Sports Betting Could Be Approved or Go Live in These States in 2022
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Note: This is part of a series of articles on what the sports betting landscape will look like in 2022.
This past year was a busy year for gambling across the country, with numerous states legalizing and launching their sports betting markets.
In total, 11 states launched some form of sports betting while six states legalized sports wagering. Arkansas online sports betting looks set to be next but a number of states could soon come online.
Where Sports Betting Could Expand in 2022
The sports betting industry continues to expand and will likely grow in 2022 with more states seeking to adopt their own markets and go live. There could be several states that will pass legislation or at least debate legislation seriously this year. Here’s a rundown of some of the states that could make progress in the upcoming year.
Alabama
Alabama remains one of the few states without a lottery. In 2021, the Senate approved a constitutional amendment that would have set up a state lottery in addition to permitting nine casino facilities in the state. However, the measure stalled in the House of Representatives.
Lottery and casino legislation will be introduced during 2022 legislative sessions. Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Range) mentioned to the local press he intends to introduce another constitutional amendment proposal with a state lottery, a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and a number of other gambling sites. The goal of the measure is to get it in front of voters by November.
“This simply needs to get off our plate, off the table,” Albritton told Al.com. “We need to deal with this and waiting another year is not going to help us. That would just be revenue thrown aside or thrown away."
California
If legalized sports betting were to pass, California would become one of the most sought-after markets for operators. To this point, lawmakers have had little success advancing sports betting with two sports betting bills submitted and rejected by the Senate over the past few years.
A ballot measure that includes retail sports betting was backed by the gaming tribes and has cleared the ballot, while other measures, including one that would permit statewide mobile betting, are also looking to get passed.
Georgia
Support from voters, professional sports teams and near legalization have been the theme for potential Georgia sports betting bills over the past two years. In 2019, the Falcons, Braves, Hawks and United voiced their support for sports betting.
The following year, a legalization bill failed to pass during a final legislative session. And this year, the latest sports betting bill passed out of committee but did not make it to the House floor.
Lawmakers who support sports wagering can call for a statewide referendum, which could pass during the 2022 session and set up a statewide vote on gambling in November of 2022.
Kansas
Over the past two years, Kansas online sports betting has come lose to being legalized. In 2020, the Kansas Senate passed a sports betting bill that would open retail sportsbooks and allow mobile sports betting, but the bill died in the House of Representatives.
This past year, both the House and Senate supported legalizing sports betting but could not decide on whether the casinos or the state lottery should control the industry. The two chambers couldn’t come to an agreement, meaning no legislation made it to the governor’s desk in 2021.
The progress over the past two years is some sign of hope sports betting can make progress in Kansas for the upcoming year.
Kentucky
House Rep. Adam Koenig has pushed for legalized sports betting in Kentucky. A bill that would have legalized sports betting last year died in the committee. Koenig also advocated for sports betting in 2019 and 2020.
Koenig has support for a legalized sports betting market, notable from Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. During his State of the Commonwealth, Beshear mentioned sports betting legislation during his speech.
“Speaking of laws that unduly restrict us from growth and innovation, it is time to legalize medical marijuana, pass sports betting and save historic horse racing,” he said.
Koenig and Beshear will need support from Republicans to get any movement on sports betting. Koenig plans to file a sports betting bill in January.
So far, the pushback from Republicans has stalled out any sports betting progress.
Louisiana
Retail sports betting is live in Louisiana, but residents are still awaiting the mobile launch.
It could be only a matter of weeks before Louisiana’s online sports betting market officially goes live.
Ronnie Johns, chairman of the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, told GDC.com mobile sports betting could start in Louisiana by mid-January.
Maine
Maine nearly passed sports betting in 2019 before Gov. Janet Mills vetoed the bill that would have legalized it.
In 2021, the Senate had too many concerns with the bill that would have tied sports betting to retail casinos in the state. This caused the bill to return to the committee before the legislation exited for recess.
Despite the progress over the years, the sports betting outlook in Maine remains uncertain for 2022.
Massachusetts
The Massachusetts legislature attempted to legalize sports betting in 2021, only for the legislative calendar to expire with no action being taken on the House-passed bill in the Senate.
Some of the issues that need to be resolved include which sportsbooks will be permitted to take wagers and whether bets should be allowed on in-state college teams. Some lawmakers prefer an open, competitive market, while others want Penn National and BetMGM to take wagers since they already have casinos in the state.
Gov. Charlie Baker has voiced his support for sports betting. During the first weekend of the NFL regular season, Baker tweeted, “Great to see the Patriots back! We filed a bill in 2019 and again this year to legalize sports betting in MA – it's time to act and get this done. MA is losing out to many of our neighbors on this one.” Therefore, it looks like Massachusetts sportsbooks are coming at some point in the future, the only questions remains, when.
Missouri
Missouri lawmakers are ready to discuss legalizing sports betting once again. They filed a bill for the 2022 legislative session that would allow online and retail sports betting with digital platforms tethered to gambling boats. It’s the fifth straight year lawmakers have approached legalizing sports betting since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned in 2018.
More sports betting bills are expected to be introduced in 2022. Both Sen. Denny Hoskins and Rep. Dan Shaul have stated their intentions to file sports betting bills. Both also filed bills in 2021.
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“We need to do something,” Shaul said to KSDK News. “People in Missouri want to be able to bet on sports.”
Nebraska
Sports betting became legal in Nebraska when Gov. Pete Ricketts signed it into law in May. The bill allows for only in-person betting. But Nebraskans have yet to place their first bets as the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission (NRGC) continues to work through the regulatory process to go live with sports betting.
“The people of Nebraska, our voters, some of them are frustrated. I hear that,” Tom Sage, Executive Director of the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission, told 1011now. “Bear with us. We’re working on it.”
The NRGC expects sports betting to go live in early 2022. In addition to no mobile market permitted, Nebraska residents also can’t bet on in-state schools like the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
New York
New York’s lucrative online sports betting market is expected to go live in 2022.
In November, the state selected nine operators who could operate in the state. New York lawmakers and stakeholders have been targeting a launch in time for the Super Bowl in February, allowing its residents to bet on one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
Ohio
Ohio legalized sports betting in December and the first bets will come sometime in 2022. House Bill 29, which was signed by Gov. Mike DeWine, states Ohioans can place bets on professional, college and eSports by Jan. 1, 2023, at the latest.
As it stands, the Ohio Casino Control Commission is tasked with setting the rules and regulations for the new industry. The commission expects to begin accepting applications for operators in the summer or fall of 2022.
Vermont
Legalizing sports betting efforts have stalled in Vermont. A Senate bill that would legalize mobile and lottery-based sports wagering through the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery has been held up in a Senate committee since February 2021.
Vermont lawmakers could take action on the bill in 2022.
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