Legal Online Sports Betting In The U.S.

Yes, we know this is a no-brainer. Of course, football is the most popular category when it comes to sports betting. While the NFL tops the charts in this popularity contest, college football is a close second. We now have a third, up-and-coming football league to consider, the UFL.

We certainly can't forget our neighbors to the north, with action on the CFL (Canadian Football League) also appearing at most legal online sportsbooks. Yes, football is indeed where the action is, and if these newer leagues gain some traction, we might have football action to bet on most of the year now.

On those bleak days that are outside of football season (yes, we all suffer through them), you'll find futures betting options for NFL and College Football without fail. If the UFL grows in popularity, it is likely future bets will also be available for those leagues as well. These bets include additional risk, but the reward is bigger, with more significant payouts, making those long-shot odds more attractive.

While both professional and college basketball are very popular sports for fans and spectators, most of the betting action surrounding basketball comes during post season playoffs and tournaments, with the NBA playoffs, championships, and NCAA March Madness seeing the bulk of the action.

Don't get me wrong, you can bet all season long, and many people do as there are certainly plenty of games to keep you busy, but for some reason the majority of bettors are more drawn to the playoffs and championship tournaments than the regular season games.

As far as popularity, baseball is definitely right up there, neck and neck with basketball. I mean, afterall, it is the great American passtime. The MLB enjoys a very dedicated and enthusiastic fan base, which does translate into a significant number of bettors. College baseball is covered by the sportsbooks, but doesn't hold a candle to the MLB's popularity.

LIke basketball, there is more betting action during the playoffs and World Series than during the regular season. Most of the betting lines for college baseball target post season playoffs and the College World Series, which does see some serious betting action some years.

While baseball is referred to as the great American passtime, we're not the only ones enjoying the game. Two international leagues in particular enjoy inclusion in the betting lines at most bookmakers: NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), which is a professional Japanese baseball league and the KBO, which is the Korean Baseball Organization, also a professional league. Their fan base does extend to the US.

While the NHL is not the only hockey league in the world, it is the most popular and garners the most affection from bettors here in the US. Betting lines for hockey are available all season, throughout the playoffs, and of course, during the Stanley Cup tournament. You will also find NHL futures bets available during the off-season.

While the MLS is actually not one of the more popular soccer leagues to bet on, they are typically covered in the betting lines for soccer, or 'football', depending on where you are from.

The international leagues, such as the Premiere League, are much more popular and followed more closely even by American soccer fans. The European soccer leagues are also covered more comprehensively at the online sportsbooks we've recommended, which speaks to the fact that they enjoy a large robust and dedicated fan base.

All of the sportsbooks on this page cover the Euroepan teams, tournaments, and of course the epitome of soccer events. the World Cup.

Betting on combat sports is as old as the sport itself, and has really gained momentum with the advent of being able to place bets online for boxing, MMA, and even wrestling matches (though betting lines for wrestling do sometimes fall ito 'entertainment betting' rather than combat sports depending on which bookmaker you are visiting).

Along with pro boxing matches, celebrity boxing events also trigger their fair share of betting action. The UFC and Bellator matches are covered faithfully by the sportsbooks on this page as well.

Horse race betting is always going to be popular and has a rich history dating back to when sports betting entertainment in the US was in its infancy. With the online sportsbooks you find on this page, bettors are not limited to domestic races in the US, but have access to prestigious races taking place all around the world.

The popularity of esports tournaments is growing, so it was only natural that this niche caught the attention of bookmakers. It is likely that video games in general became more woven into the fabric of society during the pandemic, catapulting esports to new levels of viewership and fandom.

You are not going to find odds or lines for esports at the majority of state-regulated sportsbooks. The reason for this is that players in the tournaments are often under the age of 18, which adds some controversy regarding the morality of placing bets on children.

Some states are considering legalizing esports with conditions built in to address this, which could even end up changing how esports are conducted in some cases. For those who don't have a problem with placing bets on these tournaments, you'll find lines available at the sportsbooks we've suggested.

Simulated sports contests have been around for a while, but they really gained momentum during the covid pandemic when no live sports were taking place.

Likewise virtual sports also sprung up, and included some creative approaches with events such as virtual soccer games, virtual car racing, virtual camel races, virtual marble games, and a host of other unique options.

Sports Sims to bet on included popular games such as Madden NFL, NBA 2K, MLB the Show, and many others. Virtual sports and sports sims filled the void for us, and seem to be here to stay at most of the online bookmakers we've listed on this page.

Despite the fact that political betting dates back to our earliest elections in the United States, you will not find any political betting lines at the state-licensed sportsbooks operating in the US today.

However, the online sports betting sites we recommend all deliver betting lines for elections in the US and around the world, as well as various prop bets surrounding political events, scandals, and more.

It is perfectly legal to place a bet on any election or political event that is offered in the betting lines for the betting sites on this page because they are all operating legally online.

This is one of my very favorite categories because the possibilities are limitless. Entertainment betting odds cover a wide range of categories, including reality TV shows, award shows, movies, music, celebrity gossip, and so much more.

Despite how popular entertainment betting has become, none of the local, state-licensed sportsbooks offer these kinds of odds as of May 2025. This is not a problem though for our audience because all of the betting sites featured in this guide cover entertainment odds with enthusiasm.

When we think of darts, we usually think of a smokey bar with pitchers of beer and older men throwing little arrows at a target. While that if often the case, the world of darts has expanded to global competitions held around the world.'

Today, you can legally bet on darts with online sportsbooks that feature odds for notable competitions. While most odds feature the Premier League or the Online Live League, betting on darts has become fairly common in the world of sports betting.

Dart odds are similar to other popular sports, with game lines that include spread, money line, and total odds.

Snooker is often confused with pool; while similar, the game's object is very different. Instead of sinking the 8-ball, snooker players look to score points using the cue ball to pot the red and colored object balls.

Betting on snooker is available online with sportsbooks that feature international and tour championship odds. While not the most popular sport to gamble on, snooker has carved a path of its own and has landed in its own category at the most popular online sports betting sites.

Snooker odds are represented by game lines with win, total, and money line odds on which players can wager.