Top Five Legal Sports Betting Sites in the US
You shouldn’t have to look too far to enjoy legal betting online, but you will want to make sure that you are playing with the best brands. So we’ve handpicked five of the best legal sports betting sites to give you a good idea of what you should be looking for:
BetMGM - Enjoy legal sports betting here
BetMGM Pros & Cons
- Legal in dozens of states
- Excellent welcome offer
- Great odds boosts
- User-friendly app
- Odds boosts limited to specific markets
BetMGM
is one of the largest legal sports betting sites in the US and you can sign up to the brand everywhere from Massachusetts to Arizona. It’s a great site for betting on all of the major US sports, and BetMGM has also earned a solid reputation for its odds thanks to the huge variety of odds boosts that it puts on.
New customers at BetMGM get a warm welcome thanks to a sign up offer that gives you $150 in bonus bets for making a $5 qualifying bet. Plus you’ll find lots of promos for existing customers like referral deals and some handy parlay boost tokens too. Highly recommended.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
FanDuel - Perhaps the best legal betting apps
FanDuel Pros & Cons
- Market-leading online sportsbook
- Generous sign up offer
- Cool FanDuel TV feature
- Very competitive odds
- Reward program could be better
You can’t have a list of legal sports betting sites and not include
FanDuel. After all, this market-leading brand has perhaps the largest coverage of states of any sportsbook, and it backs it up with endlessly competitive odds and a huge range of betting lines.
Signing up to FanDuel for the first time will give you a welcome offer of $150 in bonus bets just for making a $5 qualifying bet. Plus you’ll find that the FanDuel TV feature has lots of live streams of sports taking place all over the world. A superior way to enjoy betting on your favorite sports.
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets IF YOU WIN
DraftKings - A great place for legal online sports betting
DraftKings Pros & Cons
- Available in 24 states
- Great same game parlays
- Big welcome offer
- Top odds for US sports
You might think of
DraftKings
as being a DFS site but it has worked hard to become one of the biggest legal sports betting sites in the US. This means that you can legally sign up here anywhere from any one of 24 states and enjoy competitive odds, top promos and a flawless way to bet.
New customers at DraftKings can get a welcome offer that gives them $200 in bonus bets for making a $5 qualifying bet, and it’s also a great place for same game parlay betting. So that whether you want to bet on your computer or mobile, you could do a lot worse than give DraftKings a try.
Bet $5 and Get $150 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
Bet365 - One of the latest legal sportsbooks to hit the scene
Bet365 Pros & Cons
- Great for betting rookies
- Innovative welcome offers
- Excellent betting odds
- User-friendly app
- Only available in a few states
This is one of the latest legal sports betting sites to come to the US, and while Bet365 has UK origins, it’s been picking up a formidable reputation for its coverage of US sport. This can be seen in everything from the brand’s odds to its deals like the recent welcome offer for the Super Bowl that gave you $5 in bonus bets for every touchdown scored.
Elsewhere you’ll find that
Bet365
has created a seriously user-friendly betting app, and that it’ll give you the full complement of betting lines for each major sporting event. Definitely worth a look if you are new to online sports betting.
Get $150 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose when you bet $5!
Subject to meeting qualifying criteria. Minimum wager $5. Minimum odds -500 or greater. $10 minimum deposit. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New customers only. Available in app only. Max. prize, game restrictions, time limits and T&Cs apply. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
Caesars - Enjoy US regulated sports betting here
Caesars Pros & Cons
- No sweat bet welcome offer
- Excellent rewards program
- Good coverage of sports
- Legal in many US states
- Website navigation tricky
This is another heavyweight brand in our list of legal sports betting sites and
Caesars
will give you an excellent way to play. You will understand this fact when you see the brand’s welcome offer that gives you up to $1,000 in promo credit should your first sportsbook bet lose.
It’s a great deal that gives you a good understanding of what Caesars is all about, and elsewhere you’ll discover a vast range of odds for everything from the NFL, NBA and MLB to the NHL and beyond. The best part is perhaps the Caesars Rewards program that can give you lots of real-life rewards for all of that you are betting that you’ve been doing.
