Find the best legal US sports betting sites and apps. We explain where online sportsbooks are live, how to compare odds, apps and payout speeds, the bet types Americans use most, and which partner promos are available in your state, with full terms next to every offer.
In this article 15 sections
- Best sportsbook promos
- US sports betting: the key facts
- How we assess sportsbooks
- How to find the best sportsbook for you
- A beginner’s guide: popular bet types explained
- Sportsbook bonuses and promos compared
- Betting apps and payouts compared
- The most-bet sports in the US
- US sports betting by the numbers
- Where sports betting is legal
- All legal US sportsbooks
- Sports betting taxes
- Responsible sports betting
- Sports betting by state
- US sports betting in 2027
Best sportsbook promos
Read our Hard Rock Bet reviewVisit Hard Rock Bet →New customers 21+ in NJ. First bet $5+. Paid as 10 daily No Sweat tokens worth up to $50 each; bonus bets expire after 7 days, 1x playthrough. Full terms at Hard Rock Bet.
Legal sports betting has gone from a single Supreme Court case to a coast-to-coast industry in a few years. Since Murphy v. NCAA struck down the federal ban in May 2018, 39 states plus Washington, D.C. have legalized some form of sports betting, and 31 states plus D.C. now have statewide online sportsbooks. Americans wagered $166.94 billion with legal sportsbooks in 2025, up 11.3% on 2024, and the American Gaming Association projected more than $30 billion in legal bets on the 2025 NFL season alone. This guide covers how we assess sportsbooks, how to pick the right one, the bet types and sports Americans actually play, and where it is all legal.
The best sportsbooks separate themselves on four fronts: the value of their odds, the stability of their app during live betting, how fast they pay, and the genuine value of their welcome offer once you read the terms. A big bonus headline means little if the prices are poor or withdrawals drag for days.
US sports betting: the key facts
| States with legal sports betting | 39 + D.C. |
| States with statewide online sportsbooks | 31 + D.C. |
| Newest online market | Missouri (December 1, 2025) |
| Legal age | 21+ in almost every state; check your state guide |
| Regulator | Each state’s gaming commission or lottery |
| 2025 handle | $166.94 billion (state regulator reports) |
| 2025 sportsbook revenue | $16.89 billion, up 22.6% |
| Biggest market by revenue | New York (over $2.5 billion in 2025) |
How we assess sportsbooks
Only partner sportsbooks get offer cards, promo details and links on this page, and we show their promotions with the full terms beside them. Every other licensed operator is covered editorially, so you can still see who is available in your state and what each app does well, but without sales copy. If a partner’s terms change and we cannot confirm the new ones, the offer comes off the page.
Our assessment blends the value of the odds (half a point on an NFL spread adds up over a season, so compare the same markets across books), app stability and speed during live betting, withdrawal times, the real value of the welcome offer and its terms, and aggregated user feedback from the app stores. We treat responsible-gambling tools and a state license as non-negotiable table stakes, not bonus points. Read more on how we review operators.
How to find the best sportsbook for you
There is no single “best sportsbook,” only the best one for the way you bet. Match your priority to an operator below:
| You want… | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small first bet, big bonus | Hard Rock Bet (NJ) | Bet $5 for up to $500 in No Sweat Bets |
| To bet in Florida | Hard Rock Bet | The only legal mobile sportsbook in the state, via the Seminole Tribe |
| The deepest same-game parlay builder | FanDuel | The benchmark SGP tool in the US |
| Strong live and soccer markets | bet365 | Deep in-play coverage and global soccer |
| Loyalty across sports and casino | BetRivers | iRush Rewards spans both products |
| A sportsbook tied to a media app | theScore Bet | PENN’s app since ESPN Bet was rebranded |
A beginner’s guide: popular bet types explained
If you are new to sports betting, these are the wagers you will use most often. Learn these and you can bet confidently at any sportsbook:
- Moneyline: the simplest bet: pick who wins. Favorites pay less than your stake, underdogs pay more.
- Point spread: a bet on the margin of victory, which evens out a mismatch. It is the most popular NFL bet.
- Totals (over/under): a bet on whether the combined score finishes above or below a set line.
- Parlays: several bets combined onto one ticket for a much bigger payout, but every leg must win.
- Same-game parlays (SGP): multiple bets from a single game, hugely popular with casual bettors.
- Player props: wagers on individual performances (passing yards, points, strikeouts) and one of the quickest-growing markets in the US.
- Futures: long-term bets such as a league champion, division winner or season MVP.
- Live / in-play: betting after the action starts, with odds that shift in real time.
Sportsbook bonuses and promos compared
US welcome offers fall into three camps: a bet and get (place a small qualifying bet, get a fixed amount in bonus bets win or lose), a win and get (the bonus pays only if your first bet wins), and a second chance or No Sweat offer (a losing bet is refunded in bonus bets). Remember that bonus bets are not cash: the stake is not returned in your winnings, and tokens usually expire within seven days.
Our current partner sportsbook offers are in New Jersey:
Hard Rock Bet (NJ): bet $5, get $500 in No Sweat Bets. New customers 21+ in NJ. First bet $5+. Paid as 10 daily No Sweat tokens worth up to $50 each; bonus bets expire after 7 days, 1x playthrough. Full terms at Hard Rock Bet.
Read our Hard Rock Bet review Visit Hard Rock Bet →
Promotions at other sportsbooks vary by state; check the operator’s site. All partner offers and terms are collected on our promo codes page.
Betting apps and payouts compared
Mobile is the whole game now: in mature markets, the vast majority of legal bets are placed on a phone. The best betting apps combine sharp odds with a stable live-betting experience and fast withdrawals. When you compare, look at:
- Withdrawal methods: PayPal, instant bank transfer, debit card and Play+ are usually fastest; ACH and checks are slower.
- Verification: every licensed app checks your identity before the first withdrawal, so verify early.
- Geolocation: you must be physically inside a legal state. The app checks before every bet.
- Live betting stability: apps that freeze during big games cost you prices.
The most-bet sports in the US
The NFL is king. Pro football drives the most action by a wide margin, and the AGA projected more than $30 billion in legal wagers on the 2025 NFL season. Basketball is second, and college basketball’s March Madness rivals the NFL playoffs for sheer volume. Baseball benefits from the daily grind of the MLB schedule, college football draws big autumn spikes, and soccer keeps growing thanks to the Premier League, MLS and the 2026 World Cup hosted across North America. Hockey rounds out the major North American leagues, and player-prop and same-game-parlay betting now cut across all of them.
Many states restrict college betting. New Jersey, for example, bars bets on games involving its own colleges and on college games played in the state. Check your state guide before you bet on a local school.
US sports betting by the numbers
US sportsbooks took $166.94 billion in bets in 2025 and kept $16.89 billion as revenue, a hold of about 10.2%, up from 9.2% in 2024, according to a tally of state regulators’ reports. Revenue grew far faster than handle (22.6% against 11.3%), largely because parlays and same-game parlays carry a bigger margin for the house. States collected $3.71 billion in sports betting tax in 2025.
New York is the single biggest market, with more than $2.5 billion in 2025 sportsbook revenue and a 51% tax rate on mobile operators, the highest in the country. Illinois, New Jersey and Ohio each generated more than $1 billion. New Jersey, the state behind the case that overturned the federal ban, hosts one of the deepest line-ups of licensed operators in the country.
Where sports betting is legal
Thirty-nine states plus Washington, D.C. now offer some form of legal sports betting, though not all have statewide mobile apps. You must be 21+ in most states and physically located in-state to place a bet; the app’s geolocation confirms it before the bet button works.
- Full mobile access: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.
- Florida: legal, but Hard Rock Bet is the only app, via the Seminole Tribe.
- Retail or on-premises only: states such as Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota and Washington. Wisconsin has authorized expanded mobile wagering through its tribes, but it had not launched statewide.
- Not yet legal: California, Texas and Georgia remain the big holdouts, though all three see periodic legislative pushes.
All legal US sportsbooks
Our featured partner book is Hard Rock Bet in New Jersey. The other leading licensed US sportsbooks include FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, bet365, BetRivers and theScore Bet, which PENN Entertainment relaunched on December 1, 2025, when ESPN Bet was retired after PENN and ESPN ended their deal early. Availability varies widely by state: mature markets have a dozen or more operators competing for your action, while Florida has just one. Only bet with a sportsbook licensed in your state, and steer clear of unregulated offshore sites that offer no consumer protection.
Sports betting taxes
Sports betting winnings are taxable income under federal law, whether or not you receive a form. Sportsbooks issue a Form W-2G when a win is $600 or more and at least 300 times your stake, and federal withholding of 24% can apply to wins over $5,000 that meet the same test. Most states with an income tax also tax gambling winnings. Separately, operators pay a state tax on their revenue, from single digits in some states to 51% in New York, which is one reason promotions are smaller in high-tax markets. See the IRS guidance in Topic 419.
Responsible sports betting
Every licensed sportsbook must offer deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion, and most states run a statewide self-exclusion list that covers every operator. Set limits before you place your first bet, never chase losses, and treat bonus bets as entertainment, not income. If you need help, call 1-800-GAMBLER (24/7), or visit GambleAware.org. Many states also have their own helpline, listed on each state guide. Our responsible gambling page explains the tools.
Sports betting by state
US sports betting in 2027
Supreme Court and prediction markets
New Jersey has asked the US Supreme Court to hear Flaherty v. KalshiEX (No. 26-299), which asks whether states can regulate sports event contracts sold on federally regulated exchanges. A response is due on November 9, 2026; whether the Court takes the case will shape how sportsbooks compete with prediction markets in 2027.
Texas returns to session
The Texas Legislature, which meets in odd-numbered years, convenes again in January 2027. Sports betting bills have stalled there before, so watch whether any reach a floor vote in the country’s largest market without legal betting.
Wisconsin’s mobile rollout
Wisconsin has authorized expanded mobile wagering through its tribes but had not launched statewide. A launch would add another online state to the map.
Is online sports betting legal in the US?
Yes, where your state allows it. Sports betting is legal in some form in 39 states plus Washington, D.C., and 31 states plus D.C. have statewide online sportsbooks. It is regulated state by state, so what you can do depends on where you are physically located.
Which states have legal online sports betting?
Most of the country, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Arizona, Colorado, Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, North Carolina, Missouri and Florida (Hard Rock Bet only). California, Texas and Georgia are the notable holdouts.
What is the best sportsbook promo in New Jersey?
Our national partner pick is Hard Rock Bet’s bet $5, get $500 in No Sweat Bets in New Jersey. It is 21+, NJ only, with the full terms shown above; every New Jersey partner offer is compared in our New Jersey sportsbooks guide.
Do I need a promo code to claim a sportsbook bonus?
Usually not: most US offers apply automatically when you sign up through the operator’s link and opt in. Always read the terms for minimum odds and expiry dates.
Was ESPN Bet rebranded as theScore Bet?
Yes. PENN Entertainment and ESPN ended their agreement early, and ESPN Bet became theScore Bet on December 1, 2025.
Can I bet in a state where I don't live?
Yes. You do not have to be a resident, but you must be physically inside a state where betting is legal. The app uses your phone’s location to confirm you are in-state before letting you place a bet.