Idaho Sports Betting

Idaho Sports Betting Overview

Idaho is called the Gem State, but it's not a gem for sports betting fans. Sports Betting remains illegal in Idaho.

In the lack of substantial efforts on the part of lawmakers, don't expect sports betting to be legalized any time soon.

Lawmakers aren't necessarily against gambling; it's just that they don't seem to be in a hurry to make it legal. Since the scrapping of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act or PASPA act in 2018, no bill has been presented in the legislation to legalize sports betting.

When will Sports Betting become legal in Idaho?

With nothing on the legislative front, it would be difficult for Idaho to be among the states with regulated sports betting. However, two things might compel the lawmakers:

• The state needs to stay competitive with nearby states like Oregon, Montana, and Nevada. These states are earning handsome revenue from sports betting. Losing such tax revenue might induce a sense of emergency to lawmakers.

• The Covid19 pandemic has adversely impacted Idaho’s bottom line and the government is looking for alternative sources of revenue; sports betting appears to be the 'go-to' choice.

Legal Betting Opportunities in Idaho

There is no way you can bet on sports legally in Idaho. However, there are ten tribal casinos and a lottery that are lawfully operational.

There are offshore betting sites that accept sports bets from Idaho, but none of them are licensed to operate in the state. Since these offshore sites are not regulated, you are always at risk of fraud. Gambling at these offshore sites, there's no degree of consumer protection available, and you cannot legally proceed against these offshore sites.

Professional teams in Idaho

Once sports betting is legal, people from Idaho can bet on professional teams from within and outside the state. However, presently there are no professional teams in the state.

The state has a Division I College football team, the Boise State Broncos. However, there is doubt if Idaho will allow betting on in-state college teams.

Variety of Bets Expected to be Available for Idaho Sports Betting

Following the trend Sportsbooks have adopted in the states where sports betting is legal, we can expect the Sportsbooks in Idaho to provide the following types of bets:

• Moneylines: Moneyline is the most popular bet, allowing bets on sporting events. Favorites are given lower odds while underdogs with higher odds.

• Totals: also known as Under/Over betting. It is the combined total points scored by both teams. You can choose to bet on over or under the total.

• Spreads: The Sportsbooks use their analytics and add points to the underdogs to place them with favorites. Generally, a spread bet is infractions to avoid tied results of the bets.

• Parlays: This involves bets from different games (at least 3); if any of the individual bets are lost, the entire parlay is considered lost.

• Futures; betting on the winner of any division or a conference even before the event's start.