Sports Betting Apps 2020
For the first time in the history of the USA, online sports betting is becoming legal across the country. With so many states now offering legal sports betting, we wanted to give you a head start and provide you with all the necessary information you might need when getting into the world of online betting. This page focuses on comparing the various legal sports betting apps in the USA. Check out where you can go to access mobile sports betting and use our Billy’s List to get your hands on free sports picks each day.
The Rise of Mobile Betting
Mobile devices have been dominating the market in recent years in many different industries and the online gaming industry is no different. With sports betting now available to players on the go, more and more users are deciding to use their mobile phones or tablets to place their wagers.
The early mobile sports betting numbers in the US are quite impressive, as some states have reported that over 80% of all wagers made within their borders in 2019 were made using mobile devices. This number is excepted to rise even further, with some projections saying that up to 90% of all sports wagers will be made via mobile devices within the next decade.
This impressive rise of mobile sports betting has put a massive amount of pressure on the operators, who are now forced to provide high quality mobile betting platforms to their players. Fortunately, the bookmakers are answering this call quite successfully, with dozens of high end betting mobile apps already available on the market.
This Indicates a Good Betting App
So what is it exactly that makes up the top betting apps? We did a lot of research trying to figure out what exactly players want and need from a mobile betting platform and we made sure to find the bookies that provide this level of mobile service. Here are the five most important criteria that we used in rating the various sports betting apps:
- Mobile Betting Offer & Odds: Before we looked at anything else, we wanted to make sure that the apps we were reviewing could offer plenty of different betting options. The selection of sports, leagues and matches every day is crucial for a high quality betting app. What’s more, you want to be sure that the bets are always offered at good odds, or otherwise there is no value in making bets.
- Mobile In-Play Betting: In-play or live betting apps are crucial in this day and age as so many players are looking to bet on matches that have already started. With the in-play betting trend increasing by the day, we believe that it is very important for a betting app to offer live betting options as well.
- Mobile Bonus: Whether it is an exclusive bonus offered only to mobile players, or a welcome bonus for all new players, we think you should be able to get some solid extra cash when you sign up with a new mobile bookmaker. With competition getting stiffer all the time, there are plenty of solid betting bonuses available out there.
- App Usability & Special Functions: The best sports betting apps also offer a nice layout and easily usable functions. Complicated apps that make it difficult to place bets or browse the lobby should not be considered as the number one option for players looking to actually bet in the long run.
- Payment Options: Finally, you will not be able to make any mobile bets if you can’t deposit and cash out your winnings in a reasonable time. This is where payment options come into play. Make sure to register with a bookmaker that offers your favorite payment option and processes all payments in a reasonable timeframe.
Web or Downloadable Sports Betting App
When choosing an online betting app to use, players are usually faced with a choice between a downloadable app and an instant play web app. In the past, betting had to be done via downloadable apps, but modern technology has enabled operators to create highly usable instant play apps that offer similar functionality and instant access.
Players who still prefer to download an app to their devices may be surprised to find few such apps in the official mobile app stores, such as the App Store and Google Play. The reason for this is the fact that gambling apps are not always allowed to appear in these stores. The alternative for players is to visit the operators’ sites directly and download the apps there.
Web apps are the much simpler alternative however, as they allow players to sing up and get straight into betting without waiting for any downloads to complete. Players who already have online betting accounts with certain operators can login using their login details and start making bets within seconds of getting to the operator’s mobile site.
Keep in mind that some operators only offer the instant play version of their mobile app, while others will force you to install software to your phone. Both instant play apps and downloadable apps come with a certain degree of security risks, but the licensed betting operators in the USA do their best to provide players with a secure betting environment at all times.
How to Install a Sports Betting App
So you have decided to give our sports gambling apps a chance but aren’t sure on how to get into action? We have created a detailed step by step guide that will help both Android and iOS users install their betting apps and start making real money bets from their mobile devices in just minutes:
- Follow our reviews to operator site or download app from Apple Store
- Download the iPhone betting app and install it on your phone
- Click sign up to create your account
- Enter your personal info into the sign up form
- Confirm your email ownership
- Login to your account and make your deposit
- Start playing on your iPhone or iPad
- Download the app from the operator website
- Enable download from unknown source
- Install the Android betting app to your phone or tablet
- Click sign in to create your account
- Fill out the registration form in full
- Confirm email ownership
- Login to your account and make your deposit
- Start playing on your Android powered mobile device
Legal Situation for Betting Apps in the USA
Sports betting in general and especially online betting was banned by US law for many years. A federal law known as PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) was put into place to make sports betting illegal on the federal level. However, in 2018 the Supreme Court repealed this Act after calling it unconstitutional, opening the door for states to start legalizing their own sports betting sites.
States like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nevada quickly jumped at the opportunity to make sports betting legal within their borders, with many others following in their footsteps. While some betting bills out there only allowed for retail sports betting, most of them included the legalization of betting apps for real money as well.
Now that sports betting has been legal for a while, many states are showing great results, with millions in collected taxes. These results are quickly impacting other states as well, with many of them considering making sports betting legal in the near future.
