Mobile Sports Betting Bills In The US
Sports betting in America has always been prevalent. Although, in the past it was more hidden in the shadows. Unless you were in Nevada, shady local bookies were the only way to legally put money down on your favorite sports team. However, with the internet becoming an integral part of our daily lives and with smartphones having become as advanced as they are in recent years, mobile sportsbooks are now the best option to bet on sports. States such as New Jersey have capitalized on this option and now 80% of legal sports bets in the state are made through online/mobile platforms. However, not all states have embraced this type of gambling.
This is why we have organized the mobile bill tracker for you to follow below. The majority of US states have introduced some type of sports betting legislation ever since PASPA was repealed in May of 2018. But, many of these states are still skeptical about introducing legal sports betting apps and websites. Some states have passed legislation that allows for land-based sportsbooks but not online sportsbooks in the US. There are even some states who have legalized mobile sportsbooks but assert heavy limitations on those state-regulated books. All the information you could need on those states, as well as the current outlook for sports wagering legislation for all 50 states, can be found in the following sections.
US States With Mobile Sports Betting
There are many different states that have legalized mobile sports betting apps since 2018, with more than half of the union now with active sportsbook apps. However, each state has different provisions for how online and mobile sports betting platforms operate in the state. There are some states that limit sportsbook apps to be used within a casino that holds a license, while others allow the apps and websites to be accessed from anywhere inside the state’s borders. It is because of this reason that we will go over the specific rules for how these features operate in each state that has written laws for it.
While it may seem like there are a very limited number of states with mobile sportsbooks right now, there is also alternative options that essentially allow for online sports betting throughout the entire country. Those come in the form of online offshore sportsbooks. With the exception of Bovada not operating in Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada, all of the online sportsbooks we recommend throughout this site can be accessed from anywhere in the US. But, if you’d rather wait until your state begins to regulate online sports betting sites or would rather take a trip to a state that does, you also have that option. Below is the complete list of states with active online/mobile sports wagering platforms:
USA Online Sportsbooks
U.S.A. Sportsbook Reviews
Legal Sports Betting
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In Nevada – The First State With Mobile Sportsbooks
For decades, Nevada was the only place which you could find legal sportsbooks of any type. The first one opened in 1949 and since then Nevada has held the crown of being the sports betting capital of the U.S. There are now about 250 different locations that you can go to legally place a sports bet, with the biggest sportsbooks housed in Las Vegas. But, even with so many land-based options available, the state decided that mobile sportsbooks were necessary to capture sports bettors that didn’t feel like getting out of their homes. The first legal sports betting app was launched in 2010. There are now eight online sports betting sites that are regulated by the Nevada state government. Those sites are powered by William Hill, Wynn, CG Technology, Station Casino, Boyd, South Point, MGM, Atlantis Reno. Those sports betting apps now generate the majority of the handle for each of these companies every month.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In New Jersey
New Jersey, which challenged the federal ban on sports betting known as PASPA and essentially got the law repealed by the US Supreme Court, was the second state to launch legal mobile sports wagering platforms. PASPA was ruled unconstitutional in May of 2018 and by August of 2018, New Jersey was ready to start taking sports bets online and through mobile apps. The state now has the highest number of mobile sportsbook operators doing businesses in a single state, totaling to a number of 15 different apps. You can register to use these platforms no matter where you are in the state.
New Jersey Sports betting laws allow any licensed retail sportsbook to have 3 online sports betting skins which they can offer to any company they want so long as they are approved by the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement. There are still more skins to be had in the state, but given how much competition is there already, it may not be in the best interest of another online sports betting operator to enter the market. They would also have to compete with a number of different online offshore sports betting sites as well. What may be enticing is that nearly 80% of all sports bets made on average in NJ are through online or mobile platforms.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In Pennsylvania
Mobile sports betting in Pennsylvania became legal at the same time as retail sports wagering. Although it took months after casino sportsbooks launched in Pennsylvania for state-wide online sports betting products to be released by those same license holders. Sugarhouse was the first to launch a mobile sports betting platform when they introduced PlaySugarHouse in June of 2019. Bet Rivers and Parx casino were the next to follow when they unveiled their PA sports betting app in July of 2019. FanDuel sportsbook came in later that month and was able to launch through their partnership with Valley Forge Casino. Mobile sports bets now make up about two-thirds of all sports wagers made in the state. The popularity of online sports betting in Pennsylvania should come as no surprise as that has become the standard in the neighboring state, New Jersey.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In West Virginia
Legal mobile sports betting in West Virginia was first launched in December of 2018. The app was called BetLucky and it was owned by the company Delaware North which also owns Wheeling Island Casino and Mardi Gras Casino. However, because of a contract dispute between Delaware North and their sports betting provider in March of 2019, the BetLucky app along with sports betting operations at their two WV casinos were suspended indefinitely.
