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Get Started With Online Sports Betting

Mobile and online sports betting continues to grow across the United States and internationally as individual jurisdictions update their legislation. From seasoned professionals to first-time bettors, WagerTalk's library of betting tips, live odds screen, and free plays can help any level of bettor. Take advantage of the partnerships that WagerTalk has created to increase your sign-up bonus, enhance your promos, and get started toward making money while betting sports right now.


Is sports betting available in my state?


Sports betting Tips

Understanding Sports Betting Odds

Walking into a sports book or opening a sports betting app for the first time can be intimidating. The odds board will have four key pieces of information that you need to focus on:

  • - The Rotation Number
  • - The Point Spread
  • - The Total
  • - The Moneyline

Check out our Sports Betting Guide to learn more about those terms.

Terms to Know
  • - What is a teaser?
  • - What does it mean to "pay the juice?"
  • - What does betting against the spread mean?

The sports betting world is filled with insider lingo and terminology. Visit our Football Betting Guide to get a better grasp of what they all mean.

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Where is sports betting legal in the USA and Canada?

Check the status of legal sports betting in your state/province:

Arizona Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

Legal sports betting was approved in April 2021 and launched in September 2021 in time for the heart of football season. Caesars is in the process of creating a brick-and-mortar sports book at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, scheduled to be open in early 2022. Betting partnerships have been formed with a number of iconic Arizona sports venues, including TPC Scottsdale and NASCAR's Phoenix Raceway.

Colorado Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

Colorado swept onto the sports betting scene in May 2020 because it was the first state to attract Nevada-based sports books out of Las Vegas. The SuperBook USA (home of the Westgate Las Vegas Super Book) and Circa Sports (found in Downtown Las Vegas) were the first to set up partnerships in Colorado, alongside traditional mobile operators like DraftKings, FanDuel, and others. PointsBet opened its North American headquarters in Denver, signifying Colorado’s importance in America’s sports betting landscape.

District of Columbia Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

DC sports owner Ted Leonsis has been very supportive of the sports betting industry and was one of the first to sign a partnership with a gaming company. Bettors can visit the Caesars Sportsbook at Capital One Arena before a Capitals or Wizards game.

Illinois Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

Grab a Chicago Dog, an Old Style and a ticket on the Cubs runline? Sports betting in Illinois was introduced in March 2020, and the Land of Lincoln is one of the few states that has been aggressive with in-person wagering at sports arenas. Plans are in place to offer wagering at Wrigley Field (Cubs), the United Center (Bulls), Soldier Field (Bears) and Guaranteed Rate Field (White Sox). Until then, bettors in Illinois are still able to place bets at the state's casinos and racetracks, in addition to online.

Indiana Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

Sports betting was introduced in Indiana in September 2019 with mobile wagering and in-person betting at the state's casinos and racetracks. Indianapolis has become a mecca for hosting large sporting events, including  the entire 2021 NCAA Tournament across four locations. The Hoosier State offers a great mix of online sports betting operators.

 

Indiana Sports Betting Online

 

There are currently numerous sportsbooks available in Indiana.  

Iowa Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

Iowa was an early adopter of sports betting following the removal of PASPA, but it came with a big asterisk. For the first year-and-a-half of operation, Iowans had to register for a sports betting account in person at a casino. Those restrictions were removed in 2021, allowing for online registration. Bettors in the state can now sign up, deposit and bet online from anywhere within state lines. With no professional sports teams in the state, action on the Hawkeyes, Cyclones and the rest of the state's college teams is paramount.

Louisiana Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? No

Just in time for Mardi Gras! Louisiana will begin accepting online sports wagers in late-January 2022. LSU created some headlines as the first SEC school to partner with a gambling company. Caesars has a branding and licensing deal at Tiger Stadium and the Superdome in New Orleans.  

Michigan Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

In-person sports betting was introduced to Michigan's casinos in March 2020, but it took almost a full year for online and mobile wagering to follow. In conjunction with online sports betting, Michigan also introduced online poker, making Michigan just the fifth state to offer online poker. The Wolverine State is expected to offer upwards of 15 sports book operators by the end of 2021.

New Jersey Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

The efforts of New Jersey were the catalyst behind the Supreme Court’s reversal of PASPA in May 2018. Monmouth Park Racetrack took the state's first sports bet on June 14 2018. The Garden State has been at the forefront of this sports betting explosion with its robust array of opportunities from Atlantic City casinos, to horse racing tracks, to mobile and online products.

