Sports Bookie 2020
Online gambling has been a favorite pastime of millions of people around the world for well over a decade and now it is finally available to US players as well, in a fully regulated manner. With more and more states legalizing online sports betting, AmericaGambles is here to help you choose the best sports betting bookie to play at.
Our mission is to help players find the best bookmakers and get their hands on the best bonuses and deals available. We give you an option to filter out only the bookmakers that are licensed in the state you live in, which means you will immediately get a full list of the sites you can start betting real money at. Use this and our other resources to get your online betting journey underway.
Top or Flop: Our 10 Criteria for Online Bookies
Deciding which bookmakers are the best may seem like an easy thing to do but it really isn’t. There are dozens of sites out there and many of them offer very similar services. To make sure we give you the best information, we reviewed each site in full and tested them all in ten different relevant categories. Here are the criteria we used in our rating and why we chose them.
Betting Offer and Odds: Getting the Best Price
There is hardly a criterion more important for the quality of an online bookmaker than the odds it offers to the players. The better the betting odds, the more money you stand to win. We tested all the bookies on our list in this category and made sure to let the players know what kind of prices they can expect on the popular and less popular markets.
In-Play Betting: Bet While Watching
There is no substitution in the gambling world for in-play betting. Getting odds and making bets while watching your favorite team in the NBA, NHL or MLB is simply a thrilling experience no matter how you look at it. We rated the in-play betting offer and the quality of the live betting platform for each operator separately and included these in the overall ratings for that site.
Mobile Betting: Ready the Mobile Apps
Mobile betting is becoming more popular by the day and choosing a good sports bookie app is the first part of the process of betting online. We examined the mobile platforms of each operator on our list and we bring you the ratings of the mobile apps within our reviews as well as separate mobile app reviews for each bookmaker.
Welcome Bonus & Promotions: The Bonus Value
Betting online adds one important element to one’s game, and this is the betting bonuses. By claiming various bonuses from the online bookmakers, players get a chance to bet more and potentially win a lot more money. We rated the welcome bonus offers as well as all the other promotions offered by each site to let our players know which operators offer the most return.
Customer Service: The Helpful Feedback
Betting with online bookies can be great, but trouble can start when you need some help and there is no one there to give it to you. This is why we consider customer service to be one of the key elements of any respectable online betting business. We examined the contact methods, speed and helpfulness of the customer support agents at each of the sites we reviewed.
Payment Options: The Banking Department
Just as important as customer service is the banking department of the operator. Things like payment methods on offer, speed of cashouts and fees associated with deposit and cashout requests were high up on our list of things to look at in regard to the banking department of the operators.
Limits & RTP: Min/Max Bets and Deposits
While some players may not care what the minimum deposit or bet is, others who are only there to have fun may care very much. Since we care about all the players, we made sure to test out the minimum and maximum deposit, bet and cashout at every site. We also looked at the operators’ statistics in regard to the overall return to player offered.
Usability: Platform Quality Check
When betting online, you have to use either an instant play or downloadable bookie platform. We looked at the various sites on offer and how easy they are to navigate, what kind of menus they offer and how you can get around the site to make the bets you want. The usability factor may not be key, but it is an important one we took a look at.
Security: Safety before All Else
Anyone who has experience with online gambling understands how important security is in such an endeavor. With so many unsafe and fraudulent sites out there, it was one of our priorities to make sure we find the sites that treat their players with care and make sure that every transaction is 100% safe and protected from prying eyes with SSL certificates, encryptions and other safety methods.
Additional Offers: Why Stop with Sports?
Online sports betting is just one of the many forms of online gambling getting legalized in the USA. Some of the top operators are already getting their licenses for casino, poker, fantasy sports and bingo, and we made sure to check out those additional offers and bring our players a summary of what is on offer aside from sports betting at each site.
Legality of Online Bookie Sites in USA
A question that has been raised in the USA regarding online gambling for the longest time is the one of its legality. While many sites have been offering sports betting services to Americans for years, the fact is that these sites were all operating without a proper gaming license for the US, until recently.
The new laws in some of the states now allow for operators to get local licenses and actually operate in accordance with the law. There are now online bookie sites available which pay their taxes and work in compliance with American law, which is very important for the end users.
It is important to note that players in some states are not yet able to play for real money at licensed sites, so you will need to make sure that the operator you are looking to bet with is actually licensed in your state before you start playing. This is where AmericaGambles kicks in and helps you by providing full lists of operators available in each state.
Apart from these regulated and legal sites, a number of offshore sites still offer their services to American players, against the law. It is of the utmost importance to note that playing at such sites puts players at significant danger and this should be avoided at all costs. With legal sites now in play, there is really no reason to play at offshore sites ever again.
