Best Betting Sites in the US
Welcome to the most comprehensive guide to the best betting sites in the US. At PlayingLegal, find the top online sportsbooks tailor-made to your desires along with all the best welcome bonuses.
Our sports betting enthusiasts painstakingly break down all the details with a fine-toothed comb of the online sportsbooks available. A complete market overview plus even a look ahead at all the new sports betting sites coming soon. To begin with, explore our top list of the best online sports betting sites.
Top 10 Online Sports Betting Sites
- Must clear in 7 days
- Available for BetMGM Sports only
- Bet must be qualifying
- Bet must lose
- Maximum of $500.
- Bonus credits within 48 hours of making a successful first deposit.
- Must activate the bonus via your Bonus Bank.
- Bonus has a 1x play-through requirement.
- Must wager on games and events with odds longer than -200.
- Any + odds are counted for play-through requirements.
- Bonus must be play-through by 30 days.
- Bonus began on Aug. 16, 2019 at 4:00 pm EST and is ongoing.
- Free Bets Offer only applies to new accounts with first deposits.
- No other ‘New Customer’ promotion applies.
- Using Cash Out, Auto Cash Out, Edit My Bet, or canceling the bet voids the promotion.
- First wager of at least $20 on any sport.
- Qualifying Bet must be -200 odds or greater. Void bets do not count.
- Free Bets are not eligible for this promotion.
- You have to use the $100 Free Bet as one single bet within seven days of credit.
- Free Bet is not redeemable for cash or towards casino or poker products.
- Free Bets are not included in any winnings.
- This Sports welcome promo is valid from 3/11/20-12/31/20.
- No rollover required
- Qualifying first bet must lose
- Free bet must be used within 7 days
- Valid for new customer accounts only
- Bonus expires after 7 days of account registration.
- Bonus must be claimed in Account Menu.
- 20 times deposit + bonus wagering requirement on eligible games.
- Wagering requirements must be cleared within 60 days.
- The bonus will be void if a withdrawal request is submitted without clearing the requirement.
- Bets on Virtual Sports are excluded from wagering requirement.
- Must clear in 7 days
- Available for BetMGM Sports only
- Bet must be qualifying
- Bet must lose
- Make a real-money first bet of up to $500.
- Use the promo code: ‘SPORTS’.
- Bonus credits to your account within 48 hours.
- 1x play-through within 30 days.
- Make a real-money first bet of up to $100.
- Use the promo code: ‘SPORTS’.
- Bonus credits to your account within 48 hours.
- 1x play-through within 30 days.
- Make a real-money first bet of up to $250.
- Use the promo code: ‘SPORTS’.
- Bonus credits to your account within 48 hours.
- 1x play-through within 30 days.
Overall, the online sports betting market in the US is fast developing. In fact, numerous states and operators are launching online betting. With such a wide variety of online betting sites to choose from, there are various factors to consider before choosing the best sports betting site for your needs.
Category Winners
Certainly, cherry-picking from the best betting sites is no easy task because the top online sportsbooks already offer all the best features. However, if you are searching for a certain feature, PlayingLegal awarded category winners based on each feature.
| Sportsbook Category Winners | |
|---|---|
| Best Welcome Bonus | BetMGM Sportsbook |
| Sports Schedule | bet365 Sports |
| Best Odds | William Hill Sportsbook |
| Live In-play Betting | BetMGM Sportsbook |
| Live Streaming | Unibet Sportsbook |
| Payment Methods | Borgata Sports |
| Customer Service | William Hill Sportsbook |
Ultimately when evaluating each operator, the best online sportsbook comes down to your preferences. For example, if the welcome bonus is fantastic but, the betting site is missing live streaming which is most important, you may want to choose a different operator. For more details, our review for each individual site analyzes all the features of each online sportsbook.
How to Choose the Best Betting Site
| 🔒 Safety | 🎁 Bonus |
| ⬆️ Odds | ⚽ Types of Sports |
| 📱 Mobile App | 💳 Payment Methods |
| 💬 Customer Service | 💻 Platform |
While there are a variety of online betting sites, not all of them are legal and licensed. Most importantly, you do not want to fall into the trap of depositing at an illegal offshore bookie, who may run off with your money at a moment’s notice.
