Gambling in the United States

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The casino floor at Wynn Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada Wynn Casino Las Vegas Gambling Resort.jpg
The casino floor at Wynn Las Vegas in Paradise, Nevada

In the United States, gambling is subject to a variety of legal restrictions. In 2008, gambling activities generated gross revenues (the difference between the total amounts wagered minus the funds or "winnings" returned to the players) of $92.27 billion in the United States. [1]

Contents

The American Gaming Association, an industry trade group, states that gaming in the U.S. is a $240 billion industry, employing 1.7 million people in 40 states. [2] In 2016, gaming taxes contributed $8.85 billion in state and local tax revenues. [3]

In 2018, the United States Supreme Court declared a federal ban on sports gambling to be unconstitutional in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. [4] In the years that followed, dozens of states legalized sports gambling, [5] and the sports gambling industry has recorded record profits year-by-year. [6]

Critics of gambling argue it leads to increased political corruption, compulsive gambling, and higher crime rates. Others argue that gambling is a type of regressive tax on the individuals in local economies where gambling venues are located.

History

Authorized types

Many levels of government have authorized multiple forms of gambling in an effort to raise money for needed services without raising direct taxes. These include everything from bingo games in church basements, to multimillion-dollar poker tournaments. Sometimes states advertise revenues from certain games to be devoted to particular needs, such as education.

When New Hampshire authorized a state lottery in 1963, it represented a major shift in social policy. No state governments had previously directly run gambling operations to raise money. Other states followed suit, and now the majority of the states run some type of lottery to raise funds for state operations. Some states restrict this revenue to specific forms of expenditures, usually oriented toward education, while others allow lottery revenues to be spent on general government. This has brought about morally questionable issues, such as states' using marketing firms to increase their market share, or to develop new programs when old forms of gambling do not raise as much money.

The American Gaming Association breaks gambling down into the following categories: [1]

Legality

While gambling is legal under U.S. federal law, there are significant restrictions pertaining to interstate and online gambling, as each state is free to regulate or prohibit the practice within its borders.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 effectively outlawed sports betting nationwide, excluding a few states: however, on May 14, 2018, the United States Supreme Court declared the entire law unconstitutional ( Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association ).

If state-run lotteries are included, then 48 states allow some form of gambling (the exceptions are Hawaii, where gambling was outlawed prior to statehood, and Utah, which has a Latter-day Saint majority population and also bans gambling in the state constitution).

However, casino-style gambling is much less widespread. Federal law provides leeway for Native American Trust Land to be used for games of chance if an agreement is put in place between the state and the tribal government (e.g. a "Compact" or "Agreement") under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

As of 2023, Louisiana and Nevada are the only states in which casino-style gambling is legal statewide, with both state and local governments imposing licensing and zoning restrictions. All other states that allow casino-style gambling restrict it to small geographic areas (e.g., Atlantic City, New Jersey or Deadwood, South Dakota), or to American Indian reservations, some of which are located in or near large cities.

As domestic dependent nations, American Indian tribes have used legal protection to open casinos, which has been a contentious political issue in California and other states. In some states, casinos are restricted to "riverboats", large multi-story barges that are permanently moored in a body of water.

Online gambling has been more strictly regulated: the Federal Wire Act of 1961 outlawed interstate wagering on sports, but did not address other forms of gambling; it has been the subject of court cases. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) did not specifically prohibit online gambling; instead, it outlawed financial transactions involving online gambling service providers—some offshore gambling providers reacted by shutting down their services for US customers.

Other operators, however, have continued to circumvent UIGEA and have continued to service US customers. For this reason, UIGEA has received criticism from notable figures within the gambling industry. [7]

