Oregon holds a unique position in the world of sports betting. This makes sense because it is a unique state in our country. From not being able to pump your own gas (as of mid-2023, you can pump your own gas!) to the lack of a sales tax to the quirky residents (and restaurants) of Portland, Oregonians have always done things their own way.

When it comes to legal sports betting, Oregon does have mobile betting, but there is only one operator and no betting on any college sports. A few states have given one operator monopoly status, but no other state prohibits all wagering on all college sports. (However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get in on the college action via fantasy prop sites like PrizePicks.)

On this page, we will get into the reasons for both, talk more about DFS and sports betting in Oregon, go over all the professional sports available for wagering, list available banking options, discuss the history of sports gambling in Oregon, and end with a special FAQ. Let’s get started.

Oregon DFS Prop Betting Sites

While the list of available sportsbooks in Oregon is short, sports fans can still play on their favorite daily fantasy sports sites like PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy. There are also new, emerging DFS prop sites available in Oregon every day.

Unfortunately, DraftKings DFS contests are not live in Oregon. DraftKings halted their DFS offerings in the state when they began negotiations to take over the Oregon Lottery’s sports betting platform. (More on that in a bit.)

If you’re looking for traditional daily fantasy sports, you can sign up at FanDuel.

Best Promo Codes in Oregon

If you’re in Oregon, you can claim hundreds of dollars in bonus offers using all of our promo codes. Even better, if you’re a college sports fan, you can use these sites to pick props for college football and college basketball.

You can also get exclusive DFS and sports betting tips, analysis, and tools for all of these sites and more by subscribing to RotoGrinders Premium content!

History of Sports Betting in Oregon

In 1985, the Oregon state lottery was created. It proved to be extremely popular, generating millions for state government programs. In 1989, the lottery added a Sports Action game that allowed residents to wager on NFL parlays. This also proved to be popular, despite fierce opposition from the NFL itself. An NBA parlay option was added but was quickly discontinued due to lack of interest. NFL parlay betting continued, but the NCAA, which was at the time opposed to any form of sports betting, said that Oregon would not host any postseason tournaments as long as the Sports Action game was available. After a lot of back and forth in the state legislature, the game was discontinued after the 2006-2007 NFL season. The NCAA then brought March Madness to Portland just two years later in 2009.

Path to Legal Sports Betting in Oregon

Fast forward 10 years to 2019, and the country was in a post-PASPA world. Oregon officials determined that, because Sports Action was available after PASPA, the state already qualified for legal sports betting and did not need to pass new legislation in order to fully legalize sports betting. Therefore, the legislature decided that the Lottery would run an online sportsbook as a monopoly, with the revenue generated going to education programs, including higher education. This was (and still is) the main reason that college sports were prohibited from being offered.

How to Pick College Props on Oregon DFS Sites

While you can’t bet against the spread of an Oregon Ducks college football game, there is still hope for you college sports fanatics. As we mentioned earlier, there are a growing number of DFS sites that are props-focused. These apps allow users to select multiple player props to create a “lineup”. Functioning much like traditional parlays that you see available at online sportsbooks, you must hit every prop pick to cash your lineup. The more picks you make, the larger the payout!

Keep in mind, you won’t find college player props to bet on at DraftKings Sportsbook, either. They are only available on select DFS sites, and they must be combined with at least one other player prop. You cannot bet them one at a time.

ScoreBoard and DraftKings Sportsbook

In October 2019, ScoreBoard was launched. It was a sportsbook created and run by the state lottery with help from SBTech, a global sports betting technology provider. ScoreBoard was…not well-received. The technology was sub-par, the lines were inferior, and the promotions were non-existent. But it was mobile sports betting, so Oregonians used it. Revenue was generated, but the bad reviews kept pouring in from customers and industry observers alike. After about two years, the Lottery threw in the towel and came to an agreement with DraftKings to take over mobile sports betting in the state.

Of course, DraftKings knows a thing or two about sports betting. It is in the top 2 of revenues in almost every state in which it operates, trailing only FanDuel in popularity. Additionally, DraftKings knows how to work with state governments in a monopoly environment, doing just that in New Hampshire as the only mobile sportsbook available in the state.

