The footprint of U.S. states that allow sports betting will expand from nine to at least 17 in the coming year, along with the addition of DC, according to a report released today by gaming industry research service GamblingCompliance. The firm predicts approval in Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, North Dakota and Oregon, a significant shift that would increase the number of major pro teams in markets with sports betting from four to 22. In a more bullish scenario that adds another seven states -- Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Ohio and Oklahoma -- the expanded footprint would encompass 42 major pro teams. The reason for the wide range is the unpredictability of the political calculus in each state. “Several prominent states will pass bills in 2019, but none of them will find the discussions straightforward or free from lobbying conflict,” GamblingCompliance Managing Dir of Americas James Kilsby said in a statement issued with the report. “Lawmakers will invariably find sports betting to be a more complicated issue than they anticipated.”
