The Case for Regulating Online Gambling

In early 2025, a proposed constitutional amendment, LR20CA, aimed to legalize online sports betting. The measure passed its first round of voting in the Nebraska Legislature but ultimately stalled due to insufficient support. The tax revenue supports the state’s general fund Offizielle Website 22bet and contributes to problem gambling programs. In the middle of 2019, Tennessee passed the legalization stage with success. Tennessee has to be one of the states with the lowest taxes, obliging users to 1.85% rate of sports betting handle. However, it had to wait as many as six years to enter the land-based betting market.

States like New Jersey and New York 3 have emerged as leaders in legal sports betting, while others, such as Utah and Hawaii, continue to prohibit the practice. The patchwork nature of state gambling laws highlights the importance of understanding local regulations before participating in sports betting. Illegal bets and wagers were sent and received over wire telegraph and other wired communications means, and this law looked to end these criminal operations.

Connecticut remains a compact, well-regulated market with a strong partnership between tribal entities and the state. With just three licensed online sportsbooks, the state consistently generates reliable revenue while promoting responsible gambling safeguards. Arizona imposes a 10% tax on adjusted gross revenue (AGR) from online sports betting and an 8% tax on AGR from retail sports betting.

• The state lottery and its adopted platform, operated by Greek gaming company Intralot, were awarded the contract without a public bidding process.
• Each of the major sports leagues — including NASCAR with its own “data deal” with Betgenius — are seeking and cutting deals related to sports betting.
• Expect the likes of South Carolina and New Mexico to consider legalization.

Mobile sports betting legislation continued to crawl forward in April 2024, as House Bill 774 was passed by the Mississippi Senate’s Gaming Committee following a month of dormancy. But the bill ultimately died in conference April 29, eliminating any chance of legalization of expanded online sports betting in 2024. Legal sports betting came to Mississippi on Aug. 1, 2018, with the Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) tasked with regulation and oversight. Bettors can leverage mobile betting capabilities; however, online wagering must take place within the grounds of a casino. On Nov. 12, 2021, MGM Resorts International’s Beau Rivage in Biloxi became the most recent addition to this list, confirming bettors will be able to access BetMGM’s mobile app at the location. Massachusetts initially moved closer to legalizing sports betting on Thursday, April 28, 2022.

If you lose, you’ll receive 100% of your original stake back in bonus bets, up to $1,500. Depending on your welcome bonus, there will be plenty of strategies here. Conversely, aim for the proverbial ‘gimme’ if you need to win your initial wager.

🏦 Tax on sports betting winnings in Illinois

The ACI report’s findings should reassure policymakers that legalized sports betting has not significantly increased problem gambling. Rather than resorting to heavy-handed rules, states should embrace light-touch regulation that ensures legal markets are so convenient and secure that illicit markets can’t compete. Knowing the odds and the house edge in sports betting is also important for responsible betting. Many regulators and responsible gambling advocates prioritize educating sports bettors about the reality of wagering, including the fact that they are likely to lose in the long run. Fantasy sports have also contributed to the growth of the sports betting industry. Companies like FanDuel and DraftKings, which started as daily fantasy sports operators, have become large players in the sports betting market.

Several deals were struck with a handful of tribes, thus allowing them to offer retail and online sports betting on their respective lands. Vermont’s governor signed sports betting bill H.127 into law on June 14, 2023, which authorizes online sports betting sites in the state. Despite opposition from Gov. Bill Lee, Tennessee voted to authorize online sports betting in May 2019. The sticking point for Gov. Lee was the status of brick-and-mortar outlets. Tennessee’s sports betting bill includes provisions for online-only sports wagering, making it one of the few states to implement an online-only program. The growing online market includes brands like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Tennessee Action 24/7.

Department of the Interior on August 6, 2021, clearing the path for retail and online sportsbooks to operate on Seminole grounds. Hard Rock Sportsbook, offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida,launched its mobile operations statewide on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. The gaming bill includes provisions for mobile and retail sports betting, with the services provided by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes and the Connecticut state lottery. Rush Street Interactive will join DraftKings and FanDuel in claiming the state’s third and final sports betting license. Online and retail sports betting came into effect in Colorado on May 1, 2020.

