Is sports gambling legal in the united states? That question was in the news a lot recently.
The short answer is”yes.” Unless you reside in a country that has explicitly made it illegal, you, as an American, can lawfully make a sports wager at a variety of online gambling sites.
The long answer is much more complicated, but not so complex that it can’t be explained in simple terms. Below, we supply our top 10 best picks of the most powerful gaming websites for bettors in the united states and a crash course on the legality of sport gambling in the USA.
USA
UNITED KINGDOM
EUROPE
ASIA
AFRICA
MEXICO
1
Bovada
Bovada lives up to their reputation as a consistently impressive online betting experience.
https://www.bovada.lv
Overall Rating:
5 Welcome Bonus: 50% bonus up to $250
Terms & Conditions Apply
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2
BetOnline
Their large maximum bonus size is a real head-turner for bigger bettors however BetOnline offers something for everyone.
https://www.betonline.ag
Overall Rating:
5 Deposit Bonus: 50% up to $1,000
Terms & Conditions Apply
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3
SportsBetting.ag
New ownership has radically improved everything about this sportsbook – and – simply to show they are serious, their incentive offer is now more generous than ever before.
http://www.sportsbetting.ag/
Total Rating:
5 Deposit Bonus: 50% up to $1,000
Terms & Conditions Apply
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4
GTbets
GTbets, or’Game Time’ stakes, has always had our attention for its specific promos that cater to lovers of major North American sport.
http://www.gtbets.eu
Overall Rating:
5 Deposit Bonus: 100% up to $500
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5
Xbet
XBet.ag is just one of the newer sportsbooks therefore it has its perks, great functionality on mobile devices and competitive bonuses to mention a few. They have proven to be a trusted sportsbook in a relatively brief period of time.
https://xbet.ag/
Overall Rating:
4 Deposit Bonus: 100% Nominal bonus up to $300
Terms & Conditions Apply
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6
MyBookie.ag
MyBookie is newer on the scene also has been making a strong case for itself. From rush payout choices to ancient lines they’re showing they have hustle.
http://www.mybookie.ag
Total Rating:
5 Deposit Bonus: 50% up to $1,000
Terms & Conditions Apply
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7
BetNow
BetNow is a brand new sportsbook that’s highlighted by a wide array of futures, teasers, and parlays, plus diverse casino offerings.
https://www.betnow.eu/
Total Rating:
4 Deposit Bonus: 50% up to $1,000
Terms & Conditions Apply
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8
Skybook
Skybook offers a free half point on NFL and NBA stinks and spreads. Plenty of gambling choices for major league sports: NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB.
https://www.skybook.ag
Total Rating:
3 Deposit Bonus: 100% up to $1,000
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9
BookMaker
BookMaker is not a bad choice for anybody, but it especially caters to people who bet big money on the regular. With its massive list of early lines, props, and parlays, it’s truly an industry pioneer.
http://www.bookmaker.eu
Total Rating:
5 Deposit Bonus: 50% up to $300 deposit
Terms & Conditions Apply
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10
5Dimes
5Dimes is the Yankees of all sportsbooks–they’re secure, established, and provide a premium merchandise –but they also have exciting promotions reminiscent of minor league ballparks! It is the best of both worlds.
https://www.5dimes.eu
Total Rating:
3 Deposit Bonus: 50% bonus up to $520
Terms & Conditions Apply
BET NOW
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We’ve always found that Bovada, Bet on the internet, and SportsBetting.ag offer US bettors the highest quality gambling experience. They have got excellent track records of fiscal reliability and sound security, with well-developed mobile and desktop interfaces to boot. What is more, they have had the time to find tune their host servers so they can offer stateside bettors a reactive, modern net platform to lay wagers on. With these books, you won’t have to hit the refresh button constantly wait for pages to load. You’ll be able to act on lines that are enticing quickly, easily, and efficiently.
Legal
There Are Two Distinct Types of Sports Betting
Two Different Kinds of sports gambling are potentially available to Americans, and they each have their own legal framework:
Sports gambling within the united states, both at casinos, racetracks, or government authorized websites.
This was banned nearly everywhere in the US besides Nevada before the Supreme Court decision in NCAA vs Murphy (April 2018), that ruled that the prohibition on sports betting contained in the skilled and Amateur Sports Protection Act [PASPA] was unconstitutional.