New York Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

No more Sunday morning subway trips across the Hudson! After much deliberation, online sports betting in New York kicked off on Saturday, January 8 2022. DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars and BetRivers are the first four operators to be approved in the state, with a handful of others scheduled to follow shortly.

Pennsylvania Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

The Keystone State was slow to move, but it has become a major force in US sports betting. Pennsylvania legislation passed its sports betting bill in October 2017, but the state did not take their first bet until November 2018. It took another six months before mobile sports betting was up-and-running. Looking to place a bet before a Pirates, Steelers, Phillies or Eagles game? There are casinos within walking distance of each of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia's sports stadiums and arenas.

Tennessee Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? No

Honey, we're going to Nashville. Tennessee was the first state in the southern US to offer mobile sports betting. Tennessee legislature approved its sports betting bill in April 2019, and the state began accepting its first wagers in November 2020. Tennessee does not have any brick-and-mortar casinos, so all sports betting in the state needs to be done online. Online sportsbooks available in Tennessee include DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, WynnBet, TwinSpires, Action 24/7 and Barstool Sportsbook.

Virginia Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

Mobile sports betting was introduced in Virginia in January 2021. Virginia does not have any brick-and-mortar casinos, so all sports betting in the state is done online. Wagering on college sports (or amateur events like the Olympics) is prohibited.

West Virginia Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

Along with New Jersey, the Mountaineer State was one of the catalysts for getting PASPA repealed. West Virginia made their push for sports betting legalization in March 2018, two months before the Supreme Court’s decision that opened the doors across the country. West Virginia accepted its first sports bet in August 2018, becoming the fifth state in the US to offer legal sports betting. West Virginia was the third state to offer mobile betting and features a robust list of available operators.

Wyoming Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? No

In September 2021, Wyoming became the second state to offer online-only sports betting because there are no brick-and-mortar casinos in the state. DraftKings and BetMGM were the first two sports books to launch in Wyoming, with more expected to follow.

Ontario Sports Betting

  • Can you bet online? Yes
  • Can you bet in person? Yes

Online sports betting launched in Ontario on April 4, 2022, with plenty of fanfare. Previously, Canadian sports bettors were able to place parlays through their provincial lotteries. In August 2021, regulators allowed expanded sports betting offerings through those lotteries, but less than a year later, the door is now open to commercial gaming operators. Over two dozen online gaming companies (both sports and casino gaming) have applied for licenses in Ontario.


Sports Betting 101 FAQs

Is sports betting legal in the United States?
What does betting against the spread mean?
What is a parlay?
How Does Baseball Betting Work??
What's the moneyline?
What does over/under mean?
What does a point spread mean?
What does it mean to cover the spread?
What does betting against the spread mean?
What do odds mean in betting?
What are good betting odds?
Is sports betting legal in the United States?

Yes, but there’s always a catch. In 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was passed, which prohibited states from offering regulated sports betting if they hadn’t already done so. In May 2018, the Supreme Court struck down PASPA, which opened the door for states to offer legal sports betting. So there are no federal guidelines when it comes to sports wagering in the United States, it’s up to the individual states to set their regulations.

What does betting against the spread mean?

The point spread is the great equalizer. Who would want to bet on a football game between the best team in the league and the worst? The outcome gets a lot more interesting when you give the bad team a two-touchdown head start. Betting on the favorite with the point spread requires that team to win the contest by a certain amount of points. Betting on the underdog with the point spread will allow that team to lose the contest, as long as it's not by more than the posted number.

What is a parlay?

A parlay is a multi-wager bet that requires all of the legs to win in order for you to cash your ticket. The more teams you include, the more money you can potentially win. But if any of your selections fail to win or cover the point spread, your ticket is toast. Each oddsmaker has their own individual rules for what events can and cannot be parlayed, so make sure that you are familiar with your book's house rules.

How Does Baseball Betting Work?

Betting on baseball is different from basketball and football because the majority of baseball betting is done on the moneyline, and not with a point spread. Generally speaking, baseball betting is all about picking the winning team. When good teams play bad teams, it’s not uncommon to see the better team as a -300 favorite, or even into the -400’s. The average bettor is afraid to lay a price like that, but for some professionals, there’s value in laying those big numbers in the right situation. But don’t forget: Even the worst teams in the league will still win 55+ times during the course of the season.

What's the moneyline?

Betting on the moneyline means that your team just needs to win the game. There are no point spreads involved. Moneyline bets are displayed on a $100 scale, with the favorite having a minus displayed in front of their number, and the underdog having a plus in front.

