is sports betting legal in idaho?
No. Sports betting and Daily Fantasy Sports in Idaho aren’t legal and that doesn’t look to change anytime soon. The state has also decided to take a strong stance against Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) operators like FanDuel, leaving sports fans in the state with no options for legal betting unless they choose to cross state lines.
Idaho quick facts
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Launch Date: Not Legalized
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Legal Betting Age: n/a
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Online Sports Betting: No
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Online Casino Sites: No
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Online Poker Sites: No
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Best Available Sportsbook: N/A
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Regulatory Body: American Gaming Association
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Legal online sportsbooks: 0
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College Sports Betting: No
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Political or entertainment betting: No
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High School sports Betting: No
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Esports betting: No
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NFL Draft: No
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Remote registration: No
timeline of betting legislation & Latest News
Despite the Federal ban on sports betting being lifted in 2018, Idaho remains one of the few states in the U.S. that doesn’t not allow legal sports betting. The state also doesn’t allow DFS sites to operate and there’s not much hope that will change anytime soon.
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may 2, 2016
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) operators DraftKings and FanDuel agree to stop operating in the state after Idaho’s Attorney General Lawrence Wasden was vocal about his belief that DFS contests were considered an illegal form of gambling under state law.
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may 14, 2018
U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), paving the way for each state to legalize sports betting.
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november 8, 2024
As of today, there are no serious efforts or pending legislation related to legalizing sports betting in Idaho.
how to start betting in idaho?
Unfortunately, sports betting is not legal in Idaho. The state is home to seven casinos operated by four Native American tribes, but you won’t be able to wager on sports in them.
Residents of Idaho who live close to neighboring states are known to travel across state lines to enjoy legal sports betting in other states. You’re welcome to check out our state guides for Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, Montana and Oregon.
daily fantasy sports in idaho?
There are no legal Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) options in Idaho as lawmakers agreed to ban DFS sites in 2016. If anything changes with the laws in Idaho, we will update this page, but that’s not expected anytime soon.
home field advantage
There aren’t any professional sports franchises from the major sports leagues in Idaho, but the state does have an ECHL franchise (Idaho Steelheads) and a Pioneer League baseball team (Boise Hawks) based in Boise. Sports fans in Idaho tend to root for teams that are located in neighboring states. Of course, folks in Idaho love the Boise State Broncos and their iconic blue turf field known as “The Blue.”
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NCAA – Boise State Broncos: You have to go all the way back to 1997 to find the last losing season for Boise State’s football team. The Broncos were a consistent force in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) from 2001 to 2010 and they’ve had the same impressive impact on the Mountain West Conference (MWC) since joining it in 2011. Boise State’s men’s basketball program has only had one losing season since 2012 and has earned a March Madness appearance in each of the past three seasons.
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NFL – Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have captured the hearts of those in Idaho and they’ve been rewarded with a consistently competitive franchise. Under coach Pete Carroll, Seattle only had one losing season from 2012 to 2023 and new coach Mike Macdonald hopes to keep that streak alive in 2024. Seattle won the Super Bowl in 2013 with Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch, and Russell Wilson and lost the Super Bowl the following season in devastating fashion to the Patriots.
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NFL – Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders haven’t been in Las Vegas very long, but they’ve already caught the eye of sports fans in Idaho. As a franchise, the Raiders have only had two trips to the playoffs since their 2002 Super Bowl appearance. The Raiders haven’t won the AFC West since 2002, and unfortunately for some fans in Idaho, that may not change for a while with Patrick Mahomes in the division.
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NHL – Seattle Kraken:
Seattle released the Kraken into the NHL in 2021 and had a nice playoff run in 2022 sandwiched between two losing seasons. Fans are hoping new coach Dan Bylsma can help the Kraken get back to their winning ways. Seattle plays its home games at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle which is about a 7 ½ hour drive from Boise.
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NHL – Las Vegas Golden Knights: The Golden Knights are absolutely beloved in Las Vegas and that love extends over state borders into Idaho. People residing on the southern border of Idaho can get to Las Vegas in about seven hours. The Golden Knights have made five playoff appearances in their first six years of existence and of course that includes their 2022-2023 Stanley Cup winning season. The Golden Knights are in good hands for years to come under coach Bruce Cassidy.
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NBA – Portland Trailblazers: Portland made the playoffs every season from 2013 to 2020, but things have been really ugly since then. Chauncey Billups hasn’t recorded more than 33 wins in a season and Portland is in rebuilding mode. Long gone are the days of consistently winning with Clyde “The Glide” Drexler in the 90s or their 1976 NBA Finals Championship run with Bill Walton.
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NBA – Utah Jazz: The Jazz are best known for their dynamic duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone which gave them two finals appearances (1997 & 1998) and 20 straight playoff seasons. Lately it’s been a struggle for the Jazz, who haven’t posted a winning season since the 2021-2022 season. If the Jazz are to turn it around anytime soon, it’ll be with the help of Walker Kessler, their 7-0 center who was in the running for Rookie of the Year in 2022
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MLB – Seattle Mariners: The Mariners have produced some of the best players in baseball history, but they don’t have much to show for it. Guys like Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Edgar Martinez, Ichiro Suzuki have been fun to watch, but since their existence in 1977, the Mariners have never gotten past the ALCS. Since 2002, Seattle has only had one playoff appearance, but to their credit they have finished with a winning season each of the past four years.
Anyone in Idaho struggling with gambling addiction can contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER. There’s also a chat option available and a text option (800GAM) and all three of these resources can be found here. Additionally, a list of gambling treatment centers in Idaho can be found here.