Online Sports Betting in US
It’s a great time to be a fan of online sports betting in the U.S. More & more states across the country are starting to legalize different forms of online betting, and sports betting is more popular than it’s ever been. Over a dozen states have already legalized online sports betting, and there are currently over half a dozen states considering legislation to do so.
There are some big cultural barriers standing in the way of online betting being legalized in all fifty states, but even some very conservative areas are beginning to change their minds. The state of Tennessee doesn’t allow any casinos in its borders, but it has softened its stance on online betting, which is now legal there.
Other states have gone headfirst into the world of online sports betting. From Iowa to Colorado to Illinois, sports betting is sweeping through the middle of the country. It’s also become increasingly more popular & available in the northeast. The biggest push in progress came in 2019, when multiple states made similar moves to legalize online sports betting. Let’s take a look at one of the prime examples: Illinois.
Online betting in Illinois
The people of Illinois are known for being sports fanatics, so in some ways it’s a wonder that the state held off on legalizing online sports betting until 2019. That said, the state moved quickly to implement the law that was passed near the end of 2019. By March 2020 sports betting was launched across the state, and the online branch of sports betting caught up by June 2020.
Online betting has been growing slowly over the past year. Part of the reason people haven’t quickly jumped to placing their bets online is that Illinois requires in-person registration at a retail sportsbook before you can go online. The governor had waived that requirement on a monthly basis for most of the year due to Covid-19, but since April 2021 the requirement has been back in place.
Despite the extra hoop to jump through, Illinois has a vibrant online sports betting community. With the help of an Illinois sports betting guide, you can get started betting in the state today.
Other legalization efforts
What started as a big explosion of legalization has now become a slow trickle. Online betting is an option for roughly half the country, but many states are still considering whether or not to pursue online betting. Ten states are currently working on bills that could potentially legalize sports betting online. The outcomes will be decided in late 2021 or early 2022.
There are other states where, unfortunately, online betting is never likely to be legalized. In places like California, Nebraska, and Idaho, state officials are much more strongly opposed to gambling in various forms. There isn’t as much public pressure in those states, either, so it seems unlikely that they’ll make efforts to legalize online betting.
Don’t worry about the holdout states. There are still plenty of places in the U.S. where you can bet on sports from your computer or phone. There’s never been a better time for gambling.
