PointsBet States: Where Is PointsBet Legal in the US?

✅Fact Checked by: Michael Savio

Hailing from Australia, PointsBet officially landed on the United States shores in January 2019, launching in New Jersey. The plans for a PointsBet launch date back to July 2018, just months after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned.

Today, PointsBet is in the midst of a change of ownership. Fanatics, the leading manufacturer and online retailer of licensed sports merchandise, purchased the United States-based operations for $225 million.

PointsBet branches are slowly changing to “PointsBet, A Fanatics Experience.”

Below, we’ll cover this change in more detail and provide information about where its betting apps are legal, how they became legal, and go over each state it’s available.

• Where Is PointsBet Sportsbook Legal?
• Where Is PointsBet Casino Legal?
• PointsBet Legal States
• PointsBet: Background on the Brand
• PointsBet Sports Betting Legal Timeline Retrospective
• Open an Account
• States Where PointsBet Is Legal
• FAQs About PointsBet Legal States

As of September 2023, PointsBet Sportsbook is available in 14 of the states where sports betting is legal, but after the acquisition by Fanatics, there are some wrinkles to it.

Fanatics acquired PointsBet USA in July 2023 for $225 million. Since then, Fanatics has rebranded 11 PointsBet states, including Maryland, Iowa, Colorado, New Jersey, Kansas, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The new name is still PointsBet, but there’s an addition to it—it’s now known as PointsBet, A Fanatics Experience.

The other three states—Louisiana, New York, and Ohio—are still overseen by PointsBet USA as Fanatics waits for regulatory approval to overtake them officially.

PointsBet not only has an online sportsbook but an online casino, too. The online gambling platform is available in four of the currently seven legal casino gambling states, including New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

In the Fanatics acquisition, they also acquired the online casino. These sites are also rebranded to “PointsBet, A Fanatics Experience.”

The first state to become legal for  PointsBet’s online casino was New Jersey, launching on May 12, 2021, partnering with Bally’s Atlantic City.

PointsBet offers many forms of online gaming. Below, we’ll show you a chart of where sports betting, gambling, and daily fantasy sports are available.

As mentioned, PointsBet came to the United States from Australia shortly after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned. Today, it has online sports betting in 14 states and an online casino available in four of them.

PointsBet USA was acquired by Fanatics, the leading sports memorabilia and merchandise retailer, in July 2023 for $225 million. PointsBet USA was hemorrhaging money, set to lose well over $100 million in the second half of 2023, which made the transaction easier. Now, the sites are rebranding from PointsBet to PointsBet, A Fanatics Experience.

With those rebrands, new players who sign up for an account and wager $50 will get an official sports jersey straight from Fanatics.

PointsBet has always been an excellent sportsbook, and their PointsBetting feature makes for a sports betting experience unlike any other.

PointsBetting is a market where you’re awarded based on how correct your predictions for an outcome are. The user interface design is simple and easy to navigate as well. One downfall of PointsBet over the years has been a lack of promotions for existing players, but this could change with Fanatics coming in.

How PointsBet Sportsbook Became Legal

PointsBet was first launched in the United States in New Jersey. The initial announcement came in 2018 before officially launching in January 2019. This was a big deal at the time as PointsBet isn’t a US-native outlet; it’s from Australia. It partnered with Meadowlands Racetrack. With it came its unique betting market, PointsBetting. PointsBet also landed in Iowa in 2019.

From here, PointsBets added three states in 2020, three in 2021, four in 2022, and one more in 2023.

Then, in mid-2023, PointsBet USA agreed to sell its operations in the country to Fanatics due to financial losses. According to the Australian Financial Review, PointsBet was scheduled to lose between $115-$123 million in the second half of 2023.

How PointsBet Casino Became Legal

As mentioned earlier, PointsBet first launched in the United States as an online sportsbook in New Jersey in 2019, and two years later, its first online casino launched in the same state in May 2021. A couple of months later, it launched in Michigan, partnering with Northern Waters Casino on July 23, 2021.

Then, in 2022, it launched in West Virginia and Pennsylvania in January and April, respectively, partnering with Hollywood Casinos in both states.

