PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The wait is over.
Before the first pitch of Thursday night’s American League Championship Series game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees, Oregonians will be able to place bets on the outcome via a brand new app from the Oregon Lottery.
And, with that, the state of Oregon is, officially, in the sports gambling business.
Lottery officials announced late Wednesday afternoon that their new Scoreboard app was live and ready to start taking bets. The app is available for both Apple/iOs and Android users. According to the press release issued Wednesday afternoon, Apple users can download it from the App Store while Android users will need to download it directly from the Lottery’s website.
This all stems from May 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that had all-but banned sports gambling in most states. In doing so, the justices opened up a landscape, and revenue stream, several states were eager to explore – including Oregon.
This past spring spring the Oregon Lottery, which regulates non-tribal sports gambling in the state, contracted with SBTech to develop a mobile experience for those wishing to bet on games.
Now that it is legal in Oregon and the Scoreboard app is available for download, anyone 21 or older who is physically in Oregon will be able to place bets on the National Football League, the National Basketball League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the National Hockey League, golf, Mixed Martial Arts, tennis and boxing.
Currently the ScoreBoard app and the Oregon Lottery will not be taking bets on college sports. For now, that is only available, legally, through the sportsbook at Chinook Winds Casino.
KOIN 6 News confirmed Tuesday that gamblers using the Scoreboard app could conceivably place bets worth up $250,000. According to an email from Chuck Baumann with the Oregon Lottery, that number is based “solely” on the amount Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is willing to ensure.
Baumann added that the Lottery is not obligated to take bets that large, but they can. He said those decisions will be based on the sport, the listed odds and the Lottery’s overall risk tolerance.
Now that the Scoreboard app is up and running, the next step in the state’s sports gambling plan is to research the viability and plan for the implementation of retail style gaming kiosks. In their press release Wednesday afternoon, the Oregon Lottery said those machines could be available at currently established lottery retailers and sports venues by the end of next year.
Lottery officials told KOIN 6 News they estimate $300 million will be wagered in the state during the first 12 months of legal gambling. However, only a small percentage of that will find its way into state coffers.
“A vast majority of the money goes back to the players,” Shelby said.
While the Oregon Lottery hesitates to predict a specific amount that the state stands to net from the first year of gambling they expect it to be in the “tens of millions of dollars.”
“We have projections based on what we’ve seen in other states that have legalized sports betting.” Shelby told KOIN 6 News. “We’ve never had a full sports book available. We are as excited as anybody else in the state to see how players in Oregon react.”
By law, the revenue from sports gambling in Oregon will go to covering retirement costs for state employees. SBTech will also get a cut of the money raised.