Sports Betting Q&A
Frequently asked questions about sports betting

Can you bet on sports online?

Last Updated: Feb 9, 2021
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Fact Checked By: Adam Zdroik

Yes. But while betting on sports is legal in almost half the states in the country, not all of them allow online wagering.

As of 2021, there were 16 states that offered some form of sports betting online:

Colorado

Colorado legalized in-person and mobile sports betting November 2019 and a new sports betting law went into effect May 2020.

Illinois

Illinois passed sports betting legislature June 2019 and launched at physical sportsbooks March 2020. Online betting also became legal in June 2020.

Indiana

Indiana legalized sports betting in 2019 and launched shortly after in October of that year. With sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel leading the way, online betting was immediately available at launch.

Iowa

Iowa began taking sports bets August 2019 in all capacities and starting 2021, bettors didn't have to register in person in order to make bets.

Michigan

Michigan passed legislation to allow sports betting in December 2019 and the first physical sportsbooks opened March 2020, while online sports betting launched January 2021.

Mississippi

Sports betting in Mississippi officially launched August 2018, though online wagering can only be done on the premises of casinos.

Montana

Sports betting was legalized in 2019 and officially launched March 2020. Unlike most states, sports betting in Montana goes through its lottery system

Nevada

Nevada was the lone state that operated sportsbooks throughout PASPA and while that's the case, the process isn't as easy as one would think to bet online. In order to bet using an app, you have to set up an account in person, filling out a players club card in the process.

New Hampshire

Sports betting was legalized in New Hampshire in 2019 and launched online through DraftKings Sportsbook. While physical sports betting has yet to happen, that should change late 2020 or at some point in 2021.

New Jersey

New Jersey was one of the first states to legalize sports betting after helping repeal PASPA in 2018. Since launch, the state has allowed mobile and in-person betting.

Oregon

Oregon hasn't passed a sports betting bill, but it was grandfathered in after being exempted from PASPA. Sports betting has been offered by the state lottery since 2018 and regulations are in the works to add more physical sportsbooks. As of 2020, in-person betting was only possible at one casino.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania officially launched full-fledged sports betting in 2019 with mobile wagering included.

Rhode Island

Sports betting opened in Rhode Island in 2018 and has since passed a couple more bills to grow the business, including online methods. Betting is allowed at two casinos and online wagering is offered through the state lottery.

Tennessee

Sports betting was legalized in 2019 and launched in 2020. Since it has no casinos, Tennessee is the only state that has online-only sports betting.

Virginia

Sports betting laws went into effect July 2020, but residents weren't able to make their first bets until January 2021.

West Virginia

West Virginia launched sports betting in the fall of 2019 and while the process was long, it's growing by the day. Betting is possible at five physical sportsbooks and numerous online outlets.

Growing by the month

This list will only grow as time moves on and could even double by the time 2022 rolls around. Five states launched sports betting in 2021 and a few more that already offer betting at physical sportsbooks are in talks of adding online wagering to the docket.

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