By Cian O’Rourke · Last updated 31 October 2026 · State rules checked against regulator notices and state-by-state trackers this month
Yes, you can bet on esports from most of the US, but how depends on your state. About 20 states let licensed sportsbooks offer some esports markets. Delaware, Indiana, Iowa and Pennsylvania do not, and states with no legal sports betting, such as California and Texas, have no licensed option. In those states, many players use offshore books instead. The two we rate are BetOnline for the deepest esports markets and SportsBetting.ag for the cleaner free bet. Neither holds a US licence, and Michigan, Tennessee and Massachusetts have acted against both.
Check your state · Licensed apps with esports · Will I get in trouble?
Where US players can bet on esports today
If your state has no licensed esports option, these are the two offshore books we would use. They are sister sites, run by the same group with the same cashier, so pick one rather than opening both. If you live in Michigan, Tennessee or Massachusetts, skip both, as your state has ordered them to stop.
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How to choose between them: BetOnline has the deeper esports board, with 100 or more markets on a big CS2 match and terms that name the company behind it. SportsBetting.ag carries fewer esports props but offers free Bitcoin withdrawals with no published maximum. If esports is most of your betting, BetOnline is the better fit. If you mainly want the welcome free bet and quick crypto payouts, SportsBetting.ag does the job. Neither has an app. Both run in your phone browser, and you can save them to your home screen. Our esports betting apps guide walks through the home screen shortcut.
You may notice two names missing. Stake and Thunderpick are both strong esports books, but neither accepts US players, so they have no place on this page.
Where esports betting stands, state by state
There is no single US esports betting law. Each state decides, and many have never mentioned esports in their rules at all. This is how things look in late 2026.
Licensed books can offer esports
Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. Coverage varies by sportsbook and is often limited to major events.
Allowed with conditions, or unclear
Nevada approves esports events one at a time. New Jersey only allows betting on events where every player is 18 or older. In Illinois, Michigan, New York and several others the rules do not clearly cover esports, so what you can bet on depends on each sportsbook.
No licensed esports betting
Delaware, Indiana, Iowa and Pennsylvania do not let their sportsbooks offer esports. States with no legal sports betting at all, including California and Texas, have no licensed option of any kind.
Rules change during the year. Check your state gaming regulator’s website, or the sportsbook’s own esports menu, before you bet. This summary is a guide, not legal advice.
States that have acted against offshore books. Michigan ordered both BetOnline and SportsBetting.ag to stop serving its residents in April 2025 and again in April 2026, as part of an order naming 45 offshore operators. Tennessee sent BetOnline a cease-and-desist letter in May 2025 and fined SportsBetting.ag $50,000 the following month. Massachusetts’ Attorney General sent a cease-and-desist letter in June 2025. If you live in one of those states, use a licensed sportsbook or do not bet.
Live in a legal state? These licensed apps carry esports
If your state is in the green group above, start with the sportsbook app you may already have. These are the licensed books most likely to list esports, though what you see depends on your state and the week.
- DraftKings: League of Legends, CS2, Dota 2 and Call of Duty, mostly around major events.
- BetMGM: CS2, League of Legends, Dota 2 and Call of Duty.
- bet365: CS2, League of Legends, Dota 2 and Valorant, in the states where it operates.
- Others, including FanDuel and Caesars: esports coverage is patchier, so check the app’s menu before you rely on it.
Expect match winner, map handicaps and totals on the big events rather than deep player props.
We don’t earn a cent from these apps. We list them because if one covers the match you want, it is the safer place to bet.
Two very different ways to bet on esports from the US
Every US esports bettor ends up choosing between the same two routes. Neither is perfect, and the right one depends on where you live and how much protection you want.
| Licensed state sportsbook | Offshore sportsbook | |
|---|---|---|
| Who regulates it | Your state gaming regulator | A foreign licence, or none named |
| Where you can use it | Only inside a state where it holds a licence | Most of the US, with some states blocked |
| Esports menu | Usually thin: big events, basic markets | Wider: more titles, maps, handicaps, live bets |
| Payments | Cards, bank, PayPal | Mainly crypto; cards often blocked or charged |
| If something goes wrong | You can complain to the state regulator | No US body will help you |
| Minimum age | 21 in most states | Usually 18, but your state’s law still applies |
Our view: if you live in a state with legal sports betting and your licensed sportsbook lists the match you want, use it. The protection is worth more than a slightly bigger menu. Offshore books make sense mainly for bettors in states with no legal option, or for markets the licensed books simply do not offer, and you take on the risk yourself.
Will you get in trouble for using an offshore site?
Short answer: almost certainly not.
Federal laws such as the Wire Act and UIGEA are aimed at the businesses that take bets and process payments, not at individual bettors. State enforcement so far has followed the same pattern: the cease-and-desist orders and fines in Michigan, Tennessee and Massachusetts were sent to the sportsbooks, not their customers. Prosecutions of individual players are very rare.
Rare is not the same as never. In some states, placing an online bet with an unlicensed site is itself against the law. Washington is the strictest: its gambling law is widely read as making online betting with unlicensed sites a felony for the player, and online sports betting is not legal there at all. If you live in Washington, do not use an offshore book.
