When the 2019 NFL Hall of Fame Game kickoffs on Thursday, it will mark the beginning of the football betting season in the United States. It may be only a preseason game, but who cares? Football is back, baby!
And with several states looking to cross the sports betting legalization goal line before the NFL and college football seasons are officially underway, let’s see which parts of the country either scored or are in the red zone this week.
Indiana is trying to launch its sportsbooks by September 1, but most regulators are skeptical any of them will launch before the 2019 NFL season starts on September 5. Regardless of when sports betting comes to the Hoosier State, here is a list of the sports the Indiana Gaming Commission has approved for wagering.
Iowa could launch its sportsbooks on August 15 if guidelines are approved during tomorrow’s regulatory meeting. If members of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission don’t agree on July 30, then a second meeting will be scheduled for August 22, but grand openings will likely be delayed until mid-September.
And crossing the legal sports betting goal line this week is North Carolina, which saw Gov. Roy Cooper sign S 154 bill into law, allowing two of the state’s tribal casinos to operate a sportsbook. The state is the 7th to legalize a form of sports betting this year.
Additionally, NC lawmakers are considering another sports betting bill — H 929 — which would establish a gaming commission to conduct a study of the positive and negative impacts from the state-wide legalization of sports betting.
The debate continues to rage on in Ohio over S 111 and whether the Ohio Casino Control Commission or the Ohio Lottery Commission should be allowed to regulate sports betting in the state. With both the Senate and the House at odds over this single issue, it’s worth noting that Gov. Mike DeWine supports authorizing the OCCC over the OLC.
Oklahoma made news last week when the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association announced its ready to begin discussions on being authorized to offer sportsbooks at its tribal casinos, according to the Tulsa World.
Pennsylvania finally got a mobile sports betting platform into the Apple App Store after FanDuel Sportsbook PA launched today on iOS and Android devices. It’s virtually the same app used in New Jersey, but it’s unclear whether it will be affected by Apple’s September 3 guideline enforcement — an issue that forced SugarHouse to look for a workaround.
Lastly: Saddle up, Wyoming! Lawmakers in your state expressed interest in the idea of regulating sports betting in the state last week, according to the Casper Star-Tribune. Before you giddy up, just hold your horses because nothing is officially introduced yet, but the leadership appears determined to study and potentially introduce legislation once all sides can agree on a proper framework.
To see if your state has legalizing sportsbooks on the table, check out our US sports betting bill tracker for the latest information on all of the legislation happening across the country.
And if you’re looking to place a bet on the NFL, college football, or any other sports, then check out our reviews of the best online sportsbooks you’ll find anywhere in the world!
