USA Betting Sites
I have been doing this since 2004, and a lot has changed in the world of Online Gambling since I started!
Today, Online Sports Betting is 100% Legal for most of the United States. States like Nevada and New Jersey led the way with legal Online Poker, Daily Fantasy Sports, and even sports betting.
Now, the majority of us have the luxury of playing at some of the offshore Poker Sites that accept players from the US, and this is a great thing! These offshore sites are arguably better in many ways.
First off, the sites that you are going to find listed here have been around for many years. You will not see new Online Sportsbooks and Casinos here. A viable Online Poker Room or Sportsbook is not something that could be started today from scratch with a sort of certainty. The rule of thumb here is to avoid the new gambling sites and stick to the more reputable and legitimate sites that have been accepting players from the US for 5+ years.
Additionally, you are not going to see very many “new” sportsbooks or casinos listed here.
An online gambling site is only as good as its reputation. The good news to the US bettors is that there are enough high-quality sportsbooks that want US traffic that they have to actually compete with each other. How do they do this?
They compete with their reputation. They compete with promotions and bonuses. They compete with ease of access. They compete with their odds and lines, customer service, and ease of not only deposits, but with withdrawals as well!
The trick is to find some sites that shine and check off all of those boxes which I have already done for you.
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So, it is legal to bet at USA betting sites, and if so, which are the most reputable and reliable sites to deposit and bet with? Interest in these topics has risen, in part, due to the crackdowns seen in the online poker industry especially in the last few years.
I will quickly explain below why folks in the US have nothing to fear with betting on sports online. The key will be to choose reputable online sportsbooks that accept US players!
With that in mind, I will show you how to pick those that are reliable, trustworthy, transparent, and worth your time.
The top US sportsbooks are actually located outside of the US. Because they are offshore, the US government has little, if any, jurisdiction over them. Legislators are left trying to make it tougher for banks and credit card companies to move money back and forth. If action is ever taken against an Online Sportsbook (and that’s a big if), the players are at virtually no risk.
You see, our exposure as the players is limited to the funds that we have locked up in our sportsbook accounts. If this is kept low and to a reasonable level, there’s nothing to worry about!
This is why one of the most important things you can do when selecting an online sportsbook is to select some that are US friendly and have proven themselves to be reliable. Just keep on reading to learn how to do that.
How To Choose The Best USA Betting Site
It would be nice if there were a magic trick to picking reliable online betting sites, but the fact of the matter is that there just isn’t one. It’s a matter of doing some due diligence. I will tell you my current Top 3 choices right up front:
- Bovada
- BookMaker
- BetOnline
Bovada originally made themselves a great name under the Bodog brand and has since taken over as my number one choice, not only for new gamblers, but for my own personal gambling as well!
BookMaker is always good for a very attractive sign-up bonus, a long track record of honesty, and easy cash out options.
BetOnline is going to be the best bet for those that want to really dog through the bonus options along with extremely easy banking options and some of the highest credit card acceptance rates.
Even if you have already been using an online sportsbook or casino, check to see how it measures up to the competition in the following categories:
Security
Now it should go without saying that this is probably the most important thing on any gambler’s mind so I’m not going to say a whole lot about it. I am sure that this is something that you have already thought of.
Any betting site worth their salt is going to do what they can to protect your privacy and ensure the security of any of your trades.
If you go to take a look at a site and you even think that it cannot do that effectively, immediately leave and look elsewhere!
Easy To Deposit And Withdraw
Most sites are going to make it as easy as they can to deposit funds into your account. You should be able to do so with a credit card, debit card, eWallet, gift cards, bank transfers, checks, cryptos… Essentially, you should have no problem being able to make a deposit.
However, you are also going to want to keep in mind that some deposit options are not perfect. For example, some sportsbooks are going to have trouble accepting credit cards that are issued by certain banks, but having many options at your disposal means that even if you have to find another way, you have no problems doing so.
And that said, it is the withdrawals that you are going to want to focus on.
