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Several states across the country have been busy this week, as bills related to gambling have been filed, marking a potential desire for stronger regulations or new introductions in the industry.
Representatives across Virginia, Florida, New Jersey, Indiana, New York, Nebraska, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, and Illinois have made the filings.
Which US states have filed gambling bills in 2026?
Virginia
One of the most significant, if it were to be brought in, is the bill in Virginia, the House Bill 161, which would see internet gaming in the Commonwealth authorized and regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board.
From the US Poker Community Discord, A bill was proposed in the Virginia legislature to legalize online poker, join the MSIGA and ban sweepstakes gaming https://t.co/hdPoa90nEl
— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) January 7, 2026
The summary reads: “The bill requires a casino gaming operator that intends to conduct internet gaming to submit a separate notice of intent to the Director of the Virginia Lottery for each internet gaming platform that it intends to offer, up to three, accompanied by a $2 million platform fee that is to be deposited into the Internet Gaming Platform Fee Holding Fund for the purpose of funding start-up costs and other costs associated with the implementation and creation of a gaming commission.”
Apart from this, another bill has been introduced in the state called Senate Bill 195, which would create the Virginia Gaming Commission. The new agency would be responsible for regulating and overseeing all legal gambling in the state, except for the state lottery.
The bill would also set the rules for appointing a Gaming Commissioner and board members, outline their powers and responsibilities, and move existing gaming regulators into the new commission to streamline oversight of the industry.
One of the more consumer-focused proposals being looked in the state is House Bill 515, which targets how people fund their sports betting accounts.
The bill would prevent the Virginia Lottery Director from approving credit cards as a payment method for sports betting. In simple terms, if this measure were to pass, bettors would no longer be able to use a credit card to place wagers through licensed sportsbooks in the state.
The idea behind the bill is to curb risky or impulsive gambling by stopping players from betting with borrowed money. Instead, users would need to rely on debit cards, bank transfers, or other cash-based funding methods, which are generally seen as less likely to contribute to problem gambling.
If adopted, House Bill 515 wouldn’t change what people can bet on or which sportsbooks can operate, but it would meaningfully change how Virginians can pay when they do.
New Jersey
Moving away from Virginia, the Assembly Bill 6081 has been reported and referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week in New Jersey, but it was originally introduced in November of last year. This would allow courier services to sell instant lottery game tickets electronically and would establish a self-exclusion list for State Lottery games.
Senate Bill 1500 would move sweepstakes casinos into the state’s formal internet gaming system. That means these platforms would need to be licensed, regulated, and taxed like other legal online casinos, bringing them under the supervision of the Division of Gaming Enforcement instead of operating in a legal gray area. In August 2025, Governor Phil Murphy already signed a bill which prohibited the sweepstakes model of wagering in the state.
Another proposal, Bill 2334, sets up an annual fee for sports betting operators, with the revenue going directly toward the Council on Compulsive Gambling and programs that provide treatment for gambling addiction. It’s designed to make sure the industry helps fund the resources that support players who may be struggling.
Lawmakers are also looking to slow down fast-paced wagering through Bill 2160, which would ban so-called micro bets. These are wagers on very small moments within a game, such as the next pitch or the next play, and the bill includes penalties for sportsbooks that continue to offer them.
With Bill 1170, the focus shifts to college sports. This measure would stop sportsbooks from offering player-specific prop bets on college athletes, a move meant to reduce the risk of pressure, harassment, or integrity issues tied to betting on individual performances.
Advertising practices are addressed in Bill 2356, which would require the Division of Gaming Enforcement to study and implement new language standards for gambling ads. It also places stricter limits on where and how gambling promotions can appear, particularly in certain locations.
Rounding things out, Bill 1444 would add even more restrictions on how casino games and sports betting are marketed under specific circumstances, aiming to curb aggressive advertising and limit exposure to vulnerable audiences.
Florida
Over in Florida, Bill 1164 includes tweaks to the gambling codes, with a number of changes included that were proposed previously but were not passed. Within this bill, some of the changes include “deleting language concerning factors to be considered in appointments to the Florida Gaming Control Commission,” as well as “defining the terms Internal gambling and Internet sports wagering”, and more.
Meanwhile, Bill 1580 also focuses on tightening gambling laws and oversight by updating penalties for illegal gambling, setting stricter ethics and conduct rules for gaming commission staff, and adding criminal penalties for betting on fixed or prearranged sporting events. It also allows certain people who are normally barred from working for the gaming commission to request a waiver if they have relevant experience.
The third proposal, Bill 881, is aimed at reshaping Florida’s horse racing and gaming industry. It would allow some permit holders to stop live racing, change tax and payment requirements, make it easier to transfer and relocate racing permits, and remove certain voter referendum and forfeiture rules tied to racing facilities.
Indiana
In Indiana, House Bill 1078 was introduced on January 5 with this potentially authorizing the lottery commission to operate the sale of draw games and eInstant games over the Internet. Also in Indiana, House Bill 1235 aims to authorize wagering on video gaming terminals in certain establishments.
Indiana Rep. Doug Miller is calling for an amendment to HB 1052 that would legalize iGaming. Sounds like the same bill the House passed last year.
Miller's amendment would also create a problem gambling fund.
