Is sports gambling legal in the US? That question has been in the news a lot recently.
The brief answer is”yes.” Unless you live in a country that has expressly made it illegal, you, as an American, can legally make a sports wager at many different online gambling sites.
The long term answer is more complex, but not so complex that it can’t be explained in simple terms. Belowwe provide our top 10 best picks of the most powerful gaming websites for bettors in the USA and a crash course on the legality of sport gambling in the United States.
USA
UNITED KINGDOM
EUROPE
ASIA
AFRICA
MEXICO
1
Bovada
Bovada lives up to their reputation as a consistently astonishing online gaming 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 but BetOnline provides something for everyone.
https://www.betonline.ag
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5 Deposit Bonus: 50% up to $1,000
Terms & Conditions Apply
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3
SportsBetting.ag
New ownership has radically enhanced about this sportsbook – and – just to show they are serious, their bonus offer is now more generous than ever.
http://www.sportsbetting.ag/
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5 Deposit Bonus: 50% up to $1,000
Terms & Conditions Apply
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4
GTbets
GTbets, or’Game Time’ stakes, has consistently had our attention for its unique promos that cater to lovers of important North American sports.
http://www.gtbets.eu
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5 Deposit Bonus: 100% up to $500
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5
Xbet
XBet.ag is one of the newer sportsbooks so it has its own perks, great performance on mobile devices and aggressive bonuses to mention a few. They’ve been shown to be a trustworthy sportsbook at a relatively brief time period.
https://xbet.ag/
Total 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 early lines they are showing they’ve hustle.
http://www.mybookie.ag
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5 Deposit Bonus: 50% up to $1,000
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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 varied casino offerings.
https://www.betnow.eu/
Overall Rating:
4 Deposit Bonus: 50% up to $1,000
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8
Skybook
Skybook offers a free half point on NFL and NBA spreads and totals. Lots of gambling options for major league sports: NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLB.
https://www.skybook.ag
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3 Deposit Bonus: 100% up to $1,000
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9
BookMaker
BookMaker is not a terrible alternative for anyone, but it especially caters to people who bet big money on the regular. With its massive list of ancient lines, props, and parlays, it is really 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 sportsbooks–they are 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
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We have consistently found that Bovada, Bet Online, and SportsBetting.ag offer US bettors the maximum quality betting experience. They’ve got excellent track records of financial reliability and audio safety, with well-developed mobile and desktop interfaces to boot. What is more, they’ve had time to find tune their server servers so that they can provide stateside bettors a responsive, modern net platform to lay wagers on. With these books, you won’t need to hit the refresh button constantly await pages to load. You will be able to action on lines that are enticing fast, easily, and economically.
Legal
There Are Two Different Forms of Sports Betting
Two Different Kinds of sports gambling are possibly available to Americans, and they each have their particular legal framework:
Sports betting within the US, both at casinos, racetracks, or authorities authorized sites.
This was banned almost everywhere in the US besides Nevada until the Supreme Court decision in NCAA vs Murphy (April 2018), which ruled that the prohibition online sports gambling contained in the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act [PASPA] was unconstitutional.
Following the Murphy conclusion, each nation is free to legalize sports gambling within its boundaries, and we’re closely monitoring the lawful status of sports gambling in every state on this page.
Sports gambling at websites hosted outside of the USA.
This is definitely the more popular kind of sports betting for most Americans and, as such, is the principal focus of the report.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in the US?
Betting at foreign sportsbooks is frequently referred to as”prohibited” or known as a”legal gray area,” but it’s really not. Unless your state’s sports-betting laws make it illegal to use an offshore sports-betting website, it doesn’t appear to be contrary to the law for Americans to place wagers at these sites.
In the time of writing, the following countries had active prohibitions on online sports betting:
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Michigan
South Dakota
Utah
The vast majority of countries don’t expressly prohibit gambling at offshore sportsbooks and, as a result, the vast majority of Americans use such websites to generate their sport wagers. It’s estimated that 12 — 15 million Americans were active online sports bettors in 2017 alone.
There are federal laws in place that prohibit:
Offshore betting sites from providing their services to American citizens (see the Wire Act), and Financial institutions and overseas gambling sites from accepting/making certain types of financial transactions from Americans.
However, the frame made by the Wire Act and UIGEA does not mean it is illegal for Americans to use online betting websites. As Las Vegas attorney Barry Lieberman stated in 2007,”Bettors who are recreational and not in the business of wagering probably don’t need to worry about Wire Act offenses”
In a way, online betting is somewhat like underage smoking (but not as hard in your lungs). In the united states, it’s illegal for anyone to sell cigarettes to minors, however, generally speaking, it is not illegal for minors to smoke cigarettes, just like it is not illegal for (many ) Americans to use an online sportsbook.
The final result is that, provided that you use a respectable sportsbook using a good track record of safeguarding user funds and providing timely payouts (just two of the most significant factors we consider when rating and recommending online gambling websites ), your bankroll should be safe. No individual American has been prosecuted for using, funding, or trying to fund an account for an offshore sportsbook, according to a November 2017 article by Allen Moody.
That said, the federal laws in place in the moment do have a practical effect on the ability of Americans to utilize online sportsbooks, particularly in regards to depositing and withdrawing cash.
The next section describes what you want to know before you sign up so that you are not taken by surprise.
Banking
While Americans should not be worried about being prosecuted for gambling at an internet sportsbook, the technical impact 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 website you’re using. Each of our reviews details the available deposit and withdrawal options at that site, along with the websites, themselves, will also provide this information before you join, often under the FAQ, Help, or Getting Started section.
Without getting too bogged down in the specifics, here is what you can normally 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 fluctuations notwithstanding, our specialist opinion is that Bitcoin will be the best deposit and withdrawal alternative as
It does not need sensitive private information to be transmitted on the web;
It brings itself to secure trades;
It allows for fast deposits and deposits; and
Many USA betting sites offer generous Bitcoin-specific bonuses.
If you’re not knowledgeable about the cryptocurrency, read our guide to sports betting with Bitcoin.
Signing Up
If at this point you feel comfortable your online gaming actions won’t land you in any legal problem (which you should), then you may be ready to sign up to your very first sportsbook account. The factors you will want to consider when choosing the best site range beyond deposit and withdrawal options, of course; our study suggests that the five most-important factors for US bettors are:
safe transactions
trustworthy reputation
Free, simple, & fast trades lucrative/generous bonuses
Wide choice of sports
So do your research, compare and contrast the benefits of each website, then join the 15 countless other Americans who are already in on the action!
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