Best Sports Betting Sites USA | Online Sportsbook Guide | November 2024

If you’re trying to decide which of the best sports betting sites out there you should sign up for, look no further than the Philadelphia Inquirer’s guide.

I go through all the welcome offers from the best sports betting sites and list out some pros and cons to help you make the most educated decision possible.

ESPN BET has been selected as the Inquirer’s online sportsbook of the day, with them also coming in as our seventh-ranked sports betting site.

The available in offer in most of their states is a $1,500 first bet reset serving as first bet insurance which gives you bonus bets back if your first wager losses. Use code INQUIRER to claim this.

If you’re in MI, NJ, PA or WV, make sure to use code INQUIRER for a different promo of $100 in bonus bets and 30 days access to ESPN+ after submitting your first $10 bet.

ESPN BET is available in a wide array of states and has a great mobile app to download. There’s a lot to like about this sportsbook despite their newness to the scene.

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to making a sports bet.

We’ve gone through and listed the best options to choose when deciding which online sportsbook to use in 2023, with a list of the best Sportsbook promo codes to be found here.

Here are some factors we take into account when deciding how to rank the best sports betting sites:

The Fanatics Sportsbook promo code is a generous welcome offer up for grabs in a large number of states, which is impressive given how recently they launched.

A sign-up bonus of bet and get up to $1,000 in no sweat bets over ten days can be redeemed by clicking here in all states but New York. Make sure to click here in New York for a promo of bet $5, get $50 in bonus bets.

Fanatics plans on being operational in all legal U.S. betting states, and their pace of expanding across the country has been nothing short of spectacular.

That said, this site has everything you can want in a betting platform, from competitive odds to a great welcome offer. They even have a deep selection of betting markets, which is always a good sign for an up and coming sportsbook.

BetMGM is one of the best online sports betting sites in the U.S. with a massive range of markets, odds and range of sports.

Both its desktop and mobile sites are very impressive, simple to use and easy to understand. BetMGM also boasts a well-reviewed mobile app that occasionally has its flaws admittedly.

BetMGM’s same game parlays are excellent, and we love their futures odds across their many sporting leagues you can bet on.

New customers looking to use the BetMGM welcome offer that gives a 20% deposit match up to $1,600 can do so with the BetMGM bonus code PHILLY1600.

This matches your deposit worth up to $1,600 in sports bonus that has a 10x wagering requirement for you to meet within 30 days.

Additionally, BetMGM has a different welcome offer you can redeem instead in with bonus code INQUIRERMGM scoring you Get up to $1,500 Back in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Doesn’t Win!

FanDuel started in the fantasy sports world, but has quickly established itself as one of the best online sports betting sites in part due to the FanDuel promo code of bet $5 on any market and get $150 in bonus bets and three months of NBA League Pass.

FanDuel started in the fantasy sports world, but has quickly established itself as one of the best online sports betting sites.

Additionally, their market offerings include pre-match, in-game and futures. With a wide range of promotions, such as daily odds boosts and sign-up offers, FanDuel is doing its best to help users get the most value out of their bets.

Their parlay betting section is also one of the best around, and all of these factors contribute to FanDuel Sportsbook having one of the top online sports betting sites available.

This shouldn’t be surprising, as FanDuel is now a household name amongst bettors, with their presence in the sports betting industry continuing to grow.

bet365 gives you the choice of two welcome offers by using the bet365 bonus code INQUIRER. You’ll either receive a bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets or a safety net first bet up to $1,000 offer. Use code INQUIRER in PA for a promo of bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets + 50 casino spins.

bet365 includes an excellent range of live betting markets and futures markets. Additionally, their promotions for returning customers are among the absolute best you’ll come across in the industry.

They’re a huge brand in Europe and the UK, with those in 11 North American states getting to enjoy their sportsbook and all it has to offer as they expand to more and more states across the country.

Caesars is one of the most recognizable names on our list thanks to their world-renowned casino brand, with their online sportsbook doing their name proud as well.

Their range of markets are brilliant, with their same-game parlay markets, futures markets and pre-game markets allowing for huge variety when it comes to placing your bets.

