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Getting Started with Sports Betting and How to Bet in 2024

If you are new to the world of online sports betting, it can be a daunting place. So many sportsbooks to choose from and how will you even know if they’re legitimate? Sound like you? Then read on…

Our US sports betting guide has been written especially for those new to wagering and it will make it much easier for you to find a great sportsbook. We’d like you to think of it as your personal sports betting education reference.

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Who should make use of the comparison? – anyone that needs help with choosing a sportsbook 

If you’re feeling like you need a ‘sports betting for dummies’ guide, then you’ve definitely come to the right place. Here at Betastic we’ve created a whole library of information. You’ll find everything you need from sports betting how to guides, right through to our honest reviews of almost every legitimate sportsbook in the US states where gambling is legal.

Top 5 steps for a secure & fair gambling experience – important matters for you to consider

In this section of our US sports betting guide, we’ll walk you through the five most important ‘sports betting how to’ essentials that will ensure your sportsbook experience is a happy and safe one.

1 Licensing

To make certain you will be betting legally and safely, you’ll first need to know if your bookmaker holds the correct licensing for your state. To make it a little more complicated, only certain US states permit bookmakers to offer online sports betting, so it will depend on your location. Here at Betastic, we’ve spent time collating information on the sportsbooks that are currently operating in all of the US states where sports betting is legal, so feel free to browse.

2 Security

When you check out sports betting, knowing the difference between a secure website and one that is not is an important skill. The first step is checking that the sportsbook website uses a URL that starts with https:// which indicates an encrypted connection between the site and your browser. Beyond browsing, every time you transmit personal data, or make a financial transaction, there should be additional SSL encryption in place, preferably with a two-factor authentication to add even more security. A good sportsbook will also have a robust data protection policy in place, which you should read.

3 Sports selection

It might seem really basic, but you should always check the range of sports available. You’ll almost always find NHL betting for example, but if your passion is Golf, you might be disappointed. In our US sports betting guide selection, we’ve reviewed all of the top sports and the sportsbooks that give them the best coverage, so our sports betting review section is the best place to find out which is right for you.

4 Great odds and markets

The most secure and highly-licensed sportsbook is not much good to you if it doesn’t offer at least competitive odds across the board, which is easy to see by making a quick visit to the operators website, but we cover them in much more depth in our operator reviews so you won’t have to do that. Also, lots of bettors enjoy prop betting and if you’re one of those, the more an operator has on offer, the more fun you’ll have. Great odds and a range of markets are both essential parts of the sports betting experience as a whole.

5 Customer support

Sports betting for beginners is all about learning, so it’s important that your sportsbook has plenty of sports betting how-to guides, especially relating to its individual rules for wagering. One size does not fit all in this department and checking things like maximum bets should be an easy task, not a test of your initiative. It also goes without saying that a fast and easy way to contact your sportsbook in the event you have a problem is a must.

Editor’s recommendation – hand-picked, the best operator for you

The US sports betting guide section of our website has plenty of operator reviews you can read, but not all sportsbooks offer an ideal environment where sports betting for beginners is concerned. That is why we have picked one out for you that we think ticks all of the boxes. Our choice is Unibet.

Unibet has a long-standing global reputation and it’s correctly licensed as a sportsbook for residents of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Indiana. Not only does Unibet always have excellent welcome bonuses for new customers, our US sports betting guide reviewers selected it as being especially suited to new bettors due to its exceptionally intuitive betting platform.

You’ll find all of the best US sports featured on Unibet and not just the major leagues either. There is also great coverage of some rather niche sport as well, that you won’t find anywhere else. This sportsbook also offers live streaming of hundreds of events every day and plenty of in-play betting opportunities where you’ll be helped along with live stats. Every set of odds Unibet displays also comes complete with a long-list of prop bets aimed at providing entertainment.

Lastly, Unibet has a whole section full of sports betting how to articles which are invaluable for beginners, as well as a US sports betting guide detailing the wagering rules applicable for different sports or events. Everything is easy to locate, but if you have any questions you can’t find an answer to on the site, the Unibet customer support team is available to help 24/7 via live chat and phone.

Other great operators

Bet365
1.
91/100
Rating
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Highlights
  • Superior website for navigation
  • Outstanding on-going offers on sports
  • Value odds generally
  • 4 USA sports included on “Early pay-out offer”
Whatever the sport. Whatever the moment. It’s Never Ordinary at bet365. That’s why if you sign up now you’ll get the choice of two great New Customer Offers, the First Bet Safety Net up to $1000 or Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
BetMGM
2.
91/100
Rating
PayNearMe
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Highlights
  • Offers live streaming
  • Over 20 different sports to bet on
  • Excellent in-play betting feature
FanDuel
3.
90/100
Rating
Prepaid Card
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Highlights
  • A generous welcome bonus to get you started
  • Most popular betting markets are displayed on the main screen
  • Live streaming allows users to watch their wagers unfold in real-time
Caesars
4.
89/100
Rating
E-Check
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First bet back as a bonus bet up to $1000
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Caesars Review
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Highlights
  • Sportsbook is clean and concise, allowing for swift navigation
  • Odds can quickly be enhanced by regular sportsbook promotions
  • In-play betting is available to all Caesars Palace Online Casino customers
DraftKings
5.
89/100
Rating
PayPal
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Highlights
  • Impressive bonus offer available
  • Good cash out options available
  • Impressive range of sports and markets offered

