With each passing year, more and more Americans are legally able to wager on the Super Bowl. In early 2019, when the Patriots defeated the Rams in Atlanta, the federal ban on sports wagering had only recently been struck down and eight states were able to accept legal bets. The next year when the Chiefs beat the 49ers in South Florida, bettors were able to place legal wagers in 14 states.

And the number keeps growing—for Super Bowl LVI on Sunday in Los Angeles between the Bengals and Rams, sports betting is legal in 27 states and Washington, D.C., with even more states preparing for legal sports betting launches in the months ahead. The explosion of legal sports wagering in the United States will only cement the Super Bowl’s long-held reputation as one of the most bet-on sports events in America.

But sports betting is not legal everywhere, and sometimes bettors have to get creative to get a bet down on the latest NFL odds. And that’s unfortunately the case for the two markets that produced the participating Super Bowl teams this year, one of which also happens to be the host city.

RELATED: Where Can I Legally Bet On The Super Bowl This Year?

Nearest Sportsbooks to Cincinnati

The good news: Ohio sports betting was legalized this year! The bad news: The law isn’t yet in effect, and won’t be until sometime before Jan. 1, 2023. Once it gets rolling, there should be lots of sports wagering options in greater Cincinnati and the Buckeye State, which will license the practice even at certain bars, restaurants and convenience stores. But for Super Bowl LVI this Sunday, you’re going to have to look beyond the state lines.

Thankfully for bettors, there’s an option right across the state line in Indiana. The closest retail betting facility to Cincinnati is likely the Barstool Sportsbook 27 miles away at Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Ind., which features 25 betting kiosks and 20 high-definition TVs. A little farther south, there’s the TwinSpires Sportsbook 49 miles away at Rising Star Casino in Rising Sun, Ind., which offers kiosks and tellers.

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Nearest Sportsbooks to Los Angeles

And then you have California, where many forms of casino gambling have been legal for decades on tribal lands, but sports wagering remains—unthinkably—yet to be legalized. That could change in 2022, when voters could be asked to consider as many as four different sports betting ballot measures, according to The New York Times. But for this Super Bowl, at least, sports bettors in Los Angeles also need to look elsewhere.

And unfortunately, drive much farther than their brethren out in Cincinnati. The closest retail sportsbook to Los Angeles is the William Hill Sportsbook at the Primm Valley Casino in Primm, Nevada, just over the state line but still 227 miles away. If you’re determined to head all the way to the outskirts of Las Vegas, the first sportsbook you’ll find is at Green Valley Ranch, 261 miles from L.A. If you’d rather head to Arizona for your NFL betting, you’ll need to drive 371 miles to the sportsbook at the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley in Glendale.

RELATED: Ultimate Super Bowl Betting Guide For Rams vs Bengals

Can I Use My Betting App For Super Bowl 2022?

Unless you’re determined to watch the game in a sportsbook atmosphere—which, we’ll admit, can be a pretty great time—there are wagering options other than retail. Eighteen states allow some form mobile betting, with many of them requiring that the bettor only be physically in the state when placing the wager. That means sports bettors in Cincinnati and Los Angeles don’t have to visit a retail facility if they’re interested in solely placing Super Bowl bets. They only have to cross a state line.

For bettors in Cincinnati, that would mean driving the few miles into Indiana (adjacent Kentucky, sadly, is not among the states where sports betting is yet legal). The Hoosier State features nearly a dozen online sportsbook options, and allows easy mobile registration for anyone in the state aged 21 or older. Unfortunately, for L.A. residents, betting apps in Nevada mandate in-person registration. A preferable option is Arizona sports betting, where bettors can wager from anywhere in the state.

Of course, the Arizona state line is still 239 miles from SoFi Stadium. If you can’t make it, just hold on until next year: Super Bowl LVII is set for State Farm Stadium in metro Phoenix, where both in-person and mobile sports betting options abound.

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