Several months went by, but mobile sports betting in West Virginia finally came back with the FanDuel app launching in late August of 2019. DraftKings followed and released a state-wide app of their own through their partnership with Hollywood Casino Charles Town Races. You can register to use the apps no matter where you are in West Virginia and you can place bets from wherever as long as you are within state lines.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In Iowa
Mobile sports betting in Iowa launched simultaneously with retail sports betting on August 15th, 2019. William Hill was the biggest mobile sports betting brand that launched that day through their partnership with three different retail sportsbooks in Iowa. One important distinction with Iowa sports betting laws when compared to other states is that in-person registration is required in order to use a state-wide mobile sports wagering app. This requirement will remain in effect until January 1, 2021. The rule was put in place because regulators knew that mobile sportsbooks in Iowa were going to be much more popular than casino sportsbooks. The revenue figures proved that within the first month of legal sports betting since over 40% of all sports bets were made through mobile devices. That percentage continues to grow.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In Rhode Island
Sports betting in Rhode Island was originally only legalized for the two Twin Rivers casino locations in the state. Those provisions passed in 2018 and their sportsbooks launched in time for the 2018 NFL season. They were allowed to offer in-person betting only, but given the high demand seen at the casinos and the lack of money being generated by the overall handle, lawmakers decided to expand their operations in March of 2019. It was then that state-wide mobile sports betting was authorized. The biggest difference between Rhode Island and New Jersey, however, is the fact that you still have to register in-person at one of the Twin River locations in order to use the state’s app from outside the venue. The only state-regulated online sports betting platform in Rhode Island is overseen by the state lottery and is called “Sportsbook Rhode Island”. It launched in September of 2019, in time for football season.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In Mississippi
Mobile sports betting in Mississippi is more restrictive than most states. That is because while other states will allow you to use an app from anywhere within the borders of the state, MS only allows you to use a casino’s sports betting app within the premises of the casino. This is a nice feature for a retail sportsbook because it doesn’t require you to get out of your seat to place more bets or live bets. But, it does nothing for the sports bettors that are unable to drive to a brick-and-mortar sportsbook. Luckily there are over 20 retail sportsbooks in MS. The state originally legalized and launched sports betting in 2018. A bill that would have approved state-wide sports wagering apps was introduced in the 2019 legislative session, however, it was unable to get enough support from local lawmakers at that time.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In New York
Legal mobile sports betting in New York was a hot topic for the entire first half of 2019. That is because New York falls in the same category as Mississippi. NY has a few retail sportsbooks throughout the state and they are able to offer a mobile sports wagering app. But, those apps are restricted to the walls of the sportsbook establishment. In the first half of 2019, surveys were taken on residents’ opinions about mobile sports gambling, legal studies were taken to prove that a constitutional amendment wasn’t necessary to implement it, and a bill to authorize the feature passed through the state Senate. Ultimately this wasn’t enough and the bill died in Assembly committee. NY Governor Andrew Cuomo has stated that he believes a voter referendum is necessary to bring about state-wide sports wagering apps. That process could take a few years to come to fruition.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In Indiana
Legal mobile sports betting in IIndiana still has yet to come. Although land-based sports betting was launched in September of 2019, no online operators have been approved by the Indiana Gaming Commission. Sports betting laws in Indiana are similar to that of New Jersey. They require that online sports gambling companies partner with the retail casinos in the state. Mobile sports betting in Indiana is expected to launch at some point in 2020. The regulations for mobile sports betting operators are set so it will be up to them for when they want to apply for a license.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In Illinois
Online sports betting companies in Illinois will likely have to wait in order to operate in the state. The bill that passed that legalized sports betting in Illinois gives those companies two options. Either they can tether to a retail casino and share profits with them or they wait 18 months, pay a substantially larger license fee, and operate independently. This provision was mainly put in place as a punishment to DraftKings and FanDuel for accepting DFS players from Illinois even though DFS wasn’t regulated in the state. Regulations are still being reviewed and worked by the Illinois Gaming Board so it will be quite some time before we see any see companies like those operating in the state.
