Legal sports betting currently exists in thirty-eight of the United States’ fifty states and Washington DC. Prior to the U.S. Supreme Courts 2018 decision overturning PASPA that was an unlikely figure. Today it serves as the baseline for the legal sports wagering industry to measure its future growth. There are a variety of holdouts. Some are real possibilities that could be added to the list of legal jurisdictions in the near term due to their current state level legislative process; while other are far-fetched projects and will likely take years to achieve given existing constitutional or political obstacles.
Why Some States Are Still Holding Out
Before we look at each state’s gambling development status, it is also important to understand why certain states have not moved forward on this issue as there are many different reasons for these delays and they all relate to timelines of realistic passage of legislation.
The states that continue to hesitate or refuse to move forward on gambling expansion generally fall into one of the following categories:
- Category 1 – constitutional barrier states where any future gambling expansion will require a voter referendum or super majority legislative vote in order to be approved – Texas is the most obvious example of this category.
- Category 2 – tribal opposition states where existing compacts with Native American gaming operators create political and legal obstacles to further gambling expansion that could potentialy interfere with or bypass tribal revenue streams from gambling – Minnesota is currently the most obvious case.
- Category 3 – conservative-legislature states where there simply does not seem to be the necessary political will to support any gambling expansion issues regardless of public opinion poll numbers which show majority support among residents.
- Category 4 – recently failed states – those bill(s) have died either in committee or on the floor of their legislature(s) in the last one to two sessions and advocates are regrouping to try again.
The States Closest to Legalizing in 2026
Georgia
Georgia is the top “watch” for 2026. In terms of sports wagering legislation, Georgia has seen the most procedural hurdles cleared in one legislative session as compared to previous years; largely due to increased visibility from Georgia’s major league sports teams, increased fiscal pressures on lawmakers to create additional revenue streams, and increased public support.
The currently proposed legislation would allow for mobile sports wagering to take place under the jurisdiction of the Georgia Lottery Corporation, utilizing a competitive license model, and taxes in excess of 20% GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue). At present, the main hurdle to passage is the Governor’s Office – Governor Kemp has not expressed an opinion regarding the signing of sports wagering legislation. He is the primary unknown factor in determining if Georgia will legalize sports wagering in 2026. If the Governor expresses support for the measure, then the bill becomes law. Conversely, if he expresses no opinion or opposition to the measure, then the issue may once again stall.
Texas
Texas continues to represent a near-miss opportunity for expanding sports wagering across the United States – tremendous potential for growth exists within the state’s vast population base. However, similar to other large states (California), Texas represents a very complex political landscape. Specifically, in order for sports wagering to be legalized within Texas, a Constitutional Amendment must first pass with a majority of three-fifths (2/3) votes in both chambers of the State Legislature. A majority vote does not exist at this time in the State Legislature nor did it exist previously. The above-mentioned threshold was not achieved during past legislative sessions.
However, what has occurred since the last legislative session is an increase in lobby efforts by the state’s professional sports franchise owners. For example, Jerry Jones owner of the Dallas Cowboys has become increasingly vocal in advocating for legalization. Also, several economic studies have projected multi-billion dollar handles and hundreds of millions of dollars in annual taxation revenue associated with sports wagering. These studies provide additional credibility to proponents of legalizing sports wagering. Therefore, while realistically it appears that sports wagering will not be legalized until 2027 or 2028 through a ballot initiative, hearings in 2026 will determine if the required votes are being taken towards achieving such.
Minnesota
The only reason that Minnesota’s sports betting bill was held up in 2026 was because of the tribes. Since there are eleven tribes with federal recognition operating all of Minnesota’s current casino operations (and they have an abundance of power within the state legislature) the tribes had not come out against legalizing sports betting; however, they were able to hold up the process through their negotiations on how tribal operations would have preferred treatment as compared to commercial operations. In fact, discussions around providing preferential treatment to the tribes (i.e., exclusive rights), preferred access to sports betting apps, etc. have been ongoing for at least three years.
A new version of a proposed law has now passed and will provide a hybrid system (with mobile access via tribal applications along with limited commercial mobile operator options). It remains to be determined if this law will resolve the dispute among the parties involved or simply redistribute it.
Missouri
Missouri sports betting has moved forward significantly. With a ballot measure passing in November 2024 authorizing sports wagering, the Missouri Gaming Commission has been working diligently since then to create rules governing the activity. As such, while we anticipate many months before licensure can occur, it appears very likely that operators will be licensed by the middle of 2026 and that mobile applications will be available shortly thereafter allowing users to place wagers during the fall collegiate football season.
Full State-by-State Bill Tracker
| State | Current Status | Key Bill/Vehicle | Primary Obstacle | 2026 Outlook |
| Georgia | Active floor debate | HB 380 | Governor’s position | Strong – possible 2026 |
| Missouri | Regulatory rulemaking | Ballot Initiative (2024) | Licensing timeline | Launch expected mid-2026 |
| Texas | Interim committee study | SJR 17 | Constitutional amendment threshold | Weak – 2027/28 realistic |
| Minnesota | Negotiation phase | SF 1949 (revised) | Tribal compact terms | Moderate – 2026/27 |
| Alabama | No active bill | – | Conservative legislature | Very weak |
| South Carolina | No active bill | – | Conservative legislature | Very weak |
| Idaho | No active bill | – | Constitutional barriers | Very weak |
| Hawaii | Study committee | HB 2412 | Deep cultural opposition | Very weak |
| Oklahoma | Stalled | HB 3008 | Tribal exclusivity compacts | Weak |
| Alaska | Prefiling activity | Draft legislation | Logistical + legislative | Weak – multi-year |
| California | Post-2022 ballot failure | No active bill | Tribal vs. commercial divide | Very weak near-term |
The Bigger Picture
The sports betting map will be very similar to the one we see today. We can reasonably expect to add two new states (Georgia and Missouri) to our list of states where you can legally bet on sports by January 1, 2027. All other potential expansions will likely be at least several years away from becoming reality.
Of greater importance over the next few years is what happens with the states that currently allow for legal sports betting. There is already a great deal of discussion regarding tax rates, advertising restrictions, and responsible gaming regulations. Additionally, there has been an increasing amount of focus towards regulating prediction markets.
For players, advocates, and operators alike, that shift marks a genuine maturation of the industry. The land rush is mostly over. The hard work of sustainable regulation is just beginning.