Legal online sports betting has taken off in the United States since 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned PASPA legislation, removing the federal ban on sports betting. Currently, Fanatics Sportsbook legal states are Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Tennessee with Kentucky sports betting launching in September 2023. But with Fanatics' acquisition of PointsBet's U.S operation, Fanatics Sportsbook is set to expand in the U.S. sports betting industry.
Fanatics Sportsbook officially launched on August 16, 2023, with the Fanatics Sportsbook app in Maryland, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Ohio. Its introduction to the sports betting industry has come with much fanfare as Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin said he plans to expand throughout the U.S., with hopes to launch in 15 to 20 states this year.
Fanatics' recent acquisition of PointsBet's U.S. division in June 2023 has given Fanatics Sportsbook an upgraded user interface and operating system, powered by Banach Technology. This has created a top online sports betting experience in both the Fanatics Sportsbook app and site.
Let's review a timeline on U.S. sports betting and the journey Fanatics Sportsbook has endured to become a legal and licensed online sports betting platform in 2023.
2023 Milestones For Fanatics Sportsbook:
- January 22, 2024: Fanatics Sportsbook Pennsylvania goes live.
- Fall 2023: Fanatics Sportsbook has the objective of launching in 15 states by the end of the 2023-24 NFL season.
- August 25, 2023: Fanatics Betting and Gaming opens a 5,000-square-foot retail sportsbook in partnership with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. The retail sportsbook featuring four betting windows and 14 self-service kiosks is located near Nationwide Arena.
- August 18, 2023: Fanatics opens a retail sportsbook at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio in a partnership with the Cleveland Guardians. The sportsbook is Fanatics' first retail location at an MLB stadium.
- August 16, 2023: Fanatics Sportsbook officially launched online sports betting operations with the Fanatics Sportsbook app and site in Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Tennessee.
- July 2023: Fanatics Sportsbook announces plans to open a retail sportsbook location next to Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio after partnering with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
- June 2023: Fanatics officially acquires PointsBet's U.S operations in $225 million deal.
- June 1, 2023: Fanatics Sportsbook Maryland launches a beta mobile app.
- May 25, 2023: Fanatics Sportsbook Massachusetts launches its beta mobile app.
- May 1, 2023: Fanatics Betting and Gaming launches the first Fanatics Sportsbook mobile app for beta testing with Fanatics Sportsbook Ohio and Fanatics Sportsbook Tennessee.
- May 2023: Fanatics Sportsbook conveyed its intentions to penetrate the New York sports betting market, projecting a spring 2024 launch date.
- April 2023: Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin says he anticipates Fanatics Sportsbook being operational in 15 U.S. states within the next 12 months.
- January 20, 2023: Fanatics Betting and Gaming launches its first retail sportsbook at FedEx Field in Maryland in partnership with the Washington Commanders. The Fanatics Sportsbook at FedEx Field is a 5,000-square-foot retail sportsbook with eight betting windows. It is the first retail sportsbook inside an NFL stadium.
- October 2022: Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin announces the start of a Fanatics sports betting division, anticipating Fanatics Sportsbook launching in 15 to 20 states by the start of the 2023-24 NFL season.
U.S. Legal Sports Betting Timeline
- September 2023: Kentucky sportsbooks will launch retail locations at horse racing tracks throughout the Bluegrass State on Sept. 7, 2023. The Kentucky online sports betting industry will go live on Sept. 28, 2023.
- June 14, 2023: Governor Phil Scott signs Vermont House Bill 127, enacting legal sports betting in Vermont.
- June 14, 2023: Governor Roy Cooper signs North Carolina House Bill 347, making sports betting legal in North Carolina. A launch date has yet to be determined.
- March 31, 2023: Governor Andy Beshear signs Kentucky's House Bill 551, making with retail and online sports betting legal in Kentucky. The minimum betting age in Kentucky is 18 years old.
- January 1, 2023: Legal online sportsbooks launch in Ohio.
- November 2022: Legal online sports betting launches in Maryland.
- September 2022: Kansas sports betting launches.
- January 2022: Legal online sportsbooks launch in New York and Louisiana.
- January 2022: The BetMGM Sportsbook at Nationals Park opens, becoming the first retail sportsbook at a Major League Baseball stadium.
- September 2021: Legal sportsbooks launch in Wyoming, Arizona, and South Dakota.
- May 25, 2021: Nebraska legalizes retail sports betting.
- May 14, 2018: U.S. Supreme Court strikes down PASPA, allowing states to establish their own sports betting legislation and regulatory agencies to oversee licensed sportsbook operators.
In the wake of Fanatics' acquisition of the PointsBet brand, many sports bettors ask where is Fanatics Sportsbook legal, and we're here to provide that info for you. Fanatics Sportsbook is legal in 17 states currently including Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Future Fanatics Sportsbook states expected for 2024 include Fanatics Sportsbook New Jersey, Fanatics Sportsbook Indiana, and Fanatics Sportsbook Illinois.
With Fanatics Sportsbook and the Fanatics sports betting brand joining the sports betting world, many new sports bettors ask, "Is Fanatics Sportsbook legit?" We have to say yes, and recommend signing up using the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code to collect up to $1,000 in bonus bets today.