Within the next few years, it is expected that most states in the USA will have made mobile sports betting legal and that mobile bets will account for over 90% of all wagers made in the country. Now that the floodgates for sports betting in America are open, there is hardly going back to the old ways and sports betting should be here to stay for a long time.
Checklist: Registration
So you are ready to choose your sports betting app but you are not quite sure what to look for? We believe the player should always make up his mind based on personal preferences, but there are some things that a mobile betting site should always have. When making your choice, make sure to look for the following things:
- Lots of betting markets
- In-play betting platforms
- Favorable betting odds
- A generous welcome bonus
- Accessible customer support
- Your favorite payment methods
- Quick and cheap payouts
- A license from state authority
- High security levels
- Extra promos, free bets or cashback
Our Top 5 Sports Betting Sites
As online betting is becoming legal in more and more states, we are doing our best to review all the available betting sites in each of them. We only promote legal and licensed betting sites at all times, so any site you choose through Betting Billy will be 100% legal to play at and will not cause you to get into any trouble. Choose one of the below sites to get started with online betting in the USA.
Our Top 5 Betting Bonus
The best thing about betting online is that you get to use various betting bonuses to boost your bankroll. We have found all the best betting bonuses you can claim at US betting sites and have reviewed them all in detail. Check out the list of betting bonuses below, find the ones you are eligible for and claim them as your own to beat the house with its own money.
8 Best Betting Apps Tips
- Choose the best apps: The first tip we have for you is to always bet on the best betting apps you have access to. Betting on sub-par platforms will cause you to win less than you should for many different reasons and will make your overall user experience less satisfying.
- Mind your bankroll: Your betting bankroll is your only tool in this game. For that reason, always remember to keep a healthy bankroll and not overextend yourself. You will always want to start out with small bets in proportion to the bankroll you have and increase your bets only as your bankroll grows.
- Only bet what you can afford: Betting with money you need for living expenses is never a good idea. We suggest keeping a separate bankroll for sports betting only and always sticking to some strict betting limits in order to keep it healthy at all times.
- Make smart bets: Players sometimes tend to make bets that involve clubs they follow or players who are their idols. In these cases, they might make unwise decisions. You should always bet based on reasonable statistical analysis and the odds that are offered, not your emotions.
- Find some edge: There are many ways in which a bettor can gain an edge over the bookmaker. You can look for additional information and statistics on the upcoming matches, or even some insider information from sports insiders. Try to always get some information that will help you make an intelligent bet.
- Use multiple apps: There are so many bookmaker apps available these days that you have no reason to bet with only one. Shop around and look for the best possible betting odds when you are deciding where to place your bet. In the long run, the extra odds add up for a significant bankroll increase.
- Billy’s List: Finally, we advise you to use Billy’s List as your ultimate weapon in the war against the bookmakers. We post daily free betting tips created by our betting experts. These tips are guaranteed to increase your winnings and they are completely free of charge, so sign up today and gain your edge for nothing.
Sports betting apps can come in the form of downloadable and instant play apps. Players create a betting account on the app and can make their bets using the app as long as they are within the legal jurisdiction in which the mobile app is licensed.
This is almost impossible to answer as each player has his own preferences. However, we have created detailed reviews of dozens of betting apps with focus on all the important aspects of a betting site. It is up to each player to choose which of the best sports gambling apps they will eventually choose as their favorite.
All the betting apps presented at Betting Billy offer high-quality service and plenty of betting options. Any betting site that has an operating license in one of the American States is secure to play at and the final choice comes down to the fine details and players’ personal preferences.
The legality of sports betting apps depends heavily on the state you are living in. Some of the states have already legalized mobile sports betting, others are working on the bill, while some are still not showing any indication of legalizing any form of sports betting in the near future.
All players who are of a legal betting age (21 in most states, 18 in some) and who are within the borders of the state in which a betting app is licensed can make mobile bets. However, players cannot make bets on apps licensed in other states, no matter where they normally live.
US-based sports betting apps offer a wide range of betting options. These include all the professional sports and leagues as well as many college competitions. The legality of college sports betting depends on the state you are living in, so we suggest you check out our individual state pages for more information on this.
Yes! All the best online betting apps provide players with plenty of betting bonuses and promotions. On most apps, you can claim a welcome bonus the moment you make your first deposit, while many of them offer further free bets, cashback or other promotions.
If you want to make mobile sports bets, you may or may not need to download an app. This will depend on the operator you choose to bet with. While some operators only offer downloadable apps, others allow instant betting through web based betting platforms.
Various sports betting operators allow betting on different devices. For the most part, operators provide a sports betting app for android and an iPhone betting app, while other systems may be supported through the web based platforms that are HTML5 or Java based and accessible on a wide range of devices.
The top mobile betting operators in the US offer many different payment methods to their players. Licensed apps usually let players make deposits using their credit and debit cards and e-wallets like PayPal, Skrill or NETELLER. Some other payment options may also be available depending on your selected app.
