Utah

The Beehive State preemptively banned online sports betting in 2012; thus, there are no real-money sportsbook apps available in Utah. However, even with this ban, UT residents can still access DFS apps and online social sportsbooks.

While basically all forms of real money online sports betting in Utah are strictly illegal, punters still enjoy at least some gambling-like services. Even with the strict laws that govern sports betting, the state allows gamblers to enjoy daily fantasy sports. The online providers of DFS argue that these contests are skill-based rather than luck-based, and that's why the state still allows it.

So, for example, DFS operators such as Draftkings, Jock MKT, ParlayPlay, and Ownersbox are all operating legally in Utah, even though the DFS industry is not state-regulated there. In addition, social sportsbooks and sweepstake casinos are also accepting customers from Utah. However, these brands are not allowed to offer real money betting or gambling, and all wagering is done in these cases with "virtual coins."

Online sports betting in The Beehive State

The Beehive State is one of only two US states with a strict ban on gambling, including online sports wagering, with the other being Hawaii. About 60% of Utah's population are Mormons who are known to oppose any form of gambling and sports wagering, including online betting, on religious grounds.

In fact, Utah's strict opposition to all kinds of sports betting stems from way back in history, as the state initially prohibited gambling altogether even before the state was known as 'Utah.' These strict anti-betting laws prohibited residents from participating in any form of in-person gambling, including state lotteries, casino games, poker, and sports betting. Currently, there are no state-run or state-regulated casinos in UT.

In addition, in 2012, the state's lawmakers enacted House Bill 108. This bill preemptively illegalized online gambling and sports betting long before the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). As such, the legalization of online sports gambling in Utah faces an uphill task of first amending the constitution and then overturning various state laws.

With this in mind, legal online sports wagering is unlikely to make headway in the foreseeable future, even though some individuals in UT, including legislators, have shown an interest in changing the state's gambling laws. However, the latest attempt in this field, occurring in 2019, to legalize wagering on horse races flopped greatly.

Currently, there is no bill, nor even proper discussion, to legalize online gambling in the state, and this isn't too promising since bettors in the state would want to have the liberty to wager on betting markets tailored for UT anytime.

Sports betting & gambling legislation in UT

As we’ve touched on, gambling in Utah is not allowed in any capacity. Not only does this mean that sports betting is off the table, but all iGaming services, like online casinos and online poker, are also prohibited. Generally, these are markets that are made legal through a sports betting bill or through a bill that comes after sports betting is legalized, so this ultimately means these are two markets that will not be legalized in Utah anytime soon.

There are still a few states remaining with very limited to nonexistent gambling senses, but even those states typically offer some sort of state lottery. However, that is not the case in Utah, as the lottery is even outlawed in the Beehive State. Even with this strict anti-gambling law, though, UT residents can still legally access DFS apps, social sportsbooks, and sweepstakes casinos.

Most recent updates from the UT sports betting & gambling scene

• May 8, 2024: The new NHL franchise relocating to Utah won the 6th pick in the NHL Draft Lottery.

• May 7, 2024: Heading into their first season in the Big 12, the Utah Utes football team's win total is currently set at 9.5, and they are tied for the best odds to win the Conference Championship game at (+350).

• April 13, 2024: Utah will soon be the home of an NHL team, as the Arizona Coyotes will be relocating to Salt Lake City as soon as next season.

• December 12, 2023: Rep. Kera Birkeland plans to introduce a bill in Utah's legislative session to legalize the lottery. Utah's constitution currently bans gambling, but she aims to propose a constitutional amendment for a 2024 voter referendum. Research suggests Utahns spend around $200 million annually on out-of-state lottery tickets. The revenue generated would be used to reduce taxes in other areas.

• March 5, 2020: Facing pressure from fellow lawmakers, Senator Hinkins has decided to withdraw SB 181.

• February 18, 2019: Senator David Hinkins presents SB 181 to the Utah Senate, seeking to legalize pari-mutuel wagering for the first time since 1972. While it's framed as a rural economic development measure rather than a pro-gambling bill, Utah Governor Gary Herbert has publicly expressed his opposition to horse racing betting in the state.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Today, there are no land-based sportsbooks and casinos in Utah, so in-person betting in UT is not an option for bettors within its state lines. UT is among the five states in the US without any state lottery, and it is also one of two states without any form of legal wagering. In addition to all this, UT's strict gambling stance does not even allow charitable gambling, bingo games, or horse race betting.

Consequently, the state explicitly prohibited gambling by adding it to the criminal code. They ensured that even if the federal government legalized betting, it would still be illegal in the state. Even so, in-person wagering is still possible in neighboring states if a bettor has attained the legal betting age of 21 years.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Even though Utah has prohibited almost all forms of online sports betting and gambling, UT bettors can still visit neighboring states to place wagers. Colorado is one of the trailblazers from these neighbors in the mobile sports betting scene, as it already legalized such activity in 2019. In addition, Wyoming and Arizona joined the same club by legalizing online sports wagering in 2021.

Mobile wagering is also legal in Nevada, which is more known for in-person sports betting and casino gambling. However, remote registration is not available. Therefore, if you wish to wager with NV betting apps, you must register your account in person at the affiliated casino location.

However, in all four of the mentioned states, you can only access such betting applications within the respective state's borders.

What’s next for UT betting apps?

Currently, there is not much going on in legalizing online sports betting in UT. In addition, the Governor reiterated the state's position in this regard when PASPA was abolished, which is a clear sign that the legalization of online gambling will not happen any time soon. However, bettors in the state hope that lawmakers will come up with a bill that will work in the interest of all.

Meanwhile, UT bettors and sports fans can still access social sportsbooks and DFS apps for at least some sports-related entertainment. However, that's about it, and as there are no legislation changes in sight in the state, the UT sports betting situation will remain immutable for quite some time.

Potential sports betting revenue impact on Utah's economy

Because all forms of real money gambling, including sports betting, are prohibited in Utah, there are no statistics or revenue information related to gambling in the state. However, according to a recent study, UT residents spend approximately $200 million yearly on lottery tickets from other states alone, and this figure would undoubtedly be way heftier if the study included in-person and online sports betting. So, Utah is missing out on some substantial tax revenue with its total gambling ban.

As many of Utah's neighboring states have legalized sports betting, we can easily see how profitable such legalization has been for these states and draw some comparisons. For example, since legal mobile sports betting launched in Colorado in May 2020, the state has racked up over $56 million in tax revenue from these legal sportsbook operators. In 2023 alone, CO sports betting is tracking to produce over $25 million for the state via paid taxes.

In Arizona, the same tax revenue figures are even bulkier, as the state has collected over $62 million in taxes from legalized online betting since September 2021. However, Wyoming, a much smaller sports betting market than the previous two states, has accumulated approximately $1.4 million in tax revenue since the legalization of sports betting.