The Caesars Sportsbook promo code INQUIRER1000 also proves to be very generous, with you able to get back your first bets stake up to $1,000 in bonus bets if you don’t win.

Although Caesars may not be ranked atop this list, they’re a tried and true sportsbook that you can’t go wrong signing up with.

If you ask someone who isn’t too familiar with sports betting outside of what brands they hear the most about, DraftKings is likely to be answered as one of them due to their reputation thanks to word of mouth and online advertising.

The DraftKings Sportsbook promo code promo code does a good job of helping new players by giving you $50 in bonus bets following a $5+ first deposit.

You’ll then get $250 instantly in bonus bets after submitting a $5 minimum wager by clicking this link.

If you want some of the most competitive odds seen in sports betting, DraftKings has you covered. If you like to check for profit boosts, no sweat bets and other promotions, DraftKings has those. All in all, there’s not much DraftKings won’t offer you.

ESPN BET went live across 17 states in the U.S. on November 14th, 2023 and are looking to quickly make a name for themselves in the industry.

Their launch came right before Week 11 of the NFL season, which was a smart time to capitalize on new players who already have signed up on other platforms.

The ESPN BET promo code INQUIRER can be used during sign-up. After you place a cash wager of any amount up to $1,500, you’ll get bonus bets back if your wager lost equal to your amount.

That’s in most states ESPN BET operates in. In MI, NJ, PA, and WV, a different promo requiring you to submit a $10 bet for $100 in bonus bets and 30 days of ESPN+ is offered instead.

ESPN is one of the most popular and recognizable name in the history of sports media, and their venture into the sports betting world alongside Penn Entertainment has been fascinating to track.

They’ve quickly become popular due to promotions for returning customers, a respectable prop bet selection, and having competitive odds.

BetRivers is one of the leading U.S. sportsbooks when it comes to the sheer amount of sporting markets available.

The number of markets offered on sports such as soccer and football are some of the best out there.

BetRivers also has plenty of existing customer offers available that players can take advantage of every week, allowing them to get the most out of their money. The sign-up offer is pretty generous, while specials markets are also strong.

Those in MI, and PA will get their first bet insured up to $500 upon sign-up. Those in NJ will get it up to $250 and those in WV will get it up to $100.

Taking all this into account, it’s easy to see why BetRivers is heralded as one of the top sports betting sites in the country.

Borgata is one of the best out there when it comes to betting on parlays and odds boosts, with a huge range of wager on for a variety of sports.

They allow you to bet on a wide range of sports given they offer a generous election of markets, with the layout of their online sportsbook proving to be very user friendly.

Borgata has managed to establish itself as one of the US’ best online betting sites in recent times, with competitive odds across the board to boot.

Despite being tenth on this list, BetParx Sportsbook is a brilliant sportsbook with a welcome bonus that can earn you $125 in bonus bets. Use code INQUIRER when registering to claim it.

You’ll have to wager $10 after signing up with BetParx, and you’ll receive $125 in bonus bets if your first bet wins as a result of redeeming this promo code.

BetParx has a massive selection of sports betting markets from all sorts of leagues and offer very competitive odds on their markets.

A parlay bet is one that includes at least two selections from different games, with you able to include any markets you want in your parlay bet as long as they don’t overlap.

The best part about parlay betting is that it allows you to combine multiple picks to create one larger bet at increased odds, giving you the chance to win more than if you were just betting on a single pick.

The best parlay betting sites will allow you to combine picks from a huge range of games and markets to make up your parlay bet, with the parlay betting section also proving very easy to navigate.

You will be able to add these picks to your betting slip and place your parlay bet with complete simplicity, with you then being able to see how much you’re in line to win once entering your stake into the betting slip as well.

Same-Game Parlays, otherwise known as SGP, are almost exactly the same as regular parlay bets, with the only difference being that all of your selections will come from the same game.

This allows you to get adventurous with your wagers when betting on a single game, with a whole range of markets being available to you when placing your bet.

The top SGP betting sites will allow you to choose from a huge range of markets regarding your chosen match, allowing for generous variety when creating your SGP.