Amend. #7 is about regulation, he said
— Steve Bittenbender (@BittGDCG) January 6, 2026
This would also see the establishment of a licensing structure for participants in video gaming, while imposing a video gaming wagering tax of 30% of adjusted gross receipts. Earlier this week, we also reported that testimony on Indiana House Bill 1052 was heard the same day, calling for an outright ban on sweepstakes casinos.
Nebraska
Similar bills have been filed in Missouri and Mississippi, while Nebraska Bill 421 has been carried over from last year and this aims to allow an authorized gaming operator to conduct sports wagering by means of an online sports wagering platform under the Nebraska Racetrack Gaming Act.
New York
Then, finally, three bills have been introduced in New York. The Bill 2614, which was initially introduced in January of last year, has been referred to racing, gaming and wagering. If passed, this would allow interactive gaming and lottery gaming in the state of New York.
The other, Bill 6030, was introduced on January 7, with this to allow certain interactive poker games to be considered games of skill rather than games of luck. It includes definitions, required safeguards and minimum standards too.
Assembly Bill 9542, also known as the GUARD Act, would crack down on sportsbook promotions that are designed to push people into gambling. The bill would ban operators from offering things like free bets, bonus bets, special odds, or other incentives to get someone to open an account, place their first bet, come back after being inactive, or even change a self-exclusion limit.
Maryland
Maryland has a new bill on the table called Bill 112, and it is all about cracking down on illegal online gambling. Basically, it would stop certain people and companies from running, promoting, or making money from unlicensed interactive games. It also means that anyone applying for or already holding a gaming license would have to be upfront about any business ties they have to illegal gambling operations.
If the bill passes, regulators would be required to turn down or pull licenses from companies that knowingly take money from illegal gambling markets, including those based in restricted areas. On top of that, the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission would get more power to block applications and penalize anyone who breaks the rules.
Senate Bill 102 would limit how much free bets and promotional credits sportsbooks can exclude from their taxable revenue. After the first full year of operations, the Lottery and Gaming Commission would set a cap on how much promotional play can be written off, tying it to a percentage of a sportsbook’s prior-year proceeds.
Mississippi
Two major gaming bills have been introduced in Mississippi. House Bill 519 would modernize the state’s gaming laws by officially allowing sports betting and race books to operate through digital platforms, including websites and mobile apps. It would also update licensing rules and fees based on online gaming revenue and remove the current ban on fantasy sports contests tied to college athletics.
Another proposal, Senate Bill 2104, moves in the opposite direction by seeking to ban online sweepstakes casinos altogether. It would classify any online or computerized gambling as illegal, with penalties that could include large fines, prison time, and the seizure of assets. If passed, it would put Mississippi alongside states like New York, Indiana, and Florida that have already enacted similar bans.
Senate Bill 2249 would bring mobile sports betting to the state by creating the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act.
The bill would make online sportsbooks and online race books legal, allowing people to place bets from their phones, as long as they are physically located in Mississippi. Each online platform would have to be licensed and could partner with one existing casino, keeping the state’s current gaming industry at the center of the system.
It also builds in guardrails, including geofencing, age verification, and a strict 21+ age limit for players. Platforms would be taxed on their gross revenue, but that revenue would be exempt from certain other casino fees, simplifying how mobile betting is taxed.
A portion of the money raised would be directed to education, with proceeds flowing into the Mississippi Hope Scholarship Fund and a new Mobile Sports Wagering Tax Fund.
Oklahoma
Another measure worth keeping an eye on comes out of Oklahoma with Senate Bill 1589, which looks to tweak how gambling-related crimes are handled under state law.
Rather than creating an entirely new set of rules, the bill would modify the scope of an existing criminal offense tied to gambling. In practical terms, this means the state would be adjusting what does and does not qualify as illegal gambling activity, potentially changing who can be charged and under what circumstances.
Utah
Utah’s House Bill 243 is a cleanup-and-clarification bill that tightens up how the state defines gambling. Most notably, it explicitly adds proposition bets i.e. wagers on specific actions or outcomes within a sporting event, into the legal definition of gambling, making it clear they are illegal under Utah law.
In other words, the bill doesn’t legalize anything new, however, it reinforces Utah’s strict anti-gambling stance by making sure newer betting formats are clearly covered, and it takes effect on May 6, 2026. Senate Bill 38 looks more closely at consumer protections against sweepstakes operators.
Washington
Washington’s House Bill 2205 focuses on tightening up and modernizing the state’s regulated sports wagering industry.
The bill is aimed at refining how the industry operates including how sportsbooks are regulated, how compliance is enforced, and how the state oversees licensed operators. The goal is to make sure Washington’s tribal-based sports betting system continues to run in a controlled, transparent, and well-regulated way.
Illinois
Illinois lawmakers are pushing a two-bill effort to stop local governments from interfering with sports betting. Senate Bill 2800 would block cities and counties from regulating, licensing, or taxing sports wagering on their own, keeping all control at the state level. At the same time, Senate Bill 2760 would financially penalize any municipality that tries to impose extra fees or surcharges by deducting that amount from its share of state revenue and redistributing it elsewhere.
UPDATED: Further bills added for New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, Utah, Washington, Illinois, and Mississippi on January 13 and January 15, 2026.
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