It can be hard to choose the best sportsbooks with so many different options across various legal betting states in the U.S. Your favorite sportsbooks will be based on your personal preferences, so your top choice may differ from ours.
At Gambling.com, our mission is simple: to connect you with licensed online sportsbooks that deliver a premium betting experience in a secure environment.
As trusted experts in reviewing and rating betting sites, we provide honest, unbiased insights free from external influence.
We’re here to help you make informed choices. Our team comprises industry-leading experts who share our audience's passion for safe, legal betting.
At Gambling.com, we pride ourselves on our impartial reviews of sportsbooks, free from outside influence.
We’re committed to transparency and accuracy. If a betting site doesn’t meet our high standards for recommendation, it won’t receive a positive review from us.
Most importantly, we only review fully licensed and regulated betting sites we’ve tested for reliability so you can be sure of a safe betting experience. That means we feature zero offshore sites. So you can be 100% confident in our betting sites, which our experts have reviewed and recommended.
Some of the links on our website are affiliate links, meaning that if you sign up directly from our website, we may receive a commission payment at no extra cost to you.
We pride ourselves on our independent and meticulous review process, which ensures our recommendations are accurate, relevant, and up-to-date. Our reviews are based on hands-on testing and in-depth analysis.
The first step in our review process involves testing a site to see if it meets strict minimum requirements.
We do this by taking each operator through the following 10-step process:
The first part of our review process is ensuring that a sportsbook is legally operating in the United States and has proper licensing from each state in which it operates. If a site isn’t fully licensed with a reputable body in a given state, we won’t review it.
Our review team manually signs up to every site to ensure each one has a secure verification process that protects you.
We manually test each site using real money to deposit and place bets. We do this to authentically evaluate the site's functionality, reliability, and overall user experience.
We ensure the welcome offer is realistic and fair to the user. It should give value to new customers without unfair wagering requirements.
Betting sites should have a range of promotions and offers that reward returning customers for their loyalty.
While betting offers and promotions are crucial, a betting site's bread and butter is its pricing and depth of markets. We ensure all the betting sites we recommend have competitive pricing on a broad range of markets.
We ensure customers can easily place their bets pre-game and in-play.
We only recommend sites with strong customer support. If available, we test this key element by chatting with agents over the phone and using the live chat function.
Most bettors like to bet on the go. We evaluate the layout and usability of each betting site and review its betting apps and mobile sites.
We check the speed of withdrawals across various payment methods and compare the site to its rivals.
Ensuring a secure betting experience is Gambling.com's top priority. Our review team strictly evaluates each betting site and dismisses any that fail to meet key essential criteria.
Offshore sites are based outside of the U.S. and operate without state licenses. They often won’t accept traditional banking methods like credit cards or bank transfers; instead, they only accept payment through cryptocurrency or Bitcoin.
Though they might look similar to legitimate betting sites, blacklisted sites won't include any official U.S. licensing information in your state. They're not beholden to the betting legislation that's in place in your state to keep you, your data, or your money safe. You may receive delayed payments—or no payments at all.
Below are five red flags that lead to immediate dismissal during our tests:
Licensing ensures a betting site operates under regulatory oversight, providing users with a safe, fair, and legal environment. Without it, bettors risk unregulated practices and potential financial losses.
SSL encryption protects sensitive user data, such as payment details and personal information. Sites lacking this safeguard put bettors at risk of data breaches and cyberattacks.
Unfair or overly restrictive bonus terms undermine user trust, making it difficult for bettors to enjoy or benefit from promotional offers as advertised.
Transparent terms and conditions are critical for informed decision-making. Ambiguous or hidden clauses can lead to disputes and a poor user experience.
Excessive winning limitations prevent bettors from fully benefiting from their successes, diminishing a betting site's appeal and fairness.
The best way to guarantee the security of your personal, money, and banking information is to use licensed legal betting sites.
The most common sites to avoid include Bovada, BetOnline, BetUS, Xbet, BetWhale, Everygame, BetNow, BookMaker, Heritage Sports, BetAnySports, MyBookie, SportsBetting, XBet, and JustBet.
Once a site meets our strict minimum requirements, we assign it an overall rating out of 10 based on a detailed evaluation by our review team.
We consider ten key categories during the review process, assigning each one a score out of ten.
The final rating is determined by summing up the scores from all 10 categories.
Here’s what we look at:
A diverse range of sports and betting markets is crucial to cater to all types of bettors. Sites that offer depth and variety ensure users can bet on their favorite sports with plenty of options.
Strong promotional offerings, including generous sign-up bonuses and regular customer rewards, add value and enhance the betting experience. Promotions should be fair, transparent, and accessible.
Choices of payment methods and fast, reliable payouts ensure convenience and security. Trusted sites prioritize seamless transactions for deposits and withdrawals.
