Online Gambling License in Oregon

The Oregon State Lottery Commission is a five-member regulatory body that oversees the operations of the Oregon Lottery. The Governor appoints all members of the Commission for a four-year term, and their appointment is confirmed by the Senate.

In 1984, Oregon voters established the Oregon Lottery, whose main task is to generate revenue and fund the state’s economic development, public schools, state parks and veteran services. It’s worth noting that the lottery is the state’s second source of funding after income taxes, providing more than $15 billion for various public purposes since 1985.  

The Commission is responsible for enforcing state laws regulating gaming as well as ensuring that all licensed gaming establishments comply with these regulations. The legal gaming activities run by the Oregon Lottery include classic lottery games, keno, Scratch-its, video lottery, and sports betting via DraftKings Sportsbook.  

However, besides the Oregon Lottery Commission, the Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) regulates charitable gambling, and the Oregon Racing Commission governs the state’s pari-mutuel industry. Also, the state has compacts with Native American tribes, allowing them to run tribal gaming operations.    

Types of Gambling Regulated by the Oregon State Lottery Commission

As you can see, Oregon offers many forms of gambling entertainment, although, unfortunately, online casino gambling is still illegal. We will now provide detailed insights into all types of legal gambling activities in the Beaver State.

Lottery Games

The main star in the story of gambling in this state is the Oregon Lottery. Therefore, we’ll start with the entire roster of games offered by the state lottery.

You can play a wide range of popular multistate lottery games with impressive jackpots, like Mega Millions and Powerball. Other player favorites include Oregon’s Game Megabucks, Lucky Lines, Win for Life, and Pick 4.

Another game of chance is keno, which was introduced in 1991. The available games are Special Keno and Keno-to-Go. You can also explore special features like Bulls-Eye and Keno Multiplier Option.

Scratch-it “Pot of Gold ”was the first classic lottery game introduced by the Oregon Lottery in 1985. Since then, Scratch-its have become very popular among players, and the lottery now provides various types of bingo, scratch-and-match, and crossword-style games. If you don’t win, you can use the tickets to enter into Second Chance drawings for an additional chance to claim a prize.  

Video Lottery

The video lottery is another game type provided by the Oregon Lottery. Video lottery terminals were introduced in 1992 as poker-only games. The Video Lottery gaming system in Oregon was a significant milestone since it was the first 24/7 centrally controlled gaming system in the US.

If you’re a fan of slot machines, these Vegas-style games resemble slots but operate with different internal mechanics developed by the Oregon Lottery. You can choose from over 60 video lottery games featuring various themes.

Some of the games are Aces Kicker, Cash Eruption Las Vegas, Samurai 888 Katsumi, and Monopoly Jackpot Station. You can play video lottery games at one of Oregon Lottery retailers.       

Sports Betting

Oregon was one of the first US states to jump on the sports betting bandwagon. The Oregon Lottery introduced an online sports betting game through the Scoreboard app in 2019. However, in 2022, the state signed an agreement with DraftKings, which took over sports betting. DraftKings Sportsbook is now the official provider of sports wagering licensed by the Oregon Lottery.

You can bet on your favorite sports, like the NFL, NBA, or NHL, and choose one of the popular bets like Moneyline Bet, Spread Bet, or Prop Bet. If you prefer mobile betting, the Oregon Lottery allows you to install the DraftKings app, but you can also place online wagers on the official DraftKings sportsbook site.  

It’s worth noting that Oregon Sports Betting laws also allow some Class III tribal casinos to offer retail sportsbooks. Some of the casinos where you can place sports bets in person are Chinook Winds Casino Resort, The Mill Casino, and Spirit Mountain Casino, which partners with BetMGM.  

Tribal Casinos

Oregon has nine federally recognized tribes with whom the state has signed compacts allowing them to offer casino gaming services. The tribal casinos were authorized to run Class III gaming operations by the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act adopted in 1988. The Class III casinos can offer slot machines, table games, bingo, and even sports betting via kiosks.

The tribes and the state regulate tribal casinos, and there is a limit on the number of gaming machines at these establishments. However, tribes can renegotiate with the state if they want to add more gaming machines.     

There are ten land-based casinos in Oregon, and some of the most popular ones are Chinook Winds Casino, Seven Feathers Casino Resort, The Mill Casino, Spirit Mountain Casino, Indian Head Casino, and Wildhorse Resort and Casino.

Horse Racing

The Oregon Racing Commission, established in 1993, is responsible for regulating and overseeing on-site and off-site pari-mutuel wagering and horse racing. The Commission is also in charge of regulating multi-jurisdictional account wagering hubs with valid state licenses.

The most popular commercial race meets are at Portland Meadows. Other events include the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show, Grants Pass Downs at the Josephine County Fairgrounds, and Prineville’s Crooked River Roundup.

You can place simulcasts and pari-mutuel bets at off-track betting locations (OTBs) like Alexander’s Sports Lounge in Fairview or Portland Meadows. However, the Oregon Racing Commission also issues Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) licenses, thus allowing online horse racing betting. Some of the licensed ADW platforms are AmWager and TwinSpires.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Oregon gambling legislation doesn’t address Daily Fantasy Sports, so DFS is generally considered legal as the law doesn’t explicitly ban these competitions. At the same time, the state doesn’t have a specific regulatory framework or requirements DFS operators must meet to obtain the license.

As a result, fans of fantasy sports in Oregon can enjoy playing these games on several top-rated DFS sites, like FanDuel.

It’s worth noting that DraftKings doesn’t offer its fantasy sports platform in Oregon. DraftKings made this decision during the negotiations with the state to become the state’s only official sports betting operator.

The Oregon State Lottery Commission Regulatory Framework

The duties of the Oregon State Lottery are defined in the Oregon Constitution and state laws. The Constitution creates the State Lottery Commission to run and oversee all lottery activities.

Lottery money must be used to create jobs, fund schools, boost the economy, and protect parks and wildlife. The Governor appoints Commission members, and the Senate must approve them. At least one member must have five years of law enforcement experience.

The Commission also enforces the Oregon State Lottery Responsible Gambling Code of Practice. This ensures all license holders promote safe gambling. It helps protect players from gambling-related risks.

FAQs about The Oregon State Lottery Commission