Following the Murphy conclusion, each nation is free to legalize sports betting within its borders, and we are closely tracking the legal status of sport gambling in each state on this page.
Sports gambling at sites hosted outside of the USA.
This is definitely the more popular kind of sports betting for most Americans and, as such, is the primary focus of the report.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in the United States?
Betting at foreign sportsbooks is often described as”illegal” or known as a”legal gray area,” but it’s really not. Unless your nation’s sports-betting laws make it illegal to use an offshore sports-betting website, it doesn’t seem to be against the law for Americans to place wagers at these websites.
At the time of writing, the following states had busy prohibitions on online sports gambling:
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Michigan
South Dakota
Utah
The huge majority of states do not explicitly prohibit gambling at offshore sportsbooks and, consequently, the huge majority of Americans use such sites to make their sports wagers. It is estimated that 12 — 15 million Americans were busy online sports bettors in 2017 alone.
There are federal laws in place that prohibit:
Offshore betting sites from providing their services to American residents (see the Wire Act), and Financial institutions and overseas betting sites from accepting/making certain types of financial transactions from Americans.
But the framework made by the Wire Act and UIGEA does not mean it is illegal for Americans to utilize online gambling sites. As Las Vegas lawyer Barry Lieberman said in 2007,”Bettors that are recreational rather than in the business of wagering probably don’t have to fret about Wire Act offenses”
In a sense, online betting is somewhat like underage smoking (although less hard on your lungs). In the US, it is illegal for anyone to sell cigarettes to minors, however, broadly , it is not illegal for minors to smoke cigarettes, just like it isn’t illegal for (many ) Americans to utilize an internet sportsbook.
The end result is that, provided that you use a reputable sportsbook with a solid track record of protecting user funds and providing timely payouts (two of the most important factors we consider when rating and recommending online betting websites ), your bankroll should be safe. No person American has been prosecuted for using, funding, or attempting to finance an account at an offshore sportsbook,” according to a November 2017 post by Allen Moody.
Nevertheless, the federal laws in place in the moment have a practical effect on the ability of Americans to use online sportsbooks, especially in regards to withdrawing and depositing cash.
The following section describes what you want to know before you register so that you are not taken by surprise.
Banking
While Americans shouldn’t worry about being prosecuted for betting at an online sportsbook, the technical effect of the Wire Act and UIGEA is that Americans have limited choices when it comes to making deposits and withdrawals.
Which options are available depends on what site you’re using. All our reviews details the available deposit and withdrawal options at that website, along with the websites, themselves, will also offer this advice before you sign up, often under the FAQ, Help, or Getting Started section.
Without getting too bogged down in the specifics, here is what you can generally expect.
Deposits Alternatives for US Bettors
Most-common Less-common Unavailable
Visa American Express PayPal
Master Card Person to Person wire transfer Apple Pay
Bitcoin Money Order Google Pay Visa gift cards Cashier’s Check —
Prepaid Credit Cards NetTeller —
Withdrawals Options for US Bettors
Most-common Less-common Unavailable
Check Wire Transfer PayPal
Bitcoin Skrill Apple Pay
— NetTeller Google Pay
— Money Order —
Cost changes notwithstanding, our professional opinion is that Bitcoin will be the best deposit and withdrawal option as
It does not need sensitive private information to be transmitted online;
It lends itself to secure trades;
It allows for rapid deposits and deposits; and
Many USA gaming websites offer generous Bitcoin-specific bonuses.
If you’re unfamiliar with the cryptocurrency, read our guide to sports betting with Bitcoin.
Signing Up
If you now feel comfortable that your online betting activities will not land you in any legal problem (which you should), then you may be ready to signup for your very first sportsbook account. The variables you will want to consider when choosing the best site array beyond deposit and withdrawal options, obviously; our study suggests the five most-important factors for US bettors are:
safe transactions
trustworthy reputation
Free, simple, & quick trades lucrative/generous bonuses
Broad choice of sports
So do your research, compare and contrast the advantages of each website, and then join the 15 millions other Americans who are currently in on the action!
Read more: conservativewatchnews.org