It is legal to make an online wager on sports in Oregon, but it’s not quite the same as other states with legal sports betting.
The reason is that DraftKings is the only licensed sportsbook in Oregon and that is not expected to change anytime soon.
Wait, DraftKings Is the Only Legal Online Sportsbook in Oregon?
Yes.
When sports betting was first legalized in Oregon in 2019, the only legally operating sportsbook was Scoreboard.
The Scoreboard was not very popular among Oregon’s sports bettors, and many complained about its underwhelming user experience.
Yet, in 2021 the state saw almost 10 million bets placed, with upwards of $331 million wagered on sports.
In December 2019, SBTech, Scoreboard’s parent company was acquired by DraftKings and in January 2002 added Oregon to the long list of states where DraftKings is legal.
Are Other Sportsbooks Coming to Oregon Soon?
We’re still waiting to see if another Sportsbook will join DraftKings in Oregon. Competitors such as FanDuel sportsbook and BetMGM must be eager to launch their operations in the state, yet there is nothing concrete pointing to the expansion of sports betting brands in the State.
Opposing parties claim, and rightfully so, that the current system makes DraftKings a Monopoly, allowing them to offer lesser promotions and control the market entirely.
And efforts are being made to advocate for the ratification of the state’s sports betting laws to broaden the competition of sports betting providers in Oregon, but again, when this might happen remains a mystery.
Explaining The Laws of Online Sports Betting in Oregon
Oregon’s state lottery operates the sports betting in the state.
Oregon’s state lottery was established in 1984 and shortly afterwards, besides the state lottery, the organization started offering an NFL game lottery, called Sports Action.
Therefore, when Oregon became the first West Coast state to legalize sports betting, the state’s governing body decided to entrust the state lottery with operating its online sports betting sector.
Developed by SBTech, and operating under the Oregon State Lottery, the Scorecard App was launched soon after.
The join operation lasted until 2022 when DraftKings replaced Scorecard.
And now the only question remaining is when new sportsbooks will join Oregon’s $500’s betting market.