Oregon Betting Sites: Only One Choice for Gamblers
Online sports betting is legal in OR, but gamblers only have one option. Legal Oregon sports betting is limited to the Scoreboard mobile app which is run by the Oregon Lottery. No other Oregon betting sites are currently allowed to operate, though betting is allowed at some tribal casinos.
There have been some proposals to open Oregon online sports betting into a competitive marketplace, but for now that seems some way off. In the meantime, Oregon bettors will have to continue with their highly limited choice of gambling possibilities.
What are the Best Betting Sites Oregon Residents Can Gamble On?
Oregon online sports betting is legal but you can only bet with the Oregon Lottery’s Scoreboard app or at a tribal casino. Betting on horse racing is legal and there are poker rooms throughout the state where you can play cards – although you can only win non-monetary prizes.
Is Daily Fantasy Legal in Oregon?
Daily fantasy sports operate in a legal grey area in OR. A 2017 bill to attempt to legalize DFS in Oregon failed to pass and there are currently no DFS laws on the books. FanDuel’s Oregon sports betting app continues to accept customers from the Beaver State.
Due to its ongoing negotiations with the Scoreboard app, DraftKings stopped accepting contest entries from Oregon residents in July 2021. The State Lottery-owned Scoreboard app is in negotiations to switch to operate on the DraftKings platform. DraftKings has pulled out of the OR market until those discussions are resolved.
Are there Legal Offshore Sites for Oregon Players?
Offshore betting sites like MyBookie, BetOnline, or Bovada give more gambling options to Oregonians, but these sites are risky places to bet and not legal. Offshores bookies are not licensed by any gaming authority and if you bet with them your money isn’t safe.
With only one legal betting site available, it may be tempting for bettors from OR to use offshore sites to place a bet. If you bet at unregulated bookmakers, then there are no guarantees that your winning bets will be honored. It simply isn’t worth the risk to use unlicensed bookies.
Land-based Casinos in Oregon
There are a number of tribal casinos throughout the state of Oregon. At present only one casino in Oregon offers legal sports betting – the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City. Chinook Winds began accepting sports bets in August 2019. More tribal casinos in Oregon are likely to offer sports betting in future.
Horse Racing Betting
The Oregon Racing Commission regulates horse racing in the Beaver State. Things looked bleak for racing fans in Oregon when the Portland Meadows track closed in 2019 after 70 years of operation. But racing soon returned to OR with the opening of a new track at Grant’s Pass.
Pari-mutuel betting on horse racing was legalized in Oregon in 1929, with greyhound betting allowed two years later. With a long history of horse racing in the state, racing fans in Oregon will hope for the continued success of the Grant’s Pass racetrack.
Poker and Card Rooms in OR
Under the law that allows social gaming, poker rooms operate throughout the state of Oregon. Cardrooms in OR don’t take rake or tournament fees, but instead charge an entry fee and make money from food and drink orders. They also aren’t allowed to pay out prize money.
Poker rooms currently run under the state’s ‘charitable poker’ guidelines. However, legal action from the Oregon Lottery is ongoing and could shut down poker rooms in OR if it is successful.
Nearest State with Legal Sports Betting
If Oregon online sports betting isn’t enough, then Nevada is the place to go. Nevada has an open and competitive online sports betting market and online gambling is fully legal in NV.
Oregon residents are allowed to place wagers at Nevada betting sites. Bettors from Oregon can sign up to a Nevada bookmaker and place a bet within Nevada state lines – but only after they have registered their account at a NV brick-and-mortar casino.
Montana and Colorado are two further states with legal sports betting sites Oregon gamblers can bet at. Here is a list of the closest states with legal sports betting.
What Would Legal Oregon Online Sports Betting Look Like?
Online sports betting in Oregon is possible right now but in a very limited fashion. When looking for the best betting sites Oregon, bettors only have one choice available.
Two organisations could regulate expanded OR sports betting The Oregon Racing Commission would likely oversee an increase in the competition among Oregon betting sites. The Oregon Lottery could also be involved, as they currently regulate Scoreboard – the Oregon sports betting app.