Online sportsbooks vary on the methods that they will allow. Some send cash out to bettors via check, bank draft, Person-to-Person payments, and rapid transfer. Others will let you transfer your winnings between betting sites in the same network. It’s also worth noting that some of the betting sites out there are going to be quicker than others in processing and mailing withdrawals.
The Bottom Line Is This: You want all of your transactions to be as easy and flexible as possible.
Simple-To-Use Betting Platform
When it comes to sports betting platforms, simple is going to be the best, assuming that you are not forced to sacrifice usability or functionality. You are going to want a robust platform that displays all of the relevant information and details on one screen in a format that’s not only easy to use, but easy to absorb as well.
The ease-of-use and presentation are largely a matter of preference and this is the reason that you should really be exploring a sportsbook or casino before joining.
Broad Coverage Of Sporting Events
Never assume that you are only going to be betting on your favorite sports. Even if you are a lifelong fan of the NFL or the NBA and just cannot imagine betting on any other events, you are going to want to keep an open mind. Quite often you are going to find the best odds and lines (meaning more money for you in the long run) in the less-popular and often neglected sports.
The top sportsbooks for US players will definitely offer bets on the major sports such as the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL, but you’re also going to want to check for coverage on soccer, the MMA, even NASCAR, and so on.
Some betting sites, such as BetOnline will even carry lines on cricket, lacrosse, boxing matches, possibly all kinds of stuff you may have not thought of.
Variety Of Betting Options
When you go out to place some bets, you are going to want as much flexibility as possible in the types of bets you can place as well as the manner in which you can place them. Most of the top rated US sportsbooks will let you bet a number of parlays, prop bets, and futures. When it comes to this area, the more, the better!
For the uninitiated, parlays give you a shot at making huge profit with a small wager.
Prop bets will give you the chance to place side wagers on things that may have little to nothing to do with the outcome of a game or match.
Futures will let you wager on things that may not even occur.
Even if you have always been a straight moneyline bettor, you may be surprised at just how tempting some of these bets can be!
There are some US-friendly sportsbooks that will offer Live Betting and Mobile Betting. The former gives you a way to bet on random things that take place during the course of a game. For example, whether a certain pass will be caught or dropped. The latter allows you to place bets on your mobile device while you are on the go.
Bonuses And Promotions
Sports betting sites that accept US players often use sign-up bonuses to lure in the new bettors.
The top sportsbooks will also host a variety of promotions throughout the year. These promotions are designed to encourage existing account holders to place bets or increase their betting volume. As an example, you will often see Reload Bonuses that will match a player’s deposits on certain days of the week, or even special reloads based on certain sporting events.
Going through all of the bonuses and promotions that are available to you is a great way to really squeeze more profit from your overall betting activity, so you’re probably going to want to take advantage of them. Keep in mind however that these are always going to come with certain terms and conditions. Make sure that you read the details carefully before registering your account(s).
The Responsiveness Of Customer Support
Never, ever underestimate the importance of having access to a fantastic customer support service staff!
As a couple of examples, if you bet on sports long enough, there will come a day when you run into technical issues or maybe just have questions for which you need quick responses. This is going to be the case regardless of which sportsbooks you choose to use, and it’s the reason the best US betting sites give their customers access to professional, well-trained support representatives.
If you want to know just how responsive a site is, you can always reach out to its support staff before you even register your account. Most sportsbooks provide multiple ways to do so, be it email, live chat, possibly even a number you can call. Prepare a few questions in advance and test out how helpful the customer support reps are when providing you with answers.
Last Thoughts On Choosing US Betting Sites
No betting site absolutely excels in every category I have listed above. If one did, I would definitely know about it by now.
Each site has its inherent strengths as well as weaknesses. The important thing is to figure out which categories are going to mean the most to you and identify the books that excel in that area.
Use my recommendations above as a starting point, but you need to
- Test drive the sites for yourself, and
- Trust your own instincts
The best piece of advice I can give you here at the end is to register an account at at least three or four US friendly sportsbooks. You will discover that the lines for bets are often different in each book. Having access to a few accounts will allow you to pick and choose the best lines available to you at any given time!
As always, good luck with all of your betting!