In January 2022, DraftKings took over, and Oregonians finally had a legitimate, top-tier sportsbook of their very own. Revenues immediately went way up and things have gone very well for both the Lottery and DraftKings so far. Full competition may not be available in the state, but at least the residents have a top-tier sportsbook to use for their mobile betting.

Sportsbook Promotions in Oregon

Since it is the only mobile sportsbook in Oregon, let’s go over some of the promotions DraftKings offers its new and existing customers in Oregon and elsewhere.

• Refer a friend bonus – This one is pretty simple. Send a friend a DK referral link and if they use that referral to sign up for a new account and make a deposit, you each get a bonus bet. This bonus bet must be used on one bet (it can’t be split up) and must be used within 7 days. Oh, and the bonus bet amount is not withdrawable. But the winnings can be immediately withdrawn. This is a great deal if you have friends who are interested in signing up for a DraftKings account.
• Deposit match bonus – Many sportsbooks give new customers a deposit match, which is a very good promotion. Sign up for an account, make a deposit, and the sportsbook matches that first deposit up to a certain amount. The problem with DraftKings’ deposit bonus promotion is its ridiculous 25x play-through requirement. Not a very good deal.
• Odds boosts – Odds boosts are a better deal, particularly if you like the underlying wager. Many sportsbooks, including DraftKings, boost, or increase, the payout of a featured bet, usually related to a high-profile game or hometown team. So if the Blazers are playing the Lakers, an odds boost might include the Blazers ML, Over 210, and Damian Lillard to score more than 20 points. The payout could be boosted from +600 to +800 in order to entice bettors in Oregon to take the wager. This is a good value if you think all three bets will win, but remember that the odds of winning are still 6/1, or 16.6%, even if the payout is higher.
• Missions – Imagine you’re just sitting on the couch, minding your own business, when all of a sudden you get a notification from DraftKings on your smartphone. It’s your new mission. How clandestine! You click on the instructions, only to learn that your mission is to bet a certain amount or number of times on a certain sport. If you complete your mission, you get rewards points or site credit. The Missions promotion is totally gimmicky, but if you were planning on betting on the underlying sport or bet type anyway, it’s worth checking out.

Sports Available for Online Wagering in Oregon

Once again, we go to DraftKings for our list of sports available for online wagering in Oregon. Tribal retail sportsbooks may have different sports listed at their locations, including college sports, but for those who want to bet online, the following sports are available:

• Australian Rules Football
• Baseball
• Basketball (WNBA, NBA, and International only)
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• Football (CFL and NFL only)
• Golf
• Hockey
• Lacrosse
• MMA
• Motorsports
• Rugby
• Snooker
• Soccer
• Tennis
• And more depending on time of year

Bet Types Available in Oregon

Here are all the different types of wagers available in Oregon:

• Spread
• Total (over/under)
• Parlay (including same-game parlay)
• Futures
• Prop bets (including player props)
• Moneyline
• Teaser
• Live/in-game

Oregon Sportsbook Banking Options

As one of the biggest sportsbooks out there, DraftKings has no shortage of options for deposits and withdrawals, including:

• DraftKings gift card
• Wire transfer
• Play+ branded prepaid cards
• Online banking
• VIP Preferred eCheck
• PayPal
• Venmo
• Visa/Mastercard
• Old-fashioned paper checks

Tribal Sports Betting in Oregon

Oregon is home to eight recognized Indian tribes, most of whom have a casino. Actually, the first legal wager in the state was made at the Chinook Winds sportsbook in Lincoln City, which opened up a few months before the debut of ScoreBoard. Currently, four tribal casinos in Oregon have sportsbooks:

• Spirit Mountain Casino (partnered with BetMGM)
• Chinook Winds Casino
• The Mill Casino
• Three Rivers Casino

Tribal sportsbooks are retail-only and do not offer mobile apps, but the good news is they can offer wagering on all college sports. They have taken full advantage of that, marketing to the legions of Oregon and Oregon State fans frustrated with not being able to wager on their teams.  

