5 Ways to Choose the Best Sports Betting Site
In 1992, the passing of North America's PASPA legislation led to the ban on sports betting activities. However, as of mid-2018, the country's Supreme Court scrapped the act, enabling individual states to create legislation on online sports bets.
Although it's a step in the right direction for sports betting fans, it also causes a lot of confusion. That's because different states have different rules.
States That Accept Online Sports Betting Activities
Legislation is still being decided on as far as online betting activities in the US. As such, it's vital to know where your state stands on the matter.
That way, you're aware of whether it's legal to make online sports bets in your region before you start looking for the best online sports book. At present, these are the states that have legalized online sports bets.
- Nevada
- Iowa
- Delaware
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Colorado
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Rhode Island
- Washington DC
- New Hampshire
- Indiana
- West Virginia
- Illinois
There are several other states in the process of creating online sports betting laws to benefit their residents. These include Louisiana, Arizona, Maryland, Connecticut, New York, Florida, and Wyoming.
How to Find a Legitimate Online Sportsbook
Once you've determined you're in a state that allows online sports betting, it's time to look for a betting site. Several platforms accept US players these days. However, not all of them are legit platforms. So here are a few tips to help you get started on finding a worthwhile online bookmaker.
1. The Reputation of the Platform
Just because a sports betting site accepts US players doesn't mean it's a good site. Yes, it may have a license from the state's accepted regulators. However, that's not an indication of the kind of experience you'll get there.
So, ensure you check the site's reputation through client reviews. That way, you'll have an idea of what to expect while you're there. Additionally, you can verify the platform's reputation through trusted sportsbook review sites. These provide you with a breakdown of what makes the betting site worth visiting.
2. The Available Betting Options
With technological advancements fueling improvements to online betting sites, you can find various betting options available. On all sports betting platforms, you'll come across pre-match betting options.
These are the sports bets players make before a sporting event occurs. With this variety, some sites also offer future bets. These are predictions on the outcome of various tournaments and leagues.
And since they're for events happening several months in the future, they pay better than the ordinary selection of pre-match bets.
On select sites, you'll come across a live betting option. Also called in-play betting, this enables you to make bets on ongoing matches. It's a fantastic option for players that like making predictions based on how a game they're watching commences.
These aren't available on all sports. So, look for a site that has them for your preferred event before you sign up.
3. The Bet Markets and Odds
With every sport at an online bookmaker, bettors will find several bet markets for the available events. These can be several for a single match. Markets are wagers on the outcome of an event at specific points. They include markets like half time/full time, correct score, winning distance, double chance, and plenty others. You'll find these listed with the event you're betting on.
Alongside the betting markets, you'll also find the odds on that market. These vary based on the likelihood of one outcome over another throughout a match. Based on the odds you pick and your success with the prediction, you can earn impressive profits. That's, especially, on popular events.
4. The Variety of Sports, Tournaments, and Leagues
A worthwhile sports betting site needs to have several sports available. That way, you're not left to settle for making wagers on games that don't interest you.
With a US-friendly platform, members can expect to find bets on games like Basketball, Baseball, American Football, and Soccer, among others. The more the sports, the more events you can bet on.
5. The Bonuses and Betting Features
With online sports betting, bonuses are some of the perks you can look forward to. These help you get a bankroll boost to start your betting activities. In most cases, the bonuses you'll come across on betting sites are welcome bonuses. These could be awarded as either matched deposits, free bets, or a combination of both.
On some sites, you may even come across cashback offers applied to your first wager. Other online bookmakers offer their existing players bonuses on bets made towards leading events. For instance, making bets on the NFL games for a given period may earn you a cashback.
Bonus promotions on online sportsbooks aren't as plentiful as at online casinos. That's why operators have come up with different ways to heighten bettors' experiences while online.
That's through betting features. These enable you to make bets with the possibility of even better rewards for correct predictions. Examples of these bet features include accumulator bets, boosted odds, bet builders, and cashouts.