Ballislife has been dedicated to bringing all hoop heads with the best basketball videos on the net, and connecting them for the love of the game for the best part of 20 years! Now we're gonna fill you in with everything you need to know about the best online betting sites, free bets, picks & and much, much more!
Every online sportsbook and sweepstakes casino featured on our site will be checked to make sure that it is safe and legal. We’ll let you know how good the sportsbook markets are for betting. It doesn’t matter whether you’re making a deposit for sports betting or purchasing virtual credit at a sweepstakes casino, as you’ll always want a safe way to move your money around.
There’s hundreds of options out there, but which of the online sportsbooks are actually worth your time? BallIsLife is here to help you find out. We dig deep into every sportsbook on the market, reviewing everything from their customer service methods to their betting market provision. No stone is left unturned, and you’ll find all of our observations, thoughts, and conclusions in our online sportsbook reviews.
We’re not just going to tell you what you can experience when betting online; at BallIsLife, we go the extra mile and actively try to make your betting as beneficial as it can be. We’ve secured exciting betting promotions with top operators that you won’t find anywhere else, so you can always be sure you’re at the cutting edge and enjoying the best possible value.
Online betting is good; an online betting promotion is even better; a great online betting promotion is as good as it gets. We’ve detailed every betting promo out there from all the biggest brands, scouring through the T&Cs to identify the highs (and the occasional low) of every deal. Thanks to these promos, you’ll be able to give your betting a boost in no time.
Requirements (WR): | - |
Min. Deposit: | $10 |
Min. Odds: | - |
Requirements (WR): | - |
Min. Deposit: | $10 |
Min. Odds: | -500 |
Requirements (WR): | 1x Deposit |
Min. Deposit: | $10 |
Min. Odds: | - |
Here, you’ll want to search for key ingredients such as wagering requirements, amount of money, expiration date, market restrictions, and more. We also have a comparison table you can use and filter by type, as seen below. Use this when in doubt—we update it regularly. These bonuses include:
We want to be completely transparent in how we ranked and rated online sportsbooks. We’ve therefore come up with robust test criteria which we used to judge how every operator functions. We take a holistic view of each operator. From the mobile site or app, to the customer service, to the available payment methods: each is assessed in turn, and we’ll tell you exactly how an operator fares in each individual area. We then give a final conclusion, all designed to help anyone considering signing up know what to expect.
Current form, team histories, statistical relevance – these, and much more, influence our experts when providing our betting picks for your consideration. We spread our net far and wide with the teams and leagues we cover, then turn our knowledge and expertise of both sports and sports betting into actionable picks our readers can use.
It might not be the most exciting part of betting online, but there’s no denying the importance of the money side of things. Making deposits and, if all goes well, withdrawing winnings, is a critical aspect of a sportsbook's service: you want the process to be smooth, straightforward, and compatible with your preferences for payment method. We’ve got the lowdown on all the options available below.
The sports and betting worlds change at a blink of an eye, which means we always have our hands poised over the keyboard waiting to share the latest developments. Whether it’s hunting down the latest sports news or reviewing the latest sportsbook to hit the betting scene, we’re always at the forefront of relevancy – which means you will be too.
The legislative situation in the US is continually changing, often with significant differences between states. To bring some clarify to an often confusing picture, we've done the research and put together this map outlining the exact legalisation status on a state by state basis.
Available in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and many other states. Not one to be missed!
It’s half-time, you’ve already refilled your glass, and you can’t listen to another second of the in-studio analysis you disagree with. Rather than taking to social media to vent your frustration, perhaps a few lighthearted sweepstakes games would be a better distraction. We’ve got all the latest information on social casinos, including a thorough assessment of which brands are worthy of your time before the second half gets underway.
Determining the best online betting sites involves multiple attributes, but also a bit of personal preference. That’s right, you may prefer a betting site that’s not mentioned below and that’s OK!
What we look for when it comes to this is the welcome bonus, available sports betting markets, the number of states it’s legal to operate in, the user interface, and much more.
Below, we’ll dive into our favorite sports gambling websites and why they rank there for us at Ballislife.
While other sites in the sports betting industry are fine, don’t get us wrong, DraftKings Sportsbook is, well, the king of user interface design and software—we’ve never lagged when using the site.
A cluttered homepage can make it difficult to find which bets to wager on, the live betting page, or even where to log in.
But at DraftKings Sportsbook, you can easily see where everything is, and a big part of that is using multiple text/background colors to assist players in finding those key elements.
Having consistency from the mobile app—which is available for iOS and Android users—to the desktop is important. This allows players to dive into the action easily without needing to learn another platform.
One of the best ways to utilize PointsBetting is betting the total in a basketball game. With such high scores, PointsBetting can net you some rather big winnings.
With parlays, the goal is to put multiple betting options on one ticket and for them all to succeed. BetMGM Sportsbook makes the process more streamlined, cutting out all the additional things on the site and focusing solely on parlays.
