The US is home to an enthusiastic gaming community who enjoys titles like League of Legends (LoL), DotA 2, CS:GO and Rocket League. These popular video games have spawned competitive tournaments and offer betting opportunities for those interested in betting on their favorite teams and players. Although esports gambling is legal in most states, laws vary state by state.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada are the only four states that have a legal framework for esports wagering. These three states permit online esports betting and provide various betting options on popular games.
Delaware was the first US state to legalize sports betting, though lawmakers have delayed esports betting until later. Residents of Delaware can currently place wagers only at retail sportsbooks and those located inside casino establishments. This situation could change in the future.
Connecticut currently has a small sports betting program with only a few operators, but it allows esports betting in its online marketplace. Unfortunately, not all top online sportsbooks accept bettors from Connecticut at present.
Washington does have a legal sports betting system, though it’s not fully functional yet. The state is in the process of setting up its online betting platform and plans to add esports wagering shortly thereafter.
Colorado was one of the first states to legalize sports betting, though it took some time for the state to establish its gambling infrastructure. Now there are 13 licensed operators throughout Colorado with various esports betting offerings.
West Virginia, which legalized sports betting in 2018, has also legalized esports wagering. Its gambling laws allow anyone over 18 to place bets on a variety of esports such as CS:GO, DotA 2, League of Legends, Overwatch and Rocket League.
North Dakota does not currently offer a sports betting market, but does provide esports wagering through its tribal casinos under gaming compacts with the state. Unfortunately, legality of esports betting in North Dakota remains uncertain as there has never been legislation authorizing it.
Though esports betting is not currently legal in most states, you can place wagers on some popular gaming titles at offshore sportsbooks. These offshore online betting sites are secure and accept bettors from most US states; examples include BetOnline, Pinnacle, 10bet, BetDSI, Betway and CyberBet among others.