You should be allowed to add a large number of legs to your same-game parlay, with the best sportsbooks allowing you to add as many as 16 picks to your SGP when betting.

The absolute best sportsbooks may also offer unique markets that are only offered via their same-game parlay sections, adding to the creativity available to you when placing your SGP.

Live streaming is exactly what it sounds: a sports betting site will offer live streams for a number of matches from a range of sports that you can watch to keep up with the games you’ve bet on.

The best online sportsbooks will have a top-of-the-range live streaming section that is easily accessible, with the picture quality and speed proving to be strong.

They will also allow you to tune into any live streamed game you please without the need to have placed a bet on the event/game you’re trying to watch, with you just needing a funded account in order to do so.

Top live streaming sportsbooks will also have a huge range of games covered via their live streaming sections, giving you the chance to tune into a wide variety of sports no matter where you are.

Live betting, also known as in-play betting, is the event of betting on games once they’ve gotten underway, with these bets being settled once the game itself has ended.

The best sportsbooks for live betting will offer a number of different markets, with some of these being in-play only, as well as a number of the usual pre-game markets, giving you the chance to diversify your betting.

They will change the odds and update the markets as quickly as possible in time with the events taking place during the game, allowing you to live bet uninterrupted.

A generous range of stats, that change in accordance with the game, will be offered in addition, allowing bettors to see how the game/event is panning out when placing their bets.

There are a number of benefits that online sports betting has in comparison to its retail counterpart, with the likes of convenience, safety and betting offers proving to be just some of these benefits.

We’re here to go over these benefits, and why you should side with betting on sports online as opposed to doing so in-person.

One of the major benefits of betting online is the sheer convenience of doing so, as you’re able to pull out your phone, tablet or laptop anywhere you want and place your bets providing you have a stable internet connection and the sportsbooks you’re using are active in the state you’re in.

You can do this via their online site or sports betting app, giving you the choice to use whichever method is best for you.

This allows you to place wagers in mere seconds, giving you the chance to place bets anytime and anywhere.

You aren’t able to access this level of convenience when betting on sports in-person, as you’d need to travel to your nearest retail sportsbook, which may be some distance away.

Once there, you’ll also be able to accept the odds and markets on offer with your retail sportsbook, something that isn’t the case for betting online, as you’ll be able to compare online sportsbooks, choosing the one with the best markets and odds for you.

All of the best online sportsbooks will make sure all of your funds are entirely safe and secure when depositing and withdrawing, as well as paying out your winning bets.

The online sportsbooks listed in this piece all have strict rules and regulations to follow in order to operate in the states they’re currently active in.

Retail sportsbooks aren’t necessarily unsafe per se, however it’s fair to say that your money will never be in any danger of going missing when you bet with online sports betting sites.

Another huge positive of betting online as opposed to in-person is the sheer amount of offers and promotions you can take advantage of when betting online as opposed to betting at retail sportsbooks.

You’re able to claim a huge amount of bonus funds in the form of bonus bets and deposit bonuses when wagering with online sportsbooks, giving you the chance to get the most out of your money when depositing and wagering.

This just isn’t the case when it comes to betting on sports in-person, as retail sportsbooks will very rarely offer promotions and offers for new customers that are using them for the first time.

Additionally, you can sign-up for multiple different sportsbooks when betting online, taking advantage of all of the sign-up offers they have in-store.

This, in turn, will allow you to claim potentially thousands of dollars in bonus funds to use when betting on sports, bonuses you’ll only be able to dream of when betting in-person.

All of the top online sportsbooks will boast an excellent live streaming service on offer, allowing you to tune in to the biggest games from a wide range of sports wherever you are as long as you have a stable internet connection.

Some sportsbooks may need you to have a bet on the game you’re trying to watch, or funds in your account, in order to tune in, however this is definitely worth it given the live streaming opportunities that’ll be available to you.

Some retail sportsbooks will have games and sporting events shown live on-site, however with online streaming, you’ll be able to choose which game you watch and where you watch it, betting on it in-play at the same time if you feel like it.

