Home Articles How To Bet On Sports In 2020 in Florida

How To Bet On Sports In 2020 in Florida

Sports betting in the US was illegal across the country for many years, but in May 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA) was unconstitutional. This paved the way for legalized sports betting and now every state is responsible for monitoring and regulating the activity.

But not all states are on board yet. Depending on your location, you may or may not be able to bet on sports yet.  To further complicate things, some states that may allow sports betting may not allow you to place bets online.

Is Sports Betting Legal In Florida?

Some states legalized sports betting as soon as PAPSA was struck down, more are waiting for legislation to be passed, and others are not allowing it anyway,

Florida is in a unique situation in that it sits in the middle of all these situations. It allows gambling overall but further legal work is needed before statewide sports betting becomes available. Florida is certainly open to legalized sports betting though and 2020 could be the year that things progress.

But what if you want to bet on sports if you’re from Florida? 

Here are the places you need to go…

Where Is Sports Betting Legal In The US?

According to Ghost Betting, to date, 20 states and the District of Columbia allow sports betting and they are as follows:

Arkansas

Sports betting was made legal in Arkansas in November 2018 in four locations: two dog-racing tracks in Southland and two proposed casinos by Little Rock. It didn’t launch until July 2019 though. Note that all sports bets in Arkansas are limited to the officially licensed gambling properties.

Colorado

Colorado made online sports betting legal in November 2019. However, as these laws are very new, regulators need some time to get things in order. As a result, there won’t be any sportsbooks to bet with until later in 2020.

Delaware

Delaware was the first state outside of Nevada to legalize sports betting. All sports betting activities are monitored and regulated by the state lottery. However, while mobile sports betting is legal in the state, it currently is not offered.

Illinois

Illinois allowed both offline and online sports betting in late 2019. Note that bets can only be made in an existing casino. There currently are no online sportsbooks to bet with.

Indiana

Indiana legalized online sports betting in October 2019. You can make bets with DraftKings, FanDuel and BetRivers online sportsbooks.

Iowa

Iowa legalized online sports betting in August 2019. Like Illinois, you must make your bets in a licensed casino. These rules will be in place until at least 2021.

Michigan

Michigan legalized online sports betting in December 2019. Again, regulators will need time to process the new rules so there are no platforms to bet with at the moment.

Mississippi

While Mississippi legalized online sports betting, the current rules are quite restrictive. You can only bet on sports in water- and land-based casinos. Also, you are unable to place bets from your mobile unless you are within the grounds of a casino.

Montana

Montana legalized sports betting in May 2019 but you are still unable to place bets online. This means you can only place sports bets in designated locations.

Nevada

Nevada was actually exempt from PAPSA, meaning that it has been legal to bet on sports in this state for a long time. However, in order to place your bets, you must verify your identity and create an account in a land-based casino before you can deposit and play.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire legalized online sports betting in June 2019 through the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Sports betting activities will be monitored by the state lottery.

New Jersey

New Jersey was one of the first states in the US to legalize online sports betting after the 2018 Supreme Court ruling. Many online casino companies have launched online betting apps in New Jersey, including FanDuel and Draft Kings, of which many have mobile apps to bet with too, giving you further ways to bet on sports in the state.

New Mexico

Sports betting was made available in New Mexico in October 2018, but the way they got up and running was different from every other state. It’s also possible to bet on sports online in this state.

New York

The first sportsbooks were made available in New York in July 2019, with operations overseen by the New York State Gaming Commission, though players won’t be able to bet online until laws are expanded. 

North Carolina

North Carolina became the 17th state to legalize sports betting in the US in July 2019. While mobile betting is not yet available, unlike other states, you can bet on collegiate sporting events as long as the games involve teams from the state.

Oregon

Oregon legalized sports betting in October 2019. It is run exclusively by the state lottery and you must place your bets via the mobile app. You can download the app via the Oregon Lottery website.

Pennsylvania

Sports betting has actually been legal in Pennsylvania since 2017. As such, it has become a hub for various online casinos, with FanDul and DraftKings sportsbooks following in the footsteps of Sugarhouse Sportsbook PA.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island legalized online sports betting in March 2019. However, the only place you can make bets is with Sportsbook Rhode Island. It’s run with the state lottery and a partnership with William Hill.

Tennessee

It’s only legal to bet on sports in Tennessee online. There are no platforms currently available to place bets with right now, but there is a low barrier to entry, paving the way for online sportsbooks to open in the state sooner rather than later.

West Virginia

West Virginia legalized sports betting in August 2018 and legalized online sports betting in December 2018. Popular sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings offer platforms to bet on sports throughout the state.

District of Columbia

D.o.C legalized sports betting in December 2018. However, it will function differently compared to other jurisdictions. There are no casinos in D.o.C, meaning that all bets must go through mobile/online, or retail locations like local stadiums. The state lottery will roll in sports betting through its mobile app, but further details still need to be ironed out.

The Future Of Sports Betting In The US

A further nine states, including California, are planning on legalizing sports betting in 2020, with six more considering changes to the laws in 2021.

Until then, you must go to one of the above states to bet on your favorite teams.