State by State Sports Betting Report

As you know, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized sports betting on May 14. It's no secret that many US states were gearing up for this moment in time. To provide you with a clear and concise forecast of how this affects the US sports betting genre, we are providing you with a state by state account of sports betting in each state. It should be noted here that we also provided you with a State by State account on the legalization of Poker. This can be found under Current US State by State Poker Laws.

States Who Were Prepared For This Ruling

Among the states that were prepared for this ruling are: New Jersey, West Virginia, Delaware, and Mississippi. Those that still have bills pending are California, New York, Illinois, and Michigan. In 2019, we will literally see how this Supreme Court ruling will affect the rest of the US.

• Alabama - The state Constitution currently prohibits all forms of gambling. The legislature will meet in March 2019 to make a determination.
• Alaska - No legislative activity on this issue in Alaska.
• Arizona -No consideration of sports gambling has been offered until the state takes appropriate action.
• Arkansas-The state has not considered any sports gambling legislation. The Supreme Court Ruling is under review.
• California -A hearing regarding this issue may take place before the summer session. The question of infringing upon the rights of the Native American communities is a serious consideration.
• Colorado-Sports Gambling would have to be decided by the people of this state.
• Connecticut-A special session may be called to consider legalizing sports betting in the state.
• Florida-Sports gambling will be decided by a referendum.
• Georgia-No pending legislation is on the books.
• Hawaii -An independent analysis of an array of gaming and wagering in the state, including sports betting, would have to be formed.
• Idaho -Although horse racing is okay, sports betting is not. Say What?
• Illinois-There are several bills that are being considered. One would be part of the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975, and the other would be part of the Riverboat Gambling Act.
• Indiana -Although several bills have been introduced, sports gambling probably would not officially begin until September of 2019. And even this is not conclusive.
• Iowa -A new proposal will be offered in January of 2019.
• Kansas -Although there are several bills awaiting votes, the problem is the legislators do not know where sports betting will take place. Oh, give me a break.
• Kentucky-Although there are bills on the books, the likelihood of sports betting become legal in this state is questionable.
• Louisiana -No special bills are being considered.
• Maine-No consideration of any sports gambling legislation is being considered.
• Maryland-The bills on the books did not pass.
• Massachusetts -A debate is called for to determine if sports betting is a consideration.
• Michigan-Out of the 12 bills offered, none have received the necessary votes to pass.
• Minnesota -Nothing significant came about this year; however, another debate will occur next year, 2019.
• Mississippi -On May 17, Mississippi State's Gaming Commission issued proposed rules that would govern sports betting. Thus, the new Mississippi law allows sports betting, subject to regulation by the commission.
• Missouri-Out of the 10 bills offered, none have been given consideration.
• Montana-Although there are some types of sports gambling, the legalization of sports betting throughout the state is unclear.
• Nebraska-Sports betting is still illegal in Nebraska and there are no plans to change that.
• Nevada-Sports gambling is already legal in Nevada.
• New Hampshire -No good news in this state.
• New Jersey -As a result of the Supreme Court Ruling, sports betting was signed into law on June 11, 2018. The betting would take place at Monmouth Park.
• New Mexico -No consideration of any sports gambling legislation has been made.
• New York -There is no rush to move forward on this issue.
• North Carolina -The state has not considered any sports gambling legislation.
• North Dakota -There is no legislation being proposed in this state.
• Ohio-There is no rush to legalize sports gambling in the state.
• Oklahoma -It almost happened in Oklahoma, but the end result was a no-go.
• Oregon -There is no news as to what this state will do.
• Pennsylvania-In 2017, Pennsylvania passed a law authorizing sports betting in the state if federal law allowed states to regulate the activity. However, the law also called for a $10 million licensing fee and 34% tax rate on this revenue, which may cause sports betting second thoughts.
• Rhode Island-This state was also prepared to legislate for the legalization of sports betting, but nothing has been decided as yet.
• South Carolina -A bill was proposed that would include gambling and sports betting. But it will have to wait until 2019 to be voted upon.
• South Dakota -No active legislation related to sports gambling in the state.
• Tennessee -Tennessee wants to legalize sports betting to assist in education funding. The Supreme court decision is still being reviewed.
• Texas -There is no current legislation pending. Sports betting in this state is a no-go.
• Utah -Sports gambling will not be part of this state.
• Vermont -No consideration of sports betting is on the books.
• Virginia-No active legislation is on the books.
• Washington -They're thinking about it.
• West Virginia -As a result of the Supreme Court ruling, West Virginia was prepared and sports betting will be allowed in licensed casinos.
• Wisconsin -There is no pending legislation on this.
• Wyoming-No consideration of sports gambling legislation is on the books.