Sports betting is legal in numerous states following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a 1992 law effectively making it illegal. In addition to Las Vegas, sports gambling is now legal in New Jersey, which offers in-person and online sports betting, and Delaware, which offers casino-based betting, with Pennsylvania, Mississippi and West Virginia set to follow.
With nearly a decade of experience covering sports and following the industry, we have put together this comprehensive guide, ranking the best online sports betting sites, apps and sportsbooks, along with tips, strategies, and reviews of handicappers, bookies, books, blogs, podcasts and more.
Reviews
Our rankings
We will be putting together comprehensive reviews of all legal online sportsbooks and rating them based on ease of use, availability of wagering options and user benefits. Things like deposit bonuses, cashout options, and contests are all factors. Generally, since all of these sites are legal and regulated, we don’t find trustworthiness or safety and security to be a concern. However, we have noted which companies have a history of handling large-scale transactions.
As an affiliate of all of the sites we review – the good and bad – we have no incentive to steer you toward one over another. Therefore, it is in our best interest to recommend to you the best online betting sports betting platform, period, so that you have the best online sports betting experience possible.
By League
NFL
MLB
NBA
NCAA
ESPORTS
Is Sports Betting Legal?
It depends where you live!
Sports gambling has been legal in Nevada for some time, and in a limited capacity in other states, such as Delaware, where parlay bets were offered. But the Supreme Court’s decisions to overturn a 1992 law enables states to legalize sports gambling as they see fit.
Thus far, Delaware and New Jersey have legalized it. Delaware allows in-person betting at Delaware Park, Dover Downs, and Harrington Raceway, with online betting scheduled to come sometime this summer.
New Jersey has approved both casino-based and online betting, though online platforms require a 30-day waiting period and are not yet available to take action.
Pennsylvania will vote on a bill in early June to determine when and how it will offer action, and it is presumed that will include a decision in online and mobile betting. However, the state is considering large tax rates, and thus sportsbooks have been hesitant to pursue operations in the state as of yet.
Other states will follow.
We’ve put together a full guide for legal sports betting. You can also select your state for more details (more will be added as they move to legalize betting):
Delaware
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
What Is A Deposit Bonus In Online Sports Betting?
Most online sportsbooks will offer what is commonly referred to as a deposit bonus or signup bonus. This is a fixed amount of money, or a percentage of your initial deposit, that gets added to you account.
But there is, of course, fine print. You don’t always get this money right away, and you certainly can’t withdraw it before putting it in play. Each site differs with regard to how you can use this money. However, we don’t consider this a major factor in reviewing these sites. Consider it an added bonus.
Esports Betting
Esports betting is becoming increasingly popular as the sport itself grows. With sites like DraftKings offer eports related contests, it seems only inevitable the wide-spread betting on esports will follow. Hence, this is a large growth area, with seemingly limitless contents and betting options. Integrity is a factor, as esports gamers typically don’t earn as much as major professional athletes. They are thus susceptible to being bought, so to speak. As sites begin to offering esports action, we will review those verticals specifically and provide you with detailed reviews of the offerings.
Tips
Naturally, our writers have plenty of experience putting their money where their mouth is. In our sports betting tips guide, you can find pages on how to bet on sports as well as live betting and more advanced tactics like teaser betting and we are currently working on more advanced strategies, including specifics on trends, parlays, hedging, service plays and much more.