State Betting Laws & Statutes
Welcome sports fans, to the page all about state sports betting laws. This article is designed to fill you in on all the information you will need to know in order to wager safely in your state. Most state laws generally don’t have regulations regarding sports betting, and you will see why later in this article. That being the case, some do, and there are still many things to keep in mind when starting a sports wagering adventure.
This page will cover whether you can bet on sports in your state, the few laws that regulate sports betting, the age requirements, and much more. You will come out of the other end of this article with a full understanding of what you can and cannot do in your state. We will also review one of our favorite legal online sportsbooks for US players. So sit back and get ready to be entertained as well as informed.
Can I Bet On Sports In My State?
The answer to this question is yes, all though there are certain things to understand before you venture off in to a sports betting extravaganza. The answer is yes because everyone in every state has a few options when it comes to sports betting. Some states allow all kinds of wagering, while others only have a few options. For instance, only two states in the nation have any sort of legal land-based sports wagering events, while every state can find a safe and amazing online sportsbook. Therefore, depending on how you want to wager, you will either have many options, or very few.
The majority of sports fans in the nation use legal U.S. online sportsbooks because there are no real-world options near them. The federal law entitled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) only allows land-based sports wagering in four state, only two of which actually provide any forms of wagering. Residents of Nevada, and to a lesser extend Delaware, can find real-world sports betting options. Everyone else in America can use the many online sportsbooks, which we highly recommend.
Legal Online Sportsbooks That Accept USA Players
There is great news out there for folks that do not live in Delaware or Nevada. Many top-tier online sportsbooks accept U.S. residents from all fifty states. These sites have been functioning legally for decades out of places like Canada and the UK. These overseas sportsbooks are available for any U.S. citizen to use at any time. As long as you are of age, you can sign up at most for these sites. We will next review one of our favorite sites that accept residents from every state.
BetOnline Sportsbook
USA's Most Trusted Sports Betting Site
Operating out of the Republic of Panama, BetOnline is one of the oldest and most well respected online sportsbooks in the world. This astounding site continues to amaze us with the constant innovations and new features that are always popping up. Best of all, BetOnline accepts members from every state in the nation, from Hawaii to Washington DC. You will find expert odds on all major and most minor leagues here, as well as entertainment and political odds if you want to expand your wagering palette.
BetOnline offers an astounding feature in its mobile betting app. This will allow users to access the entire sportsbook from their iPhones, Androids, Tablets, BlackBerry, or any other device that connects to the internet. You don’t need to download anything and there are no extra fees, just log in to your account from your mobile device, and all of BetOnline will be at your fingertips.
| Rank | Legal Sports Betting Sites | Bonus Rewards | Find Out More |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bovada Sportsbook | 50% Up To $250 | Visit Bovada |
| 2 | BetOnline Sportsbook | 25% up to $1,000 | Visit BetOnline |
| 3 | SportsBetting | 50% up to $500 | Visit SportsBetting |
| 4 | 5Dimes Sportsbook | Reduced Juice On Bets | Visit 5Dimes |
States With Online Sports Betting
The only states that regulate sports betting in any form are Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon, because these are the states that the PASPA grandfathered. The legal online sportsbooks for U.S. residents are all located overseas, and are therefore not written about in the legal language of the states. Anyone in any state can use an online sports betting site as long as the site accepts players from your state. Almost all of the top-tier online sportsbooks accepts players from all fifty states, so no one will have a problem finding one.
State Sports Betting Age
For legal betting U.S. residents will find the age varies from state to state. Most often, you will find that the legal age is between 18 and 21. The two states that do offer land-based sports wagering, Nevada and Delaware, require bettors to be 21 because their establishments serve alcohol. Alternatively, most of the online sports wagering sites require players to be 18 to join and play. We suggest that you do a quick internet search to find out what the wagering age is in your state prior to signing up at an online sports betting site for U.S. players. If the state requires you to be older than the site does, it is best to wait until you are that age. Underage betting can cause termination of your account, forfeiture of funds, and even legal trouble.
States With Legal Land-Based Sports Betting
The two states in the nation that offer any kind of legal land-based action are Nevada and Delaware. Delaware residents will find very limited options, in fact, you can only wager on football during the season, and not much else. There are limited parlay options and few other straight wagers to involve yourself with, and they all have low limits. This is a very restrictive form of sports wagering, and we recommend checking out our long reviews of the many great online sportsbooks for much better options.
Nevada residents are lucky to have full-fledged land-based sportsbooks in the state. These venues offer great odds on all major and many semi-pro sports. If you are over 21, and live in Nevada, you will not have to look far to find a great sports betting event.