At Least Four More US States are Poised to Embrace Legal Sports Wagering by 2025

In 2024, not one U.S. state moved ahead with legalizing gambling of any kind. This was the first year this had happened since 2018. That was the year the Supreme Court struck down PASPA, the federal ban on sports betting. This put legalizing sports betting into the hands of the states. Eleven US states haven’t yet legalized sports betting. Some of them are closer to legalizing sports betting than others.

Which US state will be next to legalize sports betting?

At present, 38 states (plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.) offer legal sports betting of some kind. Online sports betting is currently legal in 30 states. Other states are also looking into sports betting legalization.

Missouri could be the 39th state to legalize sports betting in 2025. An amendment in favor of legalizing it narrowly passed in November 2024.

States that could legalize sports betting

Sports betting isn’t legal in Alabama, Georgia, or South Carolina yet. The betting laws in 2025 could change in some of these states.

In 2024, Alabama lawmakers tried to make sports betting legal, but the state legislature failed to pass any proposals.

Georgia is currently the largest US state without legal sports betting. Politics are responsible for the delay in legalization. In 2021, a deal was in place, but senate democrats withheld votes for various reasons. Since then, no deal has had a vote in both chambers. To date, no bills have been filed for 2025, although Senator Brandon Beach is likely to continue to push for legal wagering.

In South Carolina, two legal wagering bills have been filed. It is possible that a bill could gain traction in 2025.

States where sports betting legalization has stalled

In Minnesota, a promising push towards legalizing sports betting fell apart in late 2023 and 2024.

Sports betting is available in person or online while physically located in a sportsbook in Mississippi. A proposal to legalize online sports betting passed in the House but didn’t pass the conference committee in the Senate.

In Texas, a bill to legalize sports betting passed in the House in 2023 but it didn’t pass the Senate. The state legislature in Texas only meets every two years. A lot has changed with more money going into gambling lobby efforts, but Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick is opposed to expansion, and he has the power to call for a vote on bills in the Senate.

States unlikely to legalize sports betting

Hawaii doesn’t even have a lottery so legalizing other types of gambling would be a stretch. Legal sports betting hasn’t been under serious consideration in Alaska yet.

When expanding small businesses, it’s essential to know your target market well and the same applies to legalizing gambling. In states with moral positions against gambling, legalization of sports betting is much less likely. Utah is one state that probably won’t ever legalize sports betting.

In Idaho, most forms of gambling are illegal although some gambling takes place on tribal lands. Charitable organizations can offer bingo and raffles, and pari-mutuel sports betting can take place at racetracks. There aren’t any signs that sports betting will become legal in 2025.

States where tribes are a powerful lobby

California is the biggest state in the nation. Ballot initiatives to legalize sports betting in California have failed. What has become clear after the defeat in 2024 is that commercial operators have become more willing to work together with tribes. Indian Country is a powerful lobby, and they will decide what the future of sports betting will look like. The earliest a sports betting initiative could go to voters will be in 2026.

In Minnesota, the tribes don’t support the legalization of sports betting. In 2024, there appeared to be a deal, but it had little support. The Minnesota Indian Gaming Commission Director said there is a framework supported by all stakeholders but so far, no further bills have been filed. Stakeholders may be nearer an agreement but there has been pushback from social and religious organizations.

Oklahoma is another state where the future of legalizing sports betting could be in the hands of the tribes. In 2023, Governor Kevin Stitt presented a legal wagering framework that handed retail betting to Indian Contrary and allowed commercial operators to offer online betting. The tribes strongly opposed this idea. Senator David Radar presented a bill that would legalize sports betting. However, it is not likely that sports betting will be legalized in 2025.