I keep up with the world of sportsbetting over at GoodSportsbooks.com. There you will find a lot of the same names as here. Specifically Bovada, Betonline, Sportsbetting and Bookmaker.
Most of the other online gambling sites are strictly casinos, as operating an online sportsbook is an entirely different beast.
There are a growing number of shady & straight up scam sportsbooks. Stick to the good sportsbooks and give yourself the best odds of winning.
Sports Betting Sites – Legit / Honest / Recommended
- Bovada Sportsbook
- BetOnline
- Bookmaker
Sports Betting Sites – The Good List
Human beings love betting on sports. Sports betting makes up a huge chunk of the overall online gambling marketplace. Sports betting sites offer virtually the same lines as Vegas from the comfort of your own home. The catch is that they operate outside of USA’s jurisdiction.
The good news is that for as long as the internet has been around there has been online sports betting. Sports betting sites have had plenty of time to earn a reputation. Most of them earned horrible reputations. There are a small number of established, legitimate online sportsbooks you can wager at. Some of them are already on our good online casinos list. Today there remain a quality selection of legit, reputable online sportsbooks you can feel comfortable placing your bets with (source). There are also dozens upon dozens of shady and scammy sports betting websites to avoid at all costs unless you like burning money.
The good news is that there are a few very legit and reputable sports betting sites (see goodsportsbooks.com for latest reviews and more complete list).
In the US, most online bettors can pick from a number of offshore bookmakers.
Some states are now regulated and you are only allowed to legally wager at state regulated companies/casinos. Be sure you know your local laws and regulations.
A Sportsbook Is Only As Good As It’s Last Payout
Sports betting is different than an online casino. To be honest, running an online casino at scale is simpler than running a large sports betting site. Sports bettors require more customer service on average and the house edge is not as strong.
In short, it’s more difficult to run a quality online sportsbook than a stand alone online casino. The margins are tighter, the costs and expense are more and there are more challenges with players depositing and withdrawing much more frequently than casino players. Casino players, in general like to deposit and keep the money on the casino while they gamble unless they land a huge payout.
Sports bettors on the other hand will often deposit just to place a wager on the upcoming game and cash out if they win. It’s much more money and money out when it comes to sports betting and moving that money is an expense.
What this all means to you as a bettor is that it is ALWAYS important that your betting site is paying out consistently. The books need to keep the funds flowing. This is a challenge for them as it is just not as easy as cutting a check and putting it in the mail. (Thanks Uncle Sam for protecting me from myself!!)
I’ve been working with many of these sportsbooks since 2004. I keep track of their payouts and any issues in a monthly payout report I keep basic notes about each sportsbook and how they are paying. You can check it here or just stick with the very short list of USA sports betting sites listed above.
The sportsbooks listed in our list are constantly getting payments out, treat players and business associates fairly and with respect. You can bet easy at the above books.
Scam Sportsbooks
Where not to bet: While the safest choice is to only bet at a site listed above, many people want to see a list of sportsbooks that we do not recommend. Now we are not saying that these sportsbooks are scams. We are saying that we would not deposit our own money there.