Sports Betting in the USA

Sports betting in the USA has been prohibited since 1992 due to Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, with the exception of four states which had the immunity. Due to this ban, Nevada almost had a monopoly on gambling, while three other states that were not included in this prohibition were Montana, Delaware and Oregon. Bookmakers and betting predictions sites promoting them couldn’t be active in those states. 

However, since May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States lifted the ban and 13 other states stepped into the sports betting, while nearly two dozen of them are considering making sports betting available. States that launched sports betting in 2018 are Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, while the ones who did that in the current year are Arkansas, New York, Iowa, Oregon and Indiana. There are several states that have passed legislation, however they are still waiting for the official launch of sports betting and those are Tennessee, Montana, Illinois, North Carolina and Washington DC. The first sportsbooks started accepting bets on June 5, 2018 after the state of Delaware established single-game wagering regulations. 

Besides Nevada, who legalized sports betting back in 1949 and was not included under PASPA, New Jersey also has a very big sports betting market. Since June 2018, several sportsbooks have been launched in the state and there are more to come. The first sportsbook to have launched their online sports betting app was DraftKings, while in just three months’ time, seven other bookies entered the market. Some of the world’s largest brands in sports betting, such as William Hill, Unibet or bet365, have launched their NJ version of sportsbooks. All of these operators have their land-based affiliates thanks to announced partnerships with different casinos and hotels. 

Although the market was expecting MGM to enter the sports betting in New Jersey first, DraftKings, who is the world’s largest daily fantasy site, surprisingly announced their sportsbook launch. They are one of the most popular sportsbooks in the state, having one of the most advanced betting apps in the US market. William Hill was the first worldwide-known operator to have launched their sportsbook in New Jersey, while bet365 is the latest who have done so.

Another growing market on the US sports betting scene is the one in Pennsylvania. The first online sportsbook to have launched its business was SugarHouse, which is available since May 2019. They were followed by several other bookmakers that launched their sportsbooks in the following months. Currently, there are five sportsbooks live, while more of them is about to become available soon. Each of them is a partnership between a licensed casino and a technology provider. The biggest names of the industry haven’t stepped in the market yet, however it is expected that William Hill and Unibet are going to launch their sportsbooks soon. Pennsylvania market has very high potential and with increased number of sportsbooks, they can become even larger market than the New Jersey one. 

New customers can also expect some benefits offered from the bookmakers just for signing up for an account. Since the bookies want to increase their customer base and fight for each player, bettors can find very lucrative welcome offers out there. Different kinds of bonuses are available, depending on the sportsbook, and you can take advantage of those to increase your profits. No matter what your wagering style is, you can always find offers that can give you the opportunity of getting more returns. Many bookies offer first deposit bonuses, meaning that you will get some extra money after making your first deposit. Usually, sportsbooks will match the deposited amount which you can use for sports wagering, but those funds cannot be withdrawn in cash before certain betting requirements are met. On the other hand, at several bookies you don’t need to make a deposit at all in order to get the bonus as you’ll get some money just for registering an account. It is usually awarded in form of free bets and you can use them for earning money without having to invest your own. Another type of welcome bonus is first bet insurance, meaning that if your first bet is a losing one, you can get your stake back up to the certain amount. 

The US sports betting market is definitely going to be expanded in the upcoming period and bettors will have the opportunity to enjoy services from world’s largest operators in sports betting industry.