This is how our experts test operators – the data & criteria we cover in every review

Our team of expert reviewers works to the same list of criteria for every sportsbook they review. That means each of our operator reviews follow the same format and makes comparisons easy for our readers. Below is a very quick rundown of what you can expect to find covered in our sports betting guide USA reviews:

Usability

We’re looking for a fast-loading website that is easy on the eye and with all of the essential information clearly defined by logical menu choices. Furthermore it should be easy for you to navigate, with all web pages fully functional. We also like to see sportsbooks that are not full of intrusions such as pop-ups and moving images, which can easily distract you and ruin your betting experience.

Bonuses

Next we take a look at the bonuses or promotions the operator has available, from the perspective of new clients as well existing ones. A big welcome bonus is great, but it’s a one-off, whereas ongoing bonuses show evidence that the sportsbook is interested in retaining its customers for the long-term. We also examine the terms and conditions applied to sports betting bonus offers to ensure that you’ll find them fair and achievable.

License and security

We check that each operator is correctly licensed for the appropriate US state where it is doing business and seek confirmation that it has performed well under regulation. In terms of security, there are three main areas we address: https:// encryption for each page, the data security policy and the level of encryption and authentication used for sensitive data or financial transactions. If we find anything lacking, we’ll let you know about it.

Payment methods

In this section we check if there is a good range of options available to bettors for both depositing funds and withdrawing winnings. We always check if you are likely to pay any fees for transactions and determine the minimum and maximum amounts. Lastly, we confirm that the withdrawal options are reasonably fast and straightforward to use.

Customer support

This section covers all aspects, including the availability of the sportsbook’s terms and conditions, as well as plenty of self-service support, like an FAQ section. We check to see how many ways you can contact customer support personnel and the hours they are available. But we don’t leave it there; we test each method at different times to find out how quick and helpful their responses are as well.

Range of sports and betting markets

Finally, we move onto the fun part of our US sports betting guide review. This is where we check out exactly what each operator is able to offer you in terms of the range of sports, the leagues covered and the types of betting markets you will find available. The information is collated into a separate sports betting section, where we also review odds, live streaming and in-play betting on new betting sites as well.

Current Best Bonuses

Bet365
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FanDuel
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Finding the right operator for you – the more you can learn the better, knowledge is power

As you can see from the section above, our US sports betting guide reviews are very thorough and they are an excellent place to start when you are ready to select your sportsbook. In addition, our sports betting how to articles covering topics like betting strategies and betting apps will arm you with all of the knowledge you need to make the best use of your chosen operator.

Conclusion – you’re all good to go!

So there you have it, all of the knowledge you will need to feel confident enough to select the best sports betting companies for you. We hope that you’ve found our US sports betting how to guide useful and that it will inspire you to find out more.

On our Betastic website, as well as loads of sportsbook reviews, you will find many other useful resources. They feature all kinds of equally important topics like payment methods and how to find the best bonuses or offers. Lastly, just in case you fancy a bit of variety in your gambling life, there’s plenty to read about casinos, poker and lotteries too.

US sports betting guide FAQs

❓ For sports betting how to find a legitimate bookmaker?

Why not start by taking a look at our Betastic sportsbook reviews? There you’ll find all of the information you need about licensing in your US state and a selection of the best sportsbooks covered by our in-depth reviews.

📚 Where can I find a US sports betting guide?

One really good place to look is on our Betastic website. There you’ll find numerous guides covering how to bet, planning your betting strategy and finding the best sportsbook for your location and your preferences.

⚽ Which is the best sports betting app?

Not all apps are created equal and we should know as we’ve reviewed hundreds of them. For advice on how to choose a sports betting app, or to find out which is the best app for your favorite sport, head straight over to our Betastic app reviews and find the right sports betting app for you.

Top Betting Sites
Top Betting Bonuses
Bet365
Bet365
Bet365 Review
91/100
BetMGM
BetMGM
BetMGM Review
91/100
FanDuel
FanDuel
FanDuel Review
90/100
Caesars
Caesars
Caesars Review
89/100
DraftKings
DraftKings
DraftKings Review
89/100
Bet365
Bet365 Bonus
Bet $5 Get $200 or $1000 First Bet Safety Net
T&Cs apply
9.1/10
Whatever the sport. Whatever the moment. It's Never Ordinary at bet365. That's why if you sign up now you'll get the choice of two great New Customer Offers, the First Bet Safety Net up to $1000 or Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
BetMGM
BetMGM Bonus
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9.1/10
FanDuel
FanDuel Bonus
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9/10
Caesars
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8.9/10
DraftKings
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8.9/10

21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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