Depositing and withdrawing funds to and from your account is another hugely important factor that makes online betting better than retail betting.

The more ways to deposit and withdraw funds the better when it comes to betting online, with the sports betting sites listed in this piece possessing some of the best and most popular methods around.

When depositing and withdrawing funds to and from your account in-person, you most likely won’t have all of these options, such as PayPal, available to you, with you being forced to use the ones on offer with your retail sportsbook when doing so.

A huge number of states have legalized sports betting since 2016, with these being the states in which sports betting, either retail or online, is currently legal:

Sports betting has been slowly but surely growing in presence throughout the US over the past few years, with this occurrence happening following the dissolution of PASPA in 2018.

PASPA was brought in in 1992 to outlaw sports betting, both retail and online, throughout the US except for a few exempt states.

This had been in place for 26 years following its dissolution in 2018, with this then allowing states to decide on their own sports betting laws, with all of the Legal Sports Betting States available here.

With North Carolina and Vermont recently going live with online sports betting, there’s no clear definitive answer on which state will join the fray next as of the time of publish.

You’ll be able to wager on a variety of different sports in any state where online sports betting is legal, with all of the major sports, such as basketball, football and baseball, available via all of these legal sports betting states.

You should also be able to bet on a number of other sports depending on which online sportsbook you’ve signed up with.

Betting sites such as BetMGM allow you to wager on sports such as snooker, darts and table tennis to name but a few, with the sports on offer changing depending on the sportsbook you’re wagering with.

For states in which sports betting is not yet legal, you will still be able to wager on sports by using Daily Fantasy Sports sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings.

It’s important to remember to check whether either of these are legal in your state before signing up and getting involved.

These sites offer users the chance to wager on sports via fantasy pools, allowing those that live in states where sports betting isn’t legal to join in with the sports betting fun.

Not all states will allow you to bet on college sports, with these being the states in which it’s currently legal to wager online:

Nearly all states will allow you to legally bet on college sports, although it must be remembered that most states will not allow you to bet on universities from your state, or on college sports games that are taking place in your state.

College sports such as football and basketball are some of the most popular sports when betting on college sports, with a variety of online sportsbooks allowing you to bet on them.

It must be said that most sportsbooks will offer a smaller number of markets for college sports in comparison to pro sports, although you’ll still be able to wager on a healthy selection of markets nonetheless.

The sports betting sites mentioned throughout this piece are 100% legal and licensed, meaning that they have strict rules they have to follow in order to keep operating in the US.

All of the funds in your online sports betting account are kept safe and secure at all times, meaning you don’t have to worry about your sports betting site not paying out or keeping your funds.

The best sports betting sites will allow you to deposit and withdraw funds to and from your online sportsbook account via a number of different ways, allowing you to use the method that you’re most comfortable and familiar with.

You will be able to bet on sports online legally with any of the sports betting sites that are legal in the state you currently reside in.

You’re able to access these online sports betting sites in a number of ways, with the most popular methods being via their desktop site or mobile app, with one of these being offered by all the sports betting sites listed in this piece.

You will need to check to see the legal sports betting age in your state before signing up, with most states needing you to be at least 21 years old in order to sign-up and legally place bets with any sportsbook active in your state.

There are a whole host of different types of sports bet you can place, with these the most common forms of bet you’re likely to come across:

The likes of moneyline, totals, spread and player/game props will all be available via the best sportsbooks, as well as markets such as futures, will allow you to place long-term bets that play-out over the course of weeks/months.

Some sportsbooks will have a wider range of markets available, with you needing to do your research beforehand in order to see which sports betting sites offer which markets.

Taking this into account, it’s also worth signing up with multiple different sports betting sites in order to have full access to the entire range of markets that are on offer via all of the sportsbooks available to you.

Legal sports betting sites, as explained in the name, are sports betting sites that allow players to legally place bets on any sports market they have to offer, as long as they’re legally licensed in your state.

An alternative to legal sports betting sites are offshore betting sites. These are often used by players in states where sports betting is not yet legal, with this being the case despite the fact that offshore betting sites are illegal.

