Only a few years ago legal online sports betting became available to sports fans in the US, which ushered in a new era of sports betting and a number of successful sportsbook sites.

The playthrough requirement is not the only bit of fine print you may encounter with a no-deposit bonus. Unfortunately, with most bonuses, the devil is often in the details. So make sure that you read through the terms and conditions of any potential offer before you accept it. New York Yankees (+550 At FanDuel Sportsbook). (100% deposit match up to $250 with a 1x playthrough requirement) represents one of the most player-friendly offers in the industry.

The Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), a federal mandate that outlawed sports betting except in Nevada and a few other specific instances.

1. This requirement, known as the playthrough or wagering requirement, can mandate that you put the bonus amount at risk multiple times, in fact. So, check the terms and conditions for this information before you select a bonus. You should also look at the time limit associated with redeeming the bonus and satisfying the playthrough requirement.
2. Online casino players love free spins and in the US we get them in the form of free money casino bonuses, also known as no-deposit money. Legal and legit online casinos such as Golden Nugget and BetMGM offer free money for new players, so you should take advantage of the new player offers.

The overturn of PASPA gave states the green light to offer legal sports betting. Individual states can now pass their own legislation and allow both retail and online sports wagering within their state.

Several US states introduced legal online sports betting in the wake of the fall of PASPA. Initially, states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey, accounted for more than 80% of all US sports betting revenue. This number is changing rapidly. So far, more than a dozen states offer legal online sports betting, with more to come.

Best Online Sportsbooks

States With Legal Online Sportsbooks

Colorado

May 1, 2020, marked the beginning of a new era of sports betting in Colorado. The first wave of the state’s legal online sportsbooks launched that day, with four different mobile platforms debuting.

DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetRivers, and BetMGM all began operations on the May 1 launch date. BetMonarch and FOX Bet joined the fray later in May. Since then, a total of 19 online sportsbooks have launched in the state, with more expected to join in 2021 and beyond.

Colorado offers one of the most successful sports betting markets in the US. Despite the legal market existing for only eight months of 2020, the online sportsbooks generated over $1 billion in revenue, which meant millions in taxes for the state.

Learn more about Colorado Online Sports Betting.

Illinois

Retail and mobile sports wagering were legalized in Illinois in June 2019. Online sportsbooks launched in June 2020 starting with BetRivers. Since then, William Hill, DraftKings, FanDuel, and PointsBet have launched as well.

Initially, bettors were required to register for an online sportsbook in-person at the partnering land-based casino. However, that requirement was lifted through an executive order by Governor J. B. Pritzker due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspended requirement will likely continue indefinitely.

See our guide to Online Gambling In Illinois.

Indiana

Indiana lawmakers signed legal online sports betting into law in May 2019. State-regulated mobile sportsbooks started to launch in the Hoosier State in October 2019.

Online sportsbooks available to Indiana bettors include BetRivers, BetMGM, BetAmerica, and PointsBet. Like most other US states, these brands operate as license partners of Indiana’s retail casinos.

Several other brands are already approved by the Indiana Gaming Commission, and will eventually join the state’s mobile sports betting market.

See our full guide to Online Sports Betting In Indiana.

Iowa

Iowa joined the list of US states to offer legal online sports betting in May 2019. Governor Kim Reynolds signed bill SF617, which legalized both retail and online sports betting in the Hawkeye State.

Fanduel Sportsbook Playthrough Requirement

Both land-based and online sportsbook launched at the same time in Iowa, with legal sports betting going live in Iowa on August 15, 2019.

The Iowa mobile sportsbook betting market includes a couple of brands not seen in other states. Q Sportsbook and Elite Sportsbook join well-known brands like PointsBet and DraftKings Sportsbook as legal sports betting options in Iowa.

See our full guide to Online Gambling In Iowa and our Iowa Sports Betting Guide.

Michigan

Michigan approved legal online sports betting in December 2019. State-regulated mobile sportsbooks launched in January 2021.

Sportsbooks operate in partnership with Michigan’s land-based tribal and commercial casinos. BetRivers, William Hill, FanDuel, BetMGM, PointsBet, DraftKings, and Golden Nugget are among the first wave of mobile sportsbooks going live in the Wolverine State.

PointsBet also announced a partnership with the Detroit Tigers, the first MLB relationship of its kind. Since then, several other Michigan sportsbooks announced partners with Detroit teams.

FireKeepers launched its retail sportsbook in Michigan in 2020, making it the first tribal casino in Michigan to operate its own sportsbook.

Keep up-to-date on developments in our Michigan Online Sports Betting Guide.

Montana

Legal online sports betting in Montana doesn’t quite operate the same way it does in other US states.

The Montana Lottery oversees the state’s sports betting industry. The agency approved one legal online sports wagering operator, Sports Bet Montana. Intralot, the Montana Lottery’s technology partner, is the company behind Sports Bet Montana.

Businesses offering lottery and alcohol sales can apply for approval to install Sports Bet Montana kiosks. Hundreds of locations throughout the state will likely eventually host these kiosks.

Montana bettors can place sports wagers directly through these kiosks, or on a downloadable mobile app. Bets placed on the mobile app, however, must be within a close distance of a Sports Bet Montana kiosk at the time of a bet.

Nevada

Before the overturn of PASPA, Nevada held the position as the only US state legally able to offer full-scale sports betting. Nevada casinos got the jump on other states regarding legal online sports betting platforms.

Right now, the two major online sportsbooks in Nevada are William Hill and BetMGM. Brands like FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, and BetRivers have yet to enter the state.

Other Nevada legal mobile sportsbooks operate as casino-branded platforms. Casinos offering self-branded online sportsbooks include South Point, Wynn, Station Casinos, Atlantis, and Golden Nugget.

