So is Sports Betting Legal in the USA? (2020 update)

This is one of the favorite questions to ask by sports betting enthusiasts in the United States. There are good reasons why it pops up so often, as progress is being made every year, without a conclusion yet inside. Some states continue to resist the change, but an increasingly high number follow the lead of the pioneers and propose or pass specific laws. While there is no reason to expect sports betting to be legal nationwide, 2020 could well be the year the tide changes.

Progressive states lead the charge

It comes as no surprise that liberal states are the ones more inclined to legalize gambling, although there are noteworthy exceptions in red states. New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware are the shining examples that many other states continue to follow, as they’ve legalized different types of online gambling some time ago. The Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act continues to produce negative effects even though it’s been nearly 15 years since it passed in 2006. The good news is that the Supreme Court has brought power back into the hands of the states, who can now decide which forms of gambling are legal.

Sports betting is perhaps the most popular form of entertainment in the United States even though legalization is not exactly just around the corner. In the UK the fruityking.co.uk website offers both sports and casino betting from your mobile device. Americans bet larger amounts on sports throughout the year, with the peak being usually recorded around the Super Bowl. State coffers can greatly benefit from the influx of capital brought about by the gambling industry, so lawmakers are more responsive than ever.

Most US states are ready for legalize sports betting

An increasingly high percentage of the US states is in favor of changing the laws that prohibit sports betting. Now that they have the power to pass their own sports betting bills, many are making significant steps into this direction. Pennsylvania is likely to become the next state to join Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware on this path towards legalization. Sports betting is a popular activity in these states, so their residents are looking forward to bills that will make the activity fully legal. For the time being, they have a couple of worthy alternatives, but they are still hoping for a legal framework to be established.

While the vast majority of US states are in favor of legalizing sports betting, there are plenty of places where these activities are unlikely to be legal anytime soon. Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Wyoming are shining examples of states that have no intention to legalize sports betting. They don’t even contemplate the possibility and their lawmakers are not interested in even debating the matter. Utah is of course, the avatar of resistance to legalize sports betting and it’s only safe to say that this activity won’t be legal here for decades.