One of the fastest-growing industries in the United States is online sports betting. Since the Supreme Court struck down PAPSA, the tenured federal ban on sports betting on May 14, 2018, the sports betting industry has been a money-making powerhouse.
The 23 states where mobile sports betting is live and legal are reaping the benefits. To put things into perceptive, the total sports betting revenue in the U.S. surpassed $4.33 billion in 2021. If that isn't enough, in the four years online sports betting has been legal in the U.S., Americans have bet in excess of $125 billion on sports with legal sports betting sites.
What States Will Be Next To Launch Online Sports Betting?
Mobile sports betting is licensed and legal to operate in 23 U.S. states. However, there are more states set to join the party in 2023.
Ohio
On January 1, 2023, legal online sports betting in Ohio will launch. What's unique about Ohio will be its unprecedented simultaneous launch of mobile sports betting, retail sports betting, and betting kiosks in the state. When it's all said and done, Ohio could have up to 40 in-person retail sportsbooks, 20 mobile Ohio betting apps, and in excess of 1,000 betting kiosks spread across the Buckeye State.
Ohio bettors can sign up for some of the best mobile sports betting sites on the market today ahead of the launch using Ohio betting promos. If you want to stay ahead of the game, be sure to pre-register for the best Ohio sportsbooks while securing generous pre-live bonuses.
For example, if you sign up at BetMGM Ohio, with the BetMGM Ohio Bonus Code ROTOBONUS, you will get $200 in free bets to use on launch day. You can also pre-register for Caesars Sportsbook Ohio with the Caesars Sportsbook Ohio Promo Code ROTOTIX. Using this promo code will give you a $100 bonus to use on launch day as well as an entry to win Cleveland Cavaliers tickets. To get this offer, all you need to do is deposit $20.
Massachusetts
Following Ohio, Massachusetts is projected to be the next state to launch legal online sports betting. Sports betting was deemed legal in Massachusetts on August 10, 2022, but the official launch date has yet to be announced.
While the expectation is that legal sports betting in Massachusetts will go live in March 2023, it could launch sooner. You should also expect to see retail sportsbooks launch ahead of mobile sports betting apps. However, nothing is official.
When it comes to the popularity of legal sports betting in Massachusetts, expect it to hit the ground running, just like in Ohio. The 15th-ranked state in terms of population, Massachusetts has that along with the draw of some of the most prevalent sports teams in the country, like the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, and Boston Bruins.
Maine
Maine Governor Janet Mills signed a bill to legalize online sports betting in May 2022. However, as of this writing, there are no mobile or retail sportsbooks active in Maine. One of the smaller states in the United States in terms of population -- Maine is ranked 42nd -- only four online sportsbooks and 10 retail locations are expected to go live when sports betting does launch in the state.
When it comes to a concrete date for when to expect legal mobile sports betting to go live in Maine, impending Maine sports bettors will have to wait. The Maine Gambling Control Commission has yet to set a deadline for a launch date, but the expectation is that it could come in 2023 or early 2024.
Other States Expected To Launch Online Sports Betting
When it comes to online sports betting, legalizing the practice is at the discretion of the individual state or region in the United States.
Another state to look out for to legalize mobile sports betting in 2023 is North Carolina. North Carolina already has retail sports betting and is expected to be in the mix to launch online betting at some point in 2023. In 2022, the vote to legalize online sports betting in North Carolina was close to coming to fruition, but fell just short.
Georgia could also be in the mix for passing a bill to legalize online sports betting. The Peach State has come close in the past few years but it keeps getting voted down. Polls suggest that voters are in favor of legalizing the practice in Georgia while Republicans in the Senate remain opposed.
This article is part of our Ohio Betting News series.
