Idaho Sports Betting
Sports betting is not yet legal in Idaho. Idaho is home to a fair number of land-based gambling options considering the state’s size and population, but online betting options are sparse. Sports betting, daily fantasy sports, and online gambling sites are all prohibited by state law.
That leaves online horse racing betting in Idaho as the sole form of online gambling permitted. In-person gambling options consist of trackside horse racing betting, seven tribal casinos, and the Idaho Lottery.
The prospects of legalizing Idaho online sports betting sites in the near future appear dim at present. There are no plans in place to legalize sports betting in Idaho, and state lawmakers have declined to pursue the matter.
Legal Idaho Betting Sites
$200 Deposit BonusTwinSpires Offer Code: BET200
Void where prohibited. Terms and conditions apply. Offer for TwinSpires Racing only. See TwinSpires.com for details. Must be 18+ (21+ where applicable). For help with a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
$150 Deposit BonusAmWager Promo Code: BUSA150
Promotional offer valid and continues until further notice.
Open to new AmWager account holders who have not previously opened an AmWager account. Individuals may only have one (1) AmWager account and may only qualify for a signup promotion one (1) time.
The First Deposit Match Bonus promotion applies to the first deposit made; any subsequent deposits will not apply.
The amount of the first deposit will determine the amount of the bonus and bets that must be placed to earn the bonus. For example, to qualify for the maximum bonus of $150 an initial deposit of $150 is required and total bets must equal $150 or more within 30 days of sign up. Cancelled wagers and refunded wagers are not eligible and will not be counted towards the promotion.
The total promotional wagering credits will be credited to the AmWager account in a single deposit within seven (7) business days of meeting the betting requirements for this promotion. Any promotional wagering credits deposited to a player’s account must be wagered and cannot be withdrawn from the account. Any winnings from those wagers are cash and can be withdrawn.
Any portion of the promotional credits unused expires after 30 days.
Account must remain in good standing to be eligible for all promotions. Returned deposits during the promotional period will cancel eligibility to receive promotional wagering credit.
Limit one promotional offer per household.
$200 Deposit BonusDRFBets Promo Code: STAKES
Must be 18 or older (21 in AL, AZ, IA, IN, KS, NH, ND, WA) to open an account with DRF Bets and reside in a state where such activity is legal. Void where prohibited. Always Wager Responsibly. If you think you might have a problem, please contact the National Gambling Helpline (800) 522-4700. T&Cs Apply.
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Must be 18 or older to play the lottery. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Please visit Terms of Service at Jackpocket.com for full terms of service.
21+ and present in ID. T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-522-4700.
Idaho Sports Betting Outlook
Sports betting in Idaho is illegal and there are no efforts underway at this time to change that. Idaho is one of just a few states in the Union that have expressed little-to-no interest in even exploring the possibility of legalization.
Idaho lawmakers have not introduced a single bill to legalize sports betting of any type in the years since the Supreme Court struck down PASPA.
Shortly after the decision, Idaho Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Kane said in an interview that the odds of legalized Idaho sports betting were long.
“To me, it’s so uphill that I haven’t even heard a whisper of a proponent,” he said. “The Constitution is very clear.”
He went on to explain that other states have an easier path to sports betting legalization compared to Idaho:
“You’re actually seeing the states that are doing it – I don’t want to say they were predisposed to gambling – but they had a much more favorable regulatory regime to amend.”
However, as neighboring states legalize or consider legalizing sports betting, Idaho lawmakers may be convinced to change their tune as gambling dollars flow across state lines. If that does happen, lawmakers will have to overcome the challenge of amending the state constitution and receiving the approval of a majority of voters before legal sports betting in Idaho can become a reality.
Idaho Horse Racing Betting
Parimutuel horse racing betting in Idaho is legal. Horse racing fans may place wagers in person at race tracks and off-track betting facilities (OTBs) or online through licensed advance deposit wagering operators (ADWs).
The Idaho Racing Commission is responsible for overseeing horse racing, parimutuel wagering, and ensuring licensees comply with state law and Racing Commission rules. ID Code § 54-2501-2517 establishes the legal framework for horse racing and wagering in Idaho.
