Several states in the US have recently been actively advancing gambling-related legislation, with South Carolina and South Dakota brewing the legalization of online sports betting, while Maryland and Mississippi focus on perfecting the lottery casino ban. Alabama and Virginia are also introducing new proposals on issues such as lotteries and campus betting. These legislative actions cover multiple dimensions such as gambling industry expansion and compliance regulation enhancement, and relevant US state gambling legislation compliance cases can be referenced on the PASA official website.
Online Sports Betting: Multiple States Advancing with Focus on Different Rules
States such as South Carolina and South Dakota are actively pushing for the implementation of online sports betting, with legislation highlighting regional characteristics:
South Carolina: Bill S 444 will be submitted to the Senate Labor and Commerce Subcommittee for review on February 18. The bill was proposed last year and continues into this session, planning to limit the number of sports betting operators in the state to 8, and establishing a sports betting commission. It is noteworthy that Governor Henry McMaster, whose term lasts until 2027, has publicly opposed the legalization of gambling-related activities.
South Dakota: Proposal SJR 504 is intended to be decided by voters in November on whether to allow online sports betting. If passed, online operators would need to collaborate with casinos in Deadwood city. The state had approved offline sports betting in 2020, but previous expansion attempts have faced strong opposition.
Washington State: Plans to expand existing sports betting options, currently only tribal casinos can offer offline betting and in-venue related app betting. The new proposal considers allowing tribal casinos to collaborate with multiple operators within their jurisdiction, and also plans to open betting on state university teams, but prohibits prop bets targeting athletes from the state.
Lottery Casino Ban: Multiple States Intensify Efforts to Fill Regulatory Gaps
Maryland, Mississippi, and other states continue to advance the lottery casino ban, focusing on addressing regulatory blind spots:
Maryland: Senate Bill 112 aims to fill existing ban loopholes. The director of the state lottery and gambling control agency stated that although cease orders can currently be issued, there are still regulatory gaps. The state had passed a ban through the Senate in 2025, but the House of Representatives did not advance it. Additionally, Bill HB 518, which proposes to ban prop bets on college athletes, will be reviewed on February 12.
Mississippi: The Senate committee passed Bill 2104 last week, once again advancing the lottery casino ban. The state Senate had previously passed a similar bill last year, but the House of Representatives amended it to include online sports betting provisions, and the bill failed in the conference committee stage.
Louisiana: Representative Brian Fontenot has pre-filed Bill HB 53, proposing to include "public gambling," "computer gambling," and "electronic lottery device gambling" as predicate offenses under Racketeering. Last year, the state had passed a lottery casino ban, but Governor Jeff Landry vetoed it, stating that regulatory agencies already had enforcement authority, and subsequently, the state gambling control board issued over 40 cease orders to illegal operators, including lottery casinos.
Other Gambling Legislation: Covering Lotteries, Payments, Campus Betting
Alabama, Maine, Virginia, and other states are focusing on specific areas of gambling, each making breakthroughs:
Alabama: Senator Merika Coleman plans to introduce a proposal for a public referendum on whether to amend the state constitution to allow the governor to establish a gambling commission and legislators to formulate regulations related to lotteries, gambling, and sports betting. In 2024, the state's comprehensive gambling bill had passed the House but failed in the Senate by one vote. Governor Kay Ivey supports gambling-related proposals and had established a gambling study committee in 2020.
Maine: The Senate Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee is advancing Bill LD 2080, which proposes to prohibit the use of credit cards for recharging sports betting accounts. The planned amendment will include newly approved online casino industries under this restriction. Recently, a local offline casino has questioned the legality of tribal-exclusive online casinos.
Virginia: Representative Garrett McGuire has submitted Bill HB 1527, proposing to allow betting on NCAA Division I league teams (current laws prohibit betting on state school events), and specifying that such betting revenue should be subject to a 50% special tax rate (current sports betting tax rate is 15%), with tax revenues supporting state university sports through the NCAA Division I Sports Betting Fund. This bill is also related to the establishment of the Virginia Gambling Commission, a comprehensive regulatory agency proposal that is currently in legislative progress.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader" gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
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PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
