Oregon was one of four states exempted by the controversial 1992 law that outlawed sports betting across America. But that was just because it had a small sports lottery called Sports Action that ran from 1989-2007. It was similar to Delaware’s, where bettors had to bet on three or more games in a parlay style. It has expanded but is still not full-fledged sports betting as most consider it.
The state mothballed Sports Action after threats from the NCAA. But when sports betting regulation finally opened in late 2018 when PASPA was overturned by the Supreme Court, Oregon didn’t need a voter referendum or legislative moves.
Still, they were fairly slow off the mark in getting full-blown sports betting into the state and it is still not as pervasive as many expected even in 2020.
Is sports betting legal in Oregon?
Yes. Oregon wanted to offer single-game betting back in 2009 but the NCAA threatened them, making a rule that no NCAA championship games would be hosted in a state that offers betting. No football bowls, no March Madness regional action, no other prestigious college tournaments.
Faced with the loss of major revenue and prestige from hosting those events, Oregon backed off and managed its small sports lottery until PASPA was overturned in 2018. A year later, residents could bet at one of the state’s casinos and shortly thereafter the state-run sports lottery Score Board was offering Oregon sports betting.
Where can I bet at Oregon sportsbooks?
Currently, Oregon sports betting occurs at a select few venues. The Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City Oregon opened the state’s first sportsbook in 2019. Shortly thereafter, the Mill Casino & Hotel in North Bend began offering self-serve kiosks for bettors.
They both hit the market before the Oregon Lottery, which had previously offered parlay-style sports lotteries. The lottery launched its app partway through the 2019 NFL season.
What about mobile sports betting apps in Oregon?
The Oregon Lottery offers Score Board for residents, partnering with European SBTech to offer a sports betting app. It is available in the state, but is geo-targetted such that people on tribal lands cannot use it.