Can You Gamble On An Airplane?

It is illegal for commercial airplanes to offer in-flight gambling of any kind under a 1994 federal statute known as the Gorton Amendment.

Commercial airlines can’t legally offer slot machines or table games during a flight. They also can’t provide online gambling through an official airline mobile device.

That said, it is legal for passengers to place bets on their personal devices using an online gambling platform unaffiliated with the airline. Airplane WiFi provides access to some online gambling platforms.

Recent developments suggest a change to federal law may be on the horizon.

DraftKings Partners With Delta Air Lines

In January 2025, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian announced a partnership with DraftKings at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. 

Months later, in June 2025, Delta was surveying passengers about their interest in “exclusive access to sports gambling (sportsbook) opportunities.” A screenshot of the survey was posted to Reddit. GamblingHarm.org spoke to the author of the post, who said that his flight was out of Michigan.

The location is relevant here, as Michigan is one of the most friendly states to online sports betting. The Wolverine State is one of more than two dozen DraftKings Sportsbook states, and Delta has a hub in Detroit.

Could States Allow Gambling on Airplanes?

While in-flight gambling remains unauthorized under federal law, it’s possible states could legalize in-flight sports gambling for flights to and from their jurisdictions. This is what legislation in Connecticut, filed in January 2025, proposed. The bill failed to pass the legislature last year.

The federal law on in-flight gambling is considered an antiquated statute. In other words, there might be little appetite to try to apply the law to today’s mobile technology.

To date, there has been no Michigan bill related to in-flight sports gambling. The state would make sense if DraftKings and Delta become more aggressive in developing their partnership.

Notably, their partnership came as Illinois policymakers were looking to siphon more money from air travelers through slots at Chicago airports. The idea is the same as in-flight gambling: air travelers are captives.

Reaction to DraftKings-Delta Gambling Deal

Reaction to the partnership has been largely negative. Here are some Reddit responses:

• “People are already drinking before or on the flight and sleep-deprived.”
• “Increase in in-flight incidents for sure. I don’t want to be diverted because the Lakers lost and someone’s mortgage payment was riding on it.”
• “I would pay money not to have access to sports gambling on my phone.”
• “Vegas but in a metal tube going 500 mph.”

For people dealing with problem gambling, including individuals in recovery, in-flight sports gambling could be unpleasant to be around. It could tigger relapse.

U.S. Lawmaker Criticizes In-Flight Gambling

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), sponsor of the SAFE Bet Act, condemned the DraftKings-Delta partnership.

“This new partnership advances the proliferation of sports betting, further fueling a crisis of problem gambling,” Blumenthal wrote.

“Problem gambling is particularly rampant among young people,” he added. “Given that a significant number of minors fly each year, I’m especially concerned that this partnership could be advertised or available to children, enticing them to engage in betting. Delta Air Lines’ family seating policy does not guarantee adjacent seats for children under thirteen and their accompanying adult, which only exacerbates these concerns.”

How Lucrative is Gambling on Airplanes?

Promotions tied to DraftKings gambling on Delta flights could be a substantial revenue opportunity.

In 1996, the Department of Transportation found that in-flight casino gambling (not limited to sports betting) could generate millions of dollars for airlines.

“The Department estimates that if allowed to offer gambling on their international flights, U.S. airlines could generate wagering amounting to roughly $3.3 billion on an annual basis,” the report said. The figure was the “handle”—not estimated revenue.

Still, that’s a staggering figure from 30 years ago.

The U.S. sports betting market generated $13.74 billion in revenue in 2024. The revenue came from about $150 billion in wagers (handle). It’s unclear how DraftKings and Delta would share the spoils on in-flight sports betting.

Some airline experts anticipate more momentum for the DraftKings-Delta partnership.

“We’ll see a renewed lobbying effort to legalize in-flight gambling, because there’s simply so much money at stake—that airlines are currently leaving on the table,” said Gary Leff, co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com.

Prediction Markets

In late 2025, DraftKings launched a new product called DraftKings Predictions. The new gambling platform is certified by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

The so-called “prediction market” product operates outside the bounds of state gambling law.

The Gorton Amendment applies to DraftKings Predictions. Other prediction markets, such as Kalshi and Polymarket, would surely be interested in partnering with an airline.

Evolving Partnership: ‘Gaming” to ‘Gambling’

In a Feb. 3, 2025, blog post, Delta said the “gaming” partnership was still tentative.

“While Delta and DraftKings continue to define the scope of our potential business transaction, it does not include any kind of gaming using real money or miles. Delta will not make offerings available in violation of Federal, State, or local laws.”

Under the relationship, Delta said it was considering offering eligible SkyMiles members access to “free gaming” on Delta Sync Wi-Fi available on their personal electronic devices.

In April, another Delta blog post indicated the deal was progressing. “For members under 21, the DraftKings offer will be excluded from the Delta Sync Wi-Fi experience,” the airline wrote.

In the post, Delta appeared to double down on the DraftKings deal, calling it “an unprecedented collaboration.”

“The Delta Sync experience does not include any real-money or mileage-based gaming,” Delta restated.

In June 2025, the Delta survey text described a potential offering as “gambling,” which implied real-money sports betting, rather than free-play games.

Bottom Line: Is Gambling Legal on an Airplane?

Despite developments involving a DraftKings-Delta partnership, in-flight gambling products remain illegal in the U.S. airspace.

Federal law on the issue is outdated, but it appears Delta Air Lines will, for now, adhere to the law and not allow real-money gambling via DraftKings.

However, things can change fast, as changes to state or federal law might give Delta the green light to promote in-flight sports gambling.

Delta appears to be testing the waters by surveying customers about real-money gambling.

While in-flight sports gambling could be lucrative for Delta and DraftKings, it appears the activity could be incredibly unpopular among people who don’t use the product.