First bet back as a bonus bet up to $1000
Best Legal Betting Apps in the US
There are lots of legal online sports betting apps out there that all offer you a great way to bet from your smartphone or tablet. Each of these apps will include geolocation software to ensure that you are playing from a legal state, and from here you’ll discover that you can access a world’s worth of sports bets from the palm of your hand.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in the US?
Yes, you can now enjoy legal sports betting online in dozens of states across the US. Ever since the Supreme Court overturned the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, more and more states have started allowing legal sports betting sites to operate within their borders.
This process started in New Jersey, and moved outwards from Pennsylvania to the current state of play where everywhere from Michigan to Maine, Louisiana and Arizona has some form of legal online sports betting.
While this is good, it’s worth noting that there are still a few holdout states like California and Texas where online sports betting is outlawed. Hopefully things will change soon so that everyone in the US can enjoy using legal sports betting sites.
Are Offshore Sportsbooks Legal?
One of the main reasons why we were showing you lots of legal online sports betting sites is to ensure that you don’t visit any offshore sportsbooks. These are those sports betting platforms that operate without any regard to US gambling laws. As such, these sites are acting illegally and there is nothing that you can do if they decide to run off with your money.
Things You Can’t Legally Bet on In the US
It’s important to note that all legal US sports betting sites are bound by law in regards to what you are actually allowed to bet on. While you will be able to bet on most major sports in the US and beyond, you might find that you cannot bet on things like entertainment and TV shows, while esports betting is still a bit of a gray area.
Plus each state will have its own laws regarding betting on college sports, and you might not be able to bet on the college sports team if they are playing in your own state. It’s common not to be able to bet on high school sports at most legal sports betting sites.
How We Rate Legal Online Sportsbooks
Every legal sportsbook will have its pros and cons, so we’ve made a checklist of the key things to look out for before recommending any brand to you:
We look for great odds across all major sports and no shortage of betting lines. Plus we’ll let you know whenever extra features like same game parlays and live streaming are introduced.
All good legal sports betting sites will have a vast array of promos for new and existing customers. So whether you want a bonus bet deal, a no sweat bet or even just some enhanced odds, you’ll always be able to get a helping hand with your bets.
We’ll never recommend any online sportsbook unless we know that it’s legal in the US and that it can take good care of your personal data and deposits. Plus we’ll be checking that each sportsbook has quality customer support should you need any help.
You should be allowed to make secure and efficient deposits and withdrawals with a variety of trusted payment options like cards, ewallet and ACH bank transfers.
How to Know If an Online Sportsbook Is Legal or Not?
There are multiple things that we check for in order to make sure that you are playing at a legal online sportsbook. The most important thing is that all legal sports betting sites will be licensed and regulated in the state that you are playing from.
So if you are based in New Jersey, you should check the betting site to make sure that it has licensing from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, while players in Pennsylvania will need to check for something similar from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and so on.
Plus you’ll want to make sure that the betting platform has all of the latest SSL-level encryption technology to make sure that your personal details and deposits are adequately safeguarded.
How to Create an Account with a Legal Sports Betting Sites?
Now that we’ve shown you that online sports betting is legal, you’re probably ready to get started. Most legal sports betting sites will have a roughly similar sign up procedure which means that you can follow these steps and make your first bet:
- Pick one of the sportsbooks featured in the banners of this page
- Click on the Sign Up link on the sportsbook’s homepage
- Fill in the registration form with personal information like your name, email and date of birth
- Enter in any promo codes to get your welcome offer
- Verify your account by submitting some photo ID
Once you have done all of that, you should be able to make a deposit with one of the accepted payment methods. Now you can get down to the business of using these funds as stakes for your sports bets. Simple.
Not only is sports betting legal in the US, but all of our featured brands have a variety of promos available for new customers. These are often advertised as being
free bets
that you can simply use rather than your own money for betting on sports.
