Andrew O'Malley 13. December 2019 | UPDATED ON: 19. December 2022 Are you living in Oregon and looking for a way in which you can conveniently place sports bets on a variety of sports? Oregon residents no longer have to do without legal online sports betting, it has already arrived and is ready for business. Is Online Sports Betting in Oregon Legal? Yes! Oregon became the first state on the West Coast of the United States to legalize sports betting. Oregon was one of a few states that were allowed to have some form of sports betting in place even when the federal ban was in place thanks to the grandfather rule. It was under this rule that Nevada was allowed to offer sports betting despite the federal ban, with Oregon allowing to continue with its Sports Action offering. This was a parlay game that began in 1989 and was popular for a number of years. However, this game came to an end following the 2007 Super Bowl. Soon after the ending of the federal ban in May 2018, the state lottery began putting in place measures to get ready for the legalization of sports betting. While no legislation was needed to be passed, the regulatory framework did take some time to develop. The first step into sports betting The first sportsbook to open for business in Oregon was through a tribal facility in August 2019. It was not long after in October that the state launched its own offering, this time through an online sportsbook app called Scoreboard. The Oregon Lottery partnered with the well-known European sports betting firm SBTech to develop this platform and bring it to market. For the time being, the state will hold a monopoly in the market with its online sportsbook. This means that Oregon residents will not have any choice if they want to place sports bets online. Regardless, this guide still looks at the various aspects of this offering. It allows you to quickly know the ins and outs of it and to see what areas you may decide to focus upon. Note: Despite there only being one online sportsbook in operation in Oregon, it is still massively more convenient than having to go to one of the state’s tribal casinos in order to place a sports bet. You can also partake in different types of offerings and promotions down the line. How is this Oregon Online Sportsbook Ranked? While these types of reviews are usually comparing various offerings with each other, in Oregon’s case there is only a single online sportsbook to review for the time being. However, the various different variables of this offering are still dissected and broken down to know exactly what you will be dealing with. Here are some of the key areas to be looked at: Number of different sports Quantity of markets Functionality of the live betting area Diversity of payment options Ease of use of the platform Responsiveness of the mobile offering Reputation and security Promotions and welcome bonuses The Only Oregon Online Sportsbook Legal in 2024: Oregon Lottery Scoreboard Sportsbook - A solid offering As mentioned, there is only one online sportsbook that is currently licensed to operate in the state of Oregon. While this can often be an issue for the competitiveness of odds, promotions and the overall quality of a platform, this is not always the case. On the surface, the Scoreboard offering is a platform that has a basic design that does not look too exciting but it allows for a clear representation of all of the different aspects of the offering. You can quickly find the respective sections you are looking for, whether you want to place a bet, learn how to use the platform and checking the results of the latest sporting events. There is an impressive selection of different sports on offer, 18 in total, which is better than a lot of the online sportsbooks in states where the industry is more open. When you dig deeper too, the markets for popular events are well stacked. NFL games, for example, will have more than 100 different markets for you to bet on. One of the downsides for a lot of people is that there are no college sports betting allowable for the time being, but this is expected to change in the future. There is also no horse racing betting offered through the platform. There is a dedicated section for live betting, showcasing in real-time the odds for the given markets, as well as having a section where you can see the latest stats from the ongoing events. One of the disappointing aspects of the Scoreboard offering is that there is no welcome bonus package for new players. This is always a nice way to kick off a new sports betting account, so Oregon bettors will be missing out. There is a ‘Bet Back’ feature that allows you to cash out an open bet early, meaning that you can safely clear your profits or cut your losses from a given bet. In terms of the mobile offering, there is a dedicated betting app for both iOS and Android users, both of which can be downloaded through the desktop platform. There have been some performance issues with the mobile platform, with some users complaining that it can take a number of attempts for bets to be placed due to the app not being overly responsive at certain times. Finally, there is a nice selection of support options, all of which are open 24/7. You can ring the support team by phone, contact them via live chat or send them an email. Usually, an email response will be sent within 24 hours of receiving the original message. This