Real Money Sports Betting
People in the United States love to bet on sports just as much as anyone else does, but unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a legal sportsbook in your city or town. US law has made it difficult for Americans to legally bet on sports with real money. If you want to go to a sportsbook, you have to go to a betting mecca like Las Vegas or Reno, Nevada, because you sure as heck will not be able to find one in most states. Sure, you could always place a bet with your neighborhood bookie, but we would not recommend it, have your legs broken.
Even though land-based sportsbooks are hard to come by, never fear. We are here to tell you that some great online options exist. This page will give you everything you need to know about real money betting sites. We will start out by recommending a few safe online sportsbooks that we like, and we will then go over various topics that pertain to winning real money. We will cover the various types of betting lines and wager types, as well as bonuses, funding and withdrawal methods, and cool extra features. We will cap it off by giving you some important legal and safety information.
Yes. If there were any question as to the safety and legality of sports betting, these awesome betting sites that we recommend would not have customer membership in the millions. From a safety standpoint, you have nothing to worry about, because these betting sites use some of the most foolproof security software available, including encryption, which cloaks all sensitive information in digital code, and firewalls, which monitor traffic coming into and going out of the site. All of the sites we suggest have licensed and certificates of safety. Most importantly, they have great reputations.
As far as legality goes, each site we recommend is lawful and legit. Since these sites are not located in the United States, they do not have to adhere to the same laws that affect sportsbooks located within the country. Laws such as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) have made it extremely difficult for sportsbooks to function in America, which is why the only ones that are legal are in just two states, Nevada and Delaware. Luckily, online sportsbooks are available for any US resident who is old enough, and no law exists that punishes a US citizen for placing a wager at an online betting site.
Best Real Money Sports Betting Sites
You do not have to travel far and wide to find a legal US sportsbook. Instead of booking that flight to Vegas, you might want to consider joining one of the safe online sportsbooks that we recommend. Any of the sportsbooks that you find on any of these pages is guaranteed legal and safe. Every betting site that we suggest has been thoroughly tested by our experts and held to the most rigorous of standards.
Bovada - Live + Mobile Betting Options Available; Deposit w/ VISA Or Cash
Sports betting fans who want to win real money can make piles of cash at Bovada, one of the top online sportsbooks in the world. No matter what sport you like to bet on, you will find it at Bovada, everything from NLF football and MLB baseball to rugby and cricket. You can also bet on entertainment and politics. Bovada offers a generous selection of odds and wager types. In fact, there is hardly an end to the ways you can bet when you join Bovada. There is no cost to sign up, either.
One of the best ways to win real money at Bovada is to try different wager types that offer higher payouts. Straight bets are the most common wager type, but they do not pay out as much as combo bets like parlays and pleasers. Because these types of bets are more complicated and difficult to win, you will see a higher return of your bet wins. One great thing about Bovada is that they offer so many different ways to make money. If you play your cards right, you could end up adding to your bankroll significantly.
Real Money Sportsbooks | Accepts USA? | Fastest Deposit + Payout Method | Best New Player Bonuses |
---|---|---|---|
Bovada Sportsbook | Yes, 47 States* | VISA Credit + Debit / Western Union | 50% Match To $250 - 1st Deposit |
BetOnline Sportsbook | Yes, All 50 States | Credit + Debit Card / Wire Transfers | 25% To $1,000 - All Deposits |
SportsBetting Sports | Yes, All 50 States | American Express / Express Check | 25% To $1,000 - All Deposits |
5Dimes Sportsbook | Yes, All 50 States | Credit Cards / Payment To Debit | 20% + 50% Up To $520 - 1st Dep. |
All kinds of factors affect how much money you can win at an online sportsbook, everything from the type of bet that you make to when you make. These next few sections will examine the various aspects that affect how much real money you can make. We will tell you all about wager and odds types, bonuses, and banking methods.
Types Of Betting Lines
The types of bets you make dictate how much money you can win. Online sportsbooks offer several primary types of game lines. The most common is the moneyline, which simply shows how much money you stand to win. When you look at the moneyline, you will notice that each team has a negative or positive number next to their name. The positive number indicates the amount of money you stand to win if you bet $100, and the negative number represents the amount of money you would need to wager in order to win $100. For example, if the Chicago Cubs moneyline odds are -173, it means you would need to wager $173 in order to win $100. On the flip side, if the Pittsburgh Pirates are listed at +163, it means that a wager of $100 would give you a payout of $163.
The next common type of game line we shall go over is the point spread. Like the moneyline, it looks like a positive or negative number next to the team. While the moneyline simply reflects the amount of money you can win, the point spread shows the number of points that will be added to the underdog’s score and subtracted from the favorite’s score. What you are betting on is not who will win the game, but if a team can cover the spread. Here is a concrete example: The Miami Heat are the underdogs, with a spread of +4 ½. In order for you to win your bet, the Heat must either win the game or lose by four points. On the other hand, if the Toronto Raptors are the favorites at -4 ½, they would need to win by
The third common type of game line is the over/under, also known as totals. The bookmakers spend a lot of time studying the team statistics to come up with the total number of points they think both teams will score during the course of a game. A totals bets is a wager on whether you think the amount of points scored by both teams will be over or under the bookmaker’s prediction. Totals bets have been gaining in popularity for quite a while now.
Betting Line Shifts
Over the course of a season, the betting line will shift in and out of a team’s favor depending on how they fare during the season. Smart bettors who have a good feeling about a team would do better to bet on them early, because if a team starts winning a lot of games and suddenly becomes a favorite, their payout amount will decrease. This happens all the time…a team will go from being the longest of long shots to a heavy favorite, and those who bet on them when they were underdogs stand to win a pretty penny. Betting lines can shift at a moment’s notice, so it is important that you lock in your bet early.
