Where To Bet On Sports 2021
People always think of Nevada as the gambling capital of the world. Las Vegas has been attracting gamblers all around the world for decades. However, after being one of the rare states where gambling is legal, many other legalized sports betting in the past years. Many bettors started questioning where they can bet on sports, and this article will provide you with all answers. Stay tuned and start an exciting betting adventure!
Sports betting in the US: The current state
Gambling has been prohibited until May 2018 when The Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting. That ban did not apply only to four states which had previously regulated gambling within their borders. Besides Nevada, as mentioned earlier, gambling was legal only in Montana, Delaware, and Oregon. After the decision to revert the ban, each state can regulate betting on their own. In the past two years, seventeen states legalized sports wagering, while several others are considering to allow it.
Below is the list of states that offer legal sports betting:
The states listed below have passed sports betting legislation. However, they haven't launched it yet:
| State | Legislation Date |
| North Carolina | 07/2019 |
| Virginia | 04/2020 |
| Washington | 03/2020 |
The first to enter the expanded market was Delaware, thanks to their existing sports betting regulations.
Difference between land-based and online betting
Now when you have more betting options than ever, it is fair to compare traditional land-based sportsbooks with online sports betting. With the increased popularity of online wagering, the question emerges if we still need a brick-and-mortar casino. However, both approaches have their advantages, and it is up to you to decide where to play.
Land-based sportsbook or casino can offer unique wagering experience. You can enjoy well-accommodated facilities equipped with comfortable furniture and flat screens to watch the game live with your friends, whether it's NFL or any other league. Many of these sportsbooks serve beverage and food, which are true add-ons to the experience.
However, you may prefer placing bets from the comfort of your home. This is where online sportsbooks step in. Thanks to mobile apps, you can even place bets from literally everywhere, just by registering and funding your account. Placing live bets are possible at websites and mobile apps, as well.
Payout limits can usually be higher in a casino, but it is way harder to compare the odds. On the other hand, online sportsbooks offer bonuses quite often, which can be a decisive factor when deciding where to bet online.
It is hard to determine which approach is better as it ultimately depends on your preferences.
Where can you bet on sports online?
As we already mentioned, sports wagering became legal in several states across the US. We will go through each of them and check where you can place a bet legally.
If you want to put a wager on a sporting event in Nevada, you can do it in one of the approved land-based sportsbooks. In case you prefer online betting, sportsbooks are connected to casino game apps.
Nine sportsbooks operate their business in New Jersey, along with eight online and mobile apps. DraftKings launched its mobile betting app in 2018 and enabled placing legal bets outside of Nevada for the first time. If you want to place a bet there, you need to be physically located in New Jersey and at least 21 years old. Operators continued dipping into the market, with Golden Nugget as the most recent, and the 13th sportsbook in New Jersey. Besides the online sportsbooks, there are land-based casinos that offer sports betting.
You were able to place parlay wagers on an NFL game through the state lottery even before Delaware started accepting singles. They quickly regulated sports betting upon the pre-existing laws and became among the first states that completely legalized wagering on sporting events.
Pennsylvania launched online sports betting in 2019 with the SugarHouse app. More sportsbooks rolled out their business, while there are several which could be next to start their operations.
Mississippi went live on the same day as New Jersey; however, the law prohibits mobile wagering. There are over 20 casinos that facilitate sports betting as well. DraftKings launched its first land-based sportsbook outside NJ inside Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort.
Besides betting at many tribal casinos, bettors can place their sports bets at four casinos in the state of New York. However, all attempts to make mobile wagering legal failed, so you can only enjoy land-based sportsbooks. New York allowed placing bets on sporting events just a bit ahead of the NFL 2019 season.
Bettors can place their wagers at three betting apps in West Virginia. DraftKings and FanDuel Sportsbook hit the market in 2019, while BetMGM went live in 2020. If you are looking for a land-based casino, you will find three that facilitate sports betting.
Eight casinos in Iowa offer retail sportsbooks, while four of them powered by William Hill facilitate mobile wagering as well. In the current year, we can expect other casinos to launch their mobile operations.
Sports betting in Rhode Island was first launched in 2018 in Twin River Casino, where bettors need to register their online account in-person, and in Twin River Tiverton. In New Mexico, there are two brick-and-mortar sportsbooks for betting, which made their debut in 2018 as well.
Oregon started taking bets in 2019, and bettors can wager on professional and college sports in Chinook Winds Casino. The state lottery launched their betting app for iOS, Android, and desktop, but it prohibits placing bets on college sports.
Indiana officially went live with land-based sports betting in 2019, and online wagering was launched a bit later. The online sportsbook counter counts to four as BetAmerica started their business besides FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetRivers.
Bettors can place wagers in two retail sportsbooks in Arkansas, beginning from July 2019. In the same year, DraftKings launched its business in New Hampshire.
