United States

Sports betting in the US is legal state by state, and there's no single national regulator. State gaming commissions license and regulate sportsbooks, and the federal CFTC oversees prediction-market event contracts. The Supreme Court's 2018 decision in Murphy v. NCAA struck down the federal PASPA ban and left sports betting to each state, so what's legal varies widely. Online sports betting is regulated and live in roughly 30 states plus DC, but it's still prohibited in major markets including California and Texas.

Horse racing betting is the most settled area. Pari-mutuel and online advance-deposit wagering (ADW) are authorized under the federal Interstate Horseracing Act, exempt from UIGEA and legal in 31 states. Prediction markets are genuinely unsettled. Kalshi runs a CFTC-regulated exchange, but its sports event contracts have split the federal appeals courts: the Third Circuit backed federal preemption against New Jersey in April 2026, while in August 2026 the Ninth Circuit ruled 3-0 that Nevada can enforce its gambling laws against Kalshi. Nationwide availability is uncertain, and Supreme Court review looks likely.

To bet on sports or horses, you must be physically located in a state that allows it and meet its age rule, which is usually 21 and sometimes 18.

The first legal US online sportsbooks opened in 2018, after the Supreme Court struck down PASPA, the federal law that banned sports betting in every state except Nevada. Since then, more than three dozen states have passed laws to regulate online sports betting, retail sportsbooks or both.

Most states also allow online horse racing betting and daily fantasy sports. A handful have legalized online casinos and poker sites, though progress there has been much slower. Because rules differ from state to state, it can be hard to tell what's legal where, so the sections below cover the major sportsbooks, the states with legal online and retail betting, and the federal laws behind it all.

21+ to play, and T&Cs apply. If gambling is causing you harm, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). It's free, confidential and open 24/7. Several states run their own line, many of them using 1-800-GAMBLER, and each state guide names the one for that state.

US Online Sports Betting Sites

The US has dozens of legal sports betting sites and apps, but only a handful reach most of the country. These are two of the most widely available.

DraftKings Sportsbook

• Read more: DraftKings Sportsbook Review

DraftKings is one of the two leaders in US legal online sports betting and daily fantasy sports. It launched in 2012 as a daily fantasy site and became one of the country's two major DFS operators, competing neck and neck with FanDuel for the national market.

DraftKings moved into sports betting after the Supreme Court overturned PASPA, and in 2018 it took the country's first legal online sports bet after getting the green light in New Jersey. The DraftKings Sportsbook app is available in most states with legal sports betting. In November 2025, the Nevada Gaming Control Board approved DraftKings' request to withdraw its pending Nevada sports betting license applications as the company pivoted to prediction markets.

Reasons to like DraftKings Sportsbook:

• Extensive market depth: DraftKings takes bets on a massive range of sports and offers some of the most detailed markets in the country. It's common to find hundreds of bets on offer for high-profile events.

• Frequent promotions: DraftKings runs a steady stream of odds boosts and refund offers on the day's biggest events.

• Feature-rich platform: DraftKings packs in more features than most US betting sites, including betting pools where users compete for cash prizes by answering prediction questions, detailed handicapping tools, and an integrated social network, all through a single account.

• High-quality software: The DraftKings app and website run smoothly, respond instantly and give quick access to its tools, features and promotions.

• Excellent loyalty program: DraftKings Dynasty Rewards gives you "DK Crowns" for nearly everything you do on DraftKings, which you can swap for bonus dollars, contest entries, live events, electronics and more. As you bet, you also move up a tiered VIP system with perks such as exclusive promotions, priority customer service, invitations to live and VIP events, and faster Crown earn rates.

Where DraftKings has room to improve:

• Crowded interface: DraftKings sometimes tries to do too much and clutters the screen. Between the handicapping tools, betting pools, promotions, fantasy contests and multiple menus, it can get distracting and overwhelming.

• Too much emphasis on parlays: DraftKings pushes parlays and same-game parlays hard, and they carry the highest house edge of any sports bet. That's fine if you like parlays, but annoying if you don't, because you can't get away from them.

BetMGM Sportsbook

• Read more: BetMGM Review

BetMGM Sportsbook launched in 2018 and quickly became one of the leading US online sportsbooks. It's a 50/50 joint venture between MGM Resorts and Entain, so it's well funded and has spent heavily on software, marketing and promotions. The BetMGM app is available in most states with legal online sports betting and offers new customers a large welcome bonus, followed by frequent promotions and a full rewards program.

Reasons to like BetMGM Sportsbook:

• Vast betting menu: BetMGM has the resources to offer lines on a vast range of sports, with dozens to hundreds of markets on every professional US game and high-profile international match. Options run from simple moneylines to highly niche props, and its in-play betting calendar is extremely busy.

• Solid promotional lineup: BetMGM always has several promotions running, starting with its large welcome bonus and including money-back offers, odds boosts and parlay insurance.

• Many features: The BetMGM app and website match DraftKings for betting features. You can watch live streams, follow real-time stats while betting in-play, save your favorite teams and leagues, and build custom parlays.