Legality of gambling types in U.S. states and territories (commercial, Native American, racetrack casinos, etc.)
State/district/territoryCharitablePari-mutuelLotteriesCommercialTribalRacetrackOnlineSports betting
Flag of Alabama.svg  Alabama Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Alaska.svg  Alaska Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Arizona.svg  Arizona Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Arkansas.svg  Arkansas Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of California.svg California Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Colorado.svg  Colorado Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Connecticut.svg Connecticut Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Delaware.svg  Delaware Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Washington, D.C.svg  District of Columbia Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Florida.svg  Florida Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Georgia (U.S. state).svg  Georgia Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Guam.svg  Guam Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Hawaii.svg  Hawaii Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Idaho.svg  Idaho Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Illinois.svg  Illinois Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Indiana.svg Indiana Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Iowa.svg  Iowa Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Kansas.svg  Kansas Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Kentucky.svg Kentucky Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Louisiana.svg  Louisiana Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Maine.svg Maine Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Maryland.svg Maryland Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Massachusetts.svg Massachusetts Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Michigan.svg  Michigan Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Minnesota.svg  Minnesota Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Mississippi.svg  Mississippi Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Missouri.svg  Missouri Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Montana.svg  Montana Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Nebraska.svg  Nebraska Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Nevada.svg  Nevada Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of New Hampshire.svg New Hampshire Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of New Jersey.svg New Jersey Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes [8] Green check.svg Yes
Flag of New Mexico.svg  New Mexico Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of New York.svg New York Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of North Carolina.svg North Carolina Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of North Dakota.svg  North Dakota Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg  Northern Mariana Islands Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Ohio.svg  Ohio Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Oklahoma.svg  Oklahoma Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Oregon.svg Oregon Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Pennsylvania.svg Pennsylvania Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg  Puerto Rico Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Rhode Island.svg  Rhode Island Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of South Carolina.svg  South Carolina Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of South Dakota.svg  South Dakota Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes [9]
Flag of Tennessee.svg  Tennessee Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Texas.svg Texas Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg  U.S. Virgin Islands Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Utah.svg  Utah Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Vermont.svg  Vermont Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Virginia.svg  Virginia Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Washington.svg  Washington Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of West Virginia.svg  West Virginia Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Flag of Wisconsin.svg  Wisconsin Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Flag of Wyoming.svg  Wyoming Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No

Recriminalization

On July 1, 2000, a new law took effect in the state of South Carolina, whereby the ownership, possession, or operation of a video poker machine, for either commercial or personal use, became illegal. Violators are subject to prosecution and substantial fines. Through at least 2007, the only type of legalized gambling in that state is the South Carolina Education Lottery. [10]

Types

Commercial casinos

The MGM Grand Las Vegas as seen in 2019 Nevada - Las Vegas legendary MGM Grand @ South Strip (49471875048).jpg
The MGM Grand Las Vegas as seen in 2019

Commercial casinos are founded and run by private or public companies on non-Native American land. There are 24 states (and three U.S. territories) that allow commercial casinos in some form: Arkansas, [11] Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Northern Marianas Islands, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

The approximately 450 commercial casinos in total produced a gross gambling revenue of $34.11 billion in 2006. [12]

Native American gaming

The Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Foxwood Casino.JPG
The Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

The history of Native American commercial gambling began in 1979, when the Seminoles began running bingo games. [13] Prior to this, the Native Americans had no previous experience with large-scale commercial gambling. Native Americans were familiar with the concept of small-scale gambling, such as placing bets on sporting contests. For example, the Iroquois, Ojibwes, and Menominees would place bets on games of snow snake. [13] Within six years after commercial gambling among Native Americans developed, seventy-five to eighty of the three hundred federally recognized tribes became involved. By 2006, about three hundred Native American groups hosted some sort of gaming. [13]

Some Native American tribes operate casinos on tribal land to provide employment and revenue for their government and their tribe members. Tribal gaming is regulated on the tribal, state, and federal level. Native American tribes are required to use gambling revenue to provide for governmental operations, economic development, and the welfare of their members. Federal regulation of Native American gaming was established under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. Under the provisions of that law, games are divided into three distinct categories:

Of the 562 federally recognized tribes in 1988, 201 participated in class II or class III gaming by 2001. [13] Tribal gambling had revenues of $14.5 billion in 2002 from 354 casinos. Approximately forty percent of the 562 federally recognized tribes operate gaming establishments. [14]

Like other Americans, many indigenous Americans have dissension over the issue of casino gambling. Some tribes are too isolated geographically to make a casino successful, while some do not want non-Native Americans on their land. Though casino gambling is controversial, it has proven economically successful for most tribes, and the impact of American Indian gambling has proven to be far-reaching.

The Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California operated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians MorongoCasino1.JPG
The Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California operated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians

Gaming creates many jobs, not only for Native Americans, but also for non-Native Americans, and in this way can positively affect relations with the non-Native American community. On some reservations, the number of non-Native American workers is larger than the number of Native American workers because of the scale of the casino resorts. [15] Also, some tribes contribute a share of casino revenues to the state in which they are located, or to charitable and non-profit causes. For example, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians of California gave 4 million dollars to the UCLA Law School to establish a center for American Indian Studies. The same tribe also gave $1 million to the state for disaster relief when the area was ravaged by wildfires in 2003. [15]