Sports betting in Michigan was finally legalized in 2020, after several failed attempts, and there are two sportsbooks available at the moment. Illinois has its first sportsbook launched in Rivers Casino, where bettors can register in-person for mobile sports betting account. There are still some expectations of online sports betting launching.
Colorado regulated wagering in May 2020. As of now, four operators launched online sportsbooks, including BetRivers, BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Land-based wagering in casinos should start after it becomes safe to open them due to coronavirus pandemic. Montana offers sports wagering via the state lottery beginning from March 2020. Both physical and mobile wagering is available.
What sports can you bet on?
Bettors can enjoy putting wagers on the four most popular professional sports leagues. Besides them, other sports such as soccer, tennis, MMA, or golf are available as well. You may bet on college sports events, but you need to check first if it is legal in your state.
NFL is probably the most popular league among bettors, and the kick-off of an NFL season usually means the busiest time for sportsbooks. With only 16 regular league games and three-week playoffs, the season goes by in a flash. Super Bowl is the most famous and busiest game for bettors all around the US.
Betting on NBA games is legal in eight states: New Jersey, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Iowa, Indiana, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. If you are at least 21 years old and located in the states mentioned above, you can place an online, retail, or mobile bet on the outcome of an NBA game. In addition to this, online and mobile NBA wagering is available in Mississippi as long as you are on the licensed sportsbook's facility.
NHL follows a pattern similar to NBA betting. NHL betting already became legal in several states across the US, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Colorado, and West Virginia. Mississippi applies the same rules to NHL as for the NBA wagering.
The rules for betting on MLB games are a bit relaxed. You don't need to be a resident of the state where MLB wagering is legal, but you need to be physically located within its borders. Sportsbooks from New Jersey, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, Iowa, and New Hampshire accept legal bets on an MLB game.
Wagering on soccer is legalized in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Indiana, and West Virginia, while several others are in the process of legislation. Soccer fans can bet on Premier League or Champions League games, as well as on some lesser-known leagues.
If you want to bet on golf, you don't need to go to Las Vegas anymore. Golf wagering is legal in West Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Iowa, and Colorado, while three other states are about to legalize it.
Tennis lovers can make their bets in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Indiana. Online betting on tennis is pretty straightforward form a legal point of view, as you only need to open an account at a sportsbook.
Besides the most famous sports and leagues like soccer, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, placing bets is possible on MMA, cricket, rugby, motorsports, or even darts. When choosing your picks, you should sign up for "Billy's List" and find lots of free professional tips.
What states are on the way of sports betting legislation?
You can expect sports betting to become legal in a few more states during 2020. We are expecting plenty more of them to kick-off legislation in the upcoming years. Let's focus on those who may open their door to sportsbooks in a short timeframe.
The November 2020 election may give a chance to Californians to vote on changing the state Constitution. This way, California may legalize sports betting as well. Connecticut prepared a state-level law, but sports betting still didn't become a reality. Legislation of sports betting should come soon in Massachusets and Maine, while it is awaiting launch in North Carolina.
Tennesse also legalized sports betting back in 2019, but there won't be brick-and-mortar sportsbooks. Bettors should be able to place their wagers online only. The Governor of Virginia should sign the bill soon and legalize sports betting in that state. We can expect to see the first sportsbook go live at the end of the current year or the beginning of 2021.
Washington DC Lottery still awaits launch, both land-based sportsbooks, and the online app will be available for bettors. While the state of Washington was the first one in 2020 to have legalized sports betting, it will only allow brick-and-mortar at tribal casinos. Online betting won't be permitted outside of tribal casino facilities.
In short, yes, but it is dependent on several factors. You can place legal sports bet online in several states, but you have to be located within the state. In most cases, you don’t need to be a resident as well. However, in any case, you have to be at least 21 years old.
You have many options available for betting on sports. The most common markets include moneylines, totals, and spreads. Therefore, you can place a bet on a winner of the game, the total amount of points, or the winning margin. You can also wager on other advanced and alternative markets. You can place live bets as well on dozens of games daily.
Sports betting is currently available in seventeen states in the US. Online sports wagering is legal and available at websites or on mobile apps in the following states:
The state of Mississipi offers a limited option to bet online when located in a brick-and-mortar sportsbook. Other states where you can place a wager are Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington DC.
It may happen that offshore sportsbooks don’t pay out bettors. Therefore, it is risky to wager at an unlicensed site. You may lose your funds on these sportsbooks, and that cannot happen if you bet on any licensed website.
If you are placing your bets at legal sportsbooks in the US, then online betting sites and apps are safe. Sportsbooks in the US fall under heavy regulation by federal authorities.
Where to bet on sports: Try it now at one of the top 5 betting sites
This guide helped you find out where you can bet on sports online. If you still haven't started your wagering experience, it's the right time to check out the best operators and register for an online account at your favorite sportsbook. With just a couple of clicks, place your wager and enjoy returns made by betting on sports. Take the most out of your betting experience and increase your profits.
