Online Sports Betting Overview
Sports betting is the age old activity of wagering money on the outcome of a sporting event. Even though Sports Betting resides in a legal grey area in the United States, it is a popular pastime worldwide, with estimates being that more than $200 billion are bet every year.
Online sports betting is now the most popular form of betting on sports because of its convenience and low cost. Online sportsbooks don't have to pay nearly as much in overhead costs as live sportsbooks so you can find great deals by betting online.
In addition to that, the competition between online sportsbooks is fierce so you'll find a wide variety of promotions and sign-up bonuses at every major online sportsbook. It's also a lot safer to bet online because you don't have to deal with shady bookies in real life or carry lots of cash in and out of your local casino.
Best Online Sportsbooks
| Rank | Sports Betting Site | US? | Bonus | Get Started | |
| #1 |  |
Sportsbook.com |  |
10% Unlimited | Bet Now! |
| #2 |  |
Bodog | |
10% Unlimited | Bet Now! |
The convenience is another major factor because many people don't have access to casinos and don't know where to find trustworthy bookies. This is especially true in the United States where sports betting has been pushed underground thanks to the US legislation.
What Online Sportsbooks Have to Offer
When you bet on sports online, you can bet on just about every sport in the world. It doesn't matter if you're a football fan, soccer fan, baseball fan or anything else because if it's played, you can bet on it. You can even bet on events such as who will be the next United States president or who will win the next American Idol.
The sports bets are the most popular, though, and you have a lot of options when it comes to betting on them. You can place straight up bets on who will win the match but there are also many other types, the most popular of which being prop bets.
Proposition bets (prop bets) are limited only by the imagination. In every sport, there are tons of different proposition bets ranging from the normal (like which team will score first) to the absurd (like if there will be another wardrobe malfunction during the Superbowl). If you are ready to get in on the action, try betting at Sportsbook.com, our top rated online sportsbook.
Point Spread and Money Line
Bets on the outcomes of matches can become quite lopsided if one team is heavily favored over another team. In order to compensate for this, online sportsbook use two different methods: the point spread and the money line. These two types of bets make the bet more attractive from both sides.
Point Spread
In the point spread bet, the winning team has to win by a certain number of points. This is called "covering the spread." If that team wins but doesn't cover the spread, it's considered a loss for betting purposes. Sportsbooks do a lot of in-depth research when setting the point spread so it's usually a pretty even match.
Moneyline
Moneyline bets work a little differently. In these types of bets, sportsbooks require you to wager more money on the favored team and less money on the underdog. So in some matches, you might have to wager $150 or $200 for a chance to win $100 on the favored team. If you want to bet on the underdog, your bet is less likely to win but you have a chance to win more money than you wagered.
Sports betting is a worldwide pastime and it isn't going away any time soon. Even sports bettors in the United States have an easy time placing bets online. It's a lot of fun and it makes your games more exciting. Check out our reviews of the top sports betting sites to get started today.
Popular Sports to Bet on
You can bet on almost anything, but as you know some sports are much more popular than others. A few you may be interested in are:
That's just a small list of the many things you can bet on. If you aren't very familiar with the online sports betting world, we've put together a online sports gambling article to help out.
Ready to Bet on Sports?
If you are ready to give online sports betting a try, we suggest Sportsbook.com to get started. They are one of the most known sportsbooks out there and offer a very safe and quality atmosphere. They are also offering a special 10% bonus on top of your first deposit. Please remember to gamble responsibly and only play with an amount that you are comfortable losing.
Visit Sportsbook.com to Sign Up and Claim your 10% Bonus!