Therefore, our compilation of a top list consists of a variety of factors listed below. Use this comprehensive resource as your guide to select the betting site that best suits your needs.
Safety of Funds
In the US, a legal and regulated sportsbook means that the operator abides by state laws. Each operator is required to have separate bank accounts. Moreover, the balance must equal customer funds.
Also, to comply with state regulations, each online sports betting site must supply a monthly report or attestation with each state regulatory agency where it operates. Typically, these monthly reports consist of how much sports betting handle and revenue were taken for the period. The attestation shows the appropriate state regulatory agency that all customer funds are accounted for.
On top of those requirements, each sportsbook must have enough funds or capital to pay out all bets. If an operator fails to meet the above regulations, the state-specific regulatory agency can either fine, sanction, or revoke licensing.
- Legal and licensed by a state regulatory agency or gaming division.
- Terms and conditions of any bonuses or promotions are clear and defined.
- An advanced encryption system is available to protect your funds and personal details.
- Promotes and provides tools for responsible gambling along with other resources.
Betting Welcome Bonus
There are plenty of online sportsbooks to choose from, and these betting sites are all vying for your business. Therefore, sportsbooks offer all types of welcome bonuses. Once you play through the welcome bonus, rest assured that you can take advantage of many ongoing betting promotions.
Indeed, the best welcome bonus offers are no-deposit sign-up bonuses because you can start playing without depositing a single cent.
Best Bonuses
- No rollover required
- Qualifying first bet must lose
- Free bet must be used within 7 days
- Valid for new customer accounts only
- Must clear in 7 days
- Available for BetMGM Sports only
- Bet must be qualifying
- Bet must lose
Overall, the betting sites listed are what best welcome bonuses are currently available. Most importantly, all the terms and conditions, particularly surrounding releasing your bonus money, are clear and well-defined.
Odds and Predictions
The best betting sites offer fantastic odds. If you choose to bet with less favorable odds, you are depriving yourself by gaining smaller wins. Do not let the allure of an attractive welcome bonus fool you. Once your finish playing through the welcome bonus, you do not want to be betting at a sportsbook that does not have favorable odds.
In fact, you should evaluate what kinds of odds and types of sports are offered before even signing up at a sports betting site. Unfortunately, comparing the odds and related payouts is not an easy task. To this end, we prepared a table that compares the odds of the top three betting sites.
| Sportsbook | NBA | MLB | NHL |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM Sportsbook | 96.05% | 96.09% | 96.40% |
 William Hill Sportsbook | 96.19% | 98.46% | 95.29% |
Overall, the three sportsbooks combined are very on par with each other. Realize that this is a small snapshot of comparing payouts at the top sports betting sites.
Types of Sports
The best sportsbooks are set apart from the competition by the types of sports offered. In fact, there is an amazing variety with even international sporting events. In this manner, not only do you receive the benefit from the types of sports, but also, think about all the competitions available.
Day or night, you can find sports to bet on, no matter the hour. Additionally, the odds offered are competitive, especially if you line shop.
| Types of Sports to Bet on in the US | ||
|---|---|---|
| eSports | Aussie Rules | Badminton |
| Baseball | Basketball | Biathlon |
| Bowling | Boxing | Cornhole |
| Cricket | Cycling | Darts |
| Floorball | Football | Futsal |
| Gaelic Games | Golf | Handball |
| Hockey | Lacrosse | UFC/MMA |
| Motorsports | Netball | Pesapallo |
| Pool | Rodeo | Rowing |
| Rugby League | Rugby Union | Sailing |
| Snooker | Soccer | Swimming |
| Table Tennis | Tennis | Volleyball |
| Water Polo | Winter Sports | Chess |
Mobile App
Definitely, the preference for sports betting is through a mobile device. Therefore, mobile apps are the primary focus of most online sportsbooks.
In particular, if you are live in-play betting, a sports betting mobile app that offers either TouchID on iOS or fingerprint authentication on Android is of utmost importance. Rather than either typing in passwords and then clicking sign-in, you can easily log in via your fingerprint. Live in-play bets are constantly shifting, and each state requires licensed sportsbooks to confirm your physical location through geolocation. Therefore, you will be signed out and required to sign back in to determine your location. Thus, if you can log in with your fingerprint, this process saves time for you to navigate more quickly and place your bets.