support team is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are a variety of payment options on offer, ranging from credit cards to bank transfers. Overall, the Scoreboard is a very good sport betting offering considering it is the only option in time. It has a nice range of sports and markets that are offered, as well as having a good platform to support the offering. Pros Simple to use site Good mobile support Nice range of sports and markets 24/7 customer support Cons No college sports betting No welcome bonus Visit the Scoreboard Online Sportsbook Now Bottom Line As there is just the one online sportsbook open for Oregon residents to use, there is not much to be said for choosing a given platform. If you are a fan of sports betting and you want to be well protected, the Scoreboard sportsbook is your only option. Thankfully, it is actually quite a good offering, particularly given the circumstances. The core of sports betting is the range of markets on offer, which is certainly achieved in this case. While there are one or two disappointing aspects to the offering, overall it ticks most of the boxes. Over time, there may be changes in the framework of sports betting in Oregon and other online sportsbooks may hit the market. However, this is not something to be banked on. Instead, the Scoreboard sportsbook is a platform that can be embraced. Key Aspects of Online Sportsbooks in Oregon Naturally, there are massive sports fans in Oregon. It is also the first state on the West Coast with legal sports betting, which will make it a popular destination for those in bordering states. A phenomenon seen in the likes of New Jersey was that people from nearby New York would cross over into New Jersey state lines in order to place legal sports bets through their mobile devices before returning home. In Oregon, there are a number of tribal casinos now offering retail sports betting, while there is just the one mobile operation. Therefore, there is plenty of different options open to sports bettors. You do need to be of the right age in order to be legally allowed to make sports bets in the state of Oregon. This is set at 21 years old, so anyone younger cannot place a sports bet legally. There is also a requirement that you are within state lines when using the app and making bets. It will not allow you to place bets outside of state lines, so there is no point in trying. Perhaps as time goes on, sports betting sites will become multi-state offerings, allowing you to freely use the same account in numerous different states. Thankfully, there is no in-person registration or verification needed in Oregon when starting your online sportsbook account. This is a requirement in some states, such as Rhode Island and it is a hindrance to getting started. All you need to do when signing up to the Scoreboard app is send the team electronically a copy of your government-issued ID and proof of address. This is done to ensure that you are not underage and also to comply with the relevant know your customer and anti-money laundering laws. It is a necessary step and the process does not take too long to complete. Where Else is Online Gambling Legal in the US? AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC FAQ Are more online sportsbooks going to hit the Oregon market It does not seem likely that there will be any new additions to the online sports betting market in Oregon any time soon. This is because for now, the sole license holder is the state lottery. Therefore, further regulatory changes would be needed to allow for new entrants into the market. What age do you need to be to place a sports bet in Oregon? You need to be at least 21 years old. This will be verified as you need to send a form of your government ID that contains your date of birth to the Scoreboard team to have your account verified and to allow you to start betting. How does the Scoreboard app track my location? There is a geolocation feature as part of both the desktop and mobile platforms. Hose people who live near the border areas will often have to verify their location a number of times during a given session. If someone is using a VPN, then the app will not work, even if you are in Oregon. If you just use cellular data, it can be harder to find your location as opposed to using wi-fi. Do sports bettors in Oregon have to pay taxes? There is withholding tax in place on any net winnings of at least $1,500 of 8%. For any net winnings of more than $5,000 then there will be 24% in federal taxes applied. Is college sports betting on the way? A lot of people were not happy that there is no college sports betting available to date. Oregon, in particular, has a massive following for its college sports teams. The Lottery is continually working with the authorities to try and see if it is a good idea to make college sports betting an option like it is in other states. Why is there no sign of the Scoreboard app in the Android Play Store? As per the guidelines of the app store, Oregon sports betting apps such as the Scoreboard app are not allowable. About Andrew O'Malley Alex has been writing about the gambling industry for more than five years, covering everything from sports betting to casinos and poker. With the sector constantly evolving, he loves nothing better than staying up to date with the latest movers and shakers in the space. View all posts by Andrew O'Malley →
