Midwest Online Gambling Overview
Five Midwest States currently offer at least some form of legal online gambling. Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Iowa each offer mobile sports betting options, with some states offering a dozen or more apps to sports fans. Ohio is set to launch online sports betting on January 1st.
Michigan also legalized and launched online casino apps and poker sites. Both Indiana and Illinois have introduced bills on the state level to introduce online casino games as well.
Although once available only in Nevada and East Coast states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Midwest region is shaping up to be a strong option for sports bettors and casino players. Backed by a long-standing tradition of sports, both at the professional level and collegiate level, the Midwest is one of the most progressive regions in the US for safe, legal online gambling.
Recent Sports Betting Updates in Midwest States
- September 30, 2022 – MaximBet launches in Indiana.
- September 17, 2022 – The Kansas Lottery announces that more than 2.4 million bets were placed during the first 11 days of sports betting in the Sunflower State.
- September 6, 2022 – Hard Rock Sportsbook launches in Indiana.
- September 1, 2022 – Kansas launches online sports betting.
- June 1, 2022 – The Ohio Casino Control Commission announces a lunch date for Ohio mobile sports betting: January 1, 2023.
- March 5, 2022 – Illinois is no longer requiring in-person registration for bettors who register for sports betting apps.
- February 1, 2022 – FanDuel will open retail sportsbook inside Chicago’s United Center.
- December 22, 2021: Governor DeWine signs sports betting bill into law in Ohio.
- December 20, 2021 – City Council lifts ban on Chicago sports betting.
Midwest Gambling News
Gator Bowl Betting Odds And Preview: Notre Dame a Slight Favorite Over South Carolina
December 28, 2022
Illinois Sports Betting Achieves $1 Billion Monthly Handle Club in October
December 14, 2022Best Online Sports Betting Apps – 2023
Affiliate Disclosure: If you place a bet at a sportsbook or online casino through one of our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This may influence the gambling operators we list; however, the editors and writers of this website operate at their sole discretion, and their opinions are not beholden to any outside entity or organization. We recommend only legal and trusted gambling operators.
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Michigan Online Gambling
Michigan took a big step in 2019 by legalizing both online casino gambling (including online poker) and online sports betting. Some of the top brands that launched on day one included Golden Nugget Online Casino, DraftKings (casino and sportsbook), Caesars (casino and sportsbook), and BetMGM (casino and sportsbook).
Michigan also offers two top-notch poker apps including BetMGM Poker and PokerStars.
Check out our Complete Guide To Michigan Online Gambling.
Indiana Sports Betting
Indiana has 15 casinos, some land-based and some riverboat properties. As far as online gambling goes, The Hoosier State had a headstart on its Midwest neighbors, launching online sports betting in October 2019. With land-based gambling, pari-mutuel wagering (both retail and online), and online sports betting in Indiana, the state’s gaming laws are similar to its neighbors and sports bettors have access to a wide variety of bonus offers in Indiana.
See our complete Guide to Indiana Sports Betting.
Iowa Sports Betting
Across the Mississippi, Iowa borders Illinois to the west. Iowa allows sports betting both on-property and online. In 2021, Iowa bettors needed to complete registration in person by visiting a retail casino or sportsbook location. This restriction lifted in January 2021. This means that Iowa sports betting is more accessible than ever to sports fans.
Iowa players can now download sports betting apps and start betting from home. This includes the opportunity for new players to claim sports betting bonuses.
The Hawkeye State has 10 casinos, too, giving nearby states a run for their money with a strong gambling presence.
See our Complete Guide To Indiana Online Sports Betting And Gambling.
Illinois Sports Betting
Right now, Illinois residents can enjoy online horse race betting, online sports betting, and social/sweepstakes casinos.
Sports betting was the most recent form of online gaming to arrive in The Prairie State. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a new bill last year that allowed for six new land-based casinos to come to the state while also legalizing sports betting.
Since then, retail sportsbooks have popped up in the state. There are also many of the best online sportsbooks in Illinois as well. DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, and PointsBet all operate in the Prairie State. BetRivers does as well, which makes sense, given the strong presence of Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.
For now, sports betting and land-based expansion appear to be the state’s focus. No word yet on whether Illinois will legalize online casino gaming. Several bills have been introduced, but none have passed.
Kansas Sports Betting
Kansas is one of the newest states in the country for online sports betting. While Kansas’ population might be relatively small, the betting handle is not. And that is great news for the state, as the revenue goes at least in part to a fund intended to lure the Kansas City Chiefs to a stadium across the border.
The Sunflower State offers all of the major online sportsbooks, such as DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, and PointsBet.
Status Of Online Gambling In Other States
Ohio
Ohio is poised to become the next Midwest state to offer legalized sports betting. Mobile sports betting in Ohio should launch on January 1, 2023.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin only allows tribal land-based casinos. There are no commercial properties in the state. When it comes to online gambling, the landscape in Illinois’ northern neighbor is sparse. Online gambling is illegal.
Missouri
The Show-Me State won’t actually show you all that much when it comes to gambling. Riverboat casinos are legal, and Missouri has more than a dozen of them. Online gambling is neither prohibited nor allowed by Missouri law, and there have been no recent moves to change that. Online gambling in Missouri remains legally risky.
Sports fans in the St. Louis area, though, can access Illinois sportsbooks if they travel across the border to DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis.
Kentucky
Illinois’ southernmost neighbor, Kentucky has a conservative gambling outlook. The state only allows online betting on horse races or lottery games. There are no casinos–land-based or online–in Kentucky. That looks unlikely to change any time soon. Kentucky gamblers can enjoy horse race wagering at one of the state’s six race tracks.
Online Sports Betting & Gambling FAQs
It depends on the state. The federal government has left the decision up to the states since 2018. Each state must come up with its own rules and regulations regarding whether online casinos and online sports betting are legal. Once a state legalizes any form of online gambling, the state will license and regulate each company to provide online gambling services.
Kansas is the latest of the Midwest States to legalize and launch online gambling apps, joining Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois. Ohio will be next, as soon as the calendar turns to 2023.
Yes, so long as you use licensed and regulated online gambling apps. For example, the Michigan Gaming Control Board licenses and regulates all online sports betting and casino apps that are available in the state.
Midwest Sharp doesn’t recommend any offshore or illegal sites. It’s just not worth the risk in the Midwest, where there are a variety of sports betting apps in most states in the region.
21. All bettors must be at least 21 years old to use online gambling apps. The app will ask for certain identification information in order to prove your age.
Yes. You must report gambling winnings as income tax in most states. You also need to report winning. You also must pay Federal income tax on any gambling winnings, either online or at a land-based casino.