Oregon Sports Betting
Oregon sports betting is legal, but it’s not a great market. The Oregon Lottery control sports wagering in the state, and there is only one mobile app. The legislature and lottery believed that this would be a way to generate more funds directly to the state.
However, Oregon’s limited sports wagering market has caused the state to generate less revenue. As a result, people have turned to offshore sportsbooks because they are more satisfied with these platforms than the Scoreboard app.
The Scoreboard App
Scoreboard is the official app of Oregon sports betting and the only site available in the state. There have been countless complaints about aspects of Scoreboard. Although, some people are very pleased with the product in the state.
We do not anticipate that offshore sportsbooks will disappear from the state anytime soon. Offshore sites accept wagers outside of the United States. They are technically illegal in many jurisdictions, but governments do not enforce this policy.
Offshore sites are great for people who do not want to be restricted in small markets. If Oregon allowed other legal sportsbooks to operate in the state, the industry’s revenue would spike. It would not be surprising for this to occur in the future, but currently, the state legislature has no plan to expand the legal betting market.
There is a belief that the Scoreboard app will switch to DraftKings, but this has not been confirmed. This move would make the industry more profitable because of DraftKings’ prominence in the legal betting market.
Oregon Sports Betting Timeline
Oregon’s sports betting timeline is much different than any other state in America. Sports wagering in the state dates to before the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 1992. Legal betting began in 1989 in Oregon.
The Oregon Lottery introduced Sports Action in 1989, and this game was a statewide favorite. It was a lottery game that involved parlay betting. Residents could wager on NFL games and would win based on how many of their picks were successful.
When OR saw the success of football on Sports Action, they expanded the market to include NBA games. Nevertheless, the NBA protested the game, and the lottery removed it after one year.
NCAA Sports Betting in Oregon
The NCAA always hated Sports Action, and they were the reason the Oregon Lottery removed it in 2005. Yet, no college betting was allowed through Sports Action. The NCAA implemented a rule stating that no basketball tournaments could be held in Oregon as long as the game was offered.
March Madness regionals draw a lot of money. Unfortunately, these events were generating more revenue than Sports Action, so Oregon removed the game to get back in the good graces of the NCAA.
The federal government was never a proponent of sports betting. In 1992, the legislature passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). PASPA banned sports betting in 46 states.
Oregon Continued Betting through Sports Action
Oregon was one of the states that could continue betting through Sports Action because they were grandfathered into the bill. Nevada was also included in the list, but this state offered real sports betting. PASPA gave Nevada a monopoly over sports betting for 18 years.
Eventually, states started to complain about Nevada having a monopoly over the industry. New Jersey headlined a legal battled that ended with the Supreme Court ruling that PASPA was unconstitutional in 2018.
Oregon did not have any form of sports betting for 13 years before PASPA was deemed unconstitutional. Once PASPA was outlawed, the Oregon lottery did not hesitate to legalize online sports betting.
The lottery did not wait for the legislature to pass a sports betting bill. The governing body claimed that they had the right to legalize sports wagering without any additional laws. This power went back to when they were offering Sports Action.
Sports betting is offered in Oregon through the Scoreboard app. The platform launched in October of 2019 on iOS. The lottery expanded its reach to Android shortly after the initial launch. Scoreboard is operated by SBTech, which is a reputable provider in the wagering industry.
Scoreboard Complaints
The main complaint with Scoreboard is that the lines are juiced to give the lottery a competitive advantage. This is no surprise because Scoreboard and the lottery have a mobile monopoly in the state. Therefore, they can offer any odds they would like because they are the only legal internet wagering option.
If people in Oregon would like to place in-person bets, they can do so at the tribal casinos in the state. There are eight tribal properties for sports betting. The legislature did not need to pass a law for the tribes to offer wagering.
The current gaming compact states that the tribes can offer any form of betting allowed in the state. Since the Oregon Lottery offers wagering through Scoreboard, the tribes had the right to launch a retail market.
Sports betting in the tribal casinos began before the Scoreboard app. In September of 2019, the first retail sportsbook launched at Chinook Winds Casino.
GTBets is a great bookie if you are looking to bet on NCAA events. They offer basketball (men and women), football, baseball and others.
Five Reasons to Bet on Sports in Oregon
There are many reasons that you should bet on sports in Oregon. OR wagering may have a small market, but there are positives to this relative to other legal states. Here are five reasons why you should start sports betting in Oregon.
There are Still Choices
Oregon may have a small market, but you still have choices. If you are not a fan of the Scoreboard app, you still have wagering options. You can gamble at one of the tribal casinos in the state. Some people prefer to wager at retail sportsbooks because it’s more of an event.
Between the retail sportsbooks and the Scoreboard app, you can still shop for the best lines. In addition, if you do not live near a casino and hate the lottery platform, you can still gamble through offshore sportsbooks. There are plenty of options for sports gambling in Oregon.
Trustworthy
Many people complain about the odds on the Scoreboard app, but the platform is trustworthy. Your data will be secured through the app, and it’s protected because it’s under the state’s jurisdiction.
The Oregon Lottery has an extra drive to protect its citizen’s personal information, so you should have no fear utilizing Scoreboard.
Offshore sportsbooks, like Bovada and MyBookie, also have years of reputation.
A Strong Gambling Culture
Oregon sports betting goes back to before the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. There are very few states who offered legal betting before PASPA was established. The Oregon Lottery has always controlled wagering, so this is embedded into the state’s gambling culture.
Oregon knows what bettors want in a product. The Scoreboard app is a great platform that makes it easy to place bets. The lines may be juiced, but it’s not extensive. The site still offers bonuses and promotions to compensate for juicing odds.
The app gets a lousy reputation because there are no other sites to compare it to for odds in the state. Although, if you enjoy wagering, you will be satisfied with the Scoreboard app.
Have you ever checked BetUS bonuses and promotions? You should!
Gambling is Legal
There are many states where sports wagering is not legal. This is not the case in Oregon, so people in the state should be happy. If you do not like Scoreboard, it’s still better than being in a state with no legal gambling options.
You can also bet at the tribal casinos if you live near a property. The state is lucky that the lottery was so swift to implement wagering, so this is a benefit of living in OR.
Customer Service
Scoreboard and the retail betting facilities are great with customer service. If you ever have a gambling question or issues betting, customer service representatives will be willing to help. There are plenty of people looking to help at the tribal casinos.
Through the Scoreboard app, there is an FAQ section to answer any questions you encounter. If you do not find your answer through the app, you can contact a representative with a few clicks. This is one of the significant benefits of sports wagering in Oregon.
