How To Bet On Sports Online

Sports bettors have plenty of options for legally and safely placing their wagers online in a growing number of states. However, there are some things you need to know before jumping into the pool for what can be a fun activity that millions of Americans take part in.

Let’s take a look at what you should consider.

Decide on what sportsbook you want to use

The first step is determining which sports betting sites you want to try. If you’re wondering whether betting is legal in your location, check our updated link on where sports betting is legal in the US.

Then, make note of what’s most important to you:

• What’s available for betting?
• How does it look and feel?
• Are there any sign-up offers?
• How are the odds?
• What are the deposit and withdrawal options?

It comes down to user preference. There’s no need to limit yourself to a single option, as many sports bettors have accounts at multiple books, especially when first starting out and deciding which ones work best for them.

Have a budget in place

To bet on sports, you’ll need money to bet with. The top sportsbooks tend to offer sign-up bonuses to new customers, but you’ll still have to make a deposit at some point. Before you get there, take the time to think through a total budget for wagering.

Your sports betting budget should be an amount that you’re comfortable losing and never funds that you need for something else. It can be helpful to think of it as an amount you would be comfortable spending on another form of entertainment.

Having a budget in place is a solid starting point, as it helps to reinforce the notion that you’re putting money at risk, naturally with the hopes that you’ll win more.

It can set you down the path of betting responsibly and within your personal limits.

Take advantage of sportsbook sign-up offers

The online sports betting industry is fiercely competitive. That’s good news for sports bettors, as the competition inspires improvement and innovation — and bonuses.

When signing up to bet at an online sportsbook, you should be on the lookout for incentives. Examples of common sportsbook sign-up promos include the following:

• Bonus bets: Some sportsbooks offer new users a bonus bet either for signing up or with a deposit requirement. If you win, the profits are yours.
• Deposit matches: Some books will match your initial deposit in percentage form or up to a certain dollar amount. This is a great way to boost your opening bankroll.
• Secured first bets: Whether it’s “no sweat” or “safety net” or some other phrasing, many books offer deals where they will pay back a customer’s first wager in bonus bets if it loses. Remember that you only keep winnings from bonus bets, so these promotions do not make you completely whole after that first losing bet.

As you review the various sign-up offers, be sure to take the time to check the exact terms and conditions on the sports betting apps.

Once you decide where to wager, you must undergo a simple sign-up process. You’ll need to provide some basic information, such as your name and social security number, and the sportsbook will verify your identity as part of the process.

Fund your account

Outside of the occasional bonus bet, you’ll need funds with which to wager. The online sportsbook’s cashier function will walk you through making a deposit or withdrawal.

Customer support and FAQ/help sections are also on standby as necessary. The available banking methods may vary by sportsbook, but the majority of the top ones have a solid array of options to choose from, like the following:

• Online banking
• PayPal
• Venmo
• Credit or debit cards
• ACH or e-check
• Play+

In short, you shouldn’t have trouble finding an option that works best for you and your sports betting. The book will process deposits instantly once your account is set up, while withdrawals will be subject to the book’s terms and conditions.

What sports do you want to bet on?

The number of sports you can bet on may seem overwhelming at first. You can quickly narrow the list by starting with your interests.

We have published guides to help you understand betting on specific sports:

• How to bet on college football
• How to bet on golf
• How to bet on the NBA
• How to bet on the NFL
• How to bet on MMA
• How to bet on baseball
• How to bet on the NHL
• How to bet on soccer
• How to bet on NASCAR
• How to bet on tennis

Types of sports bets you can make

Here’s a list of some of the more common types of bets and what they mean:

• Moneyline: This is a basic bet and a good starting point for beginners. When betting on the moneyline, you choose which side you think will win. There will be odds on both sides: negative numbers for favorites and positive for underdogs.
• Parlay: A parlay is a bet for which you combine two or more outcomes on a single slip. There’s an opportunity for great returns, but all your selections must be correct to have a winning ticket, so your odds are longer. Sportsbooks, or “the house”, win more percentage-wise from parlay bets than straight bets. Same-game parlays allow you to combine multiple wagers from a single game.
• Spread: The point spread essentially attempts to level the playing field between two teams. It’s like a margin of victory that you must account for in your wagers. Point spread betting occurs in many sports, but it might go by different names, such as run line betting for baseball or puck line betting for hockey.
• Total: This bet — an over/under — is a wager on the total combined score of a game. Oddsmakers will set a line, and bettors can wager on whether the score will be over or under that line. The odds on both sides can move in response to betting action.
• Props: A prop bet is a wager on a smaller aspect within a game, such as team or player performance or on the contest as a whole. A prop is a side bet on something that might or might not happen. Prop bets on player performance share much in common with fantasy sports and can serve as a natural starting point for many new bettors.
• Teaser: The teaser bet lets you move the point spread on two or more games. You can shift the lines in your favor, making each bet easier to win and lowering your potential payout.

How to place a bet online: Step-by-step instructions

Once you’re ready to bet, you simply log into your sportsbook of choice. Next, locate what you want to wager on and find the bet you’re interested in. Afterward, you’ll click the odds that correspond with your choice to add it to your bet slip. Lastly, you’ll add the amount you want to wager, review the slip and click submit to place it.

Let’s walk through the process from start to finish.

• If you want to bet on an MLB game using the DraftKings app, you’ll log in and locate the game on the platform.
• The game listing will include the odds and lines for the main bets for the contest, which in this case are the run line, total, and moneyline. If you want to try other wagers, such as player props, click on the game listing to open up additional choices.
• Once you decide what you want to bet on, just click on the odds for your choice. As an example, let’s say that you like the Yankees on the moneyline. You’ll click on the -155 in the box for that wager.
• The bet will automatically move over to the betting slip. Next, you’ll add in the amount that you want to wager.
• The potential return appears right there on the slip. If you want to remove the bet from the slip and look for something else, just click the X next to it. After you’ve hit all of the steps, just review your bet to ensure everything is correct and click to submit.

Things you can’t legally bet on in the US

Each state where sports betting is legal sets rules and regulations regarding what you can bet on. While there’s not complete uniformity among all markets, what is or isn’t allowed is one area of some common ground. You won’t be able to bet on the following at legal online sportsbooks in the US:

• High schools sports
• Sports involving athletes younger than 18
• Elections — local, state, presidential, etc.
• Weather events
• Reality TV outcomes

Betting on the Oscars has been available in a few states, but sports betting is technically supposed to involve actual sporting events. The line gets a little blurry for the Super Bowl as off-the-field props may be available, such as the result of the coin flip.

Another area to pay close attention to is wagering on college sports. While college betting is legal everywhere sports betting is legal, some states impose restrictions. For example, bettors in New Jersey cannot wager on in-state schools or events, but neighboring Pennsylvania has no such prohibition.

Other states, such as Iowa, allow wagering on college sports teams but not prop bets on college athletes. For a detailed look at what is or isn’t legal, our state guides have additional insight.

Why can’t you bet on elections or the weather?

While there is often chatter about the betting odds for major political events such as the US presidential election, it remains illegal to bet on that in the US. There may be plenty of history to betting on who will be the next president, but that doesn’t mean it’s legal.

Legal and regulated sportsbooks offer odds and wagers on sporting events. You won’t find options to legally bet on the weather or reality TV.