The legalization of sports betting in the United States was a slow process, regularly battled in the courtrooms and state legislatures. As of today, sports betting has regained its momentum, having launched online or live in 14 states with more states expected to legalize sports betting as well. Given a choice, most punters prefer placing their bets online, instead of land-based sportsbooks. This means sports bettors will have the option to choose between hundreds of online sportsbooks, but deciphering the best sports betting sites can be a daunting task. This is where Flytonic.com comes is as a valuable resource.
At flytonic.com, we offer US sports bettors with a detailed guide to legal online sports betting. We strive to:
- Explain to you the legality of sports betting in the US, looking closely at the states where online sports betting is legal.
- Offer information on the best sports betting strategies
- The different teams and sports American sports bettors can bet on
- Moreover, we look into the best payment methods for US bettors
How We Choose The Best Sports Betting Sites
The Flytonic.com team has assessed and reviewed legal sports betting sites since the inception of the first online sportsbook. We regularly lookout for sports betting sites that offer punters with the best online and mobile experience and only recommend the sportsbooks that are fully licensed and legal in the state where they are based.
Flytonic.com has setup a detailed process to assess every online sportsbook available out there and you won’t have to familiarize yourself with complex terms such as teasers, chalk, and juice to find the reviews valuable. Essentially, our reviewers usually sign up for an account, place real money bets, and test the software. Some of the important factors we should consider include:
Safety & Service
Safety and security is one of the most important aspects that we check into before we recommend a sports betting site. We only recommend the best sports betting sites that are fully licensed and legal in their state. We do not recommend offshore betting sites that are unregulated and hence risky. Moreover, we test the customer service to know their response times and how helpful they are to their customers.
Bonuses and Free Bets
With the growing sports betting across the globe, so is the number of available promotions, free bets, and bonuses offered to sports bettors. We break down the bonuses that are most profitable and those that contain reasonable wagering requirements
There are some sportsbooks that offer new bettors a deposit bonus as a welcome offer. The deposit bonus varies from one operator to another, but usually, there are meant for punters to use after the first deposit. Moreover, the conditions attached to the deposit bonus vary from one site to another. Nevertheless, sports bettors can expect some wagering requirements attached to the bonuses they claim at the sportsbook.
Odds and Pricing
In the same way that customers shop around when purchasing different types of merchandise, the same applies when betting on sports. Bettors should lookout for the best prices. Opening accounts at different online betting sites can help towards finding the best odds available.
Mobile Sports Betting Apps
Mobile sports betting apps that you find out there are different. We test the ease of use, software speed, and overall mobile sports betting experience for android and iOS users on every betting app in order to find the best mobile sports betting experience for our users.
Payment Options
Deposits and cashouts to your online account must be easy and stress-free. We evaluate all the available banking methods from credit cards, debit cards, PayNearMe, bank transfers, Play+, and PayPal.
How Sports Betting Works?
Online sports betting provide everything that brick and mortar bookmakers do, but they have more options and convenience. Online betting sites allow bettors to place real money bets 24/7 from the comfort of your smartphone, or desktop. Also, they offer bettors a chance to shop on different sites in a few minutes.
Online sports betting also allows betting on different types of professional sports leagues like NHL, MLB, NBA, and the NFL as well as international sports like rugby and soccer, and pro sports like mixed martial arts, boxing, tennis, and golf. The available options vary by online operator and state.
Point spread wagering is the most common type of wager. It is a bet where the team is favored by a certain number of goals or points and punters can choose the underdog or favorite.
On the other hand, Moneyline wagering does not include the point spread. Rather, bets are made on a specific team to win the match with the Moneyline odds that are set by the sports betting site. Other kinds of wagering that are available include the teasers, parlays, and totals. Parlays refer to a bet on multiple games. Teasers are the wagers where the punters change the game point spread in exchange for fewer odds.
Most online sports betting sites offer live betting options where wagers are placed on a computer or mobile app once the game has started.
Where to Bet On Sports in the U.S?
Until the year 2018, the only state that allowed legal sports betting was Nevada. However, this changed after the ruling made by the Supreme Court overturned the PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) that had only limited betting on sports in Nevada.
In 2020, 14 states have already legalized and license sports betting. However, not all the legislatures in these states have implemented the same approach, leading to different guidelines and laws. There are some states that permit betting on sports both at physical sportsbooks and online betting sites, others don’t allow online betting, while some only allow sports betting at certain online casinos.
Types of Sports to Bet On
Laws pertaining to sports betting vary from one state to another, but wagering is typically allowed on all college sports and major pro sports.
As mentioned earlier, the most popular sports that you can bet on in the US include soccer, hockey, baseball, basketball, and football. The list also includes mixed martial arts, boxing, motorsports, tennis, and golf.
However, there are some states with legal online sports betting that don’t allow betting on college sports teams. For instance, New Jersey online sports betting sites do not allow wagering on college sports that involve in-state teams like Section Hall or Rutgers. Oregon permits college betting on sports at brick and mortar casinos, but not on their online sports betting apps.
