Is it legal to bet on the Masters? All you need to know

The 2024 edition of Masters will take place from April 11-14. It'll be the first major of the season and will be held at the iconic Augusta National Golf Course. The venue has been hosting the Masters since 1934.

Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, is the favorite to win the first major of the season. Scheffler also won the tournament in 2022. This year, he is in great form and has seven top-10 finishes out of eight starts. He has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship. Last week, in the Texas Children's Houston Open, Scheffler was trumped by Stephan Jaeger and had a T2 finish.

As per BetMGM Sportsbook, Scheffler has odds of +400 to win at the Masters. The other favorites are Rory McIlroy (odds of +1100), Jon Rahm (+1200), Xander Schauffele (+1800) and Jordan Spieth (+2000). Betting on sports events has long been a popular pastime, and the Masters is no exception. Though, one would wonder if it is legal to bet on the Masters. The answer depends on your age and location.

In 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). The overturning allowed states to legalize sports betting within their borders.

Currently, betting is legal in 38 states, with 30 of them allowing online or mobile betting. The remaining 12 states have strict prohibitions against any form of gambling on sporting events.

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All you need to know about betting on Masters

As the laws can vary in different states, therefore, it's important to know the laws in your state regarding sports betting. The 30 states that allow online or mobile betting, in alphabetical order, are as follows:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio, Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington, D.C.,
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

To legally bet, one needs to be physically present in the above states, which have legalized betting activities. For example, being an Arizona or Iowa resident doesn't permit betting when you're vacationing in Texas, where betting is unlawful. In nine states, betting is limited to physical venues, such as casinos or designated sports betting locations. Those states are:

• Delaware
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Mexico
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Washington
• Wisconsin

In states like North Dakota and Wisconsin, there is no formal state legislation legalizing sports betting. However, federally recognized tribes exercise their sovereign rights to offer in-person sports betting on their reservation lands.

The 12 states where sports betting is prohibited are as follows:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• California
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Utah

Residents of these states often travel to states where betting is legal as gambling relies on location not on state residency.

The other aspect of sports betting is age. The permissible age for sports betting is determined by where the better is located. In most of the states in the United States, individuals must be at least 21 to do sports betting legally. However, in some states, individuals as young as 18 are permitted. Those states are:

• Kentucky
• Montana
• Rhode Island
• Washington D.C.
• Wyoming

Despite these lower age thresholds, some sportsbooks maintain the standard 21+ age restriction even in states permitting betting for individuals aged 18 and above. The bettors have to comply with the age restrictions of the state they're present at the time of the betting.

A 19-year-old bettor of Washington D.C. can't engage in the activity in North Dakota or South Dakota where you've to be legally 21 to bet.