If you are looking to play the favorite on the moneyline, that's the number that you need to lay in order to win $100. If you are betting on a -200 favorite, you need to lay $200 to profit $100, and you would collect $300. If you are betting on the underdog, the number that you see is the amount that you would win off a $100 bet. If you are looking to play a +175 underdog on the moneyline, you would lay $100 to profit $175 and collect $275. Again, there are no point spreads involved, you are simply picking the winner of the game.

What does over/under mean?

You are wagering on how many total points both teams will score in the contest. Pro baseball totals are typically around 9 runs in a game. Pro basketball totals are usually around 210 points. Pro hockey games usually have a total around 6 goals. Pro football totals are typically in the mid-to-upper 40's. You are placing a wager on whether or not the total points scored between both teams in the contest will go over or under that number.

What does a point spread mean?

Every football and basketball game will have a point spread associated with it. Betting on the favorite with the point spread requires that team to win the contest by a certain amount of points. Betting on the underdog with the point spread will allow that team to lose the contest, as long as it's not by more than the posted number. Hockey and baseball also have point spreads, but they work a little different. In hockey (the puckline) and baseball (the runline), the favorite is always -1.5 on the spread with the underdog at +1.5. Betting on the favorite requires your hockey or baseball team to win its game by two or more runs. Conversely, betting on the underdog at +1.5 means that your team can lose by either one run or one goal, and your ticket will still cash.

What does it mean to cover the spread?

Your team has beaten the mark set by the oddsmaker. If you bet on a -7 favorite to cover the spread in a football game, your team needs to win the game by eight points or more. If they don't, then you failed to cover the spread. If you bet on a +10 underdog in a basketball game, your team can either a) Win the game in an upset; or b) Lose the game by nine points or fewer. If they accomplish either of those things, then you covered the spread.

What does betting against the spread mean?

Betting against the spread goes beyond the simple wins and losses of a sporting event. Betting on the favorite requires your team to win the game by a certain point margin. Betting on an underdog allows your team to lose the game, as long as it's not by more than the given number of points.

What do odds mean in betting?

Odds determine your potential payout on a winning bet. If you're looking to make a single wager against the spread in a football or basketball game, the odds for an individual bet at most sports books are -110. That means that you have to lay $110 to profit $100, and collect $210. You need to lay $11 to win $10, and collect $21. Etc.

But betting odds go well beyond individual wagers. It's important to know what your odds are when making a futures bet on a team to win their championship. It's also important to analyze the odds on parlay bets to make sure that you are getting the best bang for your buck. From parlay calculators to odds conversion charts, there are plenty of tools available for bettors to analyze their odds.

What are good betting odds?

When looking to bet an individual basketball or football game against the spread, you will traditionally have odds of -110. That is the industry standard. In some circumstances, oddsmakers will shade the vig (i.e. the "juice") toward one team to attract some bets toward a certain side and help them balance their books. For example, 3 is a very important number in football because more games finish with a winning margin of 3 points than any other potential outcome. Oddsmakers are very careful with creating point spreads around the number 3 because of how often games end with a 3-point margin. So instead of moving the point spread from -3 to -2.5 or -3.5, oddsmakers will keep the spread at -3 and shift the odds from -110 on each side to -105/-115 or +100/-120.

The reason oddsmakers are so careful with moving the "juice" and not moving the actual point spread is because they don't want to get middled. Middling occurs when groups who bet on the favorite AND the underdog at different point spreads both win. If Group A bets on the favorite at -2.5 and two days later the spread is up to 3.5, Group B swoops in to take the underdog at +3.5. If the game ends 17-14, both groups have just won.

If you are serious about taking sports betting beyond a fun, recreational hobby, it's important to have access to multiple sports books, if possible. Making sure that you are getting the best numbers at the best odds will help you become a profitable long-term bettor.


Where Online Sports Betting in USA is Legal:

Thanks to the Supreme Court's reversal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018, each state has the green light to offer legalized sports betting in the United States. Wagering on the four major professional sports began in Nevada turf clubs in 1949. Since then, legalized sports betting has spread from betting parlors, to casinos, to the internet, to phone applications.

With each individual state setting their own rules, sports betting guidelines vary from state to state. Some states require in-person registration before you are able to open an online betting account. Some jurisdictions have their state lottery in charge of sports betting regulations. Some states offer in-person sports betting at their casinos and racetracks, but don’t have an online or mobile offering. It's important to know what your state, and your surrounding states, offers and what bills are on the table.

These are the states in which online betting is legal and WagerTalk is able to offer signup incentives: Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Ontario

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