Online Sports Betting
Online sports betting is predicted to soon be an $8 billion industry in the US alone, with new bettors looking for the best sports betting sites all the time. We're here to help you figure out who you can trust, and how to get the best deals when placing new bets. On this page we'll cover where to find the top betting sites, as well as how we rate and review online sportsbooks, along with a guide to all of the different sports you can bet on.
Sports Betting Guides
Betting sites allow wagers on a huge variety of different sports and events, with some even offering odds on the outcome of politics, movies and weather events too. You'll find some of the most popular sports for gamblers below:
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- American Football
- America's game is the number one betting option for US sports fans. In college games and the Super Bowl alike, odds are offered on everything from the coin toss to the final score, while live betting can hugely enhance your viewing experience. Read more
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- Baseball
- Every spring brings a new season of baseball and, for many, it's the perfect excuse to head online and place a bet. Such a stats-laden sport lends itself well to the betting experience, and you will be able to wager on every MLB game in a season. Read more
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- Basketball
- Basketball is the second most popular betting choice in the US after the NFL. From every NBA game through to the NCAA March Madness, fans love betting before and after tip-off with a wide range of different betting options available. Read more
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- eSports
- From League of Legends and CS:GO to COD and FIFA, eSports is big business (expected to hit $12.9 billion this year) and it's only just getting started. It's seen by many as the new frontier of online betting, with just as many bets available as in traditional sports. Read more
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- Fantasy Sports
- Right now, fantasy sports betting is dominated by two names: FanDuel and DraftKings. DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) allows players to build a fantasy team, see how many points they earn, and compete against others for real money. Read more
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- Football
- With the World Cup, Premier League, MLS and more available to bet on, football has one of the world's largest betting markets. Live betting is particularly popular, allowing gamblers with deep knowledge of teams and stats to take advantage of favorable odds. Read more
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- Golf
- While the Majors – The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open and The Open – all occur within a space of four months, there are golfing events to bet on throughout the year. Wager on everything from overall winners and scoring records to whether anyone will get an elusive hole in one! Read more
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- Ice Hockey
- With plenty of fast-paced action, the NHL is always popular with gamblers, especially in the US and Canada. The Stanley Cup is the culmination of the season, and represents the perfect opportunity to place a few wagers and test the waters (or ice!). Read more
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- Horse Racing
- There's no sport more synonymous with betting than horse racing. There are races every day from the US, UK, Dubai, Australia and more, including the Grand National, and all with a whole number of different bet types available. Read more
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- Tennis
- From Grand Slams like Wimbledon and the US Open through to the Miami Open and the ATP World Tour Finals – not to mention different surfaces like grass, synthetic, clay and carpet – there's always plenty of variety when it comes to betting on tennis. Read more
Online Sports Betting Reviews
We're constantly improving our thorough review process for sports betting sites. While the core criteria of what we check remains the same, we believe every bettor who enjoys our content should be able to bet with any sportsbook we display with confidence. Check out our sportsbook reviews for a full list of reviews and a more detailed explanation of what we check, which is also simply listed below.
- Deposits & Withdrawals
- Safety & Security
- Odds
- Reputation
- Markets & Bet Types
- Bonuses & Promotions
- Customer Support
- Mobile Compatibility
- User Experience
- Special Features
Sports Betting Bonuses
The most common type of bonus available for new players is a free bet. This can either be granted on sign-up or once a player has deposited and bet a specific amount of money. Most free bets have wagering requirements attached to potential winnings, but some are completely free of them, allowing you to keep anything you win.
Standard deposit bonuses, which add a percentage match to your first deposit, are par for the course at top sportsbooks. They have high wagering requirements but are often worth a lot of. For example, a 100% match bonus on $1,000 means that you'll get another $1,000 worth of bonus money to play with.
Sometimes you'll also find no deposit bonuses, which give players free money simply for signing up with the site. While these represent a great chance to bet for free, they do usually have very high wagering requirements to prevent everyone from placing a bet on a “sure thing” and withdrawing their winnings immediately. Some will also have limits on the amount of money that can be won.
Remember to look at all terms and conditions before using a free bet, because things may not be as they seem. For example, many free bets are limited to specific sports or events, plus most demand that bets made have odds over a specific amount. Fail to stick to the rules and you could find the bonus, as well as anything won from it, removed from your account.
Our Blacklisted Sites
The nature of our rigorous review process means that some sites won't be approved by our team of experts. This isn't a decision we take lightly, but with your safety and security as our top priority, we won't ever promote a casino or gambling site which could jeopardise your money or enjoyment.
There are many reasons why we may blacklist a site, including poor customer service, misleading promotions or not paying out. For more information on which sites to avoid, check out our blacklist page.
Sports Betting Online vs. Offline
Betting online allows wagers to be placed from anywhere, so there's no need to grab your coat and head to your local sports betting venue. Online also generally has better odds, due to the lower overheads, plus online sportsbooks have the ability to offer many more sports and markets to players. Online payments aren't always as quick though, as there's nothing faster than receiving a stack of cash from the cashier at a land-based sportsbook.
However, depending on where you live, you might find that you're restricted in how you can bet on sports. For example, New York state currently only offers legal sports betting to those placing wagers in a brick and mortar venue. More and more states are offering both forms of betting legally though, including New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Indiana.
Understanding Sports Odds
For new bettors, understanding odds might be a little confusing. To help you understand them better, we've come up with a handy betting odds guide.
We've also created an odds calculator so you can always check exactly how much a winning bet will be worth, regardless of which odds format you prefer to use.
FAQs
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Where to bet online for sports?
This depends on where you live. Some states offer legal sports betting, and these have a range of land-based and online sportsbooks for you to choose from. If you're located in a state without legal sports betting, there are easier options than driving to the nearest state that does! For example, you can always jump online and play at an offshore betting site.
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Can I get free bets with these recommended sportsbooks?
Yes, you certainly can. Every sports betting site we recommend has a top welcome bonus on offer to new players, and this often comes in the form of a free bet. These welcome bonuses all have fair terms and conditions attached to them, including low wagering requirements.
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Is it safe to place sports bets online?
When you play at a site we recommend, you should always be completely safe. This is because we only ever highlight sites that are licensed and regulated by a reputable authority. What's more, all these sites use SSL encryption to protect your personal details and banking information.
