Legal Betting in Idaho

Gambling in Idaho is very limited. There is no legalized online gambling to speak of in the state, with even daily fantasy sports sites not operating in Idaho since 2016. Land-based options exist but are somewhat limited. There is a lottery in Idaho, and tribal casinos operate here as well. Overall, Idaho has one of the most limited gaming industries in the United States.

Online Sports Betting in Idaho

In Idaho, online sports betting is not yet legal. Idaho is one of the few states in which there has been little or no movement towards attempting to regulate sports betting within its borders. Given the complete lack of attempts to push for laws that would legalize Idaho online sports betting, we’re not expecting to see it come to the state anytime soon.

If a bill is introduced to legalize sports betting in Idaho, you’ll find updates here on this page.

Online Casinos in Idaho

It may come as no surprise that there are no regulated online casinos in Idaho. All forms of online gambling in Idaho are broadly considered illegal – the state has a robust definition of what constitutes gambling, and explicitly bans any type of betting that hasn’t been specifically legalized by the state. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no serious efforts to legalize online casinos in Idaho.

Should there be any bills introduced that attempt to legalize online casinos in Idaho, you’ll be able to follow their progress on this page.

Online Poker in Idaho

Those who want to play online poker in Idaho are in much the same position as online casino players in the state. Not only is there no legal online poker in the state, there have been no serious efforts to change this fact, and there are no signs that any lawmakers are looking to push to change online poker’s legality in Idaho anytime soon.

Should any attempts be made to change the legislation of online poker in Idaho, you’ll find updates on this page.

Daily Fantasy in Idaho

While not legal today, there was a time when Idaho daily fantasy sports sites were common. In the early days of the DFS industry, major sites offered their fantasy games in nearly every state, including Idaho.

Unfortunately, that came to an end in 2016 when Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden found that daily fantasy sports were indeed illegal under the state’s gaming laws. That led to three months of negotiations with sites like FanDuel and DraftKings over how to handle the fact that they were operating in the state.

In the end, the sites agreed to stop offering real money DFS games in Idaho. However, they could offer free versions of those games if they wished to do so. To this day, the sites have not returned, and are unlikely to do so unless the state passes laws that specifically regulate DFS sites.

You’ll find updates on this page should regulation of DFS sites in Idaho change.

Online Lottery in Idaho

There is a legal lottery in Idaho, though it doesn’t offer online products or ticket sales. Voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1988 that allowed for lotteries in the state. In 1989, the Idaho state lottery began selling tickets, making it the only significant form of government-sponsored gambling in the state.

Those lottery sales continue to this day. The lottery in Idaho also includes multistate jackpot games like Powerball and Mega Millions. However, none of these offerings are available online at this time, and there is no sign that lawmakers will consider offering lottery products over the internet soon.

Other Important Gambling Facts in Idaho

While online gaming options may be essentially nonexistent, there is land-based gambling in Idaho. As mentioned above, that includes a standard lottery program, as well as pari-mutuel betting on horse races.

The most significant way to gamble in Idaho, however, is at tribal casinos in the state. You won’t find true slot machines or many table games; instead, they are limited to Class II gaming, which means you’ll be playing with video lottery terminals, bingo, keno, and pull-tab games. That means even common options like live poker games can’t be found here.

Gambling Idaho Conclusion

Overall, Idaho is one of the most restrictive states in the USA when it comes to gambling options. Progress has been slow in expanding even land-based gambling in Idaho, which means it’s unlikely that online gambling will be made legal soon. The best hope is for Idaho online sports betting: since a bill hasn’t yet been proposed, there could be support for a measure if one came before the state legislature.

FAQs

Is there gambling in Idaho?

Yes, there are forms of legal gambling in Idaho. Examples include tribal casinos, the state lottery, and pari-mutuel wagering.

What is the legal gambling age in Idaho?

The minimum age to play the lottery in Idaho is 18 years of age. Most tribal casinos also have a minimum gambling age of 18, except for the Clearwater Casino, where gamblers must be 21.

Is online sports betting legal in Idaho?

Online sports betting is not currently legal in the state of Idaho. There are no legal brick-and-mortar sports betting operations in the state, either.

Is FanDuel legal in Idaho?

According to state officials in Idaho, daily fantasy sports sites are not legal. That includes FanDuel, which agreed to stop offering real money games in the state in 2016.