Betting law and prediction markets
Where betting is legal, how prediction markets differ, and the fights over them.
- 1.Where Is Sports Betting Legal in the US?
In 39 states and DC, per the AGA's latest count. Thirty-one of those states plus DC allow statewide mobile betting; 11 states have none.
- 2.What Is the Difference Between a Prediction Market and a Sportsbook?
A sportsbook sets odds under a state license. A prediction market matches traders under CFTC rules and charges a fee. Courts split on whether states can act.
- 3.Are Offshore Sportsbooks Safe to Use?
No. No US regulator stands behind them: if an offshore book withholds your money, voids a winning bet or leaks your data, no state agency takes the complaint.
- 4.How Does Sportsbook Geolocation Work, and Why Does It Fail?
Federal law confines online betting to one state that verifies location, so apps check GPS, Wi-Fi, cell and IP before each bet. Why honest users still fail.
- 5.What Is a Sweepstakes Sportsbook, and Is It Legal?
You buy one currency and bet a second, free one that cashes out. States call that gambling: five passed bans in 2025 and others sent cease-and-desists.
- 6.How Is Sports Betting Regulated in the US, and How Do You File a Complaint?
States license sportsbooks, tribes operate under federally approved compacts, and the CFTC oversees event contracts. Complain to the book, then the regulator.