As of October 2026, sports betting is legal in 39 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., in some form. Of those jurisdictions, 32 states and Washington, D.C., currently offer legal sports betting through online sportsbooks or betting apps.
The exact number can vary slightly depending on whether a source counts jurisdictions with limited retail, tribal, or other forms of sports wagering. For most people asking where they can legally place a traditional sports bet, the key distinction is between states that allow online betting and those that only permit certain forms of in-person betting.
Which States Have Legal Sports Betting?
The following 39 states currently have some form of legalized sports betting:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Washington, D.C., also permits sports betting, although it is not a state.
How Many States Allow Online Sports Betting?
Online sports betting is now available in 32 states plus Washington, D.C. This includes major betting markets such as New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.
However, online availability does not mean every sportsbook operates in every state. Each state establishes its own licensing requirements, taxes, approved operators and betting restrictions.
For example, a sportsbook that operates legally in one state may not be licensed to accept bets from customers physically located in another state.
States Where Sports Betting Is Not Legal
Traditional sports betting remains unavailable in several states, including:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- California
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
The legal situation can change as state legislatures consider new gambling legislation. For example, Georgia still did not have legal traditional sports betting as of October 2026.
California is another major state without legal traditional sports betting. Voters rejected two sports-betting proposals in 2022, and licensed sportsbooks are still not operating there.
Why Isn’t Sports Betting Legal Everywhere?
The United States does not have one nationwide sports-betting system. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, individual states gained the ability to decide whether and how to legalize sports wagering.
As a result, sports betting laws differ considerably from state to state.
One state might permit several online sportsbooks, while another might allow only retail wagering at specific casinos or tribal facilities. Some states continue to prohibit traditional sports betting altogether.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Every State With Casinos?
No. Having casinos does not automatically mean a state allows sports betting.
Sports betting is regulated separately, and states can establish different rules for casinos, online sportsbooks, tribal gaming and other forms of gambling.
For example, some states allow casino gambling but do not permit traditional sports wagering. Other states allow sports betting only through tribal facilities or specific licensed operators.
What About Tribal Sports Betting?
Tribal gaming plays an important role in several states’ sports-betting markets.
Some states permit sports wagering through tribal casinos or tribal gaming agreements rather than creating a broad commercial sportsbook market. This can make the legal landscape more complicated because the rules may differ between retail betting and statewide mobile betting.
Washington, for example, has sports betting available through tribal casinos, while New Mexico has also relied primarily on tribal retail sportsbooks.
Can You Bet Online If Your State Allows Sports Betting?
Usually, yes, if your state has authorized online sports betting and you meet its eligibility requirements.
Legal sportsbooks generally use geolocation technology to verify that customers are physically located within the permitted jurisdiction. Simply living in a state where sports betting is legal is not enough if you are physically somewhere that does not allow that particular wager.
This means someone who lives in New York, for example, generally cannot place a legal New York sportsbook wager while physically located across the border in a state where that sportsbook cannot legally accept the bet.
Why Do the Numbers Change?
The number of legal sports-betting states can change when a state launches a new market or changes its gambling laws.
There can also be differences between sources because they may count limited forms of sports wagering differently. One source may count a state that permits only retail or tribal betting, while another may focus specifically on states with regulated online sportsbooks.
For that reason, when comparing statistics, it is important to check whether the source is counting states with any legal sports betting or only states with legal online betting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many states is sports betting legal in?
As of October 2026, sports betting is legal in 39 states, with Washington, D.C., also allowing sports betting in some form.
How many states have legal online sports betting?
There are 32 states plus Washington, D.C. with online sports betting available as of October 2026.
Is sports betting legal in California?
No. Traditional sports betting is not currently legal in California.
Is sports betting legal in Texas?
No. Traditional sports betting is not currently legal in Texas.
Is sports betting legal in Georgia?
No. Traditional sports betting was not legal in Georgia as of October 2026.
Can I bet while traveling to a legal state?
Generally, legal online sportsbooks require you to be physically located within a jurisdiction where that sportsbook is authorized. State gambling laws and sportsbook rules apply based on your location when you place the wager.
Is sports betting legal nationwide?
No. Sports betting is regulated primarily at the state level, so the rules vary across the United States.
Conclusion
Sports betting has expanded dramatically across the United States since 2018. As of October 2026, 39 states allow sports betting in some form, while 32 states plus Washington, D.C., offer online sports betting.
However, legal betting does not look the same everywhere. Some states offer extensive online sportsbook markets, while others restrict wagering to retail or tribal facilities. Several states, including California and Georgia, still prohibit traditional sports betting.
Because state laws can change, anyone planning to place a wager should verify the current rules and approved operators in the state where they are physically located.