A seamless mobile betting experience is ideal. So, many betting apps offer banking, live streaming, and in-play betting. Ideally, you can find all the features on the mobile app versus the browser-based platform.
Browser-based Platform
Be sure not to overlook the quality of the software platform offered. In particular, the best operators offer a clean and responsive betting interface that provides user-intuitive navigation to find your desired bets.
Payment Options
By choosing to play at legal and licensed online sports betting sites, you get various payment methods. Notably, not every payment option is available at all of the online sportsbooks. Therefore, make sure to check what payment methods are offered by your desired operator.
Also, as the sports betting industry evolves, more payment methods will be available. Moreover, there are typically no fees charged by sportsbooks for your deposits and withdrawals. Yet, for example, your bank or credit card may charge fees.
- PayPal
- Play+ prepaid card
- Bank Transfer
- eCheck/ACH
- Casino cashier cage
- PayNearMe
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Debit cards
Definitely, PayPal or the Play+ card are the most preferred payment methods available. To explain, there is an easy sign-up process for both options. Additionally, deposit instantly and receive quicker withdrawals. Note that some operators have withdrawal restrictions, meaning you have to use the payment method for depositing before withdrawing.
Customer Support
Overall, the best online sports betting sites offer quick and responsive customer support. Generally speaking, most operators offer email and live chat support. For now, the trend is that most online sportsbooks are veering away from offering live phone support. Then, there are also operators such as William Hill that offer text support. Finally, you can use the FAQ section for answers to most of your concerns.
Live Chat: Operating Hours Vary
Email: 24/7
Phone: Varies
FAQs: Common Questions
Social: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube
Best Sportsbook for Customer Service: William Hill
Ultimately, if you need more assistance than what the FAQ section provides, live chat is the preferred method to contact customer support. Again, generally speaking, you receive a quick response within a couple of minutes of an agent connecting. However, some of the operators have Live Chat during set business hours only. Thus, if you require support at 4 am, your best bet is to email.
Other Tips for Choosing Betting Sites
| ⭐ Special Sportsbooks | 📈 Betting Exchange |
| 🏧 Cash Out | 🏀 Live Betting |
| 📺 Live Streaming | 🚫 Betting limits |
Certainly, there are more factors to consider even after accounting for the previous sections above. These additional aspects could provide better long-term profitability, depending on your interests.
Special Types of Betting Sites
There are a few betting sites worth mentioning for the uniqueness. For those of you looking for something different other than the traditional sportsbook, there are other options.
Horse Racing
If you search for horse racing, you will not find those bets available in the traditional online sportsbooks. Rather, read our definitive online betting guide on horse racing.
- Bet $400 to Get $100 in bonus cash.
- Max. bonus up to $200 requires $800 in wagers.
- Must be wagered within 30 days of account opening.
TVG Review
$250- Sign up with promo code ‘BESTBET’.
- Deposit $500 to get the maximum bonus of $250.
- The first deposit must be made within 15 days of signing up.
- The minimum deposit is $10 (earns $5 bonus).
Xpressbet Review
$125- Use promo code: 125BONUS
- Bet $100 to earn $25 in wagering credits.
- Must be $500 to earn the maximum bonus.
- Clear bonus within 30 days of sign-up.
New Betting Sites
There are new betting sites that are constantly launching. In fact, the new operators have to offer lucrative welcome bonuses to attract new customers.
Notably, new betting sites need more than just a fantastic welcome bonus. The platform and odds need to be competitive. Below, check out some recent online sportsbooks that just launched.
- Make a real-money first bet of up to $500.
- Use the promo code: ‘SPORTS’.
- Bonus credits to your account within 48 hours.
- 1x play-through within 30 days.
- Make a real-money first bet of up to $100.
- Use the promo code: ‘SPORTS’.
- Bonus credits to your account within 48 hours.
- 1x play-through within 30 days.
- Make a real-money first bet of up to $250.
- Use the promo code: ‘SPORTS’.
- Bonus credits to your account within 48 hours.
- 1x play-through within 30 days.
