Where you can bet on college sports: 2024 guide to state betting rules

As legalized online sports betting continues to become more commonplace across the United States, it can be challenging to keep up with where you can bet on college sports.

The process of tracking legal sports betting can also be confusing, because certain states have regulations in place preventing residents from betting on universities from their own state.

With that said, this is a comprehensive betting guide on where you can bet on college sports and what restrictions may be in place for you.

Wagering on any form of college sports props are prohibited in Arizona. This affects colleges like Arizona and Arizona State.

Colorado doesn’t prohibit residents from wagering on college teams based in the Centennial State. However, they do completely restrict all forms of prop bets regardless if they’re during or before the game.

Universities based out of the state cannot be wagered on unless it’s a tournament setting.

Yet another state that doesn’t allow in-state betting on their own universities is Deleware.

Illinois bans their residents from placing wagers on universities from the state. Betting on tournaments taking place in-state are acceptable however, such as March Madness, so long as no teams from Illinois are apart of that game.

Schools that are affected by this restriction are aplenty. They include Chicago State, DePaul, Illinois State, and Loyola-Chicago.

Iowa’s betting laws outlaw residents from placing prop bets on college athletes. Prop bets on teams and players are acceptable, but wagering on individual players is a no-go in the Hawkeye State.

New Massachusetts sports betting customers cannot place bets on in-state college teams unless they’re playing in a tournament with four or more teams such as March Madness or a conference championship tournament.

New Hampshire’s betting rules deny residents the ability to place prop bets on in-state college teams. Residents can still bet on moneylines, spreads, and totals, just not prop bets. That extends to player and team props.

New Jersey has among the most restrictions for college sports betting as any state in the United States. Not only can residents not bet on in-state college teams, but restrictions also prohibit betting on any games taking place in the state such as a tournament setting.

Universities that can’t be wagered on include Princeton, Rider, Saint Peter’s, Rutgers, and Seton Hall.

New York restricts players from wagering on college games taking place in New York or schools located in the state. College player props are strictly prohibited.

The most recent state to make a change to their sports betting rules is the Buckeye State of Ohio, which ruled on Feb. 23, 2024 that NCAA player prop bets are now prohibited. This came just weeks before 2024′s March Madness event.

Alongside New Jersey, Oregon has among the biggest rules for college sports betting in the country. Through October of 2022, users could only wager on college sports in-person.

However, that changed when Oregon launched its first mobile betting all called “Scoreboard.” Only through that app can residents wager on college universities and their games.

The Keystone State prohibits player prop bets, but you can wager on schools from inside the state.

Tennessee allows users from the state to bet on college teams from the state. However, live prop betting is restricted. Additionally, player props aren’t allowed, meaning you can only bet on team and player props before the start of games.

Vermont is the most recent state to launch online sports betting, and they don’t allow residents to bet on teams based in the state unless they’re playing in a tournament setting.

Virginia restricts residents from being able to bet on college teams from the commonwealth. College prop bets are also prohibited, meaning you can only wager on the moneyline, totals, or spread from any given college game.

Schools that can’t be bet on by Virginia residents include Virginia Tech, Virginia, James Madison, and the University of Richmond.

No player prop wagers are allowed in West Virginia.

Oneida Casino is the only retail casino you can wager on college sports with in The Badger State. You can’t wager on in-state teams like Wisconsin.

Washington DC prevents residents from betting on college teams that are established in the district. This rule applies regardless if the team is the visiting or home team in the game.

Division 1 teams that are prohibited to be wagered on by this rule include Georgetown and George Washington.

Fanatics Sportsbook is our college sports betting site of the week for players looking to wager on college action.

Fanatics’ welcome offer is one of the biggest reasons they’re in this spotlight, as the promos they offer in each state are solid.

There are a large selection of prop bets for college athletics on Fanatics, with same game parlays and odds boosts accompanying their great services as well.

If you can’t sign up for the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code quite yet, you won’t have to wait much longer, most likely. They’ve been on a rapid expansion across the U.S.

By the time the 2024 college football season begins, expect Fanatics to be more widely available across the U.S. thanks to their acquisition of PointsBet Sportsbook, making expansion a streamlined process.

You can sign-up for Fanatics’ offer of matching your bet of $100 daily in bonus bets for ten days. Just make sure your bet is on odds of -200 or longer. If you’re in a state where Fanatics’ offer is instead $50 in bonus bets and ten profit boosts, you’ll need to click here.

Must be 21+. GAMBLING PROBLEM? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO/IL/KS/KY/MD/OH/MI/NC/PA/TN/VA/VT/WV), (800)-327-5050 or http://gamblinghelplinema.org (MA), Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), (888) 789-7777 or http://ccpg.org (CT), or 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), or 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), or www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), or morethanagame.nc.gov (NC), or 1800gambler.net (WV)

BetMGM Sportsbook has an incredible welcome offer in the form of their promo code.

To enroll in their welcome offer, click on the offer code above to be taken to the sign-up page, a step you’ll repeat for any of the other sportsbooks listed. Then, enter the BetMGM bonus code PHILLY1600 when prompted. You’ll be enrolled in a welcome offer that gives you an exclusive 20% Deposit Match up to $1,600 in Sports Bonus!

You can also instead use bonus code INQUIRERMGM and unlock a Get up to $1,500 Back in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Doesn’t Win offer.

BetMGM has live streaming, which allows you to watch your favorite college team. They also make it easy to place bets simultaneously while watching the games.

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY. Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA). 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Participant must complete the Wagering Requirements and satisfy the (10x) playthrough requirement. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions.

