Sports betting is now legal in over a dozen states in the US. And that means you no longer have to drive to betting shops to wager on football or baseball. You don’t have to queue at the bookies or make calls to place a bet.
In this age of online betting, your primary focus is to select a reliable betting site. And when we say a dependable site, we mean a bookie with some of these features:
- Fast deposits and withdrawals
- An easy to use website or app
- A wide variety of American betting markets
- Free bets and bonuses
- Quality customer service
- Safety Features and policies
There are two types of online bookmakers in the US. Companies licensed locally and betting sites based overseas. We’ll tell you which companies to use in our reviews below.
William Hill
William Hill is an established sport betting brand headquartered in Britain. They debuted in America in 2012—first in Nevada, then New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. The company is constantly expanding and could soon serve the entire country.
There is a lot to like about William Hill. First, it features a countless number of betting markets. From soccer and football to baseball and basketball, the bookmaker offers anything and everything sports-related.
While it has many betting markets, most of the wagers come with competitive odds. And that means you get great value betting at William Hill than on many bookie sites. Then there are the issues of reliability, quick customer service and frequent bonuses.
Unibet
Unibet is yet another international sportsbook that now accepts US bettors. Like William Hill, this bookie has licenses to operate everywhere online sports betting is legal. That includes Indiana, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Unibet offers everything that’s good about European betting sites: free bets, competitive odds, convenient banking options and bonuses galore. Indeed, you qualify for a $20 free bet after creating an account and up to $250 with your first deposit.
There are more rewards for punters. For example, you get a 10%, 20% or 30% boost on your profits if you bet parlays any day of the week. Better yet, there’s a chance to win $100,000 if you bet and win six NFL games with a $10 parlay.
Unfortunately, Unibet uses geolocation to determine whether to let you bet. Many of the USA’s best sports betting sites utilize a similar technology for legal reasons. You can find more detail at legabettingsites.info as well as a breakdown of sports betting legality by state.
DraftKings—Best for DFS
DraftKings is one of the most popular Daily Fantasy Sports betting sites in America. It launched in 2012 as a regional company in Maryland but rose quickly after a 2013 endorsement by Major League Baseball.
DraftKings operates in nearly every state, including jurisdictions where sports gambling is not yet legal. Creating an account is free and takes less than five minutes. After that, you can customize your profile to select a sport, league and team.
The objective of DFS is to draft a team with players from various franchises every game day. There’s a catch, though. You have a limited budget that prevents you from picking all-stars.
With that in mind, you earn points based on each player’s performance in the real world. As such, you must follow sports closely to determine players to trade, waiver and draft.
The real excitement comes in competing DFS for money. Bets start at $1 and rise up to $1 million. You can go head-head or participate in mini-leagues.
FanDuel
FanDuel is cut from the same cloth as DraftKings. It provides DFS betting countrywide and pays up to $1 billion to punters every year. It’s slightly more popular with high rollers thanks to its huge draws.
It’s also earned respect from some major sports networks: SI, NY Times, WSJ and Yahoo! Sports to name a few. So, how can you get started with FanDuel? Sign up a free account on their website or app. Then fund your account and start to play DFS.
Like DraftKings, FanDuel features dozens of competitions. Some are cheap. Others cost over $1000 but come with generous payouts. Luckily, there are plenty of sites that can teach you how to become a better DFS player.
Caesars Sportsbook
Many American sports punters have a soft sport for Caesars Sportsbook. It’s one of the biggest bookmakers in the country. And for years, it was the leading destination for bettors whenever they visited Nevada.
In this era of online betting, Caesars Sportsbook has a betting app available to punters in states where gambling is legal. The company accepts bets from players over 21 years and includes a casino games’ section.
The minimum deposit for Caesars sportsbook is $10. And there’s a bonus for new customers worth a maximum of $300. Like many American bookmakers, you can use the app to wager on all major league games.
The best part about Caesars Sportsbook, though, is that it has a solid reputation. People like the company for its reliability. And if you’re like most people, you always want to use a top-rated gaming website.
888 Sports
If you’re looking for a brand name sportsbook, you can’t go wrong with 888 Sports. Established in 1997, this company has been around longer than nearly every other online bookmaker in the world.
In Europe, 888 Sports focuses on the British and Irish market. And it does that excellently with its wide range of sports and payment options. Across the Atlantic, 888 sports is using a similar approach.
The company focuses on satisfying American punters through local payment options and North American sports leagues. Like William Hill, 888 Sports provides in-depth betting options for all kinds of punters.
Does the bookmaker give out bonuses? Yes, 888 Sports has plenty of free bets for both newcomers and loyal punters. First, there’s the welcome bonus. And then there are numerous offers like an 88th goal bonus or a big bet boost. Unfortunately, bettors tend to have mixed reactions about 888 Sports. Some people like every aspect of the company. Others feel it could improve customer service or payment speed.