Sports Betting Is Legal in 39 US States and DC as of May 2026
As reported by foxsports.com, wagering on sports is permitted in Washington DC and 39 states as of May 2026, with 30 of those states providing legal online betting via authorized applications.
Other jurisdictions either restrict wagering exclusively to physical sportsbooks, function within tribal-exclusive markets, or prohibit sports betting entirely.
The regulatory landscape shifted significantly after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which effectively barred sports gambling federally from 1992 until 2018 with limited exceptions for Nevada and a few other jurisdictions, was overturned.
In May 2018, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association that PASPA was unconstitutional, returning the authority to legalize and regulate sports betting to individual states. New Jersey launched the first legal online sportsbook outside Nevada that August, and more than 30 states have followed since.
State-by-state frameworks vary widely across the country. Arizona features 14 licensed online operators allowing betting on both professional and college games while prohibiting college player props. Arkansas launched retail betting in July 2019 and added online wagering in March 2022, subsequently welcoming DraftKings and FanDuel as technology vendors through local partnerships in March 2026.
Colorado leads the nation with 16 licensed online sportsbooks, permitting professional and college wagering while banning college player props. Meanwhile, Connecticut operates under tribal-only gaming agreements as a more restricted market with only three licensed online operators.
Other jurisdictions face ongoing legislative hurdles or stalls. Although past years have seen various sports betting measures stall out in Alabama, a proposed 2026 constitutional amendment known as SB 257 would give citizens the chance to vote on legalizing sports wagering alongside a state lottery and casinos, though it currently lacks the necessary legislative backing to move forward.
In Alaska, the most recent legalization bill, HB 145, was introduced in March 2025 without advancing, leaving no clear timeline. Tribal gaming interests influence California, making a near-term launch unlikely following two November 2022 ballot measures that each received less than 20% voter support and no new legislation introduced in 2025.