- New player accounts only
- Bonus cash to be wagered at -200 or longer
- First eligible bet must lose
- Bonus cash to be wagered at -200 or longer
- 1x play-through requirement
- Withdrawal restrictions apply
- Min. deposit and bet of $10
- Opt-in required
- 1x bonus funds and deposit amount wagering requirement
- 14 days to complete wagering
- Odds must be -200 or greater (>1.5)
Betting Exchange
A betting exchange allows you to wager against other sports bettors with the advantage of a lower vig% or fees than the sportsbook. However, there are no betting exchanges that exist in the US.
Because the Wire Act of 1961 prohibits using any communication to transmit sports bets due to someone winning money, a betting exchange would be limited to each state only. Thus, someone in New Jersey would only be able to bet against another person in New Jersey.
Although the NJ sports betting market is nearing maturity, the player pool is still too small. Without the liquidity of other states pooling together due to federal legislation, it is doubtful that betting exchanges will ever exist in the US. Ultimately, this is a shame because Flutter Entertainment, the parent company of FanDuel, also owns Betfair, which offers the largest exchange in the world.
Cash Out
The majority of sports bettors enjoy the feature of cash out. To explain, a cash-out is simply the ability to settle your bet before the sporting event ends. Overall, a cash-out either allows you to lock in your win and free up your funds for another bet or minimize potential losses by settling the bet early. Below, here are some sportsbooks that allow for early cashouts.
- No rollover required
- Qualifying first bet must lose
- Free bet must be used within 7 days
- Valid for new customer accounts only
- Must clear in 7 days
- Available for BetMGM Sports only
- Bet must be qualifying
- Bet must lose
- Make a real-money first bet of up to $500.
- Use the promo code: ‘SPORTS’.
- Bonus credits to your account within 48 hours.
- 1x play-through within 30 days.
- Make a real-money first bet of up to $100.
- Use the promo code: ‘SPORTS’.
- Bonus credits to your account within 48 hours.
- 1x play-through within 30 days.
- Make a real-money first bet of up to $250.
- Use the promo code: ‘SPORTS’.
- Bonus credits to your account within 48 hours.
- 1x play-through within 30 days.
Live In-Play Betting
Truly, one of the best advantages to online sports betting is live in-play betting. Basically, watch as odds shift continuously as the sporting event progresses. Compared to waiting in line at a retail physical sportsbook, click and place your bet when you find a favorable line.
The advent of live in-play betting means that there are various sports and events you can wager on, even during off-peak hours. For example, table tennis is a niche sport that many customers enjoy betting live.
Look for online sportsbooks that offer:
- Variety of events
- Shifting and update live odds
- Detailed statistics
- Match tracker
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Constantly receiving new odds in ongoing sporting events | • Odds shift quickly, requiring you to be fast at locking in the bet. |
| • Real-time updated odds | • Bets are sometimes not confirmed because of dramatic odds changes. |
| • Statistics | |
| • More options and betting lines available | |
| • Boosted odds and other bonuses |
Live Streaming
The best online betting sites in the US took a cue from the European counterparts by offering live streaming. In fact, depending on which online sportsbook you choose, you can live stream various foreign sporting events such as Bundesliga and table tennis.
Some key points that determine which sportsbook is best for live streaming are:
- Variety of sporting events
- Access requirements, such as a funded account or sports wager.
- Ease of use
bet365 Sportsbook
- Min. qualifying deposit is $10.
- Deposit within 30 days of sign-up.
- Qualifying bet must have -500 odds or greater.
- Withdrawal restrictions apply.
- Easily switch between either the sportsbook and casino games
- Biggest Live Streaming event selection
- 24/7 award-winning customer support
- Wide variety of payment options
- Frequent mobile app logouts due to geolocation
- Lack of aesthetics in the betting interface
Overall, bet365 offers some of the best live sports streaming available. Customers can find the largest variety of events with full schedules packed with soccer, basketball, baseball, and tennis.
BetMGM Sportsbook
- Must clear in 7 days
- Available for BetMGM Sports only
- Bet must be qualifying
- Bet must lose
- Free Live Streaming
- Crisp in-play betting
- Boosted parlays
- Easy Navigation
- Shortage of special market odds
- Slow customer support response
Bet Limits
On the whole, betting limits differ among sportsbooks. Additionally, states can set their own regulatory requirements on maximum bet limits at sports betting sites.
The online sportsbook typically determines minimum bets. While some sportsbooks have a daily maximum payout limit of $1,000,000, note that there are sport-specific limits as well, which may be lower. To find out more, check out each PlayingLegal sportsbook review for maximum betting limits.
