After the Supreme Court struck down PASPA, sports betting began to take hold in states around the country. Currently, 36 have legalized the practice in some form. The list is growing quickly, and if you want to make your picks with official betting, you’ll need to check the laws of your state to know how to do so.
The major sports leagues challenged New Jersey’s decision to legalize sports betting, arguing that the state was not exempt from PASPA. A lower court sided with the leagues, but the state appealed and won. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in 2023, and in May 2024, the justices ruled that New Jersey could legalize sports betting.
Pennsylvania was among the first states to allow sports betting, with retail and online sites launching in November 2018. SugarHouse and BetRivers were the initial sportsbooks to open, and DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars followed suit shortly after. Online sports betting launched in Connecticut in October 2021, with several sites going live on day one.
West Virginia also sprang into action after the Supreme Court ruling. Its retail sportsbooks opened in September 2021, and its first online book went live a few months later with BetLucky, PlaySugarHouse, DraftKings, and FanDuel all offering options for sports bettors in the state.
MLB and NHL betting are a little more complicated, as both sports have loyal followings. Interest tends to be high around opening day, and again when the playoffs roll around.