History of Online Gambling in Oregon

From 1987 (via telephone) to 2007, when online betting came into play, bettors in Oregon could legally place a limited selection of parlay bets on NFL teams via the state-run Sports Action operation.

Oregon’s Sports Action, along with similar operations in Nevada, Delaware, and Montana, received a partial exemption from the nationwide ban on sports betting imposed federally in 1992.

In 2007, local legislators overturned the exemption for Oregon’s state operator. Online sports betting became completely illegal again.

In 2018, the Supreme Court paved the way for legal online sports betting in any US state willing to pass its own laws on it.

Oregon’s state lottery launched a sports betting website and mobile app, Scoreboard, in late 2019.

Just before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, Scoreboard posted a several-million-dollar loss for the previous quarter. It was one of the only online betting operations in the US to do so during that time.

Scoreboard online betting lets Oregon sports fans bet on most sports. However, it is conspicuously missing NCAA college sports, which are some of the most popular sports betting options in the state and country. Understandably, many feel they’re missing out.

The Scoreboard app and website have also been affected by technical issues as well as lawsuits from various partner firms.

Currently, online casino gambling is illegal in Oregon.

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Betting on sports online is fully legal. However, there’s only one option as of October 2020 – the state-run Scoreboard.

It is also legal for any of Oregon’s 12 tribal casinos to launch an online sportsbook. So far, though, none of them have taken up the offer.

As for the future of online casinos in Oregon, don’t hold your breath. Oregon’s legislators and residents have not shown much interest in legalizing online casino gaming.

Oregon Online Betting

Right now, Scoreboard is the only option for Oregon residents looking to place a sports bet online.

You can bet on almost all sports in the US and many from around the world, except for collegiate sports.

Scoreboard offers prop bets, futures, parlays, line bets, and everything else you’d expect from a modern US online sportsbook. It offers an app for both Android and iOS, plus a smooth desktop site.

If any tribal casino were to go online, Chinook Winds in Lincoln City and The Mills Casino in North Bend are the two prime candidates. They are the only land-based casinos in Oregon to open retail sports betting stores so far.

It would make sense for the tribes to go online, even if it required them to partner with a national operator, such as:

  • FanDuel
  • DraftKings
  • William Hill

Going online would work well for Oregon’s tribal casinos because the state’s most populated city, Portland, is over a hundred miles away from the Southern reservation lands where most of the casinos are located.

However, Oregon’s long history of disputes with collegiate sports organizations over betting on college games may discourage some potential online betting companies. College sports are a massive part of the sports betting market in the US.

Oregon Online Casinos in the Future: A Speculative Review

Online casinos are not likely to come to Oregon any time soon. However, if they were to open today, the same operators available in already legal states would likely enter this market, including:

  • MGM
  • William Hill
  • Unibet
  • Caesars
  • DraftKings Casino
  • FanDuel Casino

Games offered by online casinos in today’s gambling legal states include blackjack, roulette, casino poker, craps, and live versions of all those games.

US legal states are big markets, and many of the world’s biggest developers will no doubt get involved if Oregon does legalize online casino gambling. These might include:

  • Microgaming
  • NetEnt
  • Evolution Gaming
  • Playtech

If Oregon legalizes online casino gaming, don’t expect to see all of those developers jump in straight away. In other states, it was at least several months after legalization before residents gained access to all the world’s best casino games.

The nine legal tribal gaming casinos in Oregon are well-placed to move online if the best-case scenario occurs.

Oregon players itching to hit the reels online can always give Chumba Casino a try.

Chumba and its sister site, Luckyland Slots, have created a clever way of getting around federal online gambling laws.

You don’t directly use real money to play their unique slot games, but you can win real cash prizes. This is entirely legal – check out our reviews to find out more.

Online Gambling Deposits and Withdrawals in Oregon

Scoreboard, the only legal way to gamble online in Oregon, lets players deposit using bank cards, PayPal, and bank transfers.

Some of the delays to Scoreboard’s launch were reportedly due to its negotiations with PayPal.

If further online sports betting sites launch in Oregon, don’t expect to see PayPal at all of them. PayPal is so popular and widespread that it can be very picky with the gambling companies it chooses to work with.

Other e-wallets used by online casinos in legal states include Neteller and Skrill.

If online casinos are ever legalized in Oregon, expect to see those two, plus bank transfers and cards, as the main banking options.

Credit cards have remained an option in most legal states, but many players find that some banks’ cards don’t work for gambling transactions.

Online Gambling Bonuses in Oregon – Now and in the Future

Scoreboard, Oregon’s state-run and only online sports betting app, doesn’t currently offer any welcome bonuses. They only provide occasional odds boosts on big games.

As for what may occur if online casinos become legal in Oregon – there is a well-defined set of bonus styles that online casinos in legal states tend to choose from.

If Oregon were to legalize online casino gambling, any bonuses would likely be a spin on the following:

  • Deposit-match bonuses, where the casino adds bonus money equal to the amount you initially put in (up to a limit).
  • Free spins.
  • Cashback offers on any possible losses over a specified period.
  • No-deposit bonuses, the grail of online casino offers, where the casino gives you bonus cash just for signing up.

Those are the main bonuses you’ll find in any legalized online gambling state. However, they always come with wagering requirements.

You need to play through the bonus cash amount a given number of times before you can withdraw funds. This is standard practice for online casino bonuses, and there’s no reason to think it would be any different in a legalized Oregon online market.

FAQ Online Gambling in Oregon

Is online gambling legal in Oregon?

Yes, but only sports betting, and the sole operator that offers it is Scoreboard.
Online casino fans are out of luck unless they’re willing to give sweepstakes-based social gaming at Chumba Casino a try.

What is Oregon’s legal online gambling age?

You need to be 21 or older to place a bet at Oregon’s only licensed online sportsbook. The rules will surely be the same for any other gambling sites that may open in the future.

Will online casinos be legalized in Oregon?

Legalization doesn’t look likely in the Beaver State anytime soon. 

Where can I place bets online in Oregon?

As of October 2020, the only legal place you can wager online in Oregon is at the state-run Scoreboard.

You can also try sweepstake slots gaming for cash prizes at Chumba Casino or Luckyland Slots.

Can I Play Fantasy Sports in Oregon?

DraftKings and FanDuel run their Daily Fantasy Sports operation in Oregon. This isn’t sports betting, but it's close. Many Oregon residents enjoy these exciting games every day.