In the years since the Supreme Court lifted a federal ban on sports betting, 36 states and the District of Columbia have legalized some form of it, either in person or online. New Jersey’s market has grown rapidly and its operators have raked in more than $10 billion from sports wagers.
Several states are in the process of implementing their own sports betting markets. New York launched its sites in January, while Maryland and Delaware began accepting bets on March 10, ahead of the NCAA Tournament. New Mexico, meanwhile, hasn’t passed legislation but has been taking bets for eight months at Native American casinos, which have been interpreting their gaming compacts with the state to allow sports betting. The Department of the Interior, which oversees tribal agreements with states, hasn’t intervened.
Bettors have plenty of options in the states that have legalized sports betting, including single-game bets and parlays. In addition, many books offer prop bets — or proposition bets — on things that happen during a game but aren’t related to the final outcome of a contest. These can include anything from how long the national anthem will last to what color of Gatorade will be dumped on the winning coach during a Super Bowl victory celebration.
Professional leagues have become more involved in the betting landscape, both through partnerships with sportsbooks and their own integrity monitoring companies and by cracking down on player misconduct. NFL players, for example, have been suspended indefinitely or for up to a year after violating the league’s gambling policies, and several players have been disciplined for placing bets while at team or league facilities.