Oregon Sports Teams

Oregon has three professional sports teams and several major college teams.

• Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) – Of course, the Blazers are the biggest team in the state. The team put Oregon on the map, joining the league way back in 1970 when Portland was a sleepy timber town, two years before Nike released its first shoe. The Blazers have a legion of loyal fans throughout Oregon (and southwestern Washington state, which borders Oregon and is closer to Portland than Seattle) who have supported the team through thick and thin.
• Portland Timbers (MLS) – Like Seattle, its bigger neighbor to the north, Portland is a northwest city full of passionate soccer fans. The Timbers have actually been around since 1975, playing in several different leagues before joining the MLS in 2011. Interest in the Timbers has always been high, but it hit a fever pitch when the team became an MLS club. Home games are always sold-out, intense affairs, particularly when the team is good, as they were in 2015 when they won the city’s first (and only) MLS Cup championship. Not quite as good as the Sounders’ two titles, but a solid record of success nonetheless.
• Portland Thorns (NWSL) – Portland’s affinity for soccer definitely extends to the women’s game, with the Thorns pulling in record-setting crowds as part of the National Women’s Soccer League. The team is connected to the Timbers, even sharing the same ownership group, and has won two NWSL championships.
• University of Oregon – Sorry OSU fans, but UO is the top college sports program in the state. The Oregon Ducks are famous for their infinite number of uniform combinations and seemingly infinite budget for new facilities thanks to Nike founder and Oregon benefactor Phil Knight. The Ducks are always competing for Pac-12 football and basketball titles, and have had a great deal of success on the national level as well.
• Oregon State University – Don’t tell any OSU fan that their team isn’t as important as UO. OSU is actually much larger than UO by attendance, and its fans are as passionate as they come, filling the stands for all their favorite team’s sports. In fact, OSU fans have several major championships to brag about, having won THREE College World Series titles since 2006 (2006, 2007, and 2018). Take that, Ducks!
• Portland State University – Portland State is actually larger than UO, but not quite as big as OSU, which is the biggest university in the state. PSU’s sports programs are not a big deal compared to OSU and UO, but PSU does have a Division 1 sports program, competing in the FCS in football and occasionally making the NCAA basketball tournament as a high-seeded cinderella.

Oregon Sports Betting FAQ

Is sports betting legal in Oregon?

Yes! Sports betting is very much legal in the great state of Oregon. Online sports betting is run by the state lottery and has been available since October 2019. NFL parlay wagering was offered by the lottery from 1989-2007, which meant that Oregon was exempt from PASPA and did not have to pass any new legislation to enact legal sports betting when PASPA was overturned in 2018.

Which sportsbooks are available in Oregon?

Right now, DraftKings is the only sportsbook available online in Oregon because the state lottery is in charge of regulating and operating online sports betting in the state. The lottery started out by running its own app called ScoreBoard, but in early 2022 threw in the towel and contracted with DraftKings to offer its app to bettors in the state. This is good news for Oregon bettors because DraftKings is a much better app than ScoreBoard ever was.

Why can’t I bet on college sports in Oregon?

As mentioned, Oregon is the only state that prohibits wagering on all college sports. This was a decision made by the state legislature, which decided that the state lottery would be the only entity allowed to offer mobile wagering in the state. Tribes can offer wagering on college sports at their retail sportsbooks because they are not under the jurisdiction of state regulators.

One reason for the prohibition is that a portion of the revenue from sports betting in the state goes to colleges and universities, therefore it was perceived as a potential conflict of interest to allow wagering on their games. There have been efforts in the legislature to change this policy, but little traction has been gained, mostly due to the strenuous opposition of the state’s powerful tribes. We expect the ban to remain in place for many years to come.

Can I pick college props?

Yes, sort of. While you can’t bet on college player props at Oregon sportsbooks, you can make prop picks on DFS sites like PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, and similar platforms. You must pick at least two different props in your lineups, which work almost exactly like traditional parlays.