You will usually have to carry out certain tasks like signing up to a sportsbook, making a qualifying deposit or bet to get these deals. Here is a quick look at some of the deals that you can get at legal sports betting sites right now:
| 🏟️ Sportsbook |
🤑 Welcome Offer |
| BetMGM |
Bet $5 get $150 |
| FanDuel |
Bet $5 get $150 |
| DraftKings |
Bet $5 get $200 |
| Bet365 |
Get $5 in bonus bets for every touchdown scored |
| Caesars |
$1,000 no sweat bet deal |
This table shows that you can get lots of bonus bets just by signing up to a new sportsbook and then making a simple qualifying bet. However, you might be able to find other deals that act to give you a refund should your first bet lose. A good reason to shop around different sportsbooks to find a deal that’s right for your needs.
Popular Sports for Legal Betting
We’ve found that all legal betting apps will let you bet on dozens of sports. These include all of the major US sports like football, basketball, baseball and hockey, but you should also be able to bet on soccer, tennis, golf, boxing, MMA fighting and much more. Plus many legal sports betting sites will give you odds for many more niche sports ranging from surfing to winter sports and beyond.
Best Legal NFL Betting Sites
There are lots of legal NFL betting sites out there but some are better than others. We’ve handpicked our favorite
NFL betting sites
here and they’ll cover everything from the regular season up to the Super Bowl and the draft too. Check out the sportsbooks in the banners of this page to get great odds for each game in the NFL and no shortage of football-specific promos too.
Not only can you enjoy legal NFL betting but you can bet on college football too from most states. This means that you can look forward to plenty of odds for all of the key NCAA games and you might even be able to pick up some handy college football promos too.
Best Legal NBA Betting Sites
It’s pretty easy to find a legal sports betting website with lots of odds for the NBA. After all,
NBA betting
is hugely popular and you’ll find hundreds of betting lines for each basketball game. Just don’t forget to pick up some of those promo offers that give you extra credit for using on those key games.
Best Legal MLB Betting Sites
Nearly all regulated betting sites will let you bet on every game in the MLB. We’ve got our recommended list of
MLB betting sites
to start you off and each of these will give you a variety of money line, spread and totals bets for each baseball game. Plus many of our featured legal sports betting sites will have some handy promos you can use to get more from your MLB bets.
Conclusion - Enjoy playing at legal sports betting sites
We’ve shown you that not only are online betting sites legal in most states, but that you'll find plenty of legal sports betting sites competing to give you evermore competitive odds and promos.
This means that you don’t have to risk your online security, but can sign up to any of our recommended sites and enjoy nothing but a legal way to play and some great odds too. So sign up to any of the
best US betting sites
and get ready to make your bets.
1.
Bet $5 and Get $150 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
Min. Deposit: 5
2.
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets IF YOU WIN
Wagering (WR): 1x Deposit, Min. Deposit: $10
3.
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
Min. Deposit: $5
4.
Get $150 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose when you bet $5!
Wagering (WR): 1x Bonus, Min. Deposit: $10
Subject to meeting qualifying criteria. Minimum wager $5. Minimum odds -500 or greater. $10 minimum deposit. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New customers only. Available in app only. Max. prize, game restrictions, time limits and T&Cs apply. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
5.
First bet back as a bonus bet up to $1000
Wagering (WR): 1x Deposit
Legal sports betting sites FAQ
👩⚖️ Are offshore sportsbooks legal?
No, only those sites that have licensing and regulation from the state that you are playing from can legally be used. As such, offshore sportsbooks are acting illegally and they won’t give you any customer protection either.
📲 How do I download a legal sports betting app?
You can download the
best betting apps
for free from either Apple’s App Store or the Google Play store.
🇺🇸 How old do I have to be to bet on sports in the US?
You will normally have to be at least 21 years old to play at most legal sports betting sites. However, this minimum age requirement can dip down to 18 or 19 years in some states.
🪪 How do I verify my sportsbook account?
All legal sports betting sites will require you to verify your account by submitting some form of government issued photo ID. This will usually be something like a driver’s license or a passport.
Daily picks from betting experts on odds boosts and casino promos
