Sports Betting Now Legal in Several States There are now multiple states in the U.S. where sports lovers can legally make a bet. The Supreme Court overturned a law that prohibited states from legalizing sports betting. Two months after the decision, states are now accepting wagers. The American Gaming Association estimated that there is a $150 billion illegal sports betting market in the U.S. Officials in several states claim legalizing sports betting just to reduce the illegal betting market is worthwhile. There are currently 8 states that have fully legalized sports betting. Legal states include New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. As of now, 14 states have introduced efforts to legalize it as well.