Which State is Next In Line to Launch Sports Betting?

The U.S. sports betting industry had huge news to bring to bettors in Virginia and Michigan. Both states launched legal online sports betting, with Virginia being the 20th state to launch sports wagering. Michigan has had in-person betting available since March.

However, the ok with online betting will completely change the Michigan betting market. The Great Lake State has the 10th largest population and will see a lot of success once the industry matures. Virginia is the 12th largest in population and could see similar success on more sportsbooks enter the market in 2021.

With the news of Michigan expanding sports betting in the state and Virginia officially launching wagering, we look into which states could live with sports betting or expand the industry.

New York

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo shocked the sports betting industry by announcing that he favors online sports betting. The Empire State launched in-person betting in upstate New York in July 2019 but did not move on online wagering. With Covid-19 decimating the New York state budget, Cuomo and New York lawmakers are looking for ways to patch the estimated $50 billion budget deficit. Some details need to be worked out, like what type of system New York will go with. Cuomo wants to run a lottery system with online betting while other lawmakers want to use a casino based one.

Maryland

The 2020 November Election brought sports betting to Maryland. The state voted in favor of passing sports betting by nearly a two to one vote. With Maryland finally passing a sports betting bill, it will be the last state in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. to move on sports betting. Maryland hoped to keep up with Virginia but will be behind with the state going live on Friday. Now, Maryland will be looking to launch sports betting by the start of the 2021 football season. Lawmakers are back in session in January and will begin discussing how to launch the industry.

Louisiana

Louisiana was another state that was able to pass sports betting during the November Election. 55 parishes voted to launch sports betting in the state, having it pass with flying colors. The news is huge for the Bayou State and other southern states looking to launch sports betting. However, it has taken over two years to launch daily fantasy sports after passing it in November 2018. Now, lawmakers will try to be more efficient with sports betting. If anything, the state will learn from its DFS blunder and do a better job of getting legislation done on it by the end of 2021.

North Carolina

North Carolina could be another state to launch sports betting in 2021 officially, but it might not be as expansive as Virginia and Michigan. The Tar Heel State passed sports betting in 2019 at two tribal casinos in the western part of Carolina. The state is also not planning on using mobile betting. With sports betting running through tribal casinos, the state industry will be minimal. Right now, there will be the only two locations that allow sports betting, which could hurt the state.