To find the best online betting sites our team looks for large bonuses, secure payouts and attractive odds for a huge range of sports. These sites should make it quick and easy for you to bet on leagues like the NFL, NBA and MLB, and offer exciting features such as insights from expert handicappers.
If you are looking for a high-quality, trustworthy online sportsbook, you are in the right place. Our guide shines a light on the top sports betting sites in the business. We’ll outline the best site by category, sport and more importantly, we’ll help you find the right site for you.
The Sports Geek’s Top Sportsbook Picks
Top Betting Sites in 2023
Our experts have identified 8 elite online betting sites that stand head and shoulders above their rivals. Read on to learn more about each site and discover your perfect match.
- BetUS – Best Overall Sportsbook
- Bovada – Best Mobile Betting Sportsbook
- Everygame – Great Welcome Bonus Offer
- MyBookie – Highest Number of Sports to Bet On
- BetNow – Best Online Sportsbook for Weekly Contests
- XBet – Best for Betting Odds and Lines
- WagerWeb – Best for Fast Bank Wire Payouts
- GTBets – Best Online Sportsbook for Betting on Favorite Teams
- Online Since: 1994
- License: Government of Curacao
- Welcome Bonus: 100% deposit match bonus up to $2,500
- Availability: Every state apart from New Jersey
BetUS is our top-rated online sportsbook. It excels in every department we review, resulting in a superb all-round customer experience. The user interface is sophisticated, intuitive and packed with helpful features. It covers more than 25 sports in great depth, from football and basketball to surfing and wrestling.
You will find a large selection of pre-game betting options at BetUS, and a world-class live betting section. In addition, they happen to offer better odds than most rivals, with reduced juice lines available.
BetUS also stands out from other sportsbooks with its suite of betting resources. Their video service, BetUS TV, provides match previews, advice, and analysis from pro-handicappers on upcoming games. LockerRoom includes daily picks, articles, and news from the sports betting world. These services give you valuable insights and tips to get the most out of your betting experience.
New customers can claim a large sports welcome bonus, worth 100% up to $2,500 on their first deposit. To qualify, you need to deposit at least $100 and hit a 10x rollover. For crypto, the sign-up bonus is even bigger, at 150% up to $3,750 (with a 14x rollover).
And the bonuses don’t stop there. If you refer-a-friend, you can claim a massive 300% up to $6,000, split over your friend’s first three deposits. You even get free entry into a referral raffle for special prizes.
With over 10 years of experience, Bovada is one of the most well-known names in the sports betting industry. Bovada also provides one of the best mobile betting experiences in the business. The super modern design and intuitive layout makes it easy to find favorable odds and build out your bets. The live betting is especially great on mobile, with trending events showing up in the center screen so you can easily access popular live betting opportunities. You’ll find a huge number of betting lines for all the major sports and minor leagues.
All their bonuses can be claimed via Bovada mobile. Sign up today and you can earn a 50% up to $250 sports welcome bonus. This is even higher for crypto, at 75% up to $750. The very low rollover requirement of 5x, and minimum $20 deposit, mean you have a high chance at cashing in. The crypto payouts are also among the fastest around. You’ll receive Bitcoin payouts within 24 hours, and under 1 hour for other crypto.
First founded as “Intertops” in 1996, Everygame brings decades of sportsbook experience. But it is the welcome bonus that stands out. You can claim 100% up to $250 on each of your first three deposits, for a total of $750. There are bigger bonuses out there, but few are as easy to cash in. This is thanks to one of the lowest rollover requirements you’ll find. With a 4x rollover requirement and minimum deposit of $20, everyone has a chance at seeing this bonus in the bank.
When it comes to betting, there are a large number of American and international sports. There is also a live betting feature with a great layout, and a prominent halftime betting section. This makes it very easy to organize mid-game wagers. Not only that, there are regular sports promotions to take advantage of. These promos give rewards ranging from bonus cash, to free game tickets.
Since 2014, MyBookie has established itself as a leading online sportsbook. Here you’ll find one of the largest sports selections around, with upwards of 30 worldwide sports. From snooker and cricket to Women’s NBA and Aussie Rules, you can bet on it all. You can even get involved in other special bets like politics and awards-show wagers. There are plenty of props and live bets too, giving you tons of betting options.
To take advantage of these ample opportunities, you can claim a 50% up to $1,000 welcome bonus. To cash in, deposit at least $50, and then hit a 10x rollover. Crypto users also have plenty of deposit options, including alt coins like Shiba Inu and BNB. Furthermore, there is a generous 25% Reload Bonus on any deposit over $100. You only need to match a 6x rollover to cash in, giving you an endless bonus supply.
BetNow focuses on keeping things simple for online sports bettors. Everything is quick and easy, from signing up and making a deposit to placing a bet and getting paid out. You can only bet on 12 sports, and it does not offer a huge variety of markets either.
