Jimmy Boyd in 
While the state of New Mexico has not officially legalized sports betting, there are sportsbooks in the state that residents can legally go to and place a bet.
This is possible because of an agreement that tribal casinos have with the state. Due to the fact that sports betting wasn’t listed as a negotiable item, it falls under Class III gaming, and thus is allowed to be offered on tribal property.
Given how big gambling is in the state of New Mexico, it really is surprising that it hasn’t been implemented on a larger scale. With more than 30 casinos littered throughout the state and just a few million residents, New Mexico has the highest rate of casinos to residents in the country.
List of New Mexico Sportsbooks & Betting Locations
| Casino | Location |
|---|---|
| Santa Ana Star | Bernalillo |
| Hilton Buffalo Thunder | Santa Fe |
| The Inn of Mountain Gods | Mescalero |
The Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel, located in Bernalillo (10 miles north of Albuquerque), was the first tribal casino to install a sportsbook on site. They accepted the first wager in the state on Oct. 16, 2018.
For the longest time this was the only sportsbook that was operational in the state. It wasn’t until March of 2019 that the Hilton Buffalo Thunder added a new name to the mix. Located in the Pojoaque Valley just a few minutes from downtown Santa Fe.
Just a few months later The Inn of the Mountain Gods joined in on the fun, accepting its first wager in late July of 2019. The Inn of Mountain Gods is located on Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation.
As of right now these are the only three books up and running in the state, but there is reason to believe that more will open in the future. The vast majority of the casinos in the state are on tribal ground, so there’s really nothing holding them back.
New Mexico Online Sports Wagering & Mobile Gaming
Unfortunately none of the land-based casinos with sportsbooks have an online or mobile platform available to residents. Those that want to place a wager, must physically travel to one of the casinos.
This is definitely a big hassle for those who want to bet on sports on a daily basis. While it feels like it’s only a matter of time before online sports betting is available across all states, there is nothing in the works as of right now for New Mexico.