A Complicated History with Legal Gambling Could Derail Idaho Sports Betting Outlook

The discussion surrounding Idaho sports betting in 2024 is what it’s been for years. This is to say, it’s nonexistent.

Sure, the subject is broached every now and then. But ever since the United States Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, The Gem State has remained mostly silent on the matter. It’s not that measures to legalize sports betting in Idaho have repeatedly. It’s that they hardly ever get proposed.

In recent years, the conversation has seemed almost taboo. Officials may comment on Idaho sports betting when asked. Otherwise, though, it is never on the agenda for state legislative sessions. In fact, many believe Idaho will be the one of the final frontiers for legal sports betting. After Alaska and Utah, The Gem State is considered the place least likely to rework their gaming laws. 

The reasons for Idaho’s sports betting stance run the gamut of justification. Political, religious and moral beliefs are all at play. Ditto for logistical skepticism. Even many who might be open to sports betting in The Gem State struggle to see the upside. After all, Idaho ranks 38th out of 50 states in population and doesn’t have a pro sports team inside the market. Is there really a demand for the legalization of sports betting? 

Truth be told, this is a question for a different day. Although, it’s fair to say plenty of Idahoans want to bet on sports. There are popular pro sports teams in nearby markets, and Idaho remains home to Boise State football. 

And yet Idaho’s approach (or lack thereof) to sports betting is rooted in more than just bi-partisan preferences. As it turns out, the state’s complicated history with legal gambling may have shaped it into the unreadable question mark it has become today.

Idaho Actually Used to Embrace the Concept of Legal Gambling

When we speak in terms of Idaho sports betting, The Gem State gets penciled in as a holdout to all forms of gambling. Their gaming laws are among the most restrictive in the country. But this wasn’t always the case. 

The folks over at Sports Insider published a deep dive on the history of legal betting in Idaho. Believe us when we say it’s illuminating. Consider this excerpt: 

“As was common in the early days of the Western United States gambling was an integral part of the culture in Idaho dating back to the 1800’s. At this point, gambling was regulated by the individual towns and many had a very permissive attitude toward games of chance. For over a century, this symbiotic arrangement was beneficial to everyone involved—the cities and towns padded their tax coffers, the casinos had access to a steady if not overly large market and the people of Idaho had a wide variety of gambling options.

“This changed quickly and dramatically after World War II due to a very apropos reason. Simply put, the pro gambling forces ‘overplayed their hand’. In 1949, Boise, Idaho (the state’s largest city and capital) banned casino table games. Rather than comply with the law, an effort was made to circumvent it with the creation of a de facto ‘town’ for the sole purpose of allowing gambling. This set off a regulatory barrage targeted at legalized gambling in the state. By 1954 both slots and table games were banned statewide and this prohibition remains in force today.”

In essence, the genesis of Idaho sports betting restrictions seem like it dates back roughly 75 years ago. If individual towns never try to circumvent the ban on casino table games, there’s a chance The Gem State never implements even more rigid limitations.

We Know Idaho Sports Betting Is Illegal, But What Other Restrictions are in Place?

For so long, all forms of gambling were basically prohibited in The Gem State. This changed in 1963. That’s when Idaho started to allow betting on horse races. Their laws on track betting have expanded in the decades since. Today, Idahoans can access services like Twin Spires, and the state has multiple race tracks that remain up and running.

However, beyond this, Idaho gambling laws barely expanded for decades. That shifted in 1989, when the Idaho State Lottery was officially rolled out. Fast forward to 2024, and the lottery has become The Gem State’s most popular source of legal gambling. (The downslide in the horse race betting market has of course helped this along.)

Pretty much every other gaming option is off limits inside the market. Never mind accessing online sportsbooks in the United States. Idaho was among the first places to actively ban daily fantasy sports. 

Will Idaho Gambling Laws Ever Change?

More than a few expert analysts are prepared to predict that Idaho sports betting never gets legalized. We won’t go that far. 

Online sports betting in the United States is more popular than ever and offers unprecedented access to fans across all markets, no matter how big or small. The nature of its reach could prove inviting to a place like Idaho. They don’t need to set up physical locations. They can follow the blueprint of Tennessee sports betting, which only allows online operators to accept wagers.

Still, just because it’s not impossible doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. The silence on the matter of Idaho sports betting has become deafening. More than half of the United States has now legalized some form of sports betting. Yet, we still don’t hear a peep from Idaho. That’s telltale. 

Indeed, it doesn’t guarantee sports betting in Idaho will never be approved. But it does suggest any shift in policy is years and years away. And when you dig into the history of legal gambling in Idaho, you start to understand why.

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