Who Will Legalize Wagering in 2025?

Sports betting legalization seems to be at a crossroads in the United States. Last year, no US state expanded gambling within their own borders for the first time since the fall of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018.

Will 2025 be any different? Here are three states that could make a move towards legalized gambling and wagering this year.

Alabama

Alabama has historically outlawed virtually all forms of casino and sportsbook wagering- they remain just one of five states without a lottery. In 2024, however, lawmakers swung for the fences with a bill to legalize slots, an in-person lottery, raffles, and bingo. The bill passed in the Alabama house before dying in the state senate. Democratic house minority leader Anthony Daniels has previously supported legalizing casino and sports wagering in Alabama and has indicated that he is open to sponsoring legislation to do so. Alabama is bordered by Florida, Tennessee, and Mississippi, all of whom permit wagering in some form- only Georgia continues to prohibit gambling while sharing a border with the Yellowhammer state.

Minnesota

As a state with a large tribal population, Minnesota’s tribes have not historically backed large-scale legalization. But in 2024, Minnesota Indian Gaming Association executive director Andy Platto said that there is a “Framework that is currently supported by all stakeholders.” Making the comments at the Global Gaming Expo this past October, Platto reaffirmed that tribal support for a legalized gaming infrastructure is at a high, while state senator Matt Klein has said that he plans to push for legalized gaming during the 2025 legislative session. With an even split in the state house, Klein feels that that a bill has a better chance to see the floor now than in previous years.

South Carolina

While neighbor North Carolina takes in hundreds of millions of dollars per year in gambling-related revenues, South Carolina has failed to act… until now. On January 14th, HJR3353 was introduced and read on the house floor; the joint resolution would allow voters to decide the legality of in-person sports betting, casino games, and slot machines. On the same day, HB3625 was also introduced and read on the house floor. This bill would specifically allow legal sports betting only and establish a 12.5% tax on gross gaming revenue as well as a sports betting regulator. South Carolina has long been dormant on the wagering legalization front, but with HJR3353 and HB3625 already in committee, the Palmetto state could be one of the next states to expand gambling and betting.

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