how-to-choose-a-sportsbook

With so many sportsbooks available in the US it can be confusing for many newcomers to know where to start. Our online betting guide will help you to understand all the different options available to bettors from the United States.

Sports betting in the USA is now totally legal in many 38 states (& the District of Colombia) with more states set to follow in 2024.

Below we look at all aspects of online betting in the US from the initial sign-up to a new sportsbook to placing your first online bet, how to complete bonus wagering requirements and pick up some juicy bonuses along the way.

There are many factors to consider when deciding where to bet in the US but trustworthiness is probably the most important. Other things to consider are…

  • Security – All sportsbooks listed on Vegas-Odds.com are safe and secure
  • Banking – Consider which deposit methods you can use including Bitcoin
  • Betting Options – Some sportsbooks offer more sports and markets
  • User Experience – Some betting sites may look intimidating to beginners
  • Bonuses – Most sportsbooks offer bonuses but some are better than others

What Makes a Good Sportsbook?

First and foremost a good sportsbook should ideally be a reputable, tried and tested brand that you can rely on with betting offers that are achievable. Having a good customer support team available to help you with any queries is always reassuring. Good sportsbooks will often be available 24/7 via live chat.

The team here at Vegas-Odds.com have many years of experience at betting on sports with bookmakers from all around the world and we know the good guys from the ‘cowboys’. You can rest assured that all the online sportsbooks listings on this site are bookies that we know, trust and use ourselves on a regular basis.

Collecting Sportsbook Sign-Up Bonuses

When joining up with a new sportsbook you usually will have the chance to make use of their introductory welcome offer giving you free play or bonus credits of some sort.

These can vary wildly from sportsbook to sportsbook but if you play your cards right and know what you are doing, you can exploit the bookies and make them pay. That’s where we come in!

Placing Your First Sports Bet

We will point you to the best online sportsbooks in the US and guide you through the sign-up process, highlighting the important things to look out for, including the use of any promo codes, and show you how to become a better bettor and use free bets and bonuses to your advantage.

To activate these initial bonuses you will usually need to make your first deposit and in some cases an initial qualifying bet. You can see detailed explanations on individual bookmakers welcome bet offers on our detailed sportsbook review pages below.

Meeting Wagering Requirements

One of the key elements of ‘bonus bagging’ is the wagering requirements (also known as ‘turnover requirement’) set by the online sportsbook. This key term ensures that players cannot simply claim a bonus and then withdraw it – the bookies would go broke pretty quickly if they allowed that!

In most cases, you will have to wager your deposit and bonus amount a certain number of times before you are allowed to withdraw it as cash back to your bank account. For example if you deposit $50 and get a 50% bonus of $25 and the wagering requirement is 10x, then you will have to make bets with total stakes of at least $750 before withdrawals are allowed. ($50 + $25 = $75 x10 = $750)

This may appear daunting at first, however by betting clever and utilizing multiple bookmakers or betting exchanges and playing one of against the other, there are ways for savvy punters to easily meet these requirements and extract some juice out of the bookmaker bonuses.

Top 10 US Sportsbooks

Check out the USA sports betting sites and detailed reviews on our Top USA Sportsbooks page

Darren Moore
Writer

Darren lives & breathes sports betting and is always sniffing out his next value bet. His favourite sports to bet on are the NFL, horse racing and UFC but he will bet on anything if he thinks the odds are favourable.