Legal Sports Betting in 2021

A lot in the United States is changing after the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) by the Supreme Court. Use this page as a state-by-state overview to understand the development of the sports betting industry and find sportsbooks in your state.

PointsBet

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New customers only. 21+. Get up to a $500 Refund (in Free Bets) if your 1st Fixed Odds Bet loses. Get up to a $1,500 Refund (in Free Bets) if your 1st PointsBetting Bet loses. Eligible clients are entitled to a maximum two (2) refunds. Full T&C Apply. Full T&Cs
BetMGM Sports

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Risk Free First Bet up to $600
This Sports Promotion is open to players located in the applicable state at the time of wagering, aged 21 years, and placing first deposit. Minimum deposit $10. Full T&C apply. Full T&Cs
WynnBET

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Up to $500 Risk-Free Bet
New Patrons of WynnBET who place their First Deposit of not less than $20 in cash and place an eligible Sports Wager within ten (10) days after making the qualifying deposit during the Promotional Period are eligible to receive a Risk Free* First Sports Bet up to a maximum of $500 as a free bet (the “Risk Free* First Sports Bet”). Full T&Cs apply, 21+. Full T&Cs
theScore Bet

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First Deposit Match Bonus up to $1000
New players only. Must be 21 or older. CO, IA, IN, NJ only. Full T&Cs
FanDuel Sportsbook

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Risk-free bet up to $1000
The Promotion is only open to individuals who are at least 21 years of age and physically present in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, West Virginia, Tennessee or Iowa during the Promotion Period. To claim, new users need to register, make a first deposit, and then simply place their first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook up to $1000! If a user loses their first wager, Fanduel will refund their loses in the form of a free-bet up to $1000! Full T&Cs
DraftKings Sportsbook

88 /100
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SIGN UP BONUS UP TO $1,000* AWARDED AS RISK-FREE BET + DEPOSIT BONUS!
The websites listed below need to be updated to include the terms for the $1,000 Deposit Bonus (not the $1,000 Sign Up Bonus), inclusive of TN. Up to date terms: If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN). 21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. Min. $5 deposit required. Deposit bonus requires 25x play-thru. Deposit bonus issued as site credits. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. Full T&Cs

There was a federal ban on sports betting in the United States from 1992 to 2018 under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). The 1992 law granted immunity to four states that had previously allowed sports betting inside their borders. Those states are Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana. The state of New Jersey challenged the legality of PASPA. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in late 2017. On May 14, SCOTUS issued a decision reversing the ban, striking down PASPA in full by a vote of 6-3.

Thanks to the decision, the following states can now offer legal sports betting, once they create and approve regulations, that is: New Jersey – Launched June 14, Mississippi – Launched Aug. 1, West Virginia – Launched Aug. 30, Pennsylvania (established temporary regulations in June 2018), and Rhode Island – Launched Sept. 2019. Delaware was actually the first to the expanded market launching June 5, 2018. The state used its existing sports betting law on the books, established single-game wagering regulations, and began taking bets on June 5, 2018. New Jersey signed its law into effect on June 11. On June 14, New Jersey officially started accepting wagers. Mississippi was next to launch, taking bets effective Aug. 1.

Online Sports Betting Sites in the United States

Legal US online sports betting is now available and fully regulated in a number of other states. This means that for citizens inside those states there is the possibility to wager on sports events. In most cases that person does not need to be a citizen of that state–or even reside there–but just be physically within its borders at the time.

Betting sites and online bookmakers have been able to sign up new customers using promotions and bonuses. They also offer markets on all the big events. The sports betting sites look to annual peaks, like NFL Draft betting, to attract new players.

The number of legal US online sports betting sites will only grow as more states introduce the necessary regulations. But you should keep a close eye on the legality in each state–especially where you live.

Featured States

New Jersey

As mentioned, some states were very quick to pass the new bills covering online sports betting. Some of these are well known for a long tradition of sports betting and it was no surprise that somewhere like New Jersey was first in line.

With globally renowned attractions like Atlantic City, there was obviously a desire for legal US online sports betting in the Garden State. Now there are a number of international sportsbooks available online as well as their physical versions at the casinos on the Boardwalk.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania was able to offer online sports betting just in time for the new football season in 2019. The Eagles may not be going all the way to the Super Bowl this year but the people of Pennsylvania will be able to place their bets on who does.

Indiana

Another state that was interested in jumping on the sports betting bandwagon early on is Indiana. There was the potential for sports fans to place a bet in person by the beginning of the NFL season, but that changed in October when the first online sportsbooks were launched.

Check out the status of legal online sports betting in your state:

STATE-BY-STATE LEGAL SPORT BETTING GUIDE