William Hill and Westgate Superbook also offer mobile sports wagering platforms in Nevada.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire entered the legal sports betting market in July 2019. Governor Chris Sununu approved a bill to bring both retail and online sports betting to the Granite State.

Online sports betting brands won’t operate as license partners to land-based casinos. This is because New Hampshire doesn’t have any retail casinos. Instead, the New Hampshire Lottery licenses and approves all online sports betting operators in the state.

DraftKings Sportsbook launched in December 2019, as New Hampshire’s first legal mobile sportsbook.

New Jersey

New Jersey’s lawsuit is responsible for the overturning of PASPA, and it’s since led the way in online gambling options, including a huge number of online casinos and sportsbooks as well as a few poker sites.

The state legalized online sports betting in June 2018. The first of New Jersey’s legal mobile sportsbooks launched the following month. Today, New Jersey bettors in the Garden State can access more than a dozen mobile sportsbooks, including all the best brands: DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers, BetMGM, PointsBet, WynnBET, and William Hill.

New Jersey leads the US in online sports betting revenue. Bettors in the Garden State can access more than a dozen mobile sportsbooks. Brands include Unibet, Fox Bet, William Hill NJ, and theScore Bet.

As of early 2021, New Jersey leads the US in online sports betting revenue. Online sportsbooks in the Garden State brought in $6 billion in wagers in 2020 alone.

Learn more about Online Sports Betting In New Jersey.

Oregon

The fall of PASPA didn’t affect Oregon sports betting laws. This is because the state was already exempt from the federal ban on sports wagering mandated by PASPA.

Similar to Montana and New Hampshire, the Oregon Lottery regulates the state’s legal sports betting industry. Oregon bettors can access a single mobile platform in the state. The Oregon Lottery Scoreboard app permits sports betting from anywhere within state borders.

Only professional sports are open for betting on the Scoreboard platform, as the Oregon Lottery restricts betting on college sports.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania went to work on sports betting legislation before the official overturn of PASPA. An October 2017 package of bills legalized retail and online sports betting in the Keystone State.

The reversal of PASPA allowed Pennsylvania casinos to begin launching mobile sports betting platforms in May 2019. SugarHouse and BetRivers, both owned by Rush Street Interactive, were among the first legal sports betting sites to launch in the state.

Pennsylvania is second only to New Jersey in online sports betting revenue in the US. Other online sports betting brands in the state include Parx Sportsbook, FOX Bet, and Unibet.

Check out our comprehensive Guide To Sports Betting In Pennsylvania.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island legislators approved retail and online sports betting in the state in June 2018. The Rhode Island Lottery regulates the state’s legal sports betting industry.

Bettors in the Ocean State can wager on a single online sports betting site, Sports Bet Rhode Island. The technology behind the platform comes from a collaboration between IGT and William Hill.

Sports Bet Rhode Island operates as a license partner of Twin River Worldwide Holdings, which operates two land-based casinos in the state.

Tennessee

Tennessee approved online sports betting in April 2019. The Volunteer State takes a unique position in the mobile sports betting industry, as the state doesn’t host any land-based casinos.

Online sports betting companies can apply for licensure as standalone platforms. Tennessee’s legal online sportsbooks launched on November 1, 2020. The first sportsbooks to debut include fan-favorites DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM.

Virginia

Virginia legalized sports betting in March 2020, with the legislation going into effect in July 2020. Virginia’s gambling laws permit brick-and-mortar casinos to open in a handful of cities in the state. There will most likely be retail sportsbooks at some of these casinos as well.

What is more exciting is that the gambling bill legalized online sports betting in Virginia. On September 15, 2020, the Virginia Lottery, which will regulate sports betting, finalized its rules and regulations.

This process opened the application process for standalone online sportsbooks to operate in the state. FanDuel Sportsbook launched in Virginia in January 2021 as the first online sports betting platform to go live. DraftKings followed just a few days later, and BetMGM shortly after that.

Washington DC

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s signature on DC Council Bill 23-25 approved sports betting in the US capital in January 2019.

Similar to Rhode Island, Montana, and a few other US states, legal sports betting in Washington DC is regulated by the Office of Lottery and Gaming.

Intralot, the technology company behind the lottery in Washington DC, operates the district’s lone mobile sports wagering platform. The platform, christened Gambet DC, debuted in May 2020. In December 2020, William Hill launched in Washington DC, but bettors can only place wagers within a few blocks of the Capital One Arena in downtown DC. It is anticipated that BetMGM is also on its way through a partnership with the Washington Nationals.

West Virginia

West Virginia went all-in on legalized online gambling after the fall of PASPA. Mobile gambling options in the Mountaineer State include online sports betting, which was legalized in May 2018.

The first online sportsbook in West Virginia, BetLucky, launched in August 2018. The platform was short-lived, however, ceasing operations after just a few months.

Online sports betting reemerged with the debut of FanDuel Sportsbook in August 2019. Other platforms currently operating in West Virginia include DraftKings Sportsbook and BetMGM.

The Future Of Online Sports Betting

More states will eventually join the list of states with legal online sports betting, as the industry continues to expand in the US. Several states already have legislation in place to offer legal mobile sports betting, with the launch of products in those states pending.

States like New York, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and New Mexico currently offer legal retail sports betting. Online sports betting regulation could be on the horizon in those states.

Maryland and Louisiana both took steps towards legalizing sports betting with ballot measures during the 2020 election. Each state will need to enact rules and regulations before any online sports betting launches in the state.

Many other states are considering legalizing sports betting, including California, Florida, Massachusetts, and Kentucky, among others.