• Access to MGM Rewards: Every BetMGM customer joins MGM Rewards on signing up and betting. As you bet, you earn rewards and climb a tiered VIP system with benefits such as hotel discounts, faster point earn rates, complimentary cruises and tickets to live events. It's especially valuable if you visit MGM Resorts properties often.

Where BetMGM has room to improve:

• MGM Rewards needs more online perks: Online-only bettors get less from MGM Rewards than customers who visit MGM destinations. You can redeem BetMGM Rewards Points for bonuses and get some passive tier perks, but the program leans heavily toward in-person rewards.

• Customer support can be frustrating: BetMGM has an exhaustive self-help section that solves most issues, but live support can be frustrating. Specific problems often take more back-and-forth emails than they should, and agents don't always seem to know the product well.

States That Have Legalized Online Sports Betting

These states have legalized online sportsbooks and mobile betting apps:

• Arizona Sports Betting

• Arkansas

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Illinois Sports Betting

• Indiana Sports Betting

• Iowa Sports Betting

• Kansas Sports Betting

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Maine

States That Have Legalized In-Person Sports Betting

These states have legalized retail sportsbooks:

• Arizona

• Arkansas

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Maine

Online Horse Racing Betting

Online horse racing betting has long had a protected legal status in the US, with exemptions from the Wire Act, PASPA and UIGEA. Even at the height of the sports betting ban, it ran openly at legal, licensed sites.

Online horse racing betting has been available in the US for roughly two decades. TwinSpires, Churchill Downs' online pari-mutuel racing brand, has long been a trusted place to bet on horse and greyhound races online. In 2021, Churchill Downs moved its former BetAmerica sportsbook and online gaming products under the TwinSpires name.

US law requires racing betting sites to get permission from each track they take bets on, and online bets are pooled with bets placed at the track. That means you get paid at the same odds as everyone else, even from hundreds of miles away.

The confusing part is which sites are legal where. Racing betting laws differ by state. Some allow certain online racebooks but not others, and some ban online racing betting altogether.

For the most part, the US is pro-racing, and most readers can bet on horses online at the major sites. If a licensed site turns you down at sign-up, it's most likely because it isn't licensed in your state.

States With Legal Online Horse Racing Betting

In most states, regulators either regulate or tolerate advance-deposit wagering. Some states actively regulate online horse racing betting, and others allow it because the law is unclear.

• Arizona

• Arkansas

• California

• Colorado

• Florida

• Idaho

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Maine

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Montana

• Nevada (via mobile sportsbooks)

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• New York

• North Dakota

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Pennsylvania

• South Dakota

• Tennessee

• Virginia

• Washington (commission-authorized providers only)

• West Virginia

• Wyoming

States Where an Online Horse Racing Account Wager Is Not Lawful

These states don't let a national account-wagering site take bets from their residents. Some ban off-track betting outright, some reserve it for a named holder such as a racetrack or a single authorized off-track betting operator, and some never created an account-wagering license. Each state guide gives the details.

• Alabama: Ala. Code §11-65-28(a) requires wagering at the racing facility from "its patrons", §11-65-2 excludes any place "where so-called 'off-track betting' could be conducted", and §11-65-37 makes wagering outside that channel a misdemeanor

• Connecticut: Conn. Gen. Stat. §12-572b(b)(1) bars anyone other than the authorized operator of the state off-track betting system from accepting an advance deposit wager placed from inside Connecticut

• Delaware: 3 Del. C. ch. 101 confines wagering to the race-meeting enclosure "but not elsewhere"

• Maryland: Maryland licenses no advance-deposit wagering. Business Regulation §11-210(b) bars the Racing Commission from authorizing off-track betting or any telephone betting other than racetrack-operated telephone account betting

• Missouri: Online horse race wagering is prohibited; the Missouri guide has the details

• Nebraska: Neb. Rev. Stat. §2-1221 makes off-enclosure horse wagering a Class I misdemeanor

• New Mexico: NMSA §60-1A-15 permits pari-mutuel wagering only on the licensed premises

• North Carolina: Online horse race wagering is prohibited; the North Carolina guide has the details

• Oklahoma: OHRC rule 325:65-3-1 reserves account wagering to an organization licensee serving "its patrons"

• Rhode Island: R.I. Gen. Laws §41-11-2 confines simulcast wagering to the licensed facility

• Texas: Occupations Code §2027.002 expressly bans internet and telephone horse wagering. The only lawful wagering is pari-mutuel, in person, at the four racetracks licensed by the Texas Racing Commission

• Vermont: Vermont repealed its pari-mutuel chapter, 31 V.S.A. §§601-642

• Wisconsin: Wis. Stat. 562.11 forbids placing a race wager anywhere but at a racetrack and forbids anyone from facilitating off-track wagers

States That Prohibit It Outright

These states explicitly outlaw online horse racing betting.

• Alaska

• Georgia

• Hawaii

• Mississippi

• South Carolina

• Texas

• Utah

Legalization of Sports Betting in the USA

Sports betting became legal beyond Nevada in 2018, when the Supreme Court declared PASPA unconstitutional. The ruling ended a long-running case that pitted the NCAA and the major pro sports leagues against New Jersey over the state's effort to legalize sports betting.

