Legal United States sports betting is growing in popularity by the year. With 36 states, including Washington D.C. offering legal sports wagering to their residents and those passing through, there are still 14 states that prohibit the act of legal betting on sports.
Of those 36 states, there are some locations where you can only bet on sports online on the best sports betting sites. There are also others where you can only do so in person at retail sportsbooks. Then some states allow you to do both. For example, when it comes to New Jersey sports betting, you can legally bet on sports online and at retail locations.
This U.S. sports betting news update focuses on the latest state to legalize sports betting as well as the latest legislation updates for states that could welcome legal sports betting in the near future.
What Are The Latest States To Legalize Sports Betting?
There have been two states to already legalize sports betting in the early portion of 2023 – Ohio and Massachusetts.
Ohio sports betting launched with a bang. On the January 1, 2023 launch day, Buckeye State bettors could bet at mobile betting apps using the best Ohio betting promos, or in person at retail sportsbooks and betting kiosks at local stores.
Not too long thereafter, Massachusetts sports betting went live for in-person retail wagering on January 31, 2023. The fun didn't stop there, however. As of March 10, 2023, Bay State bettors could legally place wagers online using the best Massachusetts betting promotions.
US Sports Betting News - Latest Legislation Updates For US States
Some states are making moves when it comes to the legalization of sports betting. Let's begin with Kentucky.
The state of Kentucky nearly legalized sports betting in 2022 but ran into a last-minute obstacle regarding giving horse racetracks control over online and in-person wagering.
However, in 2023, there have already been significant steps to legalize sports betting in Kentucky. Both the House and the Senate passed the HB 551 act to legalize sports betting. The next step is for Gov. Andy Beshear to sign it into action. Beshear is a supporter of legalizing sports betting in the Bluegrass State.
Online sports betting in Kentucky could go live as early as the Fall of 2023 or in the first half of 2024. Stay tuned.
When it comes to Missouri sports betting, there have been two new sports wagering bills proposed for 2023. Although the House is supporting the bills, the holdup comes with the Senate.
Senator Denny Hoskins is pushing for video lottery terminals to be put in locations like gas stations and truck stops in the state. But casinos are opposed to this action. Hoskins stated that a sports betting bill would not pass without these video lottery terminals.
North Carolina sports betting could be coming sooner rather than later. On March 29, a sports betting bill passed through the House and now must successfully pass through the Senate.
Back in 2022, the Senate passed a similar bill to legalize sports betting, but it came one vote shy of passing. The holdup came with college sports betting. But since Gov. Roy Cooper is a supporter of sports betting, North Carolina bettors could be betting as soon as 2024.
Georgia Sports Betting Stalls
Some states are pushing to legalize sports betting, but not everyone is on board. At times in 2022 and early 2023, Georgia officials were hopeful that the Peach State could legalize sports betting in 2023. But that is no longer an option.
Although Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is in favor of the legalization of sports betting in Georgia, a pair of sports betting bills were denied in March. Georgia will once again attempt to legalize sports betting in 2024. The bills were reportedly struck down due to time constraints.