Also, there’s a live-streaming feature. This isn’t available for all sports, but if, for example, you enjoy betting on tennis or soccer, you’ll likely find some viewing options. This is also a great way to utilize live betting.
One of the best features BetMGM has for parlays is the Easy Parlay tool. Here are some examples of how the page looks.
On the right-hand side of the desktop site, you’ll see a tab that says “Media.” Here, you’ll find a drop-down menu for available events. You can then watch these live on BetMGM.
Again, the way the user interface is managed is minor in the grand scheme of things, but man, oh man is this clean to look at.
Now let’s look at those unique promo offers. This one features, McAfee, Hawk, Darius Butler, and Kay Adams.
Whenever you sign up for a new online sportsbook, there’s nothing better than getting access to the welcome offer and making your first bets there. These sometimes deposit bonuses, risk-free bets, free bets, or something else.
Either way, you get your bankroll loaded and ready to make that first bet.
Well, no sportsbook does it better than Caesars Sportsbook—they offer a $1,250 risk-free bet in the following states:
At $1,250, this is the best welcome bonus amongst all online gambling sites right now. The next best is $1,000.
With this bet, you can deposit and wager up to $1,250 while knowing that if you lose, you’ll receive it back as site credit that you can use again with a chance to get your money back.
The minimum deposit for this offer is $10.
With the welcome offer, you’ll receive the $1,250 risk-free bet, but you’ll also receive 1,000 Rewards and Tier Credits. These are part of the Caesars Rewards Program and can be redeemed for bonus cash on the site or for retail perks at participating Caesars locations, such as Tropicana, Caesars Palace, Horseshoe, and more.
Below is a list of offers that are available in any of the following states: NJ, NY, PA, MI, CO, AZ, and more.
Here’s one of our favorite offers at Caesars Sportsbook. It’s available in New Jersey, New York, Michigan, and Colorado.
With this offer, you’ll get a parlay profit boost token.
Sports betting sites offer numerous types of promos and bonus offers. These include no deposit bonuses, free bets, risk-free bets, bonus bets, first bet promos, deposit bonuses, no sweat first bets, bet & get offers, and so much more.
If the site you’re looking at offers a $1,000 risk-free bet, you can make your first wager on the site without running the risk of losing your money. Instead, if you wager and lose, you’ll receive your money back in either bonus credits or free bets. However, if you win, you’ll keep your winnings like any other bet.
With risk-free bets, it’s important to look for market restrictions, including which types of bets you can make, minimum odds requirements, how long until you get the bonus funds/free bets, and how long you have to use whatever you receive back.
Brands like Fanduel, DraftKings, and BetMGM do not offer risk-free bets or free bets, as the term is a little misleading. Instead they offer first bet offers and bonus bets. There is nothing risk-free about using a bonus that only refunds your stake in bonus bets. That's because you cannot cash out the stake, but only the winnings accrued and there is a chance of losing it again.
Some online betting sites will offer a signup match deposit offer. This allows you to deposit funds and get them matched to a certain percentage. For example, suppose the offer is a 100% match worth up to $500. In that case, you can deposit up to $500 and get it matched completely, receiving $500 in site credits.
The sports betting sites landscape is an incredibly competitive market, and they’re all looking for ways to capture bettors’ attention, both new and veteran. At Ballislife, we only recommend the best. Below is a list of the best sports betting sites on the market today and the feature that best defines them.
In addition to bonuses and promotions, sports bettors want to look out for other features to discern the best sports betting sites from the others. Often, these can be things such as how the mobile app functions, how live betting works, or even the best sports betting sites for specific sports.
While you can always fire up any websites of the commonly used online sportsbooks, you may miss out on some features that enhance the way sports bettors play that you may not even be aware of. Since these sites are all legal in the United States, you can rest assured that your data and banking information will all be safe.
The best sports betting sites also have numerous banking methods for deposits and withdrawals.
Below, we’ll dive into more detail about some of the critical elements that make the best sports betting sites, well, great.
Most online sports betting sites you’ll come across have a desktop and a mobile app version. While the desktop version may be enjoyable, chances are there will come a time when you’re out and about, and you remember you need to bet on your favorite team.
When evaluating a mobile betting app, you first want to check for lag and buffering. This can be the difference between getting the best odds you want and then changing to something slightly worse.
Next, you want to look for consistency from platform to platform. The term “mirror image” or “carbon copy” is appropriate here for sports bettors. You want a mobile and desktop platform that is alike because this allows for an easier learning curve when going from one to the other.
Live betting allows sports bettors to enjoy sporting events in a way unlike any other. At the best sports betting sites, live betting will enable you to place real-time wagers as the game progresses. These odds update rapidly, but they provide a new way to stay engaged with the game you’re viewing.