Online Sports Betting Sites In The US

BetRivers

The BetRivers brand emerged as a legal online gambling platform owned by Rush Street Interactive. Poised to be a major player in the US legal online sports betting market, BetRivers currently offers mobile sports betting in states like Pennsylvania, Indiana, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Virginia, and Michigan. BetRivers operates in New Jersey as SugarHouse Sportsbook.

BetRivers offers one of the most player-friendly deposit match bonuses in the US. New bettors can unlock a 100% match bonus, up to $250, with just a 1x playthrough requirement.

The minimal playthrough requirement is matched by few other sportsbooks making BetRivers a top choice for any sports bettor.

WynnBET

WynnBET is a relatively new addition to the online sports betting market in the US. While there is a Wynn Sportsnook app in Nevada, it’s separate from the much more robust WynnBET app that’s available for sports betting and casino gaming in Michigan,and New Jersey.

The WynnBet Sportsbook app is available in Colorado, is launching in Virginia and is announced for expansion into a handful of other states, including Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Tennessee.

New members at WynnBET can receive a $1,000 risk free bet.

William Hill

William Hill is a premier sportsbook in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, but it’s become a major player in the US, even before the repeal of PASPA. Not only is the William Hill retail sportsbook inside several casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, but it’s also one of the few online platforms available in Nevada.

William Hill offers new players a risk-free bet of up to $500. However, it depends on the state. In Illinois, it offered a risk-free bet up to $300. And when it launched in Virginia and Michigan in 2021, new members could receive a risk-free bet up to $2,021.

William Hill offers all the major sports in the US. But it is particularly popular among those who bet on international sports, especially European soccer like the English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

FanDuel Sportsbook

Along with its closest competitor, DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook holds a position as one of the most popular online sports betting platforms in the US.

Sports bettors located in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Virginia, and Michigan, can wager at FanDuel Sportsbook. In many of those states, FanDuel Sportsbook emerged as one of the top-earning mobile sports betting sites.

Bonus offers at FanDuel Sportsbook include a $1,000 risk-free bet for new players. After an initial deposit, new account holders are eligible for up to a $1,000 rebate as site credits on the first bet made, if the bet results in a loss.

FanDuel Sportsbook offers a wide array of betting markets. Bettors looking for action on domestic professional and college sports, as well as international leagues and niche sports, can find plenty of options at FanDuel Sportsbook.

PointsBet

The Australian-owned PointsBet brand committed to a stateside business plan with the implementation of two land-based headquarters in the US. The PointsBet platform currently offers access to bettors in New Jersey, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, and Michigan.

The signup bonus at PointsBet is two risk-free bets up to $2,000 total. On top of the $500 risk-free bet for a fixed-odds event, you can also try the PointsBetting feature risk-free for up to $1,500.

“PointsBetting” is a style of wagering that’s exclusive to PointsBet. This bet awards (or takes) more money depending on the margin of victory (or loss) for totals bets. For example, you receive a multiplier for every point that’s over the over/under for an NBA game. That multiplier applies to both the winnings and the losing wager, so this can be risky as well as rewarding

Bettors looking for unique action and big potential payouts should enjoy betting at PointsBet.

DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook looms as a leading brand in the US online sports betting industry. In virtually every state in which it legally operates, DraftKings Sportsbook stands as one of the top revenue-earning mobile sportsbooks.

The brand currently operates legally in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, Tennessee, and Michigan.

New bettors can earn up to $1,000 in bonus money upon registering at DraftKings Sportsbook. The bonus includes a deposit match bonus of 20% up to $1000.

With one of the most user-friendly interfaces in the sports betting industry and a wide selection of sports, DraftKings Sportsbook should appeal to bettors of all experience levels.

Check out our complete DraftKings Sportsbook Review.

FOX Bet

The FOX Bet platform is committed to a massive US expansion. Several states with legal online sports betting will eventually include the FOX Bet brand among online sportsbook offerings.

FOX Bet operates as a partnership between FOX Sports and The Stars Group. This collaboration pairs one of the most visible US sports media companies with the world’s biggest online gambling brand.

Bettors located in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Michigan can access the FOX Bet platform. New players can unlock a $500 risk-free bet.

Casual bettors should enjoy the FOX Bet platform, as it consistently offers good odds on favorites.

What Online Sportsbook Bonuses Are Available?

Risk-Free Bets

Many legal online sportsbooks offer sign-up bonuses in the form of risk-free bets. A risk-free bet offers a refund on the first bet made at an online sportsbook, up to a certain amount. The refund only applies if the bet results in a loss.

At FOX Bet, for example, new account holders can apply a risk-free bet offer to the first bet on the site, up to $500. The potential $500 refund only applies to the first single wager a new bettor places at FOX Bet.

The refund bonus matches the amount of the bet, up to $500, in the event of a loss.

Other online sportsbooks offering risk-free bet bonuses include FanDuel Sportsbook, William Hill Sportsbook, and PointsBet.

Deposit Match Bonuses

Deposit match bonuses can be found at many legal online gambling platforms, and mobile sportsbooks are no exception. A deposit match bonus awards bonus money that matches a certain percentage of a player’s deposit.

At BetRivers and WynnBET, new bettors can enjoy a 100% deposit match bonus, up to $250. A $250 deposit is eligible for a $250 bonus, a $100 deposit can earn a $100 bonus, and so on.

Deposit match bonuses aren’t usually as generous as the BetRivers and WynnBET offers. The 100% deposit match is one of the biggest in the industry.

The deposit match bonus offer usually requires a certain amount of playthrough, or money wagered, to unlock the bonus. BetRivers and WynnBET, again, offer one of the most generous promotions in this aspect as well, requiring just a 1x playthrough.

No Deposit Bonuses

Some mobile sports betting platforms offer free betting credits just for signing up for a new account. This is becoming a little less common for online sportsbooks in favor of other types of bonus offers.

What Sports Can You Bet On In The US?

Betting On US Pro Sports

Legal online sportsbooks in the US offer a robust selection of betting markets on US professional sports leagues.

US bettors can find moneyline, point spread, parlays, and numerous other betting options for NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, and MLS games. Virtually every game from the regular season and postseason is available for betting at legal mobile sportsbooks. You can bet on the Super Bowl online as well.

Moneyline and point spread betting on individual games present just a piece of the betting opportunities available on US major sports leagues. Other ways to bet include futures markets, in-game wagering, and prop bets.

Prop betting isn’t limited to just on-field contests. Bettors can place prop bets on events like the NFL Draft and NBA Draft. Or, they can bet on season-long statistics like NFL rushing leaders, NBA scoring champion, and many other unique wagers.

Most US professional leagues and events offer betting markets with no restrictions. Sports fans can legally bet on home teams from their respective states without worry.

College Sports Betting

College basketball and football represent some of the most wagered-on sports events in the US. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, aka March Madness, rings in one of the highest-volume betting events on the US sports calendar.

College football, in many states, encompasses loyal and massive fan bases that in some cases eclipse professional sports leagues. Saturdays during college football season draw big sports betting interest. This culminates in the College Football Playoff each winter.

Other college sports, like baseball, hockey, lacrosse, and women’s basketball, present even more betting opportunities at US legal online sportsbooks.

Betting on college sports, however, can present restrictions in some US states. Some states don’t allow betting on college sports. Others allow betting but restrict who can place bets on collegiate sports.

New Jersey College Sports Betting Restrictions

Betting on in-state teams and events is outlawed in New Jersey. For both retail sports betting, and wagering at online sportsbooks, New Jersey-based college programs and events are off the menu.

These restrictions include college programs like the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Princeton Tigers, and Seton Hall Pirates. College sports contests held in New Jersey are also restricted for bettors, even if a New Jersey team isn’t involved.

Rhode Island and New Hampshire College Sports Betting Restrictions

Rhode Island and New Hampshire sports betting laws dictate similar restrictions, with betting on in-state teams and events outlawed.

Oregon College Sports Betting Restrictions

Oregon’s lone legal mobile sports betting platform, the Oregon Lottery Scoreboard, outlaws betting on any college sports altogether.

Placing any kind of college sports bet in Oregon requires a trip to a legal retail sportsbook.

Fanduel Playthrough Requirements

Illinois College Sports Betting Restrictions

Bettors in Illinois will be able to place bets on college sports, but they may not bet on Illinois university games. This restriction includes games played in Illinois as well as out-of-state.

Iowa College Sports Betting Restrictions

Betting on in-state teams and events in Iowa is legal, save for a restriction on prop betting.

Individual Sports Betting

Betting on major US professional sports isn’t just limited to team sports. MMA, boxing, golf, NASCAR, and tennis open up even more ways to bet at legal mobile sports betting platforms.

Major fighting events include championship bouts in boxing, UFC, and other MMA promotions.

NASCAR betting markets include races from the NASCAR Cup Series. This features some of the biggest names in US auto racing. Other NASCAR events open for betting include the Xfinity Series and Truck Series.

Men’s and women’s tennis and golf present even more chances to bet on individual-based sports.

International Sports Betting

Overseas sports leagues and events open up a world of possibilities at legal online sportsbooks in the US.

International soccer leagues like the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, and German Bundesliga are home to some of the most popular sports teams in the world. US bettors looking to wager on clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich can find those teams and many more on legal mobile sports betting sites.

Other international team sports on the menu at legal online sportsbooks include cricket, rugby, basketball, and baseball leagues from around the world.

International motorsports, along with niche sports like table tennis, give US bettors access to a wide array of sports to bet on outside of the US.

Limitations On Other Betting

The explosion in popularity of esports brings with it a rapidly-expanding esports betting market on offshore (illegal and unsafe) gambling sites. However, you can find esports bets in some Nevada, New Jersey, Colorado, and West Virginia sportsbooks. Retail sportsbooks in Michigan and New York often have esports bets as well.

It’s likely that esports will become a huge market at US sportsbooks within the next few years. But right now, things are pretty limited.

Betting on events outside of sports is generally not permitted on US online sportsbooks. This includes betting markets on political elections, award shows, and other non-sports events. However, New Jersey, Indiana, and possibly additional states allow bets on the Oscars and other events.

See our Complete Guide To Sports Betting Odds.

How Can I Bet On Sports In The US?

iOS Mobile Devices

Most of the legal online sportsbooks operating in the US can be downloaded as mobile apps for iOS devices. These mobile apps allow for betting from the comfort of anywhere within legal state borders.

For iOS devices, legal mobile sportsbooks can be downloaded from the App Store. These apps can be downloaded for free, and allow for betting right from a mobile device.

Make sure to download the app specific to your state. In the case of DraftKings, FanDuel, and other online sportsbooks, one app applies to all licensed states. But BetRivers, William Hill, and others can have state-specific sportsbook apps. If you’re in Illinois, for example, you’d want to search, “BetRivers Illinois,” or “William Hill Illinois.”

Android Devices

Android device users are in luck, as most US mobile sportsbooks are downloadable as Android apps as well.

Mobile sportsbook apps for Android devices must be downloaded directly from the sportsbook’s website, as the Google Play store restricts real-money gambling apps.

Desktop

The easiest way to start betting at an online sportsbook is directly through a desktop browser. Legal mobile sportsbooks generally operate from a web-based homepage that can be accessed from virtually any desktop or laptop.

However, some online sportsbooks are mobile-only. For example, WynnBET New Jersey is only available via iOS or Android app.

Learn more in our Guide To How To Place A Sports Bet Online.

What Deposit And Cashout Options Are Available On Legal Online Sportsbooks?

ACH/eCheck

The ACH/eCheck deposit option presents the most widely accepted method of depositing money on a legal online sportsbook.

Deposits made using an electronic check (eCheck) deposit generally become available instantaneously at the sportsbooks of choice. This method is occasionally rejected by the bank but works roughly 80 percent of the time.

Fanduel Playthrough Requirement

ACH/eCheck can also be used to cash out from an online sportsbook.

Prepaid Cards

Some online sports betting sites offer site-branded prepaid cards, which operate as debit cards that can be used for depositing funds.

Online sportsbooks directly issue prepaid cards, which can be loaded with funds via eCheck, debit cards, credit cards, and some other methods. After purchasing a prepaid card, funds can be transferred to an online sportsbook balance immediately, with no need to wait for the physical card to arrive by mail.

Prepaid cards can also be used for withdrawals.

PayPal

PayPal deposits generally require a few more security steps to go through before a deposit is approved. These extra steps are only a minor inconvenience, however, and worth the effort, as PayPal deposits have nearly a 100% success rate.

Withdrawals are also possible using PayPal.

Debit/Credit Cards

Most legal mobile sportsbooks accept debit and credit cards for deposits, but this method is regularly declined by the issuing bank. Credit card deposits can also incur cash advance fees from the bank.

Debit and credit cards cannot be used to withdraw funds from an online sportsbook.

Casino Cage Deposit

Most online sportsbooks operate as license partners to land-based casinos. Depositing and withdrawing in-person at the casino cage related to an online sportsbook is a secure but less convenient option.

History Of Legal Online Sports Betting In The US

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)

A 1992 federal law known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act banned sports betting across most of the US. The mandate exempted Nevada from the ban, and also permitted limited sports betting lotteries in Montana, Oregon, and Delaware.

Interests behind PASPA included former NBA commissioner David Stern and former NBA star Bill Bradley. Bradley was a US Senator from New Jersey at the time PASPA passed.

Bradley, Stern, and executives from other major sports leagues viewed sports betting as a potential problem for sports in the US. President George H.W. Bush signed PASPA into law in October 1992.

PASPA Overturned

New Jersey lawmakers challenged PASPA in the late 2000s, in an effort to bring legal sports betting to Atlantic City casinos.

State voters approved a 2011 amendment to the state constitution that legalized sports betting. New Jersey legislators then passed the NJ Sports Wagering Act in 2012, a bill that formally legalized sports betting at Atlantic City casinos.

The four major US sports leagues and the NCAA challenged New Jersey’s new sports betting laws. The battle eventually went to the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Supreme Court ruled PASPA as unconstitutional under the Tenth Amendment in May 2018. With PASPA overturned, individual states became free to pass sports betting legislature.

A New Era In Legal Online Sports Betting

The overturn of PASPA allows states to legalize both retail and online sports betting. New Jersey and Pennsylvania emerged as the leading mobile sports betting markets in the US in the aftermath.

Other states now offering legal online sports betting include Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, along with others. In most of these states, online sportsbooks operate in partnership with in-state retail casinos. Tennessee is unique in that there are no retail casinos so online sportsbooks are independent.

Legal Online Sportsbooks Versus Illegal Online Sportsbooks

With a growing number of states offering legal online sports wagering, bettors in some US states can access an unprecedented selection of online sportsbooks.

State-regulated online sports betting platforms generally operate in partnership with retail casinos in their respective states. As such, these legal mobile sportsbooks operate under the same regulatory bodies as the land-based casinos in which they’ve partnered.

Government agencies like the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement oversee the states’ casino industries. These regulatory bodies ensure accountability and transparency from online sportsbook operators.

As state-regulated gambling platforms, legal online sportsbooks offer security of player funds and personal information. State casinos operate with a vested interest in fair games and prompt payouts from their online gambling platforms.

Reasons To Stay Away From Offshore Gambling Sites

Offshore sites operate illegally in the US. Playing on these platforms is also illegal and could subject the player to criminal penalties.

Depositing money on an offshore gambling site can be risky, with no regulations in place to ensure safe withdrawal of the funds.

At legally-licensed online sportsbooks, you have the protection of the state regulatory body, which employs strict oversight. Your money is safe in your account, and your personal information is as secure as it would be at a major US bank.

Plus, you’re not breaking the law, which is great peace of mind.

Legal Online Sports Betting FAQ

Yes. US states can individually decide to offer legal, state-regulated online sports betting. The current boom in the US online sports betting industry happened in the aftermath of a lift on the federal ban on sports betting.

A 1992 mandate called the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act outlawed sports betting in the US, except for Nevada and a few other states. The Supreme Court of the United States overturned PASPA in May 2018, clearing the way for US states to offer legal online sports betting.

21 in most states. The minimum age for legally betting on an online sports wagering platform depends on state laws.

In most US states, 21 is the minimum age. Some exceptions, like Rhode Island, set the minimum age at 18 for online sports betting.

Yes. DraftKings Sportsbook legally operates in several US states.

These states include New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, Tennessee, and Michigan. DraftKings Sportsbook uses geolocation technology to determine a user’s location at the time of a wager. The DraftKings Sportsbook software blocks bets made outside of the states on this list.

Yes. FanDuel Sportsbook operates legally in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Virginia, and Michigan.

Several more states will likely join that list eventually as FanDuel Sportsbooks expands into more US jurisdictions.

No. Legal online sportsbooks generally don’t offer credit lines for betting.

Players earn betting credits and bonus money through various promotions across legal online sports betting sites. This includes earning loyalty points for placing real-money bets. The best online sportsbooks offer a loyalty program, such as iRush Rewards, which is offered by BetRivers and SugarHouse.