• PointsBet Announces US Entry (July 2018): PointsBet announces it’s coming to the United States after an agreement with Meadowlands Racetrack. The goal is to launch in the fourth quarter of 2018. They also announced a deal with Tioga Downs in New York for online betting, but it wouldn’t become legal for almost four more years. 
• PointsBet Launches (January 2019): PointsBet officially launches in the United States with New Jersey.
• PointsBet Launches In Second State (November 2019): Partnering with Cashfish Bend, PointsBet launches in Iowa.
• PointsBet Launches In Three More States (2020): In 2020, PointsBet added three more states to their portfolio, launching in Indiana, Illinois, and Colorado. This brought the number of states they live in to five.
• PointsBet Launches Sportsbook in Three States, Unveils Online Casino (2021): Throughout 2021, PointsBet launched its online sportsbook in three more states—Michigan, West Virginia, and Virginia. It also brought its online casino to the market, launching in New Jersey (May 12, 2021) and Michigan (July 23, 2021).
• PointsBet Makes $43 Million Acquisition (March 2021): In March 2021, PointsBet acquired Banach Technology, a company many called the “Robinhood of sports betting.” To buy it, PointsBet paid 55% in cash, 1.75 million shares, and $4 million to convert the two firms. Banach was a B2B software company that created sports betting platforms and algorithms, including live betting markets.
• PointsBet Brings on Drew Brees (July 2021): PointsBet brought in Drew Brees, a former Super Bowl champion, as the brand ambassador.
• PointsBet Adds Four Online Sportsbook States; Two Casino (2022): The online casino launched in West Virginia (January 26) and Pennsylvania (April 13). The online sportsbook launched in Kansas, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania.
• PointsBet Launched in Ohio (January 2023): The last state PointsBet launched in was Ohio. Ohio sports betting went live on January 1, 2023, and PointsBet was prepared.
  Fanatics Acquires PointsBet USA (July 2023): Fanatics acquires PointsBet USA for $225 million. Since then, they’ve slowly rebranded PointsBet to PointsBet A Fanatics Experience. As of September 2023, 11 of the 14 states have rebranded.

Creating an account at PointsBet Sportsbook is simple and takes just a few minutes to complete. Below, we’ll go over how to do it step-by-step. 

1. Go to the desktop site or download the mobile app.
2. Click “Sign Up” in the upper right. 
3. Choose the state you want to play in.
4. Complete the two-step registration process, which includes personal information such as your name, date of birth, address, and more. 
5. After you complete this process, geolocation software will track your location to ensure you’re actively in a legal PointsBet state.
6. Once all is confirmed, choose your preferred sportsbook payment method for deposit, make a deposit and start betting!

New Jersey

Launching in January 2019, PointsBet announced their plans to launch in New Jersey in mid-2018. The initial plan was a fourth-quarter 2018 release. They entered a multi-year partnership with Meadowlands Racetrack. 
Is PointsBet legal in New Jersey?: Yes
Launch Date: January 2019
Land-Based Partner: Meadowlands

Iowa

The only other state PointsBet launched in 2019 was Iowa. It partnered with Catfish Bend. It officially launched in November 2019. It also has a retail location at Catfish Bend, featuring a spa and golf resort. 
Is PointsBet legal in Iowa?: Yes
Launch Date: November 2019
Land-Based Partner: Catfish Bend

Indiana

On March 5, 2020, Indiana became the third state PointsBet launched in. It partnered with Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg. An announcement about the launch came in January 2020 from the Indiana Gaming Commission. 
Is PointsBet legal in Indiana?: Yes
Launch Date: March 2020
Land-Based Partner: Hollywood Casino

Illinois

Later in 2020, in September, PointsBet came to Illinois. It partnered with Hawthorne Race Course, which the Carey Family owns. At the time of the launch, PointsBet was just one of six in the state. 
Is PointsBet legal in Illinois?: Yes
Launch Date: September 2020
Land-Based Partner: Hawthorne Race Course

Colorado

Colorado became the fifth state PointsBet launched in, coming to the state in November 2020. It partnered with Double Eagle Hotel & Casino. Denver also became the site of the headquarters for PointsBet. 
Is PointsBet legal in Colorado?: Yes
Launch Date: November 2020
Land-Based Partner: Double Eagle Hotel & Casino

