Oregon's Online Gambling Regulations

Without the reputation of larger gambling states, Oregon is one of the better states to live in as a gambler. Gambling options consist of tribal casinos, Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS), horse racing, a state lottery, live poker, social gambling, limited online options and charitable games.

Oregon was one of four states that had an exemption from the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) banning sports betting in the United States, due to a type of parlay betting game offered by the Oregon State Lottery at the time.

Until 2007, Oregon had a sports wagering game called ‘Sports Action’ that allowed customers to place parlay-style bets on NFL and NBA games. In October 2019, the Oregon Lottery launched its own sportsbook, ‘Scoreboard” (which was replaced by DraftKings in 2022) and lawmakers are debating not only adopting NJ style sports betting, but perhaps even adoption of something resembling NJ online casinos.

Oregon casinos offer a wide selection of casino gambling options to players. There are 11 full-scale gaming resorts on tribal lands. There have also been recent moves to develop and license a commercial casino industry. The rejection of a 2012 referendum has put further casino expansion in Oregon on hold.

In accordance with state law, without-exception, all casinos in Oregon must be located on Native American tribal lands. The Tribes have so far unsuccessfully lobbied to try and open casinos on non-tribal territory.

Oregon casinos offer electronic slots and video poker machines and gaming tables for poker, keno, blackjack and bingo.

Legal online gambling options in Oregon are currently limited to games of skill, sports betting, DFS and horse and greyhound racing. Online Casinos do not fall into the legal column among Oregon’s varied gaming options.

Until legalized, online players in Oregon should abstain from playing both off-shore and U.S. based online casinos and not run of the risk at any potential unwanted run-ins with law enforcement bodies and Oregon’s gambling laws.

Three options exist for Live Poker in Oregon;

• The state’s Tribal Casinos
• Non-profit Poker card rooms, and;
• Home or social games, as long as no-one profits from the game

See below for information on the State’s Poker Rooms.

Poker Rooms

An impressive choice of legal Live Poker options (more than 77 tables across 15 poker rooms the state) exist in Oregon’s Tribal Casino network. Poker game options include; No Limit Hold’em, Limit Hold’em, Texas Hold’em, No Limit Texas Hold’em, 7 Card Stud, Omaha, Pot Limit Omaha, Crazy Pineapple, Stud, and Omaha Hi-Lo.

Online Poker Laws

Online Poker is a currently unavailable for online players currently in Oregon and the topic does not seem to be on the radar of discussion for the state’s lawmakers. See above section, ‘Online Casinos in Oregon’ for further information.

• Oregon’s Gambling Industry since 1999 has;

– Funded more than $680 million to State Parks.

– Funded more than $685 million towards habitat restoration of endangered species.

– Funded Outdoor Schools and Veteran’s Welfare Services.

• Since 1985, Oregon’s Gambling Industry has poured more than $3 billion towards job creation in the Beaver State.
• Since 1995, Oregon’s State Government has funded Public Schools with funds raised from legal gambling to the tune of almost $7 billion.
• Oregon’s tribal casino industry has opened up creation of jobs and increased economic prosperity to a level never experienced before for Native American people living on Tribal lands.
• The majority of casino employment in Oregon are in areas outside Portland or Salem, thereby providing much needed employment in regional areas.

1933; Oregon Law allows for legal betting on horse racing and greyhounds.

1973; Charitable gambling legalized.

1985; Oregon State Lottery created.

1989; ‘Sports Action’ approved in Oregon, creating the exemption clause of Oregon from PASPA.

1994; First Tribal Casino opens its doors in Oregon.

1997; Online Horse Racing Betting legalized.

2017 to Present; DFS legalization under debate in Oregon’s State House.

September 2018; Mobile ticket-checking app launched by the Oregon Lottery that could eventually lead to, and be adopted for online sports betting.

2019: Sports betting remerges in Oregon with the state sponsored ‘Scoreboard’ sports betting app.

2021: State Governor Kate Brown sponsored a new bill, HB 2127, to move Oregon away from the lone state-sponsored sportsbook monopoly to an open marketplace with multiple sportsbooks.

To read about Oregon’s laws about online sports betting, Click Here