagering.

Last updated: September 27, 2026

Read this first. Betting where it isn't legal — including through offshore sites — puts your money and your legal standing at risk, with zero consumer protection. If your state isn't on the legal list, the responsible move is to wait. Laws change: Missouri launched December 2025, and Wisconsin signed its bill in April 2026.

✅ Legal online sports betting (31 states + DC)

Licensed operators take mobile/online wagers statewide in:

ArizonaArkansasColorado
ConnecticutDelaware (lottery-run)Florida (tribal-exclusive)
IllinoisIndianaIowa
KansasKentuckyLouisiana
MaineMarylandMassachusetts
MichiganMissouri (launched Dec 2025)Nevada (in-person signup)
New Hampshire (lottery-run)New JerseyNew York
North CarolinaOhioOregon (lottery-run)
PennsylvaniaRhode IslandTennessee (online only)
Vermont (online only)VirginiaWashington DC
West VirginiaWyoming (online only)

Footnotes: some states run betting through the state lottery with fewer operator choices; Nevada requires in-person registration; Tennessee, Vermont and Wyoming have no retail books — online only.

🏪 Retail / on-site only

Legal in person at licensed casinos or tribal venues, but no statewide online wagering:

Mississippi · Montana (lottery app only) · Nebraska · New Mexico (tribal) · North Dakota (tribal) · South Dakota (Deadwood) · Washington (tribal). Wisconsin signed a tribal-mobile bill in April 2026 — launch pending.

🚫 Not legal

No regulated sports betting market (online or retail):

Alabama · Alaska · California · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Minnesota · Oklahoma · South Carolina · Texas · Utah.

Watch-list: Nebraska has an online-betting referendum track for the November 2026 ballot; Georgia and Texas see bills most sessions. Utah's constitution effectively prohibits gambling outright.

How to verify (2 minutes)

  1. Search "[your state] gaming commission licensed sportsbooks".
  2. Open the .gov result — regulators publish the licensed operator list.
  3. Only download apps / visit sites named on that list. Everything else is offshore and unprotected.

Sources for the table above: WSN's state guide and bookies.com's legal-state tracker, both updated within days of this page's date stamp. Cross-check anything material against the American Gaming Association or your state regulator.