But it’s the BetNow free-entry weekly sports contests that are the biggest attraction. You can win $10,000 each week by picking all that week’s NFL, NBA, or MBL results. There are also bracket and pool contests with $1,000,000 prize pots for big events like March Madness.
Meanwhile, live bets are graded superfast. Most live winnings will be in your account within 20 minutes, where other sites can take up to one hour. To sign up, you can pick from three welcome bonuses to suit your budget. Choose 150% up to $150, or 100% up to $500, or 50% up to $500, each with different rollovers. This means both casual gamblers and committed players can benefit.
XBet has provided a reliable betting service since it was founded in 2007. You can bet on all the major sports and loads of niche sports, like table tennis and lacrosse. But best of all, XBet strives for competitive odds over other sportsbooks. You can often find odds a whole point or more in your favor for spreads, and 60 or more for moneyline bets. This makes XBet a great benchmark to use when line shopping.
The live bets also give you plenty of opportunities to chase favorable odds, alongside lots of prop options. To get started, you can claim a 50% up to $500 welcome bonus. This can be won with a low rollover requirement of 7x, although you’ll need to deposit at least $45. You can also take a 25% up to $250 reload bonus every time you fund your account. With just a 5x rollover, everyone has a chance at cashing in. If you keep a keen eye, XBet can be a very lucrative sportsbook!
First starting in 1994, WagerWeb remains a quality online sportsbook. You’ll find a large selection of sports and a comprehensive racebook. But it’s when it comes to cashing out that WagerWeb really shines. Crypto payouts will always be faster, but here you’ll find one of the fastest bank wire payouts around. Where most sites take five days or more, here you can see money in your account in as little as three days!
Join today and you can choose from two different welcome bonuses. One bonus gives you 100% up to $500 when using Bitcoin or MoneyGram. There is no minimum deposit, although you’ll need to hit a 15x rollover. Otherwise, you can choose 50% up to $1,000, with a 12x rollover. Meanwhile, you can also claim one of two cashback bonuses. This gives you a percentage of your money back every week, even if you hit a losing streak. With fantasy betting and live bets also on offer, there’s plenty of reasons to sign up.
GTBets is a Sports Geek favorite for NFL bettors. It typically offers odds of -109 on either side of an NFL point spread or total points line, whereas most rivals offer standard juice -110 odds. That will ensure you receive a slightly larger profit on winning wagers at this sportsbook.
You can also enjoy an extra half-point when betting on your favorite NFL, NCAAF, NBA and NCAAB teams at GTBets. For example, if you go for the Boston Celtics as your favorite NBA team, and they are the 4.5-point favorites, you can bet on the Celtics -4 instead. This sportsbook – initially known as Game Time Bets – also offers appealing promos, quick payouts, a great loyalty program and a simple, uncluttered sports betting interface.
How to Choose the Best Online Sportsbook
Our experts have reviewed hundreds of online sportsbooks over the years. They focus on a range of important factors, which are laid out below. You can consider which of these categories matter the most to you, as that will help you identify the ideal sportsbook for your needs.
Welcome Bonuses
The best sports betting sites offer a large, compelling welcome bonus. Size matters when it comes to sign-up promos, but the rollover requirement is equally important. It tells you how many times you need to play your bonus funds through before they will convert to cash, so we always consider it when calculating the true value of each promo.
Recurring Promotions
You can only claim a single sign-up bonus at each sportsbook — the sports betting sites that we like provide a wide selection of recurring promos so you can keep extending your play. They include free bets, odds boosts, money back specials, profit boosts, contests, prize draws and much more. Many online betting sites also offer great loyalty programs too with features like VIP tiers for high rollers.
Betting Options
A wide selection of options on each big game is something sites need to offer. These include player props, game props, same game parlay combos and alternate lines. It is helpful to find a sportsbook that offers lots of different markets, as it improves your prospects of finding a pick that perfectly tallies up with how you expect the game to unfold. Bovada offers the best selection of betting options, but MyBookie also excels in this area.
Quality of the Odds
All online betting sites take a house edge – known as the juice, or the vigorish – on their lines. However, the top sites only take a modest edge, and they sometimes provide reduced juice lines.
You can boost your long-term chances of accruing a profit by signing up with several sportsbooks at once. That allows you to compare their odds on each game, and you can then use the sportsbook with the best odds on each wager you place, maximizing your profits whenever you win.
User Interface
It should be quick and simple to wager on your favorite leagues. We want to see sites load quickly and reliably. Betting pages should be laid out in a neat, accessible format and the betslip should be user-friendly.
Bovada and BetUS make the betting process smooth and simple. Extra features can also enhance the user experience. For example, Bovada provides detailed pre-game statistics and same game parlay builders.