There are all kinds of wagers you can make that promise to pay out gobs of real money. As a general rule, the more difficult the wager type, the better the payout. Most people understand how a simple straight bet works, you pick the team or individual you think will win the contest. Some wager types are a little more involved. Below you'll find a glossary of wager types.
straight: it is just a single bet, usually on the moneyline, point spread, or over/under.
Totals: You are betting if the final score will be higher or lower than the total posted by the Sportsbook.
Parlay: is a common type of combination bet, in which the payout for each section of the bet is used as the stake for the next part, and so on and so forth. You have to win every leg of the parlay or you don not win anything.
Teasers: Another type of combination bet where individual bets are combined and you must win or push all the bets to cash your ticket. However you have the edge in your favor as you get to move the line for each game in the amount of the Teaser. So a five point teaser would let you take a -10 spread and move it to -5, or move a +4 point spread to +9. You odds go down compered to the exact same parlay bet, but teasers are easier to win.
Pleaser: Pleasers work just like a teaser only the house get the advantage as you have to move the line to the house's favor by the amount of the Pleaser. so a five point pleaser would move a -10 favorite to -15 and a +4 underdog to a -1 favorite. Pleasers are harder to win but offer a much higher payout than the exact same parlay bet.
Real Money Sportsbook Bonuses And Promotions
One great way to save money on your wagers is to take advantage of the many great bonuses that online sportsbook have for their loyal customers. All kinds of bonuses are available for every type of game you can imagine. These bonuses are a great incentive to get new players to sign up, and they are a great reward for loyal members. Let’s go over a few of the more popular bonus types, starting with one that is available to all new members.
Welcome Bonus
A good way to save money right off the bat is to use the Welcome Bonus. It will save you money on your very first deposit. Most sportsbooks’ welcome bonus rates are somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 to 50 percent off. The only thing you have to do to get this bonus is send in the promo code and fulfill the rollover, which means you have to spend usually between five and ten times the amount of your bonus and deposit before you can get your free money. Since most serious bettors are going to spend that much anyway, the rollover requirement is not that big of a deal. In fact, it is a small price to pay to save so much money.
Reload Bonus
If you have already used the Welcome Bonus and enjoyed it, there’s plenty more where that came from. I am referring specifically to the Reload Bonus, which most online sportsbooks offer. It is almost the exact same thing as the Welcome Bonus, only you can use it as many times as you want. The only requirement is that you deposit a set minimum of cash (the amount depends on the sportsbook). As with the welcome bonus, promo codes and rollovers apply.
Reduced Juice
Reduced juice is an awesome bonus and one of the all-around best ways to save money. We know of only a few online sportsbooks that offer reduced juice, so if you are lucky enough to find it, we definitely recommend accepting the offer. If you are not familiar with juice, it is the interest the bookmaker collects in exchange for placing your bet, and is one of the ways sportsbooks make money. Reduce juice cuts this interest by as much as fifty percent. The average rate of juice is ten percent, so with fifty percent reduced juice, you only have to pay five percent. Another great thing about reduced juice is that rollovers usually do not apply.
Real Money Sportsbooks Deposit Methods
You can save lots of money depending on the deposit method you use to fund your account. This is because some methods charge higher fees than others do. The more common methods such as credit and debit cards sometimes have no fees, but sometime they charge a certain percentage. It really just depends on the sportsbook. Money orders sometimes charge courier fees, although some sportsbooks will waive these charges if you deposit more than $250 or $300. Some service, like Bitcoin, do not have processing fees, but you have to deal with exchange rates. Processing fees depend on both the individual method and the sportsbook, so our advice is to check the details at the online cashier.
Payout Methods At Real Money Sportsbooks
Payout methods also include fees, depending on the withdrawal method and the amount you wish to take out. For example, Money Gram Red charges anywhere from $10 to $75. The same goes for bank wire transfer and check. Money orders usually have a flat fee of around $80. Some sportsbooks charge a percentage for Bitcoin payouts. Again, it all just depends. Gift cards are usually a good option if you do not want to worry about processing fees. You will get the best results if you visit your sportsbook’s online cashier and compare processing fees, because they vary so much.
Cool Features At Real Money Sportsbooks
Many people are not aware that online sportsbooks have gotten more portable and convenient than ever in the last few years. If you think joining an internet sportsbook means that you will have to be glued to your computer all the time, think again. Modern technology has revolutionized the online sportsbook, and modern betting sites offer all sorts of great features that make wagering a piece of cake.
Live In-Game Real Money Betting
Live in-game play, also known as live betting, is one of our favorite modern sportsbook features. It eliminates the hassle of having to watch the game on your TV while constantly checking your computer for odds and wager types. Live play brings together everything you need in order to make a wager, including odds that are updated as the game progresses. You can watch these odds change as you stream the game live, and you can replay important moments you missed. More people are using live in-game betting than ever before, and the technology will only improve as live betting gets more and more popular.
Real Money Mobile Betting
Mobile betting is a great way to make real money. It turns your cell phone into a portable sportsbook that you can use anywhere. I don’t know about you, but I have definitely lost money because I missed a surefire bet when I could not get to my computer in time. Ever since I started using mobile betting, that has not happened again. You too can get mobile betting as long as you have a phone or mobile device that has an internet connection. You can sign up at any time through your online sportsbook, and you don’t have to pay anything extra, either.