Best sites with minimum and maximum bet limits:
- FanDuel: $0.10/$1,000,000 daily limit
- Unibet: $0.10/$1,000,000 daily limit
- William Hill: $0.10/$1,000,000 daily limit
Legal Status of Sports Betting
These states below offer legal and licensed online sports betting. Since overturning PASPA, multiple states opted to legalize and launch sports betting. In fact, in some states such as Tennessee, sports betting is completely online only, with no plans of retail expansion.
| Legal Online Sports Betting States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Illinois | Indiana |
| Iowa | Michigan | New Hampshire |
| New Jersey | Oregon | Pennsylvania |
| Rhode Island | Tennessee | Virginia |
| Washington DC | West Virginia | |
Note that there is only one mobile betting option in certain states, such as New Hampshire, Oregon, and DC.
Pending Online Sports Betting States
Some states are currently in the process of either launching or awaiting additional legislative action after legalizing online sports betting.
| Pending Online Sports Betting States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Connecticut | Georgia |
| Louisiana | Maryland | Massachusetts |
| New York | North Carolina | Ohio |
| South Dakota | Washington | |
Retail Sports Betting States
Finally, here is a list of states that offer retail sports betting. Note that some of these states also offer online sports betting in conjunction with retail betting.
| Retail Sports Betting States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Colorado | Delaware |
| Illinois | Indiana | Iowa |
| Michigan | Mississippi | Montana |
| Nevada | New Jersey | New Mexico |
| New York | Oregon | Pennsylvania |
| Rhode Island | Washington DC | West Virginia |
Note that while Nevada theoretically offers online betting, you need to physically head into a retail casino to sign-up and any banking transactions.
Restrictions
Take note that there are certain restrictions on sports betting that vary by state. These prohibitions restrict college sports betting to either no betting on in-state college teams and/or no prop bets allowed on in-state college athletes.
| States with College Sports Betting Restrictions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | New Jersey | New Mexico |
| Arkansas | New York | Iowa |
| Oregon | Indiana | New Hampshire |
| Illinois | Washington DC | Virginia |
| Washington | ||
Other states with restrictions to take note of:
- Nevada requires in-person registration and banking transactions to be conducted at a casino.
- Illinois technically requires in-person registration but, has suspended this requirement in the past with an executive order by Gov. Pritzker.
- Tennessee has a mandatory hold requirement for sportsbooks.
Official League Data Requirement
Official league data is a requirement that certain states integrated into regulations revolving around sports betting. Basically, a legal sportsbook would rely on a third-party company that is officially approved by various sports leagues to provide data, such as Sportradar or Genius Sports, to settle bets.
Previously, when states first began the conversation of legalizing sports betting, the major sports leagues wanted an integrity fee. Think of an integrity fee as a royalty fee charged by leagues to sports betting. In this manner, leagues receive a cut from any sports betting handle that an operator reports. Ultimately, the leagues settled on advocating for official league data instead of integrity fees.
Currently, there are only two states that require official league data:
- Tennessee
- Illinois.
In fact, Tennessee law requires that official data be used for live betting. Illinois requires official data for any wager that is not determined by the final score or outcome of the sporting event.
Initially, Indiana sports betting law also included an official league data provision. Notably, in the final sports betting legislation, IN lawmakers dropped the legislation.
Guidelines for Sports Betting Online
If you’re searching for how to play on the best online sports betting sites in the US, PlayingLegal compiled the ultimate resource. Most importantly, remember that you should gamble responsibly. Managing your bankroll is how you ensure that you are playing in a responsible manner.
How to Open an Account
Registration is required to be able to sports bet online. Indeed, the process is quite straightforward. Notably, you do not need to be located within the state, nor does your address need to be in the state.
As long as you are physically located in state borders while placing your bet, that is the only requirement. Therefore, if you choose to sign-up at a state that allows for mobile registration, the process below covers how to sign up for your online sports betting account. However, some states such as Illinois and Nevada require in-person registration, which means that you must physically go to one of the retail sportsbooks to register and open an account.
- Select a sportsbook from our top ten list of online sports betting sites.
- Then, navigate to your desired online sportsbook with your web-based browser.
