Will Utah Sports Betting Ever Be Legalized?

For so long, the future of Utah sports betting has been considered nonexistent.

Policymakers do not often discuss it. Bills that seek to legalize sports betting in Utah are not popping at various legislative meetings. Opposition is not just widespread. It is the default.

As we prepare to close out the 2024 calendar year, this reality is not changing. Nor is it showing the faintest signs of changing. Yet, the popularity of online sports betting in the United States is undeniable. And for as big as the industry is, it remains in its infancy stage. After all, the United States Supreme Court voted to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act only a little more than five years ago.

This is all to say: The landscape is constantly changing. Roughly two years, less than half of the U.S. offered legal sports betting. Fast forward to now, on the heels of Missouri sports betting legalization, and 39 states plus the District of Columbia, offer wagering services.

To be sure, we are not suggesting that Utah sports betting is on the verge of legalization. As we said, nothing points to an imminent change in policy. But the more you dig into why sports betting in Utah isn’t legal, the more you can envision things eventually changing.

Breaking Down Why Utah Sports Betting Remains Illegal

The most common question in all this is why Utah sports betting remains illegal. Contrary to states such as Idaho and Hawaii, it is not an issue of limited interest in sports. The Beehive State has expanded their pro sports market and is now home to the Utah Jazz (NBA), Utah Hockey Club (NHL), Real Salt Lake (soccer) and Utah Royals FC (soccer). They also introduced a professional rugby team, the Utah Warriors, in 2017.

So opposition is not a matter of sports isolation. It is not a logistical dilemma, either. Utah has seldom expressed concerns whenever it has needed to expand or create regulatory programs across other industries.

Instead, the stance against Utah sports betting is painted as more of a religious matter. The Beehive State is populated heavily by practicing Mormons. Historically, members of this church tilt heavily conservative on political matters. This includes not only sports betting but issues of legal marijuana and abortion access. And for so long, the church’s political leanings have seemingly made Utah sports betting an impossibility. As the folks over at Responsible Gambler write:

“Utah’s anti-gaming sentiment has been strongly linked to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose official website lays out a strong condemnation of any form of gambling saying that ‘is motivated by a desire to get something for nothing’ which is ‘spiritually destructive’.”

To top it all off, when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was first overturned, policymakers actually passed a law that drew a harder-line stance against Utah sports betting. As far as we can tell, they are the only state to preemptively embrace an initiative that actively bans online sports betting.

The Situation in Utah Could be on the Verge of Changing

Everything we just talked about points toward a state determined to keep sports betting illegal no matter what. And this could absolutely remain the case. As Responsible Gambler also points out, though, the demographics of The Beehive State are gradually changing:

“The church’s stance on this issue is likely intractable, but Utah’s shifting demographics could change the trajectory of legal gambling in the state. A Journal of Religion and Demography study from December 2023 estimated that Utah is now only 42% Mormon after declining every single year since 2001 when it sat at 53%. This number falls well below the LDS church’s membership numbers — by just under 750,000 in 2021 for instance — but the study explains the discrepancy by noting ‘There are thousands of Utahns who have died, joined other churches, or moved out of the state who are nevertheless counted as Latter-day Saints and will continue to be counted for decades.’”

If this digression of people who identify as Latter-Day Saints continues, it could open the door for Utah sports betting. Granted, this isn’t solely about winnowing down the number of people opposed to it. You also need people actively in favor of it.

To this point, there’s no evidence that support for Utah sports betting is on the rise. Of course, we haven’t seen anything to suggest opposition is on the rise, either.

What Will It Take for Utah Sports Betting to Become a Reality?

All of this makes Utah a prime candidate for market exploration. We all know what it will take, logistically, for Utah sports betting to be approved. It is a matter that must be outlined and debated and voted on in the House of Representatives and Senate. And due to Utah’s ultra-restrictive gambling laws, any policy overhaul and implementation will take time.

But before The Beehive State even gets to that stage, we must first see active support for sports betting.

Theoretically, this could already exist. There has been no recent polling of voter sentiment on sports wagering. For all we know, the rising popularity of online sports betting in the United States may have softened or improved perception of the industry.

In the end, this is the first step that must be taken toward Utah sports betting. Someone or some entity, somewhere, must be invested enough to sponsor market research—polls, campaigns, educational programs, etc. Policymakers typically spearhead this part of the process. But we have also seen online sportsbooks in the USA themselves bankroll initiatives. Could that be on the table given the latest data on shifting demographics in Utah? As always, and especially in this case, only time will tell.

Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can find one that works for all of your sports betting needs: