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Legal Tennis Betting Guide

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  • 2024 Australian Open Betting Is Active Now
  • Bet On The 2024 French Open At Online Tennis Sportsbooks
  • 2024 Wimbledon Futures Are Available Online

The origin of tennis dates back to 12th century France when aristocrats struck a ball back and forth using the palms of their hands. Tennis also thrived during medieval times when King Henry VIII was passionate about the game and played often using crude equipment. Considering the sport’s age, it’s no wonder that tennis inspires a high level of legal sports betting around the globe each year.

That’s where our legal tennis betting guide comes into play. Whether it is betting on the French Open, or the granddaddy of them all, Wimbledon, prospective tennis bettors will be served up a 150-mph overhead slam’s worth of vital gambling info, including the best grand slam sportsbook sites to wager with.

Is Tennis Betting Legal In The US?

Yes. Tennis fans inside of the USA can bet with a domestic sportsbook location or app, or utilize the services of an overseas betting site that is offering its services to American gamblers. Legal golf bets can be placed with international sportsbooks without fear or penalty because there are no laws in place that govern the activity.

For more detailed information on state and federal regulations, please visit the gambling laws section of this website which can be accessed via the menu at the top of this page.

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 Site NameCurrent BonusAgeU.S.Visit Site
Top Rated #1 IconBovada Sportsbook50% Max $1,00018+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
2BetUS125% Max $3,12518+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
3Betonline Sportsbook50% Max $1,00018+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
4sports betting logo50% Max $1,00018+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
5MyBookie Sportsbook50% Max $1,00021+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
6xbet logo50% Max $50021+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review

Tennis Betting Odds

One betting line that we see on nearly every professional tennis tournament features winner odds like the ones featured below. These lines place moneyline odds next to each tennis player’s name that imply their chances of winning the entire tournament.

There are also traditional match game lines that feature spreads for the amount of total games the victor will win by, the total over/under for games played, and straight winner odds in money line form. To top it all off, there are a fleet of tennis prop bets that can cover any occurrence during the television broadcast. These will be further detailed in a section below titled “Tennis Bet Types.”

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Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments

Each calendar year there are four grand slam tournaments that attract the top men and women’s professional tennis players from around the world. How many major championships a player has won determines their legacy, so each grand slam tournament features the best players bringing their A game, and also inspires legions of fans to place bets on the matches.

Most Men’s Grand Slam Titles: Roger Federer 20 (Raphael Nadal is active with 19)
Most Women’s Grand Slam Titles: Margaret Smith Court 24 (*Serena Williams is active with 23)

Legal Betting On Wimbledon

wimbledon logoWimbledon is the most prestigious grand slam tournament on the pro tennis schedule each year and takes place over two weeks, or a fortnight, in jolly ol’ England. It is the only grand slam event that features a grass court that gets worn down over the 14 days of play. Betting on Wimbledon features the most action out of any of the grand slam tournaments each year.

The grass court significantly slows down the speed that the tennis ball travels, creating for games that last for more strokes on average. This gives an advantage to slower tennis players that can serve the ball at high speeds. There is also the added pressure of playing in front of the Queen of England if your match is featured enough to be played at Centre Court.

Legal Betting On The US Open Tennis Tournament

US Open logoWomen and men’s US Open tennis betting odds can be found on the boards at sportsbooks nearly all year round, with oddsmakers pausing only briefly following each tournament to gather up a line for the following year’s event.

The tournament has been around since 1891 and is one of two grand slam tennis competitions that are played on hard courts. Hardcourt tennis matches feature faster ball speed as well as quicker movements from the competitors due to the solid grip the surface provides. US Open play features fewer volleys and quicker games, especially on the men’s side.

Legal Betting On The French Open

French Open LogoThe French Open is the only grand slam tournament that features clay as the playing surface. The red clay causes players to slide when they try to stop in place, so they have to get accustomed to the extra motion when preparing to strike a ball while on the go.

All that sliding around causes the lines on the court to blur, and is easily the most entertaining tennis surface to watch a match commence upon. Rafael Nadal is still active as a player and is without a doubt the greatest clay-court player of all time, earning 12 French Open titles during his career.

Legal Australian Open Betting

Australian Open logoEach year, pro tennis players from around the globe head down under to compete in the Australian Open and earn a shot at a grand slam title for their shelf. The tourney is played on hard courts, just like the US Open, and features high-speed ball movement and players moving rapidly to and fro.

