Mobile Sports Betting Not Yet Offered in Oregon, Photo by Pixabay Industry

Oregon Lottery Misses Target Launch Date for Mobile Betting App

By Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer Updated: 07 September 2019

Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer

Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.

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Many people throughout the USA are doing something new this NFL season – they’re betting on games, either in land-based venues, or using their mobile devices. Residents of one state have been left disappointed though, as Oregon Lottery has failed to meet their deadline for offering a sports betting app.

Those in Oregon were supposed to be able to bet on sports using an app at the start of the NFL season – something that would have proved massively popular with sports fans in the state. Oregon Lottery simply wasn‘t able to get the app over the finishline in time though, despite having 40 people working full time on it.

Speaking about when the app will be ready for customers to enjoy, Matt Shelby, the Lottery Public Information Manager, stated:

“It’s not going to happen this week. We’re making progress and we’re getting close, but we’ll really know about two weeks out. Even then, though, it will be a window..”

This means that the most likely date for the start of mobile sports betting in Oregon will be in late September, or even early October. This should still give Oregonians plenty of chance to bet on the majority of the NFL season, as well as other big sporting events in the calendar.

Why the Holdup?

So, why hasn’t the app made it into public circulation in time? Well, according to Shelby, they have an app already completed. It’s still in the testing stage though, with developers paying particular interest to the security of the app. This is vitally important, as the security of gamblers is one of the biggest priorities for all involved.

The app’s usability is also being tested at the moment, to ensure that systems from all partners are properly integrated. Until the security and functionality are both perfected, the people behind the app simply won‘t allow it to be released. According to MardiLyn Saathoff, the Lottery Commission chair, “It’s better to get it right.”

When the app does finally go live, it will be available to residents of the state at both Google Play and The App Store. There will be a range of different sports to bet on, plus a number of different bet types offered, including outright and spread bets. In-play betting will also be offered for a large number of sporting contests.

Chinook Winds Casino Already Offering Sports Betting

All is not lost for those in Oregon looking to bet on the opening rounds of the NFL though, as there is one way to start placing bets. The Chinook Winds Casino, in Lincoln City, has already started to offer sports betting to patrons – something that they’ve been doing since last week. They succesfully covered the opening game of the NFL season, plus they’ve also taken bets on college football – something that the Oregon Lottery won’t initially offer.

Making their way to the Chinook Winds Casino isn’t possible for many though, so they’ll simply have to wait for the launch of the betting app. Gamblers are hoping that it won’t be too long before it’s available to download.