The state of Oregon prides itself on taking a liberal stance with most things and this doesn’t exclude gambling. Oregon has been making progressive moves towards its legal gambling evolution since the early 1970s, offering casino nights and social poker at a time when these ideas were only a twinkle in the eyes of most other states. To add further to the progressive measures already taken, the historically laid-back state of Oregon has recently legalized sports betting and it should be interesting to see what more is to come.
You’re sure to find plenty in Oregon from Portland’s thriving poker club scene to the state’s nine tribal casinos with blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, and everything in between.
Oregon Legal Gambling History
In 1971, Oregon took a pivotal step in legalizing “casino nights”. This made games such as blackjack, roulette, and craps legal during events that were organized by non-profits for fund-raising purposes.
In true democratic fashion, the decision to vote for the legalization of social poker was left up to each county on a 1973 ballot. Some counties welcomed it in with open arms while others opted out. In the early 2000s, Oregon’s largest city of Portland began to see poker clubs pop up city-wide.
In the 1980s, when the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was set up, the nine recognized tribes in Oregon were given the green light to open up their casino doors. Although, it was still sometime before any of them were offering anything other than bingo.
Aside from tribal gaming, commercial based casinos have pleaded their case for opening up in Oregon. This has always been packaged as a way to lend a helping hand in restoring economic stability to financially depressed areas of the state. All attempts made by commercial casinos so far have been shot down.
The Oregon state lottery came to during the 1980s. This is thanks to Oregon voters, or 66 percent of them, who decided to vote in favor of the Oregon state lottery in 1986.
After Oregon had given “the go” to the states recognized tribes to provide Class III gaming, the only thing we saw being offered by them was bingo for some time. This was up until 1991 when the Cow Creek Band opened up shop for casino styled gaming. In 1993, the tribe began offering video poker and blackjack, setting a precedent for the state’s other tribes.
In August of 2019, Oregon joined the ranks of other progressive states and legalized sports betting. The state’s lottery has since put together a sportsbooks app, a possible first step towards Oregon online gambling and daily fantasy sports.
Oregon Gambling Legal Status
Tribal Casinos can operate in Oregon and certainly do. You’ll find a healthy number of card, video, and table games being offered at the state’s 9 tribal casinos.
Similar to other states, there is nothing on the books that states specifically against players placing wagers online. On the other hand, there are laws stating that operators can not accept these online wagers. This allows for players in Oregon to place bets legally at off-shore websites.
As of August 2019, Oregon passed legislation to allow for sports betting. Currently, the state has one physical sportsbook located inside of the Chinook Winds Casino and a sportsbook app offered by the state lottery.
While online casino gambling isn’t permitted in Oregon, you can wager at off-track betting websites and play the state lottery online. Players must be at least 18 to do either.
All other forms of gambling in Oregon are 21 and up.
Oregon Legal Land-Based Casinos
Oregon is home to 8 federally recognized tribes who among them own 9 land-based tribal casinos in the state. These casinos are authorized to serve blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and other variants.
The nine tribal casinos in Oregon are:
• Chinook Winds Casino
• Indian Head Casino
• Kla-Mo-Ya Casino
• The Mill Casino and Hotel
• Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort
• Spirit Mountain Casino
• Three Rivers Casino
• Three Rivers Casino Coo Bay
• Wildhorse Resort and Casino
Oregon Legal Daily Fantasy Sports and Sports Betting
Since August of 2019, Oregon has joined the ranks of states that allow legal sports betting. The first sportsbook launched in September 2019 at Chinook Winds. In October of 2019, the first form of online gambling made its way into the state thanks to the Oregon lottery who’s presented their sportsbook app in partnership with SBTech.
This is good news for people looking for daily fantasy sports to arrive in Oregon where it is currently illegal. Eventually, sites like DraftKings and FanDuel will join the ranks in Oregon. It’s just a matter of time.
Oregon Legal Gambling FAQ’s
What am I allowed to gamble on legally in the state of Oregon?
- Casino gaming at tribal casinos.
- Sports betting and a mobile sportsbook app. – Will Grow bigger as the years go.
- Social poker and poker rooms, varying by county.
- Bingo and charitable games.
- State lottery.
- Race tracking betting and Off-track betting, also available online.