The Aussie Open has been in play since 1905 and sports the highest attendance numbers out of all the grand slam events, hosting over 800,000 fans over the course of the tournament. Betting on the Australian Open is also popular, with Novak Djokovic often featured near the top of the money line odds.

Tennis Bet Types: How Do Tennis Odds Work?

Match Lines - Individual match lines like the one below include three betting options - the spread, straight winner odds, and totals.

Novak Djokovic vs. Filip Krajinovic

  • Spread: Djokovic -5.0
  • Winner: Djokovic -500, Krajinovic +375
  • Total: 21.0

How To Bet On Tennis Spreads - The above betting line implies that Djokovic will win by a total of 5 or more games based on the spread of -5.0.

A wager can be made on either side of the spread. Djokovic will need to win by 6 games or more games for bets on him to pay off. Alternatively, spread wagers will not pay out if made on Krajinovic unless he can lose by less than 4 games, or if he can outright win.

Winner – For bettors that want to keep it simple and do an old-fashioned bet on the winner of the tennis match, money line odds are the way to go. Since competitors are rarely equal, odds are placed next to each player’s name that indicates their chances of winning, as well as the payout that can be collected if they do.

Because Djokovic is favored to win, a bet of $500 on his -500 money line odds is required to earn a payout of $100. On the other side of the equation, a $100 bet on Krajinovic, who is a +375 underdog, will earn a cash sum of $375 if he can upset Djokovic.

Totals - The over/under indicates that the match will last for 21.0 games. Oddsmakers declare the total number of games that they predict the match will last and bettors are then able to wager on which side of the line they think the total will fall on. These are also fairly simple bets that don’t require a lot of research.

Futures - Futures odds are tennis betting lines for events that have yet to occur, like the ones featured above in sections for each of the winners of the four major tournaments.  Another example is “How many grand slam tournament titles will Serena Williams earn before she retires?”

Set Lines – These are just like the match line above, but all of the odds are placed on a single set.

What Happens To A Tennis Bet If A Player Retires From A Match? – If a player retires before the completion of the first set, all bets are voided and refunded. If a player retires after the conclusion of the first set, then the bet stands.

How To Bet On Tennis

Betting on major tennis tournaments requires membership with one of the premium betting sites that we feature in the table above. Not all tennis bettors are the same, and that’s why we recommend browsing each site to see which one has the best options for you.

We also recommend joining more than one book so that the best betting odds are available to you, allowing for the highest payout on the boards. Once you’ve decided the site or sites you want to sign up with, locate the join button at the top of the home page and press it.

The next two screens will ask for account information entry and your first deposit. Banking methods range from old hat to all that, allowing for deposits to be made with credit and debit cards, wire transfers, Cashier’s Checks, money transfer services, Zelle (USD-to-BTC), and Bitcoin, the world’s leading cryptocurrency. Other select crypto coins are also supported.

Withdrawals can be made via wire transfer and Cashier’s Check by courier, but the only sure-fire way to secure one within 24 hours is via Bitcoin (BTC). We’ve also seen other crypto in use such as Ethereum, Litecoin, Cardano (ADA), Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, and others.

Once you’ve got your deposit handled, head on over to the sportsbook section of the website and locate the tennis tab. Once there, you’ll be granted access to grand slam tennis betting lines, futures, props, and much more.

Mobile Tennis Betting Apps

mobile bet iconNo longer do bettors have to rely on laptops or personal computers to bet on tennis online. Smartphones and tablets can access mobile betting apps from our top tennis betting sites with modern browsers in a matter of seconds as long as they have a connection to the net.

All the features of the main website are ported to the mobile version, allowing for handheld tennis betting that can easily wager on the US Open or lay some action on a prop bet on an Australian Open match.

There’s also no download, as these apps operate through current mobile browsers like Chrome, Opera, Google, Safari, or Firefox. A quick click on one of the links above will have you betting on tennis on your iPhone, iPad, or Android-powered device in no time.

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We recommend joining more than one online betting site so that you can shop the tennis odds and find the highest payout on your chosen wager. Limiting yourself to one sportsbook will also limit your earning potential.

Make sure that all bets are placed with income that you have deemed as disposable. Set a monthly betting allowance and don’t go over that amount.

One final piece of advice we can offer is to set a betting limit that is 3% of your total bankroll. Adhering to a 3% limit will ensure for a full tennis season’s worth of betting and will inspire more responsible wagering strategies.

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