Yes, in some states. Online sportsbooks in Colorado, New Jersey, and Nevada often list esports bets. Retail sportsbooks at tribal casinos, which usually aren’t tied to the same gambling laws as commercial casinos, can sometimes offer esports bets as well. This is most common in Michigan and New York State.

Online sportsbooks each operate with their own rules regarding maximum bets size. The terms and conditions at DraftKings Sportsbook, for example, state that the platform can restrict bets where the potential payout exceeds $500,000.

Other platforms, like FanDuel Sportsbook, use different maximum payouts for different sports. Bettors can find more information on betting limits and maximum payouts in the terms and conditions of an online sportsbook.

Yes, at legal, state-regulated online sports betting sites. Legal online sportsbooks operate under the oversight of government regulatory bodies in the US.

Betting at a legal mobile sportsbook carries the same level of security as betting at a legal retail casino.

Offshore/illegal online gambling sites, however, do not guarantee the same level of security.

It is rare to receive something for nothing in this world. However, thanks to bonuses at online sportsbooks, that’s what Michigan sports bettors can do. Because online sports betting may be an unknown to Michiganders, they may be hesitant to try them out.

So, here is a guide to walk you through the bonuses and promos that you might encounter and whether they are worth your time to claim.

Latest sportsbook promos and free bet offers in Michigan

How sportsbook bonuses and promotions work

Bonuses are, first and foremost, a means to entice sports bettors to bet at an online sportsbook.

A book will offer various discounts or opportunities in order to generate more betting volume since increased betting volume tends to lead to increased profits for the operator. Unfortunately, the concept of a bonus at a sportsbook could be unfamiliar to bettors, even if they’re experienced handicappers. Quite simply, land-based sportsbooks are far less likely to offer any sorts of incentives to play.

Bonuses on online sportsbooks, on the other hand, are usually a given. Because players can access multiple competitors through the same device, online providers have to incentivize new and existing players much more generously. The payouts from a bonus offer tend to come in one of three forms. Generally speaking, you can either win free bets, bonus dollars or cash through a bonus.

Free bets are, as their name implies, vouchers for wagers of a certain amount. You usually must wager the full amount on them, and they can come with restrictions about the markets or types of bets you can place. Bonus dollars are a bit more flexible than free bets. They are cash equivalents that you can wager in almost any manner.

However, bonus dollars have an inherent drawback in that they are not withdrawable from your account. The only type of bonus that can go directly into your bank account is cash.

Types of sportsbook bonuses

Sportsbooks have several kinds of bonuses in their arsenal. The offers can vary in terms of scope, timeframe and player requirements. As a general rule, a bonus is a good thing. It is a gateway to extra money or prizes that spice up the chances of winning for the enterprising sports bettor. However, some bonuses come with strings attached, such as onerous playthrough requirements or time limits. In those cases, a bonus might either be not worth the hassle or, surprisingly enough, a losing proposition.

Here are the kinds of bonuses you may encounter at a Michigan online sportsbook.

No deposit bonuses

Without a doubt, the first type of bonus that you’re likely to encounter is one of the best. The no-deposit bonus is a gift, pure and simple. In most cases, the only requirement to claim this type of bonus is that you register for an account. Usually, a sportsbook offers this sort of promotion to brand-new players so that they can “test-drive” the site without risk.

No deposit bonuses tend to come as either bonus dollars or free bets. It’s unlikely that a no-deposit bonus would be withdrawable cash since that would incentivize players to withdraw and never play. Even with that restriction, there is little reason not to redeem any no-deposit offer you see. Any winnings generated from playing with the funds are yours to keep and can help you get your bankroll started.

No deposit bonuses typically activate in one of two ways. Either you enter a promotional code into a specified box when you register, or you follow a secure link from a particular source.

Deposit/match/reload bonuses

Naturally, the presence of no-deposit bonuses suggests that there are deposit bonuses. Indeed, deposit bonuses are some of the most common types that sportsbooks offer. In a deposit bonus, the sportsbook vows to contribute a certain amount to complement a player’s deposit. The amount is usually a specified percentage of the deposit amount.

The specified percentage varies greatly, depending on the promotion. A sportsbook could contribute anything from a minor portion, like 20%, up to 100% of the deposit amount. Regardless of the percentage, the sportsbook will always cap the total amount of bonus dollars that the player can receive. Letting a deposit bonus remain uncapped would be too great of liability for the book.

Deposit bonuses are also known as match bonuses because the sportsbook is matching your deposit amount. These two terms are interchangeable. You may also encounter a type of bonus known as a reload bonus from time to time. These bonuses are deposit bonuses, but they are aimed at reactivating or energizing existing customers to play.

How deposit bonuses work

A sportsbook will usually issue a deposit bonus in the form of free bets or bonus dollars. It is unlikely that you would receive the match in straight cash. One of the defining characteristics of most deposit bonuses is the playthrough requirement. This is a multiple of the bonus amount that a player must wager before the bonus dollars become available for withdrawal.

Playthrough requirements can be any multiple that the sportsbook chooses. Some bonuses will only require a single turnover of the funds, meaning that the player will need only to wager the exact amount of the bonus to release it. Other bonuses can require a playthrough of many times the bonus dollars to fulfill, however. It’s not uncommon to see playthrough multiples between 25-50 times the bonus amount.

Deposit bonuses usually come with a specified timeframe to complete their playthrough requirements. A sportsbook will typically give players a week or two to knock it out — although shorter or longer periods are not out of the question.

