Online Gambling in Oregon: The Facts
- Legal online gambling options: Sports.
- Legal gambling age: 21
- Who regulates Oregon gambling? Oregon Lottery Commission
- Legal mobile gambling: Yes
- Do I need to physically be in Oregon to gamble? Yes
- Do I need to be a resident of Oregon to gamble? No
- What can't I bet on? High school, college, esports
Oregon supports and promotes responsible gambling.
Gambling in Oregon
Gambling in Oregon goes right back to 1931 when the state passed a law that legalized pari-mutuel betting on horses. That forward-thinking attitude to gambling has been maintained, and today the state has nine tribal casinos. The Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City is home to the state's only retail sportsbook.
Poker and online gambling in Oregon are also perfectly legal. Residents of the state can place sports bets with Scoreboard sportsbook.
Oregon Online Gambling: Quick Facts
- The state of Oregon legalized sports betting in 2019.
- Oregon was one of only four states exempt from the passage of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), which banned sports betting.
- In 1993 the first tribal casino opened in the state.
- Oregon began to license poker clubs in 2007.
- There are nine tribal casinos in the state.
- Seven different tribes operate the nine casinos in the state.
- Scoreboard is the only state-regulated online sportsbook.
- Chinook Winds tribal casino operates the first and only retail sportsbook in the state.
History of Oregon Sports Betting
Oregon has an interesting history when it comes to sports betting. In 1989, the state introduced "Sports Action" - a parlay bet that allowed Oregonians to wager on NFL games. That bet was a big success. It added millions to the tax coffers even though the Sports Action bet itself was capped at $20.
In 1992 the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was passed. The Act banned sports betting in most places. However, four states offering sports lotteries - Oregon being one of them - were exempt from it.
Sports Action came to an end in 2007 with the passing of House Bill 3466, which eliminated sports betting in Oregon.
PASPA was overturned in 2018, and Oregon acted quicky by embarking on a plan to legalize sports betting once again. The task was given to the Oregon Lottery Commission, and in 2019 the first online sports betting application, Scoreboard, was launched and regulated by the state lottery.
Sports Betting Sites in Oregon
There is only one state-regulated gambling website in Oregon right now, and that is Scoreboard.
Sports Betting on Your Local Team
When you are betting with the state-regulated Scoreboard sportsbook in Oregon, there are some restrictions. One of the main ones is that you won't be able to bet on any colleage team.
There is also no lack of betting options for the professional franchises of the Portland Trailblazers and the Portland Timbers.
Popular Oregon Betting Markets
In each market, you will be able to make a fairly wide ranges of bets, the most popular being:
How to Open an Online Gambling Account in Oregon
In order to bet legally online in Orgeon, you need to open an account with a licensed and regulated gambling site. Fortunately, the process is quick and easy, regardless of whether you are opening an account with the state-regulated gaming site Scoreboard.
Depending on the venue you are signing up with, you may or may not need to download software to your PC (for example, online poker software) before you begin. If you do need to download, this is usually a simple matter of clicking a button and allowing the software to install automatically.
The Sign-Up Process
Whether or not you need to download anything (and in most cases these days, you won't be obliged to do so) you will need to sign up for an account. To make the process as smooth as possible, here is a checklist of information that you should have hand:
- Full name
- Full home address
- Date of birth
- E-mail Address
- Cell phone number
- Social Security Number (last four digits)
- A valid payment method
- Your desired username
- Your desired password
When you have all of that information, go to the online gambling site you want to join and click the Sign Up or Register button.
Enter the information as requested, taking particular care about accuracy if you are using a mobile device or a tablet with autocorrect enabled.
Be sure to make your password as unique and unpredictable as possible by avoiding the use of your birthday, phone number, name or similar information. Also avoid using any password which is similar to one that you use for any other purpose.
You may be asked to provide documentation which proves that the identity or address information you have provided is accurate. Suitable documents for ID verification include a current passport, Oregon state ID, or driver's license.
Other documents that a website may request to verify your address can include a bank statement or utility bill.
When all of the required information has been provided, an email will be sent to you. It may include a link that you need to click on to confirm the account. If so, click the link and your account will be ready to go.
Oregon Online Gambling Bonuses
In order to start using your new onling gambling account, you will first need to make sure that it has some money in it. The good news is that many venues which offer online gambling in Oregon are willing to give you a bonus for trying them out.
There are two main bonus types, known as No Deposit Bonus and the Welcome Bonus.
No Deposit Bonus
When an online gambling venue offers a No Deposit Bonus, it will give you a bonus just for opening an account, and no deposit of your own cash will be necessary to claim it. This is a great bonus to grab, because it gives you a way to check out a site without putting any of your own money down.
Typically a gambling site will offer a modest a no deposit bonus of no more than $25-30. You can keep the bonus money as well as any winnings from it, but you will usually have to make a real money deposit as well as fulfill any wagering requirements before you can withdraw the bonus.
Welcome Bonus
A Welcome Bonus is a bonus that is awarded to you when you make a deposit of your own money. It is generally expressed as a percentage with a stated maximum which tells you how much you will get in bonus cash, and what limits there are.
For example, if an Oregon online gambling site offers you a 100% Welcome Bonus up to $500, it would match your deposit with a bonus of equal size, up to $500.
You would therefore get a bonus of $200 if you deposit $200 and a bonus of $500 if you deposit $500.
However, if you were to deposit more than that, your bonus would be capped at the $500 maximum.
Best Deposit Methods for Oregon Online Gambling
The deposit methods available to fans of online gambling in Oregon will depend on the website being used.
For example, all deposits at Scoreboard are made through Play+. This means that you will need to sign up for a Play+ account before funding it via a debit or credit card, a bank transfer, or PayPal.
One advantage of Play+ is that you get a physical card mailed to your home address. That card can then be used at ATM's and wherever Discover is accepted.
The Future of Online Gambling in Oregon
The future of online gambling in Oregon is a bright one. There are already many land-based and online venues that can be accessed by gambling fans in Oregon, and even more are likely to become available in the future.
As we have said, Scoreboard is currently the only online sportsbook that is state-regulated, but even that may change sooner rather than later. In June of 2020, ROAR Digital, LLC, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings, partnered with The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to build a retail sportsbook at Spirit Mountain Casino and also release a sports betting application.
In addition, poker rooms are continuing to open in the state, and there are already a couple of plans in place for more tribal casinos.