Although casinos have proven successful for both the tribes and the surrounding regions, state residents may oppose construction of Native American casinos, especially if they have competing projects. For example, in November 2003, the state of Maine voted against a $650 million casino project proposed by the Penobscots and Passamaquoddies. The project's objective was to create jobs for the tribes' young people. The same day the state voted against the Indian casino project, Maine voters approved a plan to add slot machines to the state's harness racing tracks. [15]

The National Indian Gaming Commission oversees Native American gaming for the federal government. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) was established under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988. Under the NIGC, Class I gaming is under the sole jurisdiction of the tribe. Class II gaming is governed by the tribe, but it is also subject to NIGC regulation. Class III gaming is under the jurisdiction of the states. For instance, in order for a tribe to build and operate a casino, the tribe must work and negotiate with the state in which it is located. These Tribal-State compacts determine how much revenue the states will obtain from the Indian casinos. [15]

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act requires that gaming revenues be used only for governmental or charitable purposes. [16] The tribal governments determine specifically how gaming revenues are spent. Revenues have been used to build houses, schools, and roads; to fund health care and education; and to support community and economic development initiatives. Indian gaming is the first and essentially the only economic development tool available on Indian reservations. The National Gaming Impact Study Commission has stated that "no...economic development other than gaming has been found". [16] Tribal governments, though, use gaming revenues to develop other economic enterprises such as museums, malls, and cultural centers.

There are currently 30 states that have Native American gaming: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Lotteries

A lottery ticket issued in California 1st California Lottery Tickets.jpg
A lottery ticket issued in California

The classic lottery is a drawing in which each contestant buys a combination of numbers. Plays are usually non-exclusive, meaning that two or more ticket holders may buy the same combination. The lottery organization then draws the winning combination of 5-8 numbers, usually from 1 to 50, using a randomized, automatic ball tumbler machine.

To win, contestants match their combinations of numbers with the drawn combination. The combination may be in any order, except in some "mega ball" lotteries, where the "mega" number for the combination must match the ball designated as the "mega ball" in the winning combination. If there are multiple winners, they split the winnings, also known as the "Jackpot". Winnings are currently subject to federal income taxes as ordinary income. Winnings can be awarded as a yearly annuity or as a lump sum, depending on lottery rules.

Most states have state-sponsored and multi-state lotteries. There are only five states that do not sell lottery tickets: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. In some states, revenues from lotteries are designated for a specific budgetary purpose, such as education. Other states put lottery revenue into the general fund.

Multi-jurisdictional lotteries generally have larger jackpots due to the greater number of tickets sold. The Mega Millions and Powerball games are the biggest of such lotteries in terms of numbers of participating states.

Scratchcard games

Some state lotteries run games other than the lotteries. Usually, these are in the scratchcard format, although some states use pull-tab games. In either format, cards are sold that have opaque areas. In some games, all of the opaque material is removed to see if the contestant has won, and how much. In other scratchcard games, a contestant must pick which parts of a card to scratch, to match amounts or play another form of game.

Sports betting

Map of sports betting legality as of January 2024


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Sports betting legal
Sports betting illegal Sports betting legality in the US.svg
Map of sports betting legality as of January 2024
  Sports betting legal
  Sports betting illegal
The sports book at Peppermill Reno in Reno, Nevada Peppermill Reno 5 2012-12-19.jpg
The sports book at Peppermill Reno in Reno, Nevada

In 1992, the U.S. Congress passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). It mandated states not to legalize sports betting apart from parimutuel horse racing, dog racing and jai alai. The sports lotteries conducted in Oregon, Delaware, and Montana were exempt, as well as the licensed sports pools in Nevada. [18] [19] It also provided a one-year window for states which operated licensed casino gaming to legalize sports wagering, which New Jersey intended to do but did not reach the deadline.

In 2018, PASPA was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association , ruling that it conflicted with the Tenth Amendment. [20] [21] New Jersey, Delaware, and other states quickly drafted bills legalizing sports betting soon after. [22] [23] States had to determine which department would oversee state-regulated sportsbooks, usually choosing between their respective gambling commissions, lottery boards or, in the case of Kentucky, the state horse racing commission. [24] [25]

As of September 2023, sportsbooks are legal in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and the territory of Puerto Rico, Online sports betting also legal in 30 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. The American Gaming Association reported a 2022 handle of $93.2 billion and a revenue of $7.5 billion in commercial sportsbooks. [26] Americans legally bet over $115 billion on sports in 2023. [27] This marked a significant increase from 2018, when approximately 25 million fewer Americans wagered on sporting events.