The bigger practical risk is your money, not the police. If an offshore book freezes your account or refuses a withdrawal, no US regulator or court will step in. Keep balances small, withdraw winnings regularly, and keep records of every transaction.
How to fund an offshore account from the US
This is where most US newcomers get stuck. Many US banks decline card payments to offshore sportsbooks, and those that go through often carry a fee. Crypto is the route that works reliably. Here is the process, start to finish.
- Buy crypto on a US exchange you already trust, such as Coinbase or Kraken. Bitcoin is the simplest choice, because both of our picks pay it out for free.
- Register with the sportsbook and upload your ID and proof of address straight away. Verification delays are the most common reason a first withdrawal is slow.
- Copy the deposit address from the sportsbook’s cashier and send your crypto to it. Enter the promo code before you confirm, or the welcome offer will not apply.
- Wager your deposit at least once. Both books require this before you can withdraw.
- Withdraw back to your exchange wallet, then sell or hold. Bitcoin payouts are usually processed within 24 hours.
Prefer not to use crypto? Both books accept cards and person-to-person transfers, but expect fees, lower limits and payouts that take days or weeks rather than hours. Our crypto esports betting guide covers wallets and coins in more depth.
US esports events to watch and bet on
American fans have more to bet on at home than ever.
Right now the biggest one is happening at home. The 2026 League of Legends World Championship is being played on American soil, from Los Angeles to Texas, with the final at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on 14 November. Plenty of fans are about to ask whether they can put money on it. Here is what is coming up for US bettors.
| Event | Game | When | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| League of Legends Worlds 2026 | League of Legends | Knockouts to 8 Nov, final 14 Nov | Played in the US, with the final in Brooklyn |
| Call of Duty League 2027 season | Call of Duty | Starts 4 Dec 2026, Champs in Texas in July 2027 | The most US-heavy league in esports |
| VCT Americas Kickoff 2027 | Valorant | From early January 2027 | First look at North American teams in the new season |
| LCS 2027 | League of Legends | Expected late January 2027 | North America’s own league, back since 2026 |
| IEM USA 2027 | CS2 | 5 to 11 April 2027 | Top-tier CS2 in a US arena, city to be announced |
Dates from official league announcements and event organisers as of October 2026. We update this table as schedules are confirmed.
Tax and staying in control
Gambling winnings are taxable income in the US, including winnings from offshore sites, and they should be reported on your federal return. From the 2026 tax year, a change in federal law means you can only deduct 90% of your gambling losses against those winnings, so even a break-even year can leave you with a tax bill. Keep a record of every deposit, bet and withdrawal, and speak to a tax professional if the amounts are meaningful.
Offshore books also tend to have weaker safer-gambling tools than licensed ones. SportsBetting.ag, for example, has no deposit limit setting at all. Decide your budget before you deposit, and if betting stops being fun, step away and visit our responsible gambling page. In the US, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-522-4700.
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US esports betting questions answered
Is esports betting legal in the USA?
It depends on your state. Around 20 states let licensed sportsbooks offer esports, Nevada and New Jersey allow it with conditions, and Delaware, Indiana, Iowa and Pennsylvania do not allow it. States without legal sports betting, such as California and Texas, have no licensed option.
Can I bet on esports in my state?
Open a licensed sportsbook that operates in your state, such as DraftKings, BetMGM or bet365, and look for an esports section. If there is none, your state either does not allow it or the sportsbook does not offer it. Your state gaming regulator’s website has the definitive rules.
What are the best esports betting sites for US players?
Among offshore books that accept US players, we rate BetOnline (3.7 out of 5) for its deeper esports markets and SportsBetting.ag (3.2 out of 5) for its free bet and free Bitcoin withdrawals. Neither is licensed in any US state, and Michigan, Tennessee and Massachusetts have acted against both.
Can I get in trouble for betting on an offshore site?
Federal law and state enforcement have targeted the sportsbooks rather than their customers, and prosecutions of individual bettors are very rare. Some states do make it illegal for players to bet with unlicensed sites, with Washington the strictest. The bigger risk is losing access to your money, because no US regulator will help with an offshore dispute.
Can I bet on esports with PayPal in the US?
Only at licensed state sportsbooks, and only where they offer esports. Offshore books do not take PayPal. They rely mainly on crypto, with cards and person-to-person transfers as slower, costlier backups.
Can I bet on esports with Bitcoin in the US?
Yes, at offshore books such as BetOnline and SportsBetting.ag, both of which accept and pay out in Bitcoin. Licensed state sportsbooks do not accept crypto.
Do I pay tax on esports betting winnings?
Yes. Gambling winnings are taxable in the US whether they come from a licensed or an offshore sportsbook. From the 2026 tax year, losses can only offset 90% of them. Speak to a tax professional for your own situation.
Sources and how we checked. Written by Cian O’Rourke. State rules were checked against state-by-state esports betting trackers updated in October 2026. Offshore enforcement details come from notices published by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council and the Massachusetts Attorney General. Event dates come from Riot Games, the Call of Duty League and ESL. Laws and offers change, so confirm the current position before you bet. This page is information, not legal or tax advice.
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