Legalized sports gambling has made a major impact in the NFL – and its annual draft.
The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us, and sportsbooks have lines on a myriad of draft wagers. Who will be taken with the first overall pick? What position will a team take with its first pick? Will a player be selected over or under a certain draft slot?
The gambling market surrounding the NFL draft can be volatile, to say the least. Just look at last year, when a Reddit post about Kentucky quarterback Will Levis dramatically changed the odds of where he would end up, only for him to drop out of the first round.
While sports gambling is legal in 38 states and Washington D.C., some states have a different set of rules when it comes to betting on off-the-field events like the NFL draft.
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Here is a state-by-state guide to where it is legal to bet on the NFL draft.
Is it legal to bet on the NFL draft?
Yes, but rules for betting on the NFL draft are set on a state-by-state basis.
States that allow NFL draft betting
Twenty-nine states and Washington, D.C., have wagering available for the 2024 NFL Draft, with some restrictions:
- Arizona*
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa*
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts**
- Michigan**
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska***
- Nevada*
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico***
- North Carolina**
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Tennessee**
- Washington***
- Washington D.C.
- West Virginia*
- Wisconsin***
- Wyoming
*No live or “in-play” betting on the draft
**Additional rules for live draft betting
***Only in-person at tribal casino that offers draft betting
States with legal sports gambling but no NFL draft betting
The following seven states allow legal, online sports betting but do not allow betting on the NFL draft:
- Connecticut
- Kentucky
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
North Dakota and South Dakota have legalized in-person sports betting, but sportsbooks in those states do not appear to be offering draft wagers as of April 24.
States that do not allow sports gambling
The following 12 states do not have legal sports betting:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- California
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