Insurance/refund bonuses

Another common type of sportsbook bonus is an insurance bonus. Like any type of insurance, these bonuses compensate you when something goes wrong. Of course, in this case, what went wrong was a loss on a bet. So, a sportsbook will offer insurance on designated bets or markets as a way to encourage wagering on those options.

If you choose to wager on the specified game or market, then your bet will be eligible for recompense if you should happen to lose. The sportsbook will process a return to your account in the next day or so. However, if your bet wins, then nothing happens on the part of the sportsbook. You simply keep your winnings as usual. Bear in mind a couple of things about this type of bet, though. First of all, like deposit bonuses, the sportsbook will cap the amount of insurance money that a player can receive on a wager.

So, if the insurance is only good up to $25, then a $50 bet could still produce $25 of loss. If you’re counting on the insurance to bail you out on a wager, make sure to read the fine print. The other issue is that, in most cases, insurance will be issued to you in the form of free bets or bonus dollars. So you will have to play through the returned portion to release it as pure cash — usually, the playthrough requirement on these bonuses is a single turnover.

Still, if you were already thinking about making the type of bet specified in the offer, then it’s probably a good thing to have. Even if you weren’t, it might be worth taking the free shot. You may also see offers from a sportsbook that mention a “refund” of some kind. These types of bonuses are identical to insurance bonuses.

Cashback bonuses

Cashback bonuses are extremely similar to insurance bonuses. Their function — to compensate sports bettors for their losses on designated bets — is virtually identical.

However, a pure cashback bonus is a much more flexible proposition than an insurance bonus. Instead of attaching to a particular wager or class of wager, a cashback pledges to compensate the absolute dollars lost, regardless of the type of bet. This flexibility allows bettors to try betting options that they normally wouldn’t. At worst, they’ll break even on the deal.

Now, as with most bonuses, there are limits to the sportsbooks’ largess and generosity. Every cashback deal will come with a hard cap on how much money a bettor can receive in a refund. Furthermore, cashback only applies to net losses during the time period. So, even if you have some bets that go south, you won’t receive a refund if you show a profit overall during the cashback period. Some bonuses might even call for a risk-free betting time, which is essentially the same thing as a cashback deal. The only difference is that there may not be any restrictions on the types of bets you can make.

One caveat to cashback deals, however, is the method of refund. Only in rare cases will the refund come to your account as straight cash. Instead, most cashback will come in the form of free bets or bonus dollars. You will need to wager through these funds at least once in order to convert them into cash. With that in mind, you might not receive the full value of your bets back in cash. Any losses you incur in the course of playing through the free bets or bonus dollars would just be tough luck.

So, make sure to check the terms and conditions of a cashback deal before blasting ahead. Even though they cut down on the risk of ruin, they don’t completely eliminate it.

Occurrence bonuses

An occurrence bonus is a type of offer that will pay out each time a particular event happens during a match. Players who opt into the bonus receive a fixed amount for every occurrence. Usually, the event is a certain player or team accomplishing a goal. So, for instance, there might be a bonus for every time LeBron James dunks during a game. Or, a player could get a payoff for each goal that Tottenham Hotspur scores in a match.

These types of bonuses are great for true sports fans who want to root for something. Getting paid each time their favorite player or team succeeds is a great way to enhance the viewing experience.

Odds boosts

An odds boost is an artificial inflation of the payout associated with a particular bet. Common on money line wagers, they are a tool that a sportsbook uses to encourage wagering on a particular match. Most odds boosts appear as “corrections” to moneylines. So, a +200 wager might be struck through, in favor of a new +220 amount.

Odds boosts are an unusual bonus in that they often have a life of their own. While most bonuses are confined to the sportsbooks’ promotional pages, odds boosts often have their own tab or section of the sportsbook app layout. They occupy this position because they are so common. Many sportsbooks have multiple odds boosts running every single day, and they must change every 24 hours or so. Nobody is going to get rich off odds boosts. Though they augment the payout for bets, they are usually not considerable increases in the potential winnings.

Still, if you were already planning to make a bet similar to the advertised boost, it may be worth a try. After all, winning a bit extra is always a good thing.

Sweepstakes bonuses

A sweepstakesbonus is one of the first types of bonus that is less common in a sportsbook. It is much more likely to be found in online casinos. However, sweepstakes bonuses do pop up from time to time, so it’s important to know what they do. In essence, a sweepstakes is a random drawing for a prize. Players earn entries to the drawing through their play, and the drawing takes place after a set time period.

Sweepstakes bonuses tend to award prizes like game tickets, meals or other tangible rewards. They tend to surround current events like the Super Bowl or March Madness. A sweepstakes offer should not be a reason alone for you to play. However, if you were already thinking about betting, it doesn’t hurt to opt in to one of these bonuses.

Leaderboard bonuses

Leaderboard bonuses are somewhat unlikely in sportsbooks, too. However, since the DraftKings Championship Series is a series of leaderboard-based events, it’s a relevant type of bonus to understand.

In a leaderboard bonus, players will make the same wagers they’ve always made in a specific timeframe. The sportsbook will grade the bets based upon the size of the wagers, the frequency of the wagers, and how successful they are. Players judged to have made the best wagers receive points for their success. Players are then ranked according to how many points they’ve accrued. At the end of the promotion, a certain number of players will receive prizes based upon their placement in the rankings.

Needless to say, leaderboards favor bettors who are more active, higher staked and more successful. However, a high-volume player can find himself or herself in the mix every so often. Like sweepstakes, it is unlikely that it’s a good idea to base your play around your position on a leaderboard. However, if you’re already planning to grind, it can be a nice perk of your commitment to wagering.

Free plays

Finally, sportsbooks will sometimes offer promotions that don’t require anything on the part of the bettor. In fact, anyone can play free plays, including residents in states where sports betting is otherwise prohibited. A free play promotion pledges to award a prize to one or a few lucky recipients. The conditions for achieving victory will almost always contain a completely random aspect to them.