StateSports betting legalizedSports betting operationalRetail sports bettingOnline sports bettingNotes
Alabama Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Alaska Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Arizona Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesApril 15, 2021; effective May 24, 2021
Arkansas Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesNovember 2018; effective July 1, 2019. [28] Online sports betting allowed since February 22, 2022. [29]
California Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Colorado Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesNovember 5, 2019; effective May 2020
Connecticut Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Delaware Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoOffered parlay betting and championship futures for the NFL prior to PASPA being struck down; expanded on June 5, 2018 [30] [31]
Florida Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Georgia Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Hawaii Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Idaho Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Illinois Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesJune 2, 2019
Indiana Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesMay 2019; effective September 1, 2019
Iowa Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesMay 2019; effective August 15, 2019 [32]
Kansas Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesEffective July 1, 2022, casinos and sportsbooks can start accepting bets on September 1, 2022. [33]
Kentucky Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesMarch 2023, effective June 28, 2023. In-person sportsbook location bets allowed since September 7, 2023. Online betting allowed since September 28, 2023. [34] [35]
Louisiana Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesOnly in the 55 out of 64 parishes that voted to legalize sports betting in the November 2020 election. [36]
Maine Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesLegalized May 2, 2022. [37] Online sports betting went live on November 3, 2023, with in person betting allowed but no authorized entity yet licensed. [38]
Maryland Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
Massachusetts Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesLegalized on August 10, 2022. [39]
Michigan Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDecember 2019; in-person sports betting allowed starting March 2020; online and mobile betting allowed starting January 22, 2021 [40]
Minnesota Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Mississippi Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoAugust 1, 2018; mobile betting not allowed [41]
Missouri Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Montana Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesMay 3, 2019 [42] *Online gaming in Montana is only permitted on the premises of gaming facilities.
Nebraska Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg No
Nevada Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesLegalized in 1949 (prior to PASPA)
New Hampshire Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesJuly 2019 [43] [44]
New Jersey Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesJune 14, 2018 [45]
New Mexico Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoOctober 16, 2018 [46]
New York Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesJuly 17, 2019. [28] Online sports betting allowed since January 8, 2022. [47]
North Carolina Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesJuly 26, 2019; tribal casinos only; mobile betting not allowed [28]
North Dakota Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoOnly at the Dakota Magic Casino and Hotel in Hankinson, owned by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe [48] [49]
Ohio Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesMarch 23, 2022; effective January 1, 2023 [50]
Oklahoma Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Oregon Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesLegal prior to PASPA but limited; expanded on August 27, 2019 [28]
Pennsylvania Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesNovember 16, 2018 [51]
Rhode Island Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesNovember 26, 2018
South Carolina Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
South Dakota Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoLimited to the city of Deadwood; allowed constitutionally as of November 3, 2020 [52]
Tennessee Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesApril 30, 2019; allows only online betting [53]
Texas Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Utah Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Vermont Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesOnline sports betting was legalized in Vermont on June 14, 2023. Online sportsbooks are expected to launch in VT early in 2024. [54]
Virginia Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesJuly 1, 2020
Washington Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg No
West Virginia Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesAugust 30, 2018
Wisconsin Green check.svg YesDark Red x.svg NoGreen check.svg YesDark Red x.svg No
Wyoming Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg Yes
American Samoa Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
District of Columbia Green check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesGreen check.svg YesMay 2019 [55]
Guam Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Northern Mariana Islands Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
Puerto Rico Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No
US Virgin Islands Dark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg NoDark Red x.svg No

Gambling revenues

According to the Center for Gaming Research University Libraries, legal gambling revenues for 2007 were as follows: [1]

According to the American Gaming Association, legal gambling revenues at commercial establishments (not including tribal casinos) for 2024 were as follows: [56]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Native American gaming</span> Gambling operations on Indian reservations in the United States

Native American gaming comprises casinos, bingo halls, slots halls and other gambling operations on Indian reservations or other tribal lands in the United States. Because these areas have tribal sovereignty, states have limited ability to forbid gambling there, as codified by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. As of 2011, there were 460 gambling operations run by 240 tribes, with a total annual revenue of $27 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bookmaker</span> Organization or person that takes bets on sporting events

A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays out bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), is a federally recognized Indian tribe based in western North Carolina in the United States. They are descended from the small group of 800–1,000 Cherokees who remained in the Eastern United States after the U.S. military, under the Indian Removal Act, moved the other 15,000 Cherokees to west of the Mississippi River in the late 1830s, to Indian Territory. Those Cherokees remaining in the east were to give up tribal Cherokee citizenship and to assimilate. They became U.S. citizens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sportsbook</span> Sports gambling establishment