An example of live betting could include any standard bet types you enjoy betting on. However, as the game evolves, those odds will change. If the NBA game has a team up by 20 and the pre-game spread was four points, you’ll see that reflected in the betting odds.
You’ll also be able to bet on things like the result of the next play, which can allow you to stay engaged all night long even more.
The NFL is the most popular sport to bet on, so all of the best sports betting sites will emphasize this when the season progresses and even during the offseason. The best site for NFL betting is DraftKings Sportsbook. Here, you’ll have your standard bets, but you’ll also have a significant number of prop bets and futures. Some of the bet types you’ll have to choose from include the following:
Several prop bets available for the NFL Draft allow you to stay involved with the sport even when games aren’t being played.No sportsbook is necessarily “bad” for NFL betting, but there’s a lack of these additional bet types.
The NBA has a long and arduous season, so finding the best basketball betting site can make that 80+ game season much more enjoyable. A site like Caesars Sportsbook offers players the best bet types, including the standard ones, props, live betting, futures, and more.
The welcome bonus, which is a $1,250 risk-free bet, makes Caesars stand out. This allows you to make the biggest risk-free NBA bets on the market today.
Caesars will also offer several NBA-exclusive promotions and has even given away jerseys in the past. Like the best NFL sites, you’ll find a lot of these bet types, but where Caesars thrives, and others trail behind are the new player and existing player promotions.
Betting on college sports is fun and enjoyable, but it’s actually not available in every legal sports betting state. Instead, there are some states that outright prohibit it or limit the available wagers you can make. So, by default, the best college betting sites will be those located in states without such restrictions.
As for bet types, you’ll want to look for sites that offer a wide array of college basketball betting options for March Madness in NCAAB and bowl games/College Football Playoffs for NCAAF. March Madness, is a 64-team single-elimination tournament where each team competes to be crowned champion. During this time, sports bettors have the opportunity to bet on multiple college sports markets and also receive numerous promotions for each round of the college basketball tournament.
As for the college football bowl games the College Football Playoff, there are over 40 events that will also offer up promotions that make that betting experience that much more enjoyable.
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, overturned in May 2018, allowed each state in the United States to decide whether to legalize mobile sports betting. Each state has its politics that influence the trajectory of these bills, just like any other legislation.
Some states may only offer retail sports betting as mobile sports betting requires a different set of parameters and could take some time for the necessary changes for legal online betting to be implemented. It’s not uncommon for some states not even launch mobile sports betting months after they decided to legalize sports betting.
Check out your state’s official gaming commission or gaming control board website for vendor details to determine whether you’re on a legal sports betting site. You can also scroll to the bottom of most pages and find some information discussing said control board.
You’ll want to look for some key elements and unique offerings when comparing sports betting sites. These include:
When examining these safe betting sites, look for features that you’re unable to find elsewhere as well. This could be a deciding factor for your go-to online sports betting apps in the USA.
If you don’t want to spend your time comparing sites, don’t worry, we’ve got you and other sports bettors covered. Here at Ballislife, you can use our comparison tables to find what the best betting sites offer and which lack features you may desire.
Finding the best online sports betting sites is complex, as you can see. We’ve laid the groundwork for you to have all the information to get started at these sites. While we have a couple of the best sites listed here, there are many other competent places to bet.
Online gambling is an excellent form of entertainment, and we recommend the sites mentioned above or any other site that aligns with what makes online sports betting great based on our research.
Whenever you place a sports bet, regardless of the outcome, the sportsbook’s odds have a built-in profit margin. So, the vig is the equivalent of a commission charged by sportsbooks for each wager made, which ensures that the operator makes a profit. You’ll also see it described as vigorish, juice or overround and they are all exactly the same thing.
When it comes to selecting a US sports betting site, there are many things you might want to consider before you get to the point of signing up. However, the most crucial factor is whether or not you can do so legally. First, you must live in a US state that has legalized online sports betting and second, the sportsbook must be licensed to operate in your state. We recommend DraftKings Sportsbook since they tick most of the boxes.
All of the US states which have opted to permit online sports betting have a licensing scheme in place. Currently the following states are allowing mobile betting: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Maryland,New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia & Wyoming. In addition, you can always check to see if a sports betting site is legit by checking with your state regulatory authority.
A sports betting line is a different way of referring to the odds a sportsbook displays on its betting platform. So, you’ll find lines for a variety of different bet types such as moneyline, over/under and parlays. If you like to wager on a particular sport, you’ll need to learn how to use a variety of betting lines to enhance your enjoyment when you wager.
Most online sportsbooks will offer a good number of different sports to keep users engaged with their brand. Naturally you can expect to find a good deal of emphasis on the most popular US sports and leagues like the NFL, NHL and NBA. Most of the top sportsbooks, like Unibet and PointsBet also have betting markets that include lower league matches. Beyond the US sports, you’re also likely to find popular global sports like soccer, golf, cricket and tennis on offer.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
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