Top States for Online Sportsbooks
When choosing a sportsbook, it’s important to choose one that offers the most variety of betting options. Most top sportsbooks offer odds on a wide range of events, including baseball and basketball games, as well as major soccer leagues. They also offer handicapping tools, live action feeds, and a variety of different promotions. To make sure you’re making the right choice, it’s recommended to play around with a site before placing any bets. This will give you a feel for the layout and graphics and help you determine whether or not it’s a good fit.
A good sportsbook will provide a variety of payment methods, including credit cards and cryptocurrencies. They should also have fast and reliable customer service. It’s important to know that if you have a question or problem with your wager, the customer support team will be ready to help you.
In the early days of legal sportsbooks, Colorado led the way with a state-branded app and a handful of retail locations. A few years later, Michigan launched in-person and online sports betting on March 11, 2020 and now has a dozen sites and a competitive, operator-friendly system. The state regularly ranks in the top 10 for sports handle, though a ban on betting on in-state colleges has hurt during Saint Peter’s Cinderella run to the Elite Eight.
Nevada, long a sports gambling pioneer, has seen its market share diminish as states legalized sportsbooks and new operators like FanDuel and DraftKings entered the market. In the first half of 2022, Las Vegas remained the top gambling market in the country with a 52% share, followed by New Jersey (45%), Pennsylvania (27%), and West Virginia (14%).
Rhode Island became the sixth state to offer sports betting six months after the Supreme Court ruling. Retail sportsbooks opened in 2018 at its two casinos, with William Hill being the lone legal online sportsbook. The small population and lone legal option keep revenues low, though a ban on player props is a deterrent to many potential customers.
Illinois is another top sports betting state, regularly ranking among the top five in both handle and tax revenue. The state passed a law in 2021 and began licensing operators, including FanDuel and DraftKings. The market has grown since and it now has 13 online sportsbooks.
Ohio has lagged behind its Midwestern neighbors when it comes to sports betting, but lawmakers passed a bill this year and Gov. Mike DeWine approved it. In-person sports betting is now available at a handful of establishments, with the first online sites going live on Jan. 1. The market is expected to grow next year.