In a fully legal competitive market, Oregonians would have a wide variety of locations to bet on the Portland Trailblazers, Timbers, and Thorns. NFL betting would also be more attractive, with best betting sites in Oregon competing for customers with promotions and sign up offers.
Increased competition would boost sports betting traffic in OR, which would lead to an increase in taxation revenue. A fully regulated and licensed competitive market in Oregon could boost the economy and give gamblers a greater choice of where to bet.
What are the Oregon Gambling Laws?
| Betting Type | Law |
|---|---|
| Sports Betting | Limited |
| Online Sports Betting | Limited |
| Land-based Casino | Tribal Casinos Legal |
| Online Casino | Not Legal |
| Poker | Legal Under ‘Social Gaming’ Laws |
| Racetrack Betting | Legal |
| Oregon Gambling Age | 21+ |
Gambling laws in Oregon are quite unusual compared to the rest of the United States. Oregon Lottery’s Scoreboard app operates legal sports betting as a virtual monopoly in the Beaver State.
Other Oregon betting sites are not allowed to operate, and online casino games are also not permitted. Poker exists in a legal grey area. Online poker is not allowed but there are ‘social’ poker clubs where players aren’t allowed to pay entry fees or win cash prizes.
Horse Racing betting is possible and tribal casinos are permitted to operate throughout the state. The legal gambling age for all types of gambling in Oregon is 21 years old.
In the table you can see the types of gambling available to OR residents. Many forms of gambling are available in Oregon but quite a few varieties are limited in some way. The only exception is online casino gambling which is not permitted at all.
History of Sports Betting and Gambling in the Oregon
Horse Racing betting began in Oregon in 1931 but it was a long time before any further forms of progressive gambling legislation in the Beaver State. Betting on greyhound racing also became legal in Oregon in 1933 and dog racing took place in the state until 2004.
The Happy Canyon Law of 1974 allowed non-profits to provide games of chance in OR. This was seen as a step towards introducing casinos in the state. In 1984 a state lottery was approved in Oregon and in 1988 tribal casinos were given the green light.
From 2007 poker clubs found a niche in Oregon law and began operating under ‘charitable poker’ guidelines. Clubs are not allowed to make money from rake or give out cash prizes and the legal situation for poker in Oregon is currently the source of debate for state lawmakers.
After the repeal of PASPA in 2018, sports betting became possible in Oregon. The Oregon Lottery was given the right to launch a betting app and some tribal casinos began to accept bets.
Other Oregon betting sites are still not permitted but gamblers have the option of using the Scoreboard betting app to place a wager. When selecting the best betting sites Oregon gamblers don’t have any choice right now.
What is the Future of Sports Betting in Oregon?
In Oregon online sports betting is currently possible but very limited – with only one Oregon sportsbook available. There are hopes for an expanded online sports betting opportunities in OR in the future.
There are negotiations for DraftKings to enter the OR market by taking over the operation of the Scoreboard app. And perhaps in the future there will be more Oregon betting sites for gamblers to choose from.
Frequently Asked Questions
We hope that that you found our OR online sports betting guide as informative as possible. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions from our readers about betting online in Oregon. This covers some common topics that our readers ask about Oregon betting sites.
⚖️ Is online gambling and sports betting legal in Oregon?
Online sports betting is legal in Oregon but at present you can only bet with the Scoreboard app which is operated by the Oregon Lottery. You can get a summary of the latest online betting situation in Oregon in our section above.
🛡️ What is the Oregon legal gambling age?
The legal age for gambling in Oregon is 21 for all forms of gambling. You can read more about Oregon gambling laws in our dedicated section.
🚨 Are sites like MyBookie and BetOnline legal and safe?
MyBookie and BetOnline are illegal offshore gambling sites. While they do accept gamblers from Oregon, you don't know if your funds are safe or winning bets will be paid at these unregulated sites. We look at what the legal Oregon gambling market is like in this section.
🔎 Can I play at an online Oregon sportsbook if I am not in the state?
No, you can only bet on the Scoreboard app from within OR. You can sign up to bet in other states when you are within their borders. You can find information about neighboring states with legal online sports betting on this page.