NFL Betting
The NFL is the most popular sports event in the entire sports betting world. Yes, it’s without a doubt the #1 spot for US bettors with betting lines that are open throughout the year, and not just during the season.
NBA Betting
The NBA has multiple chances for you to strike it big since every basketball team player about 82 games through the season.
College Football
The NCAAF or College Football seems to be getting more interesting to bettors. The bets reach their peak in December as we enter into the Superbowl season and in January as we edge closer to the National Championship.
College Basketball
Universities and colleges across the United States compete for the NCCA title. This betting arena seems to be getting exciting every year with more bettors interested in placing real money bets on the sports events.
NHL Hockey Betting
The NHL is another popular sports league. As of today, there are about 24 entities from the US and 7 from Canada competing for the lucrative Stanley Cup.
MLB Baseball Betting
Known as Americans’ best pastime, it has also evolved to become a great sports events to sports bettors. Every team player’s 162 regular season matches before they enter the post-season.
How Sports Leagues See Online Betting
To insinuate that all the major pro sports leagues have largely softened their public view of online sports betting will be a true statement. All the sports leagues tried their best to fight any of the court battles that aimed to stop legal sports betting. Litigation has dragged on for many years until in 2018 when the Supreme Court overturned PASPA, which created a way for online sports betting in other states besides Nevada.
Even before this decision was made, the NFL had already approved the Oakland Raiders transition to Las Vegas where they started to play in 2020. After this decision was made by the supreme court, the MLB, NHL, and the NBA agreed to become MGM Resorts sports betting partners and various pro sports teams including the NFL’s New York, Jets, the NHL’s Vegas golden knights, and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, signed agreements with different sports betting partners. Initially, the pro sports leagues first suggested the concept of an integrity fee, but the legislator’s drafted state betting laws have largely resisted.
However, the NCAA continues opposing various types of sports betting, citing various previous college sports wagering scandals. Essentially, the NCAA prevents school administrators and athletes from betting on sports and in 2020 refused to approve the release of injury reports every week.
Joining The Best Online Sports Betting Sites
Signing up at the best sports betting sites should only take you a few minutes and sports betting sites provide various options to deposit funds into your online account.
The first thing you should do is choose a legal online sportsbook. You will then be guided through the sign-up process on your mobile device or computer and requested to provide some personal details like your name, email address, date of birth, and the mailing address.
Furthermore, the best sports betting operators mostly require the last 4 digits of your US Social Security number to completely verify your identity and make sure the sports bettor has reached the legal betting age. Also, bettors might also be required to download an app in order to verify its location. Technically, you must be located in a state where online sports betting are legal.
Upon registration, you can deposit funds into your sportsbook account and start placing real money wagers.
What Makes the Best Online Sports Betting Site?
The best sports betting sites offer everything you want to enjoy while gambling online, all under one roof. Some of the elements of a great sports betting site include:
- Loyalty programs, promotions, and bonuses that best fit your betting style
- Ease of navigation, speed, and software on their betting site platform. How easily can you access the sportsbook website on your tablet, laptop, or smartphone on iOS and Android systems?
- Superb wagering options including live betting/in-game with highly competitive odds.
- Easier options to make both withdrawals and deposits
A great starting point would be to read unbiased reviews from trusted review websites. This will allow you to narrow down your options to the best options available. You just have to make a small deposit at the sportsbook of your choice, claim the available bonuses, and continue playing if you feel comfortable. Also, click here to find the best sports betting affiliate programs to find out how you can make good money marketing sportsbooks.
Banking Options for Sports Betting Sites
The best online sports betting sites offer bettors a wide range of banking options.
Play+ – The prepaid credit card that is usually branded with the cover of the sportsbook owner. Enrollment is only available at the site upon registration. You will be pleased to find that it’s free to register. After approval, the prepaid card is available instantly. Cashouts can be transferred into the Play+ account and then can be withdrawn via an ATM. It takes about 1 to 2 days for the transaction to be completed.
e-wallets – Electronic wallets allow bettors to store credit cards, bank account information, and funds in a safe platform an transfer the funds to the sports betting online account. Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal are some of the most popular electronic wallets out there. They are also known as fast withdrawal methods.
Wire transfer/ACH – Available for withdrawals and deposits. The ACH has the same format as the automatic bill pay where the funds are quickly transferred electronically from your account via the automatic clearinghouse (ACH). These happen between two intermediary accounts. Technically, wire transfers have been found to be faster than the ACH transfers, though they have high fees. Both these methods usually have higher limits, which makes them a better option for high rollers.
Credit cards/debit cards – Credit/debit cards are by far the most popular payment options and one that has been found to cause many headaches. There are some sportsbooks that accept Visa. While others accept MasterCard, but there are some financial companies that might still reject deposits made for betting despite the fact that sports betting is legalized in your state.