Idaho Racetracks
- Pocatello Downs
- Sandy Downs
- Rupert Downs
- Jerome County Fair
- Oneida County Fair
- Cassia County Fair
- Eastern Idaho State Fair
Idaho Off-Track Betting Locations (OTBs)
Idaho Online Horse Racing Betting
Most popular horse racing betting sites accept Idaho bettors. Advance deposit wagering (online betting) is permitted under ID Code § 54-2512-10 for customers who are 18 or older.
Idaho horse racing betting sites are required by law to acquire a license from the Idaho Racing Commission prior to offering their services to residents. Licensed operators must pay a 10% source market fee to the Commission. Source market fees collected are distributed to racing purses and other programs designed to support the Idaho horse racing industry.
Idaho Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports sites in Idaho, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, were permitted to operate in Idaho prior to 2016 despite a lack of legal clarity. That changed in 2016 when the Attorney General issued a press release announcing it is the opinion of the Office of the Attorney General that daily fantasy sports contests constitute illegal gambling under Idaho law.
Then-Attorney General Lawrence Wasden explained:
The concern I have is that the paid daily sports offerings provided by these companies constitute gambling under Idaho law. I have a duty to enforce and uphold that law. I commend the companies for negotiating in good faith and agreeing not to make these contests available in Idaho.
The press release also announced that the Office of the Attorney General had reached an agreement with FanDuel and DraftKings that would see both DFS companies cease all operations in Idaho. In return, the Attorney General chose not to pursue charges against either company for violating state law.
This was obviously bad news for Idaho sports fans, but the upside is that the AG’s press release noted that the agreement included a legal path to resume real-money fantasy sports contests in Idaho if the state legislature ever changes the law to legalize daily fantasy sports.
In the years since the AG’s notice, no serious efforts have been made to legalize Idaho daily fantasy sports sites and apps.
Idaho Online Gambling
The Idaho Constitution says this about gambling:
No activities permitted by subsection (1) shall employ any form of casino gambling including, but not limited to, blackjack, craps, roulette, poker, bacarrat, keno and slot machines, or employ any electronic or electromechanical imitation or simulation of any form of casino gambling.
Online casinos and poker sites in Idaho are prohibited for the time being. As mentioned above, the state constitution makes it very clear that only a few specific forms of online betting are permitted. State statute 18-3802 takes it even further by making it a crime to even participate in any form of gambling not expressly permitted by the state:
(1) A person is guilty of gambling if he:
(a) Participates in gambling; or
(b) Knowingly permits any gambling to be played, conducted or dealt upon or in any real or personal property owned, rented, or under the control of the actor, whether in whole or in part.
(2) Gambling is a misdemeanor.
Because Idaho’s broad prohibition of gambling is written into the state’s constitution, legalization would require a constitutional amendment. As a result, legalizing sports betting or online gambling in Idaho is not only contingent on lawmakers successfully passing a bill into law by a two-thirds majority but also upon voters approving a constitutional amendment.
That does not mean Idaho sports betting or online gambling are no-hope issues, though. A 2002 proposition succeeded in redefining slot machines at tribal casinos as “not slot machines.” If lawmakers and voters were able to agree on amending the constitution in favor of gambling once before, they can do it again.
State officials haven’t officially come out against online gambling in Idaho but they also haven’t committed to it. In 2012, the state’s lottery director said this:
“It depends on how it would be structured. We want to make sure that we’re sensitive to the brick and mortar retail network for the basic scratch games. And, we would need legislative and the governor’s approval and we have not suggested that we go down that path in Idaho. But, we do support states’ rights for those that wish to do so.”
Representative Vito Barbieri said that although he doesn’t think it would be possible to expand online gambling in the near future, he would look at the issue closely to determine his stance. Over the intervening years, Idaho lawmakers have come no closer to legalizing online gambling.
Idaho Online Lottery
$3 Off First TicketsThe Idaho Lottery does not sell lottery tickets online, but it does allow the third-party lottery courier Jackpocket.com to purchase tickets on behalf of customers located anywhere within state lines.
The Jackpocket Lottery app launched in Idaho in August 2022 to provide users with a convenient way to buy Idaho Lottery tickets online from anywhere in the state. Customers 18 or older can download the Jackpocket app for iOS or Samsung to order tickets for all major Idaho lottery draw games.
Other Idaho Lottery games available only for in-person purchases include instant win scratch cards with prices ranging from $1 to $50, in-store InstaPlay games, tab pull games, and raffles.
Idaho Sports Betting FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade’s worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of BettingUSA.com. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.