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The high stakes future of online gambling in the US

23 January 2025


Online sports betting, poker, and casino games are legal and regulated in several American states, but there is huge room for growth.

Where in online gambling legal now? What states are about to regulate it? And which states have no chance of allowing them?

It’s safe to say that the online gambling industry would view 2024 as a major setback in terms of legalization. For the first time since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, no U.S. state expanded gambling in any form. With 2025 approaching, optimism is on the rise. Seven years after sports betting became a states' rights issue, eleven U.S. states have yet to legalize it. While it’s likely that Utah will never join the ranks, what about the others?

In California, the future of sports betting hinges on the state's tribes. With a powerful lobbying presence, Indian Country holds exclusivity over online gambling, but has yet to reach a consensus on what legal wagering should look like. Since the defeat in 2024, it’s become clear that commercial operators are now more inclined to collaborate with the tribes, rather than compete against them. FanDuel has been at the forefront of this shift, even creating a dedicated department focused on fostering relationships within Indian Country.

Meanwhile, North Carolina’s treasury has been raking in tens of millions of dollars each month since launching legal digital sports betting in March, while South Carolina remains without legal betting. Despite lawmakers acknowledging that illegal betting is happening, they remain at an impasse over what a legal framework should look like. To date, two legal betting bills have been introduced in South Carolina.

All eyes are also on Texas, where the state legislature only meets in odd years. It’s been two years since a legal betting bill passed the house, only to stall in the senate. Miriam Adelson has poured $13 million into lobbying efforts, but so far, no amount of money or influence seems able to change the situation. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who has the power to call for a vote in the senate, remains firmly opposed to any online gambling expansion.