- If you’d like to bet on your mobile device, you can typically download by clicking either the Android or iOS icons at the bottom of the betting site. Alternatively, there is usually a section named ‘Download.’ Follow the prompts to finish your download and installation of the mobile app.
- Next, you need to complete the sign-up for the new online sports betting account. Provide your personal information, such as:
- Full legal name
- Residential or mailing address
- Date of birth
- Last four digits of your Social Security Number.
- Before clicking and finishing the sign-up process, be sure to enter any applicable promo codes to ensure that you receive the welcome bonus.
Notably, a legal sportsbook may ask for additional information, such as your full Social Security number and/or a copy of your government-issued ID. Legal and licensed sportsbooks need to comply with state regulatory requirements to ensure that you are at least a minimum of 21 years of age before opening your account.
What Bets to Place
Truly, what types of bets to place depend on you and your desires. For example, beginners may desire money line bets that essentially allow you to just bet on a game's outcome. Yet, that’s not to say that beginners cannot put together parlays either. BetMGM Sportsbook offers a Parlay Generator allowing anyone to bet on a parlay easily.
Here are the types of bets available:
- Money lines
- Point spreads
- Run lines
- Puck lines
- Totals (Over/Under)
- Teasers
- Parlays
- Futures
- Live in-play betting
- Props
Expert Tips to Maximize Winnings
On the whole, remember that in sports betting, there is the element of luck. Despite making the best and most positive EV bet, your wager could still lose. There is no certainty despite the best preparation by studying the games and calculations.
While there is no guarantee in sports betting, there are some tips and tricks to follow to maximize your winning odds. Our sports betting experts at PlayingLegal offer some of the best tips to maximize any wagers.
- Line shop by comparing odds at different online sportsbooks. Line shopping includes analyzing ongoing betting promotions for boosted odds before placing your wager.
- Parlay bets should not make up a vast percentage of your wagers. Remember that you need to win every single selection to make money.
- Long odds or odds that offer a big return require caution as the likelihood of losing the bet is high.
- Look for a sportsbook that offers Cash Out to maximize or, more importantly, minimize your losses.
Should you Bet Online After All?
Ultimately, online sports betting sites offer you more than a traditional, physical retail sportsbook. To begin with, online sportsbooks offer fantastic welcome bonuses that physical sportsbooks do not. However, there are many other advantages as well, which are analyzed below.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Lucrative welcome bonus offers | • Illegal off-shore bookies pose as legal sites |
| • Mobile betting | • Possible wait time for account approval and withdrawals |
| • No need to wait in line to place wagers | |
| • Live streaming from your mobile | |
| • Easily compare odds across different sportsbooks | |
| • Live in-play betting available |
Are Off-Shore Sportsbooks Legal?
As the legalization of sports betting develops across individual states, off-shore sportsbooks or foreign betting sites are becoming more popular. Therefore, a question that is often asked is whether these off-shore sportsbooks are legal. The answer is yes, as long as the operator is legal and licensed with each state’s regulatory agency. Otherwise, the operator would be an illegal off-short betting site.
Some successful foreign sportsbooks available in the US are PointsBet, William Hill, 888sport, bet365, Unibet, and Tipico. Even though these are foreign sites, all of these operators comply with state regulations associated with sports betting licensure.
Our Top List of Legal Betting Sites
Illegal Betting Sites
Definitely, there are illegal online betting sites or bookies. Unlicensed and unregulated off-shore bookmakers are not legal. Therefore, these operators do not offer any safety and security that legal sportsbooks do.
To start with, there is no guarantee that your personal information and details remain safe. Then, there is the issue of whether your funds are secure. Once you win your bet and want to withdraw, there is no assurance or certainty that your funds will be released.
Moreover, there is a shady stigma following these illegal off-shore bookies. For example, the Google Play Store announced that gambling apps could now be displayed for search and download as of Mar. 1, 2021. However, before legitimate and legal sports betting apps could appear in the Play Store, many illegal bookie apps appeared that mimicked legal sportsbooks like BetMGM with similar logos.
Shady, indeed. If an illegal bookie is going through such lengths to mimic a legal and licensed sportsbook, what other shenanigans regarding your safety and security could occur? At PlayingLegal, we abhor and fight against illegal bookies and only promote legal and licensed online sportsbooks.
