Oregon online sports betting laws

Oregon sports betting was legalized in 2019, the year after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was ruled unconstitutional.

Unlike other states that rushed to introduce sports betting in the aftermath of that ruling, however, for Oregon this was a less significant step.

Along with Nevada, Delaware and Montana, Oregon was specifically excluded from the full force of PASPA. This was because Oregon had begun to offer a sports betting facility in 1989, three years before PASPA was introduced.

That product, an Oregon Lottery game called Sports Action, offered NFL (and, briefly, NBA) parlay bets, caused massive controversy because of opposition from the NCAA – even though college sports weren’t included in the game.

Sports Action came to an end in 2007 as a result of that opposition. But the exemption from PASPA meant Oregon had a leg up when the tide turned in favor of sports betting in 2018. Despite that, it has taken up the opportunity in a very limited way.

As things stand, there is only one physical location in a state of more than four million people where you can place a sports bet.

That’s the Chinook Winds Casino Resort, the only tribal casino in the state that offers the facility to bet on sports – although more locations are expected to follow suit in the near future.

Most sports betting these days is carried out on mobile devices – especially in a state with only one retail location to bet on sport. However, bettors in Oregon currently have no choice of sportsbooks available to them. The only sports betting app that works in the state is the Scorecard app, operated by the Oregon Lottery in association with SBTech.

The lottery suggested in February 2021 that it was seeking to upgrade the current system to one powered by DraftKings, which purchased SBTech, the current Scorecard app platform, and which has extensive experience in the US Daily Fantasy Sports and sportsbook markets.

However, this would still mean only one option was available for Oregon online sports betting.

Overall, the state’s handle is moving in the right direction – January 2021 was a record month, with a handle of nearly $35 million – however Oregon’s sports betting market remains limited by its current singular sportsbook and sportsbook app options.

Yes, they are. The IRS views the proceeds of sports betting as taxable income, and you will be expected to pay up accordingly.

The Oregon Lottery, which administers the state’s only mobile betting app, stipulates that it will hold back eight per cent of any win over $1,500 for state tax. It will also keep 24 per cent of any win over $5,000 for federal tax.

It’s always worth keeping an accurate record of all your winnings, though the sportsbook should issue you with a form W-2G for any sports betting win of more than $600.

Unlike some other states, the law when it comes to Oregon sports betting is quite simple; you need to be aged 21 or more before you can take part.

When you sign up for Oregon online sports betting, it’s important you have your geolocation tools switched on.

The Scorecard sports app has geofencing technology that means you must be within the state of Oregon to play. The app will check your location frequently to make sure you are still within state lines, or your bets will not be placed.

You can bet on the exploits of Oregon’s college teams at a retail betting location. However, possibly in a throwback to the state’s long-running row with the NCAA, you can’t bet on college sports through the state’s Scorecard app.

Betting on politics is banned across the US. No licensed sportsbook, retail or mobile, is allowed to offer odds on political events, including local, state, national, or international elections.