Efficient and accessible customer service is vital for resolving issues quickly. We also assess a site’s commitment to responsible gambling by offering tools and resources to promote safe play.
We consider industry recognition, awards, and reviews from actual users. Our rating system relies on verified reviews from real iOS and Android app users and reviews on Reddit, TrustPilot, and TripAdvisor.
A smooth, intuitive, visually appealing user experience ensures bettors can easily navigate and place bets without frustration. We evaluate the user interface, ease of navigation, and overall customer support quality at online sportsbooks to ensure a satisfying betting experience.
The mobile app is one of the most essential things we review since most players bet on the go with their phones. A responsive, feature-rich mobile platform or app is essential for a modern betting experience. The app should be easy to navigate, quick to load, and available on both major app stores.
We value sites that provide robust tools to support responsible play, including deposit limits, self-exclusion lists, and access to support networks.
A strong live betting platform with real-time updates, cash-out options, and competitive odds can be valuable during live events.
Competitive odds translate to better returns for bettors. Sites offering consistently strong odds across various markets provide excellent value.
By evaluating these critical factors, we ensure that every site we recommend delivers a safe, enjoyable, rewarding betting experience.
Why do our users choose Gambling.com's reviews? You can rest assured that these reviews are entirely objective.
Our goal is to provide sports bettors with reliable, up-to-date information you can trust.
Gambling.com Group has been reviewing sportsbooks in the U.S. since 2018, winning eGaming Review’s Affiliate of the Year award in 2018 and 2021. Our team includes experts with decades of combined experience in sports and sports betting.
Responsible gambling is at the heart of what we do. We only recommend sites offering tools like deposit limits and self-exclusion to ensure betting remains an enjoyable pastime. Betting should be fun, not a source of income.
To support safe gambling, we offer practical tips and resources to help you stay in control.
Here's more information on the world-class pros who test online sportsbooks, review licensed sites, and update our rankings with their latest findings.
Experience:
About: Before coming to Gambling.com, Chris spent years listening to customer concerns across various tech products, so he knows what our users need from our website to be successful bettors. Chris liaises with all team members to ensure that our reviews and the tools available within them are accessible.
Experience:
About: Martin is a leading authority on online gambling. For decades, he's informed readers with expert analysis of sports betting legislation across the U.S., bringing insightful breakdowns of the top sportsbooks to Gambling.com readers.
Experience:
About: Michael reviews online sportsbooks, casinos, and other iGaming products in the U.S. and UK for Gambling.com. He is dedicated to ensuring his teams produce insightful analysis that resonates with both new and experienced bettors.
Experience:
About: Matthew is a regular contributor and analyst for Gambling.com. He covers sports betting odds, betting events and markets, and picks across various sports. This work gives him a boots-on-the-ground perspective on the best sportsbooks for everyday bettors.
Experience:
About: Larry covers the U.S. gaming industry and online sportsbooks. With his governmental and legislative expertise, he closely monitors and reports on gaming regulations and laws in jurisdictions throughout North America, speaking with regulators and other experts.
Experience:
About: Richard has reviewed dozens of sportsbooks for Gambling.com across all major sports. He's exceptionally skilled at discerning the best features of each sportsbook, and he's applied that keen sense to help create our recommendation list.
Experience:
About: Shannon has nearly a decade of experience working in the legalized sports betting industry. Her focus on the NFL gives her a unique insight into the U.S.’s most popular betting market, and her background in sports websites and apps helped her contribute to our review process. She has focused on new emerging sports betting markets in Kentucky and North Carolina, applying her expertise on U.S. legislation and sportsbook brands to Gambling.com users nationwide.
Experience:
About: Peter has over 15 years of experience as a copywriter and sports reporter, with expert reviews and research appearing on various online outlets. Peter works with our reviewers to ensure all information is accurate and factual. His experience as a sports editor, writer, and bettor is crucial to our sportsbook reviews.
Experience:
About: Dan has spent thousands of hours speaking directly to tech users to understand what they’re looking for in online products, so he knows what everyday bettors want. He uses that experience to thoroughly review online sportsbooks and apps for bettors of any experience level.
Experience:
About: At Gambling.com, Charlie applies his analytical prowess to deliver insightful sports betting news and the latest sporting trends, equipping bettors with the information they need to place informed wagers.
Experience:
About: Tom has been an avid Boston sports fan and bettor for several years. He brings his first-hand knowledge of U.S. betting markets to Gambling.com users, helping them find the best sportsbooks for their betting preferences.
Experience:
About: Chris makes picks and analyzes the best offers of the day to deliver reliable betting tips. His ability to analyze trends, predict outcomes, and provide actionable advice ensures readers receive valuable insights into their favorite sports.