A History of Sports Betting in the US
The US has a long and storied history regarding sports betting. Certainly, interest in sports betting was never the issue. To summarize, there has long been interest in sports betting even while lawmakers passed anti-gambling laws. Part and parcel of our great nation’s founding included citizens enjoying a bevy of gambling.
- In fact, lotteries even funded part of the American Revolutionary War, thanks to levied taxes.
- In the 1800s, horse racing gained massive popularity. Today's most renowned races have their roots in the 1800s as well, such as the Belmont Stakes, Preakness Stakes, and the Kentucky Derby. Interestingly enough, horse racing has, for the most part, remained legal through the years.
- As saloons gained notoriety, so did card rooms, dice games, and slot machines. Betting on boxing matches and baseball grew in prominence despite the murkiness surrounding the legality of sports betting.
- Soon, scandals and untrustworthiness of an unregulated market occurred with lotteries and even the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.
- The pendulum swung, and state legislatures began to ban gambling in all forms.
- Nevada began to lead the way in 1949, officially legalizing sports betting to boost Sin City tourism. However, sports betting did not really take off until 1974, when Congress reduced the tax rate to 2%.
Federal Wire Act
Across the country, except Nevada, organized crime and mobsters were the typical bookies. Therefore, the Federal Wire Act was passed to curb and stem the tide of illegal betting.
Despite the law, the illegal bookmaking business boomed. Then, Atlantic City in New Jersey passed a voter referendum to allow casinos in 1976. However, casinos and gambling were limited only to Atlantic City.
PASPA
Congress passed the Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 1992.
- In short, no states nor any government entities could legalize sports betting with exceptions carved out for Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana.
- New Jersey had a small window to legalize sports betting, but unfortunately, the ballot to amend the state constitution failed.
UIGEA
Federal restrictions on gambling and sports betting did not stop with the PASPA either. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) followed in 2006 as a last-minute measure tacked onto the SAFE Port Act.
- Mainly, the UIGEA made it illegal for anyone “engaged in the business of betting or wagering” to transmit funds.
- Additionally, banks and other financial institutions had to block transactions and take other measures.
Ultimately, online poker was most affected in what was termed Black Friday of 2011. Many other online offshore sportsbooks opted to pull out of the US as well.
SCOTUS and the PASPA
New Jersey passed a bill allowing online gambling in 2011, kicking off the roadmap for the legalization of sports betting. To this end, litigation surrounding PASPA also launched with New Jersey being the offending party.
- In a rather surprising move, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) agrees to hear New Jersey’s appeal after suffering two losses at the federal district court and then the Third Circuit.
- In May 2018, SCOTUS ruled that PASPA is unconstitutional (Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association), which opened the door for not just New Jersey, but other states to legalize sports betting as well.
Federal Wire Act Litigation
However, litigation surrounding sports betting did not end. To start with, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a 2018 opinion that reversed an earlier opinion, essentially stating that the Wire Act applies to all forms of bets and wagers. This far-reaching memo did not just affect betting but online lotteries as well.
- New Hampshire, which already implemented and launched online lottery sales, filed suit challenging the Wire Act's new interpretation.
- While New Hampshire prevailed on both the federal district court level and appeal to the First Circuit, it is unknown whether the DOJ will pursue an appeal to SCOTUS.
- For now, the appeal appears unlikely because there is a strong likelihood the Biden administration reverts to the former 2011 Wire Act interpretation.
After all, that 2011 memo was issued during the Obama administration. Finally, even if the DOJ does file an appeal, SCOTUS picks very few cases to hear. Thus, these are promising signs that online sports betting and, indeed, online gambling can continue to expand as long as individual states choose to legalize those activities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the US's best online betting sites are truly heads and tails above the rest. Not only are these betting sites all legal, guaranteeing the safety and security of your funds, but there are fantastic welcome bonuses.
After taking advantage of any welcome offers, be sure to line shop for the most competitive odds, which typically includes ongoing betting promotions that offer boosted odds. On top of that, a seamless betting experience is also important, and finally, excellent customer service.
Therefore, look to our individual reviews of all the online sportsbooks, where our experts weigh the pros and cons. Truthfully, the best advice we can offer is to choose a few of the top online sportsbooks to try out. In this manner, you can line shop for the best odds and receive the best of the legal sports betting industry.