They are much like sweepstakes in this regard. The only difference is that there is no way to improve one’s chances in a free play, whereas sweepstakes players can always win more entries. To be frank, almost everyone who plays in one of these bonuses won’t win anything. However, since they cost no money and (usually) only a modicum of time, they can be a fun way to take a shot at some free cash or prizes.

How to know if a bonus is worth it

With so many offers of free money and prizes floating around, it might seem as though redeeming a bonus would be automatic. After all, why let the opportunity at enriching yourself pass you by? Perhaps unsurprisingly, not all bonuses are what they’re cracked up to be. In fact, some of them might even bear a negative expectation, meaning that you’d be better off ignoring the offer entirely.

So, here’s a brief guide on how to evaluate the merit of each bonus offer you see.

Consider the house advantage

For most gambling games, bettors make their wagers at a statistical disadvantage to the house. This mathematical dominance is known as the house edge or house advantage. Though it is possible to be a long-term winner in sports betting, sportsbooks operate in the same fashion. They make their profits from the premium percentage that they charge on every wager.

This premium is called the vigorish or “vig.” Regardless of the bet, you make in a sportsbook, rest assured that you will be paying vig for the privilege. As a general rule, the vig is 10% of your wager. So, for instance, in order to win $100, you’ll have to wager $110.

Now, for those of you who are familiar with the house edge on blackjack or craps, 10% is quite a high house edge. Even slot machines return more money to their customers. Thankfully, however, that 10% figure is not the house edge. Let’s use an example to calculate what the actual percentage is.

Example: Two players place spread wagers on a game. Each pays $110 to win $100, which is denoted on the display board by the (-110) next to the team name. So, the total prizepool for the bet is $220 ($110 x 2). After the game, the winning player receives his $100 of profit PLUS his original wager back. So, he gets $210 for his successful wager. From there, $220 minus $210 equals $10 remaining, which the sportsbook keeps as its profit.

Explanation: Since the book kept $10 of the $220 in wagers, its house edge is the percentage determined by the winnings divided by the total. So, $10/$220 equals 4.55%. Thus, generally speaking, the house edge for bets in sportsbooks is 4.55%.

What does the house edge have to do with bonuses?

Another way to view the house edge is as the percentage of each bet you make that you can expect to lose.

So, generally speaking, for every $100 you wager on sports, you can expect to lose $4.55. Though anything can happen in the short run, the more that you bet, the closer that your loss percentage will mirror this same amount. Understanding this truth is critical for evaluating a bonus offer because of the playthrough requirement. Remember — many bonuses will call for you to wager through the bonus amount a number of times.

Unfortunately, it’s reasonable to expect that you will lose the house edge percentage over the course of those wagers, too. So, if a bonus pledges to return $100 to you, but you have to wager through the bonus dollars once, you can plan on receiving only $94.45 in cash, statistically. If you lose $4.55 for every hundred you wager, it’s conceivable that your expected losses might exceed the gains you expect to realize from the bonus. Consider the following example if that is not immediately clear.

Example: You claim an offer that promises $100 in bonus dollars and bears a 25x playthrough requirement. In other words, in order to release the $100, you’re going to have to wager $2,500 (25 x $100). Well, 4.55% of $2,500 is $113.75. So, you expect that you will lose $113.75 of your $2,500 in wagers en route to releasing the $100. Although you’ll get the $100 back, you’ll still end up $13.75 worse than if you’d never redeemed the offer in the first place.

Evaluating a bonus offer

So, the question that you may wonder is how you should evaluate a bonus offer to see if it’s any good. It turns out that there are two factors that you must consider.

The mathematical impact

The short answer is that you need to consider what an offer requires for you to redeem it completely. The first thing to do is to calculate the house advantage on your wager. You can use the procedure described above or you can divide the amount the sportsbook expects to keep by the total in the prizepool.

Once you have the house advantage, divide 100 by the whole number of the percentage. The quotient that you come up with will be the break-even multiple for the playthrough requirement.

So, for example, if a sports bet has a 4.55% house edge, we can divide 100 by 4.55 to find our break-even multiple. In this case, it’s 21.98. This multiple can guide our decision making. If we find a sportsbook bonus that requires a 22x playthrough or above, we can safely assume that we’d lose money on the deal.

Fortunately, sportsbooks like BetMGM, DraftKings and BetRivers have low playthrough requirements.

The time impact

There’s also another aspect of redeeming a bonus to consider. Namely, the time that it would take you to satisfy the playthrough requirement might render a bonus unfeasible. Sportsbooks often limit the time to redeem a bonus offer. The timing varies, but it could be anything from several months down to a few days.

Consider a hypothetical: a bonus offer requires a 20x playthrough and gives you a week to complete the offer. If you do not complete it, the amount of the bonus is forfeit, which is a typical condition of bonuses.

So, if you wanted to win $100 in the bonus, it would require you to bet $2,000 overall to release the funds. If you bet $50 per hour, then it will take you 40 hours to complete.

Forty hours is a lot of time. It’s a full work week for most. So you’d need to consider a) if putting in 40 hours of sports betting in a week would even be possible for you, and b) the effect that 40 hours in front of a computer screen would have on your family and daily life.

In effect, at that point, you’re trading your time at a rate of $2.50/hour, well below minimum wage. So it behooves you to consider the time aspect of a bonus redemption before you claim it. Ultimately, though, it’s a personal decision about whether to redeem an offer. The warnings above are meant as statistical cautions, not absolute directives about what will happen.

The truth is that, above all else, a bonus should make you happier to play. As long as that’s what’s happening, then it’s a good bonus to redeem.