BetMGM offers not live in NY, NV & DC

bet365 has next to no weaknesses as a sportsbook, with their commitment to college sports betting being impressive given how new they are to the sports betting scene.

College football and basketball bettors especially are in for a treat, as bet365 has early payout promotions, same game parlays, and so much more at your disposal.

Thanks to the Bet365 bonus code INQUIRER, you can choose one of two awesome welcome bonuses (A first bet safety net worth up to $1,000 or a bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets offer). Use this link and choice your promo in North Carolina.

FanDuel is of the most famous and successful sportsbooks in the country. FanDuel has little weaknesses to speak of, with a marvelous user interphase and great parlay system being among their best qualities.

The FanDuel Sportsbook promo code is an elite one as well no matter where you are. The welcome offer is $150 in bonus bets guaranteed after your first bet of $5 or more settles.

You can click here to register for $200 in guaranteed bonus bets in North Carolina following a $5 bet settling. If that wasn’t promising enough, FanDuel’s promo code is easily redeemable and can be done without the use of a promo code.

Because of their promotion offerings to returning customers and deep selection of prop bets on the most popular college sports, DraftKings has become a household name amongst many sports fans.

If you’ve not signed up for an account yet, you can click here and begin the process. No promo code is required during sign-up. Just submit your first wager of $5 or more on any market after making your first deposit.

You’ll then see eight $25 bonus bets tallying $200 total in your account. Wager these bets before they expire in seven days and be sure to keep an open eye to all kinds of deals and profit boosts as you continue to bet.

Keep an eye out for a daily no sweat NBA SGP as well, which will be issued out to you as a result of signing up for the DraftKings promo code.

Caesars Sportsbook is a marquee name in the betting scene. Not only do they have a massive selection of wagers for college football games, but they cover their ground with every college sport.

Their welcome offer also offers the largest bonus of any in the industry today. They’re giving new users their first bets stake up to $1,000 back in bonus bets when they use the Caesars Sportsbook promo code INQUIRER1000.

Their welcome offer differs in Maine, Maryland, or Iowa. In those states, promo code INQUIRERDYW needs to be used so you can get ten 100% profit boosts.

Caesars has a lot of positives for college bettors from excellent same game parlays, profit boosts promotions, and competitive prop bets and futures odds.

College sports bettors now have another exciting sports betting platform to wager on that’s new and exciting with ESPN BET live in 17 states.

Although not every state allows college sports betting, those who can bet on college sports with the ESPN BET promo code won’t be disappointed. Just make sure you use code INQUIRER when signing up to secure their offer.

Their offer simply asks you to bet any amount on any market. You don’t even need to wait for it to settle to see your $150 bonus bets come as five $20 bonus bets and one $50 bonus bet.

ESPN BET does nearly everything well, which is impressive for a new sportsbook. It’ll be exciting to see how much they grow and what ideas they have as time goes on to continue bettering their product.

The two main type of college games bettors tend to bet on are men’s college basketball and college football games.

Practically every sportsbook will offer these options, with futures bets on who will win the national championship game for each respective sport being just one option for you.

If you’re looking to wager on other college sports like lacrosse, baseball, or soccer, you’ll have to do some research online to see which sportsbooks have them, as not every sportsbook carries them.

Women’s sports can also be trickier to find, as not every major sportsbook will have women’s sports as an option to bet on. Basketball is the most common sport to find from major sportsbooks to bet on for the women’s side of the game.

So long as your state doesn’t have rules prohibiting certain types of wagers, such as prop bets, you’ll be able to find the same types of wagers for college sports as you would professional sports.

March Madness is the next big college sporting event for college sports fans to bet on. The First Four will battle it out on March 19th, which begins the most exciting tournament in sports that lasts through the championship game on April 8th.

When it comes to betting on college sports, there’s some important things to keep in mind depending on your sport.

If you’re betting on basketball, it’s important to remember games only go 40 minutes as opposed to 48 minutes in an NBA game. That could impact how you view totals markets.

When it comes to betting moneylines, head to head history can be instructive. Although college rosters never look identical on a year to year basis, teams playing each other once a year gives you previous history to look at.

In college football season, one team might not face every other opponent in their conference due to the length of the schedule. But in basketball, every team will play everyone in their conference at least once.

Finally, as is the case when betting on any sport, looking at injury reports is important. College sports are just as physical and tough as professional sports, so injuries are part of every school’s season.

Betting on college football or any other sport is legal depending on what state you live in. As mentioned earlier, different states have different laws regulating what kinds of bets you’re able to place.

Different states also have different age requirements for sports betting. A table highlighting those ages can be found later in this piece.

As far as legalized sports betting has come, eSports continue to progress slower than many expected a decade ago.

As it currently stands, you can’t wager on college eSports on some of the traditional sportsbooks like Caesars, BetMGM, and FanDuel.

Although some sites like Bovada and BetOnline have begun allowing players to bet on professional eSports, that same support isn’t there yet for college.

The NCAA hasn’t shied away from letting it be known they don’t condone student athletes partaking in sports betting. Their website has a compliance page with their officially written out statement condemning any student athlete participation legal sports betting.

Yes, you can live bet on college sports with any major sportsbook. Many sportsbooks including BetMGM and BetRivers offer live streaming, which allows you to watch the games more conveniently while placing live bets.

The exception to that is if your state of residence has specific laws in place prohibiting types of live bets. The prime example of this is Tennessee restricting the ability to bet on live wagers.

The majority of states require you to be 21+ to partake in online sports betting. That said, some states will allow you to wager when you’re 18 years old. Each state’s requirements are in the table below.

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The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.