New Jersey started the fight in 2011, when voters approved a referendum allowing the state to legalize sports betting at authorized casinos, racetracks and betting sites. The legislature then passed a sports betting bill, which the governor signed in 2012.

The NCAA and the major professional leagues sued to stop the law, arguing that it violated PASPA. New Jersey tried several approaches before settling on the argument that PASPA itself was unconstitutional because it trampled on states' rights.

The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which handed New Jersey a win by ruling PASPA unconstitutional. That freed every state to legalize and regulate sports betting as it sees fit, and many have since legalized it in person, online or both.

Online Gambling Laws in the United States

Online gambling in the US is governed by a mix of federal and state laws, and its history has been turbulent, with players, operators and lawmakers pulling the industry in a hundred directions. Some lawmakers want outright prohibition, and others want full legalization.

Federal gaming laws apply across the country, with exceptions, while state laws regulate gaming within each state. It can be confusing, so here's how the main laws fit together.

Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)

The most significant federal gaming law is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA). Some members of Congress saw the size of the industry and the billions of dollars flowing overseas and set out to stop online poker, sports betting and casino games.

They knew they had no chance of passing a law that would make playing online a crime, so they wrote UIGEA to target the financial industry and cut off the flow of money to offshore gaming sites.

UIGEA was unpopular from the start, but supporters attached it to unrelated "must pass" port security legislation, the SAFE Port Act. It was added as a rider at 9:29 PM the day before Congress adjourned for the 2006 elections, so voting against UIGEA meant voting against port security.

UIGEA passed the next day and finally took effect on January 19, 2009. It hit the industry right away. Several big-name online betting sites left the US market immediately, stopped accepting US players and focused elsewhere.

Other operators decided the risk was worth it and stayed, knowing they were playing a dangerous game. They found it harder to process deposits and payouts, so depositing got more complicated and payouts slowed down.

UIGEA dented illegal online gambling, but it carries on today as a major industry. That failure has been used, successfully in some states, to argue for legalizing, regulating and taxing online gambling and sports betting. If it's going to happen anyway, the argument goes, the state may as well tax it and protect consumers, problem gamblers and the integrity of sports.

What the UIGEA Accomplished

UIGEA barred banks and other financial institutions from doing business with illegal foreign gaming sites. It didn't make online gambling a crime, despite what a lot of shoddy news coverage suggested. Card processors were told to decline transactions with known gaming sites, banks couldn't process transfers to gambling sites, and e-wallets such as Neteller were told to comply or risk prosecution.

Neteller and Skrill were forced out of the US market as "third party payment processors", which sharply limited the ways people could fund gambling accounts.

Operators that stayed open to US customers still found ways around the restrictions and processed some deposits by credit card, debit card and direct bank transfer.

In the end, UIGEA mainly scared some companies out of the US market and made deposits a little harder. Online gambling is still a multibillion-dollar business in the US.

If you have trouble depositing at a licensed gaming site, customer support can usually help you find another method.

Where the UIGEA Failed

UIGEA didn't make placing bets online a crime. Even after it passed, millions of people kept gambling online from inside the US.

Notable Exemptions

UIGEA exempted online horse racing betting, fantasy sports and games of skill. That's why racing sites such as TwinSpires and fantasy sites such as DraftKings can operate and advertise openly today.

Federal Wire Act

The Federal Wire Act of 1961 kept sports betting out of the US outside Nevada for decades. It made it a crime to transmit, or help with, sports bets by any form of "wire communication".

For years the Wire Act was read to cover all forms of online betting, which meant federal policy held that no form of online gambling or poker could ever be legalized.

That changed in 2011, when the US Department of Justice issued an opinion that the Wire Act covers only sports betting. The feds loosened their grip, and individual states gained the right to legalize online casino games and poker if they chose.

Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) banned sports betting across the US except in Nevada. Parlay-style sports betting games run by the Delaware, Montana and Oregon lotteries were also exempt.

Under PASPA, Nevada had a monopoly on single-game sports betting, and other states couldn't legalize it even if they wanted to.

New Jersey challenged PASPA starting in 2011, when its voters approved legalizing sports betting. The multi-year legal battle ended with the Supreme Court ruling PASPA unconstitutional and striking it down in 2018.

Each state can now legalize and regulate sports betting as it sees fit. The first US online sportsbooks launched within months of the decision, and many more have followed.

State Gambling Laws

Gambling laws also differ from state to state. Some ban every form of it, while others allow everything from online sports betting to online lotteries. The recent trend is for individual states to expand what's legal online, and many now offer online betting, casino games, poker, lotteries and horse racing betting.

Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware were the first three states to move after the 2011 DOJ opinion. Nevada legalized online poker, while New Jersey and Delaware legalized online poker and casinos. In all three, the state government oversees the industry and licenses operators. Pennsylvania, West Virginia and other states have since followed.

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US Betting FAQ

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