A sportsbook is a venue where a gambler can wager on various sports competitions, such as golf, football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, soccer, horse racing, greyhound racing, boxing, and mixed martial arts. The method of betting varies with the sport and the type of game. In the US, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 allowed only Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware to legally wager on sports other than horse racing, greyhound racing, and jai alai; the law was ruled unconstitutional on May 14, 2018, freeing states to legalize sports betting at their discretion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Online gambling</span> Gambling done through the internet

Online gambling is any kind of gambling conducted on the internet. This includes virtual poker, casinos, and sports betting. The first online gambling venue opened to the general public was ticketing for the Liechtenstein International Lottery in October 1994. Today, the market is worth around $40 billion globally each year, according to various estimates.

Mobile gambling refers to playing games of chance or skill for money by using a remote device such as a tablet computer, smartphone or a mobile phone with a wireless internet connection. Over a hundred mobile casinos were operating as of December 2013, with most of the big casino operators in gambling now providing a mobile platform for their player base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992</span> U.S. law mostly banning sports gambling

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, also known as PASPA or the Bradley Act, was a law, judicially-overturned in 2018, that was meant to define the legal status of sports betting throughout the United States. This act effectively outlawed sports betting nationwide, excluding a few states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gambling in Oregon</span>

Gambling in Oregon relates to the laws, regulations, and authorized forms of gambling.

Gambling in Pennsylvania includes casino gambling, the Pennsylvania Lottery, horse racing, bingo, and small games of chance conducted by nonprofit organizations and taverns under limited circumstances. Although casino gaming has been legal for less than two decades, Pennsylvania is second only to Nevada in commercial casino revenues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gambling in New Jersey</span>

Gambling in New Jersey includes casino gambling in Atlantic City, the New Jersey Lottery, horse racing, off-track betting, charity gambling, amusement games, and social gambling. New Jersey's gambling laws are among the least restrictive in the United States. In 2013, the state began to allow in-state online gambling. Five years later in 2018, the state won a lawsuit that dismantled Nevada's monopoly on legal sports betting.

Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of North Carolina include the North Carolina Education Lottery, three Indian casinos, charitable bingo and raffles, and low-stakes "beach bingo". North Carolina has long resisted expansion of gambling, owing to its conservative Bible Belt culture.

Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of Massachusetts include casinos, sports betting, parimutuel wagering on horse racing, the Massachusetts Lottery, and charitable gaming. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission regulates commercial operations under state jurisdiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Gaming Control Board</span>

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is a gaming control board in Michigan that provides oversight of the state's gaming industry, which was founded and authorized by statewide voting in November 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gambling in California</span>

Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of California include cardrooms, Indian casinos, the California State Lottery, parimutuel wagering on horse racing, and charitable gaming. Commercial casino-style gaming is prohibited.

Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of Maine include parimutuel wagering on horse races, sports betting, the Maine Lottery, two casinos, and charitable gaming.

Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of Connecticut include two Indian casinos, parimutuel wagering, charitable gaming, the Connecticut Lottery, and sports betting.

The history of gambling in the United States covers gambling and gaming since the colonial period. The overall theme is one of a general lack of formal regulation, giving way by degrees to widespread prohibition by the early 20th century, followed by a loosening of restrictions in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The Illinois Sports Wagering Act was passed into law on June 28, 2019 with the first legal wager being placed on March 9, 2020 The Act allows for individuals 21 or older to place monetary wagers on live sporting events. In 2018, the United States Supreme Court held in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Ass'n that states may authorize and license sports gambling, finding that certain provisions of the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act were unconstitutional. This ruling opened the door for states like Illinois to allow legal sports betting to their citizens. Illinois allows wagers to be placed on many sports including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing, MMA, and other, less mainstream events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 California Proposition 27</span>

Proposition 27, also known as the Legalize Sports Betting and Revenue for Homelessness Prevention Fund Initiative was a California ballot proposition that was defeated overwhelmingly by voters in the general election on November 8, 2022. The proposition would have legalized online and mobile sports betting platforms that are associated with an existing gaming tribe.

Legal forms of gambling in the U.S. state of New Hampshire include the New Hampshire Lottery, sports betting, parimutuel wagering, and charitable gaming. The state's Gaming Regulatory Oversight Authority (GROA) is part of the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, which also maintains an Investigative & Compliance Division.

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Further reading