In regards to sports betting in the USA, there are no legal offshore betting sites, with a number of states now offering legal and licensed sportsbooks for people to bet with to avoid players running into the issues that offshore betting sites provide.

Despite this, it is still not legal to wager in all 50 states, meaning offshore sites are still getting usage. However, offshore betting sites pose a number of issues for those that bet with them may face, such as:

A number of the most popular offshore betting sites are located in the likes of Curacao, the Isle of Man, Malta and Costa Rica, with these being some of those sites listed below.

You don’t have to worry about any of these potential risks when it comes to betting with legal sports betting sites.

The top online betting sites mentioned on this page have strict rules and regulations to follow in order to retain their licence to operate legally

For those that aren’t able to bet online, or prefer to bet in-person, there is always the option to bet at retail sportsbooks.

For some states, online sports betting won’t be legal, whilst retail betting will, giving people in those states the option to wager despite online betting not being launched yet.

These are the states in which retail sportsbooks are currently legal and active:

The amount of retail sportsbooks that are available will differ depending on which state you’re in and which sportsbook you’re with.

Some states will have more retail sportsbooks than others, with it being important to do your research beforehand in order to see which retail sportsbooks are active in your state, as well as how many are available as well.

You will come across a range of different sign-up bonuses when signing-up for sports betting accounts, with a whole host of different offers out there ready to be claimed via various online sportsbooks.

The likes of deposit bonuses and bonus bets are just some of the offers you’re going to come across when signing-up for your sports betting account.

We’re here to go through a couple of the most common new customer offers you’ll come across when creating your new sports betting accounts.

Deposit-match offers are exactly what they sound like: you will have your initial deposit matched in the form of bonus funds up to a certain amount.

The amount on offer will differ depending on the sportsbook you’ve signed up for, with some sports betting sites offering large amounts in comparison to their competition.

It’s important to remember that you will need to enter a bonus code to claim these types of bonuses depending on the sportsbook you’ve signed up for.

Additionally, it’s vital to check the wagering requirements for your offer, as you will need to fulfill these in order to withdraw any winnings won by using your bonus funds.

Overall, these types of bonuses are very generous, as they allow you hundreds, if not thousands, in bonus funds for simply making an initial deposit, with you able to use these funds on whichever markets you please.

Bonus bets are very easy to understand, with you being given a certain amount in bonus bets to place on whichever markets you please.

Some sportsbooks will just hand you these bonus bets upon sign-up without needing to place a qualifying wager, however most will require you to place a bet of a certain amount in order to claim your bonus in full.

Most sports betting sites will give you your bonus bets no matter whether your qualifying wager wins or loses, however some will require you to win your original bet, although the minimum odds for this qualifying wager will often be generous.

Bonus bet offers are easily some of the best out there, with you getting bonus funds to use on any markets you please by placing a small qualifying wager, with totals between $100 and $200 usually on offer with these bonuses.

You won’t need to fulfill any wagering requirements either in order to withdraw winnings won from your bonus bets.

It must be said that the amount of the bonus bet you’ve used for any given wager will not be included in the overall winnings for the bet.

For example, if you use a bonus bet worth $10 on a bet with odds of +500 and it wins, you’ll only be given $50 in return instead of the $60 you would’ve received had you used your own funds to place the bet.

Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Betting provides you with a way to legally bet on sports online, with this being available in a whole host of states that are yet to legalize and launch sports betting.

DFS is an excellent alternative to regular sports betting sites, as they allow you to play for real money on sports in a fantasy setting.

In doing so, they are different from regular sports bets, and are thus able to be played in states in which sports betting isn’t yet legal.

As many as 45 different states have legalized DFS at this point, with there being a handful of options to choose from when betting on Daily Fantasy Sports in these states.

DraftKings and FanDuel are the DFS sites that will be most prominent in these 45 states, with the likes of Underdog Fantasy being another DFS site that’ll be available.

In total, out of the 50 US states, these are the seven states in which DFS isn’t allowed, with Daily Fantasy Sports available in all states besides these: Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Louisiana, and Hawaii.

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The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.