Mobile Compatibility
You can access sites like, BetUS, Bovada and Everygame via any browser on your iOS or Android device, and you will be able to place quick, easy wagers on your favorite sports while you are on the move. It is also easy to create shortcuts to these sites on your device’s home screen, which essentially turns them into web-based sports betting apps.
Customer Service
You need to easily be able to contact customer support at your chosen book. The best sites have professional, multilingual customer service agents on hand to help with any issues you might face. You can often access support over the phone, through live chat or via email, and the representatives should always be quick to reply.
Security
When wagering real money you need to ensure your personal details are in good hands. The best sports betting sites invest in the best firewalls and the latest TLS encryption to protect customer data. You can also set up two-factor authentication for extra protection at some of the more secure sites.
Banking Options
You should find a wide selection of banking options at the top online sportsbooks, including credit cards, bank transfers, eWallets and crypto. They offer instant deposits, and they have limits to suit all bettors.
Withdrawal Times
The best online sportsbooks also offer quick, secure payouts. Sites like Bovada normally process payout requests on the same day they are made. If you select a cryptocurrency as your withdrawal option, you will receive your funds within a few minutes of the payout being approved.
Reputation
It is also important to consider the general reputation of an online sportsbook. Look for sports betting sites based overseas, as they can accept customers from across the United States, including states such as California, Texas and Florida. They are not subject to state or federal laws, and there are no laws in place to prevent American bettors from using them.
You just need to find legit, reputable sportsbooks that have a long track record of treating their customers fairly, grading bets correctly and paying out on time. The top sportsbooks listed on this page have all been operating for at least a decade – some have been online for more than 25 years – and they have built up trustworthy reputations in that time.
How We Choose our Recommended Sportsbooks
We work hard to identify every online sportsbook targeting US bettors. Our experts then sign up for an account with each sports betting site and conduct an in-depth review. They make deposits, place wagers, claim promos and request payouts, and they make detailed notes throughout.
This allows us to uncover the best sportsbooks for beginners, professional bettors, bonus hunters and so on. We also make a note of the top sports betting sites for particular leagues, such as the NFL, MLB and NBA. Each sportsbook has its own strengths and specialties, but our recommended online betting sites all share these key traits:
How to Get Started with Online Sportsbooks
It is easy to get started with one of the sportsbooks that we have recommended. You can follow the five steps displayed below to create your account and place your first bet today.
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Check out the reviews of our recommended online betting sites and select one that appeals to you. Click through to the site using the button provided on this page, as that will ensure you end up in the right spot.
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Open the registration form and fill in your personal details, such as your name, email address, date of birth, residential address and phone number. Create your password, accept the terms and conditions, and then click “Create Account.”
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Most sportsbooks will require you to click a link sent to your inbox to verify your account. At some point, you may also need to clear KYC checks, which typically require you to upload a scan of an official ID card and a recent bill, but that is normally only necessary further down the line.
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When your account has been approved, you can make a deposit to claim the sportsbook’s welcome bonus. Visit the cashier, select a deposit method, choose an amount and provide details to complete the transaction. Most sportsbooks will then release the bonus credits immediately, but you can opt out if you do not want to claim a sign-up bonus.
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Select a sport from the main menu, choose a league and identify a game you would like to bet on. When you click on that game, you will be presented with an array of betting options. Click the odds next to any of them to add that selection to the online betslip. You can then enter a bet amount and confirm your first wager.
Best Online Sportsbooks for Each Major Sport
Elite sportsbooks like Bovada offer superb coverage of all the major sports leagues. However, we know some readers will place the vast majority of their bets on just one particular sport. Here are the top online sportsbook for each major sports league:
Best Site for NFL Betting – BetUS
BetUS is an excellent choice for NFL fans. It is normally one of the first online sportsbooks to release its football betting lines, and it offers appealing odds and a huge choice of markets on each NFL game.
BetUS is also great for NFL prop bets. You can bet on everything from individual player rushing yards, to the Super Bowl gatorade celebration, and a whole lot more. If that wasn’t enough, there are also special NFL contests throughout the season.
NFL Betting Sites
You can find other great sportsbooks on our NFL betting sites guide.
Best Sportsbook for MLB Betting – BetNow
We tested out the MLB moneyline odds at all the leading online sportsbooks, and BetNow offered the best odds. It took a house edge of just 1.8% on its moneylines, compared to 2.4% at Everygame and around 4% at most other online betting sites. BetNow also takes a low edge on its run lines and totals too, so it is a great option for baseball bettors seeking value.
MLB Betting Sites
Visit our MLB betting site guide for other fantastic options for wagering on baseball.
Best Site for NBA Betting – Bovada
You can browse more than 250 betting options on NBA games at Bovada. It is generally quick to publish overnight lines, and the odds are always very competitive. Bettors can browse pre-game NBA stats to guide their picks, and you can always request odds on any NBA prop that is not listed on the site.
