Written by :
Published on :
You can bet College Football games from any number of internationally-licensed online sports books in the great states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois.
Is it Legal?
The US Supreme Court in May ruled that individual states could now follow in the path of Nevada and allow legalized sports wagering after decades of prohibition.
States must amend their current laws however and, until they do, sports betting will only be available from international outlets, some of which have been in business for nearly 20 years now.
Claim your 200% cash bonus up to $1000 - Rollover requirements apply
Kentucky
Kentucky Sen. Morgan McGarvey said a bipartisan group of legislators is working on a bill to legalize sports gambling that has a good shot of passing when the General Assembly meets next in January. This will be after the College Football Championship but potentially before the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament, which is huge in the state.
"This is a way we can get revenue without using the dreaded word 'tax,' " said McGarvey, a Louisville Democrat who said Reps. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, and Rocky Atkins, D-Sandy Hook, are other members of the group.
"This is not a panacea. It's not going to cure all of Kentucky's financial woes. But it is a way to get some money coming to already depleted coffers," McGarvey said.
Get a 15% rebate on your net losses EVERY week betting horses online here
Tennessee
"Tennessee should look into allowing this," tweeted state Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, in relation to the US Supreme Court's decision.
"I plan to introduce legislation to allow sports betting in TN with the tax proceeds to go to K-12 education. It appears this will not require a constitutional amendment, but the legislative attorneys are still researching it," Kelsey tweeted.
But the road to legalized sports betting will likely be long in Tennessee.
There are no legal casinos here, so taking the leap to offering sports books any time soon seems unlikely and it certainly won't happen this College Football season.
Lawmakers did pass a law allowing daily fantasy sports in 2016 we should note.
Should gambling only be illegal, and not unconstitutional, then lawmakers can simply allow sports gambling with a change in the law.
The legislature does not reconvene until 2019 and opposition here is expected.
Illinois
Legalization of sports betting in Illinois would be huge with Chicago the 3rd most populated city in the US with one of the most ravenous sports fan communities in the world.
Lawmakers are ambitious about passing a sports betting law so we anticipate something positive after Super Bowl.
The sports leagues are wanting their provisions featured in any bill introduced. All four major sports franchises - the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL - have a presence here and much influence.
A poll found that less than half the lawmakers support legalized sports wagering in the state.
- Mary Montgomery, Gambling911.com