You can place all the other bet types if you are over 21 with brands such as Borgata, Unibet, BetParx, BetRivers, bet365, and so on. New Hampshire is yet another state that was legalized more than five years ago (12 July 2019). One of the things New Hampshire stands out from the crowd for is its tax rate.

The executive director of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Karen Wells, announced on Feb. 9, 2023, a tentative go-live date of March 10, 2023, for legal online Massachusetts sports betting. State legislators passed a series of enabling statutes, and the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission approved regulations on July 15, 2021. DraftKings joins Caesars, who partnered with three of Maine’s four Native American tribes, as the only two Maine sportsbooks to launch their respective betting apps statewide. PointsBet launched in Louisiana on Sept. 22, 2022, becoming Louisiana’s eighth legal sports betting site. Kentucky sports betting came into effect on Sept. 7, 2023, with the arrival of several legal retail operators began accepting wagers.

Physical retail sportsbooks

We break down the top legal sportsbooks in the U.S. whether you’re looking for the best bonuses, great customer service or an app. Meanwhile, the battle intensifies with the competing sportsbooks and a coalition of native tribes, both releasing TV ads attacking each other’s proposals. The same day, WynnBET reaffirmed its intentions to enter the Iowa market in Q1 of 2022.

At US-Bookies, our team of dedicated professionals is committed to providing you with the best information and insights into the world of sports betting. We rigorously review and test every platform and service we discuss to ensure you receive the highest quality information. For now, you won’t be able to place bets in states such as Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. While many betting lovers hope for changes, different regions have stated different reasons as to why they don’t want to legalize sports betting. This is kind of unexpected as this state went through the legalization process in 2018. Despite this, you still won’t find any available betting operators in this midwestern state.

The New York-headquartered FanDuel sportsbook places significant emphasis on security. In addition to its IT team, they rely on users to identify vulnerabilities. Vulnerability Disclosure Policy rewards anyone who identifies vulnerabilities in its products and reports them. Formal recommendations by the NRGC do not ensure the legality of gambling on sports in Nebraska. It still needs to go to the Attorney General’s office, be signed by the Governor, and then to the Secretary of state to be ratified. The Old Dominion took in $760.9 million in sports wagers in November, a record monthly handle according to the Virginia Lottery which released the figures in December 2024.

Little to no movement from Idaho lawmakers suggests no momentum or appetite for legal Idaho sports betting. Although many of its neighboring states moved quickly to add sports betting legislation in recent years, not one bill has been proposed in the Gem State. Oklahoma lawmakers pre-filed at least two bills that would legalize event wagering. Senator Casey Murdock pre-filled SB 1434, which would permit the Oklahoma Lottery Commission to implement sports betting in the Sooner State. Projections from Eilers & Krejcik peg CA sports betting revenues at $503 million under the legislative amendment.

💡 Whether you stack up a massive parlay or bet on a huge underdog, this is your opportunity to go for a big payout. You’ll receive your bonus bets, win or lose, so don’t be afraid to let loose. 💡 Common sense suggests aiming for the ‘easy pickings’ odds in this situation. Earning the $200 in bonus bets should be a top priority, so go for a heavy favorite like a Chicago Bears short-odds alternative line. While this can seem unsettling, you can have confidence that Illinois sportsbooks have many safeguards and prioritize protecting your information. Read our full BetMGM review for a complete analysis of one of the best sportsbooks in the game.

BetSaracen, affiliated with Saracen Casino, launched approximately a month later, becoming the second online betting app in the state. In Oregon, Rhode Island and certain other states with a single authorized operator, meanwhile, just one sports betting site offers online services. As a result, state and local governments are the only ones empowered with the decision of whether to legalize sports betting. Where in the United States is sports betting legal, and where can you place your wagers online? Check out our interactive map of the U.S. for updated legal news and recent state sports betting developments. Long the gold standard in casino gambling circles, Caesars Sportsbook now holds valid gaming licenses in more than 20 U.S. states.

After a successful Nov. 21 “soft” launch, Maryland online sports betting fully launched on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. Virginia’s sports betting market includes both online platforms and retail sportsbooks located at newly established casinos. Maryland’s sports betting market has been legal since 2021, offering both online platforms and retail sportsbooks. Rhode Island imposes a 51% tax on gross sports betting revenue, which is among the highest rates in the United States.