Legal Mobile Sports Betting In Tennessee
Tennessee was actually the first and only state to legalize online-only sports betting. Since the state does not have any casinos or gaming facilities, Tennessee lawmakers found it easier to simply keep the activity through mobile sportsbooks rather than building new betting parlors. Online operators will have to use official league data and will have to cough up a large portion of their sports betting revenue in taxes so the betting lines found at mobile sportsbooks in Tennessee may not be as attractive as other states. The Tennessee Lottery does have an RFP listed on their site to accept sports betting provider applications but it will be months before contracts are awarded to these companies. Lookout for mobile sports betting to launch in the Volunteer State in 2020.
Failed Sports Betting Bills From States Without Mobile Sports Betting
- Alabama: Mobile sports betting is not available nor is in person sports betting. Efforts to legalize sports betting, including HB 405, failed in 2023 due to concerns over gambling expansion and regulation complexities.
- Georgia: It remains unregulated as mobile sports betting bills such as SB 57, SR 140, and HB 380 failed in 2023 due to legislative hurdles and the requirement for a constitutional amendment.
- Kentucky: Attempts to pass legislation, like HB 241, have repeatedly failed due to opposition in the state legislature.
- Oklahoma: The state does not have mobile sports betting. The last attempt to make this happen was a bill to allow sports betting at tribal casinos but it was rejected by the state Senate in May 2022.
- South Carolina: Multiple bills have been introduced, such as H 5277, but none have passed due to strong opposition based on moral and social grounds.
- Texas: Legislative efforts, including HB 2070 and HJR 97, have failed due to opposition from key lawmakers.
Types Of Wagers Offered At Mobile Sportsbooks
The types of wagers offered at mobile sportsbooks are going to be the same as if you went to a casino sportsbook. This means that you’ll be able to find moneyline wagers, spread bets, totals bets, props, futures, and parlays all from your smartphone or tablet. The teams and events you can bet on will depend on which states’ platform you are using. Some states have chosen to implement certain rules in order to protect the integrity of their college sports so you will have to check with your local state laws to find out which events won’t be available. The most convenient and arguably best type of wager offered at mobile sportsbooks is the live betting feature. This allows you to put money down on odds that are continuously updated as the game plays out in real-time. This means that you can be winning big no matter where you are watching the game, even if you’re watching it live from a stadium or arena.
Federal Laws Concerning Mobile Sports Betting?
There are a couple of sports betting laws that anyone using a mobile sportsbook should be aware of. The first of which is a federal law known as the Wire Act. This law is essentially the reason why mobile sports betting apps are restricted to the states in which they launch. For example, just because a mobile sports wagering app in Iowa launches that doesn’t mean sports bettors in Nebraska can use that app. They would have to cross the border and be physically located in Iowa to use it. Similarly, if a resident of Iowa travels to Nebraska, they won’t be able to put any money down through their phone, even if they live in Iowa. Mobile sportsbooks from offshore providers don’t have to worry about this law because they don’t operate in any U.S. state.
The second federal law concerning mobile sports betting is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This law essentially affects the way in which you can deposit and withdraw money from an online sportsbook. While this law was mainly meant to target offshore sports betting sites, domestic ones are also slightly affected. Many state-regulated mobile sportsbooks will offer PayPal as a transaction method in order to mitigate around this law. Similarly, offshore sites will offer payment methods such as BitCoin to make processing payments faster and easier as well.
