The online casino industry in the United States is set to open up more as more states are looking to legalize online gambling in 2024. These states are North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Georgia, which are having developments with their online sports betting conversation in their local governing bodies.
Online Sports Betting Developments
Online sports betting has been gaining much traction in various states, but not every state has given the go-signal for online betting sites to be operational. However, recent developments have seen the following states inching closer to legalizing online sports betting on their respective territories:
North Carolina
North Carolina is the most recent state to America’s growing legal sports betting portfolio, which was launched back two weeks ago. According to a state lottery official, the legalized statewide sports wagering in North Carolina from smartphones and desktops were off to a “strong start”. This is likely attributed to the ongoing men’s and women’s NCAA basketball season.
Preliminary monetary numbers for the first day and first week of sports wagering were presented at a meeting of the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, which was directed in last June’s sports wagering law to license operators and suppliers and set rules.
Oklahoma
Gov. Kevin Stitt wanted to legalize sports betting during the 2023 legislative session, but that didn’t come to fruition. Oklahoma’s Native American tribes hold exclusive rights to gambling in the Sooner State. In November 2023, Gov. Stitt intended to implement another sports betting plan that excludes the tribes.
Meanwhile, Sen. Casey Murdock has filed a bill to legalize sports betting and allow anyone who can afford to operate a sportsbook in the state. Under Murdock’s proposal, Tribes could negotiate sports betting compacts with the governor but would need approval from the Oklahoma Legislature’s Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations.
Georgia
Sports betting and casinos would be put to the voters via constitutional amendments according to a bill passed the Georgia Senate 41-12 on February 27 with three more votes than the 2/3rds majority required. This pairs with an enabling bill specifying how sports betting would operate that passed earlier in February.
As of this writing, the bill remains in the Georgia House for consideration. Neither bill up for consideration has been able to advance out of committee. If the revised bills are not passed by the full house before adjournment on Wednesday, sports betting will remain sidelined for another year. The sports betting enabling bill got rewritten in the House committee. The newer version trimmed funding guaranteed for pre-K and problem gambling programs.
The Rise of Online Sports Betting
Online sports betting has been gaining momentum over various states in the past years. Every popular sport in the USA has at least one version of online sports betting, ranging from college and professional basketball, baseball, American football, and even mixed martial arts like UFC.
Given that the respective athletic scene in the USA has also seen a rise in highly capable athletes at all levels of competition, betting on which athlete or team can win it all has steadily become a welcome pastime since the odds are not as one-sided as in previous years.
That said, while some states have been making provisions to legalize online sports betting in their territories, some states will unfortunately be forced to wait several years for legal online sports betting to arrive in their jurisdiction. This includes Alabama, California and Texas. Lawmakers have shown no desire to even start the conversations in these locations, so residents will have to wait.
California is also a special case due to the deep-seeded historical casino industry involving Native American landowners and casino operators. Navigating such a complex landscape needs time and both parties to see eye to eye when it comes to the proper provisioning of online sports betting and online gambling in general.
Outside of online sports betting, online casinos are still readily available for those looking to play their casino games in the comfort of their homes. Depending which state a player is, they might avail of their local online casinos, or opt to play on offshore online casino game operators. The latter is a more popular choice for those who reside in US states that haven’t legalized online gambling yet.
Which US States Have Legalized Online Gambling?
The United States has slowly been legalizing online gambling, but its developments vary between states and their corresponding governing bodies. Here is a complete list of states in the US that have legalized online gambling as of March 2024:
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Wyoming
There are a few caveats to be aware of with certain states. For example, Florida had to close online sports betting operations for two years after a legal objection to the state’s 2021 pact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It recently opened back up, but ongoing legal fights could change this.
South Dakota and Mississippi are also stalling on mobile or online sports betting, despite legalizing in-person sports betting. Time will tell whether lawmakers manage to push through legal avenues for sportsbook apps and online websites before the end of 2024.
Last Updated on by jonathan r
