Will 2019 Be the Year of the Sportsbook?
Once the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) last May, several states scrambled to pass their own sports betting legislation. Since then, Delaware, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia have legalized and implemented sports gambling, and New York and Arkansas could soon follow. (ESPN even has a handy dandy state-by-state guide to sports betting legalization.)
But which states could be next on that list? And will 2019 become the year that state-sanctioned sports betting goes mainstream?
State Wagers
As Eric Ramsey over at Legal Sports Report notes, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia already have legislation on deck to legalize sports betting in 2019. And Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, and Massachusetts could all soon follow. That would be a grand total of 19 states with some form of legal sports gambling, compared to just one (Nevada) just twelve months ago. According to ESPN, only 13 states -- Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Nebraska, North Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Washington state, Wisconsin, and Wyoming -- haven't seen any movement on the sports betting front yet.
Betting and Winning
But, as we've seen in the marijuana context, just because a few states have legalized it, doesn't mean the same rules apply to everyone. For instance, Delaware currently offers single-game betting at just three casinos in the state, although it is contemplating expanding sports wagering options at additional physical locations or online. Mississippi also limits sports gambling to in-person bets placed at casinos, but the state may consider mobile wagering later. New Jersey does allow gamblers to register online to place bets, except for wagers over $10,000 which must be placed in person at a casino.
Collecting your winnings may also vary depending on where you live. Online sports betting sites like DraftKings and FanDuel allow Nevada and New Jersey bettors to withdraw their earnings through PayPal or get a check in the mail. But Delaware requires football parlays that win more than $600 to be cashed out at a sportsbook or the Delaware Lottery office in Dover.
So, before you place your Super Bowl bets, make sure sports betting is legalized in your state, and make sure you follow the guidelines when making, and collecting on your bets.
Related Resources:
- Super Bowl 2019: Where Can I Legally Bet on Rams vs. Patriots? (SB Nation)
- Supreme Court Paves the Way for States to Legalize Sports Betting (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- If You Win a Sports Bet, How Can You Get Paid? (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Update on State Sports Betting Laws (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)