Election betting is illegal in some or all circumstances in 32 states
Status of election betting under state laws, as of June 2026
Note: Some states in the “No explicit law” category have general laws banning unauthorized gambling and betting, as well as laws regulating prediction markets broadly, but do not have laws that specifically reference election betting.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Election betting is illegal in some or all circumstances in 32 states
Status of election betting under state laws, as of June 2026
| State | Election betting legality | FIPS |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No explicit law | 1 |
| Alaska | No explicit law | 2 |
| Arizona | Entirely illegal | 4 |
| Arkansas | Entirely illegal | 5 |
| California | No explicit law | 6 |
| Colorado | Entirely illegal | 8 |
| Connecticut | No explicit law | 9 |
| Delaware | Entirely illegal | 10 |
| District of Columbia | No explicit law | 11 |
| Florida | No explicit law | 12 |
| Georgia | Entirely illegal | 13 |
| Hawaii | No explicit law | 15 |
| Idaho | Entirely illegal | 16 |
| Illinois | Entirely illegal | 17 |
| Indiana | Illegal in some scenarios | 18 |
| Iowa | Illegal in some scenarios | 19 |
| Kansas | No explicit law | 20 |
| Kentucky | Entirely illegal | 21 |
| Louisiana | Entirely illegal | 22 |
| Maine | No explicit law | 23 |
| Maryland | Entirely illegal | 24 |
| Massachusetts | Illegal in some scenarios | 25 |
| Michigan | Entirely illegal | 26 |
| Minnesota | No explicit law | 27 |
| Mississippi | Entirely illegal | 28 |
| Missouri | No explicit law | 29 |
| Montana | No explicit law | 30 |
| Nebraska | Entirely illegal | 31 |
| Nevada | Entirely illegal | 32 |
| New Hampshire | No explicit law | 33 |
| New Jersey | Entirely illegal | 34 |
| New Mexico | No explicit law | 35 |
| New York | Entirely illegal | 36 |
| North Carolina | Entirely illegal | 37 |
| North Dakota | Illegal in some scenarios | 38 |
| Ohio | No explicit law | 39 |
| Oklahoma | Entirely illegal | 40 |
| Oregon | Illegal in some scenarios | 41 |
| Pennsylvania | Illegal in some scenarios | 42 |
| Rhode Island | Illegal in some scenarios | 44 |
| South Carolina | Entirely illegal | 45 |
| South Dakota | Illegal in some scenarios | 46 |
| Tennessee | Entirely illegal | 47 |
| Texas | Entirely illegal | 48 |
| Utah | Entirely illegal | 49 |
| Vermont | No explicit law | 50 |
| Virginia | No explicit law | 51 |
| Washington | No explicit law | 53 |
| West Virginia | Illegal in some scenarios | 54 |
| Wisconsin | Entirely illegal | 55 |
| Wyoming | No explicit law | 56 |
Note: Some states in the “No explicit law” category have general laws banning unauthorized gambling and betting, as well as laws regulating prediction markets broadly, but do not have laws that specifically reference election betting.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