Michigan

In January 2021, PointsBet launched in Michigan, partnering with Northern Waters Casino. “Launching in Michigan is truly a special moment for PointsBet and presents a tremendous opportunity we are excited to attack alongside our partners in the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians,” commented Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO. The online launched in May of the same year. 
Is PointsBet legal in Michigan?: Yes
Launch Date: January 2021
Land-Based Partner: Northern Waters Casino

West Virginia

Partnering with Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, PointsBet came to West Virginia in August 2021. “As always, PointsBet will provide this passionate, sports-loving community with the fastest and most reliable online sports betting product across every customer touchpoint. We are thrilled to now introduce West Virginian sports bettors to PointsBet’s competitive advantages in owning our technology end-to-end, such as our unrivaled speed and ease of use as well as the deepest slate of betting options in the world for every NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, and PGA TOUR contest,” said then-PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken.
Is PointsBet legal in West Virginia?: Yes
Launch Date: August 2021
Land-Based Partner: Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

Virginia

In December 2021, PointsBet came to Virginia, partnering with Colonial Downs. At the time, PointsBet had Allen Iverson as a brand ambassador, from Virginia. “I am excited to welcome PointsBet to my home state,” said Allen Iverson.
Is PointsBet legal in Virginia?: Yes
Launch Date: December 2021
Land-Based Partner: Colonial Downs

New York

PointsBet became the sixth online sportsbook to launch in New York in January 2022, linking up with the New York Gaming Commission. The first bet it processed came at 10:09 p.m. on the day of the launch. PointsBet leveraged its deal with NBCUniversal from August 2020 to come to New York. 
Is PointsBet legal in New York?: Yes
Launch Date: January 2022
Land-Based Partner: NYGC

Pennsylvania

After a three-day testing period in early February, PointsBet Sportsbook launched in the state on February 10, just before the Super Bowl. The online casino came just months later, in April. 
Is PointsBet legal in Pennsylvania?: Yes
Launch Date: February 2022
Land-Based Partner: Hollywood Casino York

Kansas

On September 1, 2022, PointsBet launched in Kansas. It partnered p with Kansas Crossing Casino. This came after it secured market access in January 2020, where the partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino began. 
Is PointsBet legal in Kansas?: Yes
Launch Date: September 2022
Land-Based Partner: Kansas Crossing Casino

Louisiana

PointsBet hit the dozen mark in terms of states where its online sportsbook was live in September 2022, launching in Louisiana. Drew Brees, a brand ambassador for the brand, played quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. “The sports community of Louisiana, one that our very own brand ambassador Drew Brees is very familiar with, is unmatched with their devotion and passion for their local teams, the New Orleans Saints of the NFL, New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA, and nationally recognized college football programs,” Aitken said. “We look forward to delivering Louisiana sports fans, from Bourbon Street to the Bayou, our fast, premium sports betting products.”
Is PointsBet legal in Louisiana?: Yes
Launch Date: September 2022
Land-Based Partner: Penn National Gaming

Maryland

Before the end of 2022, PointsBet launched in Maryland in November partnering up with Riverboat-on-the-Potomac. It also has a retail sportsbook on-site. The retail sportsbook launched in September 2022. 
Is PointsBet legal in Maryland?: Yes
Launch Date: November 2022
Land-Based Partner: Riverboat-on-the-Potomac

Ohio

The last online sportsbook, PointsBet, launched before the Fanatics acquisition was in Ohio. It launched in January 2023, partnering with Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
Is PointsBet legal in Ohio?: Yes
Launch Date: January 2023
Land-Based Partner: Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course

While online sports betting is available in the United States, there are still some unique differences from state to state. Below, we’ll go through each state PointsBet is available in and highlight the unique laws each has, where applicable. All states don’t allow for betting on high school sports. 

• Colorado: No prop bets allowed on college sports.
• Illinois: No betting on in-state college teams.
• Indiana: No wagering on in-state college teams or events.
• Iowa: No prop betting on college players. There are no deposits or withdrawals allowed with credit cards.
• Louisiana: Several parishes don’t allow online sports betting—Caldwell, Franklin, West Carroll, Catahoula, Jackson, LaSalle, Sabine, Union, and Winn.
• Michigan: No prop bets allowed on college athletes.
• New Jersey: You cannot wager on college athlete props, in-state teams, or events.
• New York: Cannot bet on in-state college programs.
• Virginia: Cannot wager on props or in-state college teams.