If you live in a state where online sports betting is not yet regulated, we advise you to be patient as it is better to wait for a while than get your money stolen or your identity abused. What’s even more, playing at illegal sites could get you into trouble with the law, so make sure you avoid such sites in every case.
States with legal Sportsbooks
Online or Offline: Where to Play?
With online sports betting now legalized, players in many states find themselves with an option of betting online or betting with a real world bookmaker. The choice can be a hard one for some fans who have been betting live for many years, but thankfully you can do both. However, let us consider some upsides and downsides of both methods.
Finding a sports bookie online has never been easier, as sites like AmericaGambles give you a quick way to find the best and safest operators out there. Once you do find such a site, you will notice that online bookmakers are better than their live counterparts in several things. First of all, the betting odds offered online are often slightly better than those in real bookmakers. Furthermore, the value of bonuses and promotions offered by online bookies makes them clearly better value.
Live sportsbooks remain an important part of the overall gambling ecosystem, mainly because so many players simply enjoy the hustle and bustle of such an establishment. The live bookies in places like Las Vegas simply add a certain social element that can hardly be beat by any online bookmaker.
The final choice falls on each player individually, but the hard fact is that online sportsbooks offer more value for money invested to the players. On the other hand, live bookmakers offer some elements that may appeal especially to the older generation of sports gamblers, and since you can play both the choice should not be too difficult.
What to Look for in a Sports Bookie?
If you have made up your mind and you are ready to start betting sports online, you will need to pick a site to start playing at. There is a wide choice of options, and we advise you to think long and hard before you pick one. Here are some elements you may want to consider in a betting bookie before you sign up:
- The selection of sports and events
- The betting odds quality
- Mobile betting platforms
- In-play betting options
- Customer support accessibility
- Welcome bonus value
- Other promotional offers
- Payment options
- Cashout speed and reliability
- License and security details
Our Top 5 Sports Betting Bonuses
Online bookmakers offer slightly more than live bookies, even if only through their betting bonuses. Signing up with almost any online bookie will give you access to a betting bonus and the value of this bonus can be in the hundreds of dollars. The list below offers the top five betting bonuses available today, so check them out, sign up with one of the sites and start betting the operator’s money now.
Our Top 5 Sports Betting Apps
Mobile betting is getting ever more popular, and you can start betting on your phone within a matter of minutes as well. To get started, you will need to download one of the betting apps available in America, and the list below shows you the top five picks. Check out any of the apps listed here, download it to your iPhone or Android device and start betting on the go whenever you feel like it.
Mobile Payment :Yes
Sports Count :20+
Mobile Payment :Yes
Sports Count :15+
Mobile Payment :Yes
Sports Count :14+
Mobile Payment :Yes
Sports Count :13+
Mobile Payment :Yes
Sports Count :16+
Betting Bookie Tips & Tricks
Online sports betting is relatively new in the USA and if you are looking to get started, you may want to get some advice to help you out. We have compiled a small list of helpful tips and tricks you should keep in mind when betting online, along without our extensive betting guide which offers an even more in-depth look at the world of online sports gambling and how you can make the best of it.
- Know your game: Before you jump into any online sports betting, you should know what you intend to bet. Make sure to bet on the basketball league only if you know it well and don’t make random punts just because you are bored. Only make smart bets when you have a good idea and good odds on what is happening.
- Watch the odds: The odds are really the most important thing when it comes to making a sports bet. Even if you are very sure an outcome will come true, only bet it if the odds are good enough to justify the risk. Look out for multiple bookmakers to find the best possible odds for every bet you are making.
- Play at legal sites: Not every online bookmaker out there is actually licensed in your state and many operate without a license at all. Make sure you are always betting at a licensed and legal site so you can avoid getting into any trouble over your betting.
- Use your mobile: The mobile betting apps give you a chance to bet on a whim no matter where you are. If you are going to bet on sports online, make sure to take advantage of the fact you can do it on your mobile and try to use the mobile platforms to your advantage.
- Try some live betting: In-play betting can be incredibly fun and a great way to quickly capitalize on something you see happening in a game you are watching live. If you are a sports fan, why not make some bets while you are watching an important football game unfold.
- Get all the promos: The greatest advantage of betting with a sports bookie online is in the fact that so many promotions and bonuses are available. Make sure you use as many different promotions as you can and get all the extra value out of the bonuses offered by online bookmakers.
- Take the advice: AmericaGambles offers you many useful tips and there are many other resources out there that you can use to improve your bets. Make sure to take the tips and advice and don’t just make bets based on hunches and guesses. Educate yourself to become a more productive bettor.
- Gamble responsibly: Probably the most important tip of all is to stay responsible. When betting online things can quickly get out of hand, so make sure you have a cap on how much you are willing to lose betting sports and don’t go over it no matter what.
Sports Bookie Frequently Asked Questions
Top 5 Online Sportsbooks