NBA Betting Sites
Our best NBA betting sites page features loads of other places to make basketball bets.
Top Sportsbook for NHL Betting – BetUS
BetUS is our top choice for ice hockey fans. Beyond offering competitive odds, lines, props and futures, they are a great resource for new NHL bettors. With BetUS TV and their NHL picks, analysis and guides, you’ll find everything you need to know about NHL betting.
NHL Betting Sites
Hockey fans looking for other alternatives can visit our NHL betting sites page.
Best Site for MLS Betting – Bovada
Bovada is vastly superior to any other US online sportsbook for soccer bettors. It covers a huge variety of leagues, and it provides an excellent selection of betting options. MLS fans will be offered loads of exciting props on regular season and playoff games, and it provides an even greater selection of markets on the EPL and the Champions League.
Soccer Betting Sites
Betting on the soccer is more popular than ever in the USA, with lots of other great soccer betting sites to cater to this demand.
Best Sportsbook for Golf Betting – MyBookie
MyBookie is a great choice for golf bettors. It offers a broad range of markets, including 2-balls, 3-balls and groups, outright winner markets, to make/miss the cut and various exotic options. The golf odds are often market beating at MyBookie. However, it is worth registering with multiple sites before betting on a golf tournament, as the odds on each player can heavily fluctuate from one site to the next.
Golf Betting Sites
Visit our top golf betting sites page for more places to bet on golf.
Blacklisted Sportsbook Sites 2023
Our blacklist features a rogue’s gallery of untrustworthy sites that have failed to pay customers their winnings on time. These are some of the online sportsbooks to avoid at all costs:
- A scam site launched to capitalize on the popularity of legitimate European sportsbook 888 Sport.
- Lured customers in with exciting promos.
- Refused to pay customers their winnings.
- A sportsbook with a reputation for deceitfully confiscating players’ funds after they placed winning bets.
- A reputation for running bait and switch sports betting bonuses.
- Customer service agents are unhelpful when dealing with player complaints.
- A history of slow paying customers and sending checks that bounced.
- A sister site to notorious scam shops such as Sportsbook.ag and LinesMaker.
- Part of the Jazette family, which has a terrible reputation among online sports bettors.
Other Betting Resources
The Sports Geek aims to arm sports bettors with all the tools they need to succeed. You can check out a variety of additional resources below:
Sportsbook Reviews
Safest Sportsbooks
Real Money Sportsbooks
Live Betting Sportsbooks
Mobile Betting Sportsbooks
Fast Payout Sites
Free Sports Picks
Responsible Gambling at Sportsbooks
Our team here takes responsible gambling very seriously.
If you ever find that gambling is infringing upon your day-to-day life, finances, relationships or mood, you should take a step back and reassess. Some sportsbooks allow you to take a cooling off period or self-exclude, and you should be able to impose deposit limits, bet limits and time limits on your own account too.
You can also find additional resources here:
Online Sportsbooks FAQs
Yes. Sports betting sites such as BetUS, Bovada and Everygame are all available in the US. They are based overseas, allowing them to accept customers from almost every state. There are no laws that would prevent you from using those online betting sites, and they are all legit, reliable, trustworthy operators that pay out in full and on time.
Reduced juice betting sites typically have the best odds on the market. For example, BetUS offers reduced juice NHL lines, so you can unlock great value when betting on pro hockey at that site. However, the sportsbook with the best odds often varies from one game to the next, so it is helpful to register with multiple sites.
We provide daily free picks based on expert and AI analysis. You’ll find a rundown of each fixture, along with suggested bets and sportsbooks with good odds for those bets. The picks also contain plenty of other information, like key facts, figures. and teams news, that can help inform your other wagers. Alternatively, you can check out BetUS for a sportsbook with its own TV channel and free picks.
Yes! As long as you use a trusted online sportsbook, you will have a safe betting experience. We do extensive testing to make sure these sportsbooks are fully licensed, use SSL-data encryption technology, and have trustworthy reputations. Our recommended sites such as BetUS, Bovada and Everygame have all been operating for more than a decade, and they have impeccable safety records.
Bet slips are in-site features that help you organize your wagers. When you make a bet, it will automatically show in your bet slip. If you wish, you can then combine the wagers in your bet slip into parlays and round robins. Some bet slips will also show suggested bets, based on your existing wagers.
An odds boosts is where sites will offer increased odds on specific wagers to attract more bettors. These improved odds are a great way to improve your payout from betting on favorites. They can also help reduce your risk when you wager on an underdog. You can check out GTBets for a season-long odds boost when you pick your favorite basketball and football teams.
A risk-free bet is a wager where you are not risking any of your own money. These are also referred to as free bets for that reason. You still have to stake an amount, but your funds will be returned to you if your bet loses. Free-bets are usually offered as part of a promotion, loyalty scheme, or bonus.
