Legalize Gambling in USA: Betting in the U.S. differs from most other countries with individual states being granted autonomy to decide on their own fates. Each state employs a regulatory body that is in charge of the different types of gambling possible. The different types of gambling include:
- Commercial casinos
- Tribal casinos
- Sports betting
- Pari-mutuel betting
- State lottery
- Online gambling
Regular updates and bills being motioned to legalize different betting operations across all states ensure the landscape of gambling in America is always subject to change.
At present, only Utah and Hawaii have outright bans on all gambling activities. The biggest changes in recent years have been in the sports betting markets.
A decision by the Supreme Court in 2018 removed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that was implemented in 1992 and banned sports gambling across the country except in Nevada.
Since this decision, many states have moved to legalize both in-person and online sports betting.
The Most Recent States to Legalize Sports Betting
Florida
A Court of Appeals decision to overturn a 2021 ruling that nullified an agreement between the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida looks set to allow sports betting in the state.
While there is still a chance an appeal could be made, sports betting is legal in Florida. At present, there are no legal sportsbooks running in the state, but this should change soon.
Any sportsbooks that intend to operate in Florida must come to an agreement with the Seminole tribe.
Kentucky
An announcement by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on July 10th stated that legalized sports betting would be launched across the state by September.
Retail sportsbooks are set to start operations first on September 7th before online sports betting sites launch on September 28th.
Online sportsbooks in Kentucky will be able to offer a complete range of betting options including live bets and prop bets.
Massachusetts
2023 saw Massachusetts launch retail betting on January 31st and online betting on March 10th. There are 8 legal sportsbooks in the state, including Betr, DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, Caesars, Barstool, WynnBET, and Fanatics.
Betting is available on all markets except for high school sports and in-state college teams that are not competing in a tournament. Massachusetts has set a minimum age requirement of 21 for sports betting.
North Carolina
Sports betting was initially launched in North Carolina in March of 2021. A bill to legalize online sports betting in the state passed in June 2023, with plans to implement this set for 2024.
Ohio
Ohio passed a bill to legalize sports betting in-person and online in December 2021. This was launched on the first day of 2023.
Vermont
Vermont passed a bill to legalize sports betting in June 2023 with plans to launch by early 2024 at the latest.
The Future of Betting in the U.S.
With a number of states already creating the framework to support in-person and online sports betting in 2023, the annual growth rate of the sector is huge. However, there are some states like Utah and Hawaii that look set to continue their trend of banning all gambling activities, regardless of the potential revenue it could bring to the state.
On the other hand, there are a number of states that look close to making a decision to legalize sports betting.
Kentucky, North Carolina, and Vermont have already passed bills and are in the process of creating regulatory frameworks for this industry. Other states that could follow suit include:
Texas
Sports betting in Texas looks set to be delayed with a 2023 bill failing. The next available session for the state of Texas to consider legalizing sports betting will take place in 2025.
In the meantime, moves will be made to get backing for new proposals with the latest news on casino legislation in Texas being a list of prominent Texans backing the move.
Maine
Another state that has agreed to a bill that legalizes sports betting is Maine. This passed in May 2022 but little information about the implementation of the bill was known until recently.
A recent statement from the Gambling Control Unit advised that sports betting has the potential to go live in Maine in November of this year. Potential delays could push this back to 2024, but it is great news for the industry.
Any sports betting operation that opens in Maine must have a partnership in place with a Native American tribe, with 50% of the revenue generated going to them. The state of Maine will tax these operations at 10%.
Oklahoma
Several attempts to legalize sports betting in Oklahoma in recent years have failed. The latest made it to the senate before failing, so there is some confidence that a new bill in 2024 could make it through.
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