There are many major differences between land-based and online sportsbooks. Land-based sportsbooks offer a fun and festive atmosphere, but are inconvenient for most people because of their scarcity in the states. If you are betting at a land-based sportsbook, it’s most likely part of a large casino, and thus offers many benefits, like complimentary drinks and great food and entertainment. However, the casinos that offer sportsbooks are so few and far between that it isn’t worth it for most people to make the drive to get to one. Online sportsbooks, on the other hand, offer better features, amazing bonuses, and above all else convenience. These are just a few of the differences we will cover in detail on this page.
This will page will give you all the information you need to know about land-based sportsbooks. It will give you the skinny on all the legal red tape you must navigate through. You’ll learn about the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), and we’ll let you know how to find out if your state has legal land-based sportsbooks. Finally, we’ll tell you about some of the very best online sports betting sites available for US players just in case your state doesn't have any land-based options readily available.
Yes, but only in a few states. Currently, Nevada and Delaware are the only states that allow sports betting. The 1992 law known as PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) dictates that 46 states are not allowed to legally have sports betting operations. The reason Nevada and Delaware are exempt from the law is because both states allowed sports betting prior to the passage of PASPA, and were given a year-long window to pass laws that would make sports betting legal. Therefore, if you are lucky enough to live in Nevada or Delaware, you should have no problem finding a great US sportsbook. If you live in a neighboring state, like California or Utah, you could take a day trip to a land-based sportsbook. Otherwise, a US online sports betting is your best option.
Online sportsbooks may not offer the fun social atmosphere of the land-based equivalents, but they do have many advantages. First, there’s the convenience factor. You can bet whenever and wherever you want without spending all that extra money on gas, parking, food, etc. In addition, features like mobile betting take the convenience one-step further. The other big incentive to join an online sportsbook is the range of bonuses on offer. You won’t find welcome bonuses or reload bonuses in a casino.
PASPA is the acronym for the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The law was created in 1992 in response to the rise of sports gambling in the United States. Congress believed that sports betting was becoming a huge problem. Because of PASPA, just four states (Nevada, Delaware, Oregon, and Montana) are allowed to regulate their own sports betting. However, only Nevada and Delaware passed legislation to allow sportsbooks.
Many politicians, including New Jersey Senator Raymond Lesniak, say that PASPA is a discriminatory law because it gives special privilege to 4 states. New Jersey has recently been fighting to allow legal sports betting, even going so far as taking its case to a federal appeals court. Whether New Jersey will ever be able to have legal sports betting is uncertain. In the meantime, the fact that PASPA is a federal law that is binding in 46 states means that bettors have to seek other options, i.e. online betting sites. You can learn more about the legality of sportsbooks by visiting our law pages.
More: State Betting Laws
If you live in Nevada, you’re probably already aware that your state is a sports betting mecca. Las Vegas and Reno offer tons of options. Delaware also has some land-based sportsbooks, but not as many as Nevada, which is home to some very famous casinos that include sportsbooks: Caesar’s Palace, The MGM Grand, The Bellagio (all in Las Vegas), The Peppermill, The Silver Legacy, and El dorado (all in Reno).
Most of us, unfortunately, don’t live close enough to Nevada or Delaware to make a day trip to a land-based sportsbook. Luckily, there are a great many legal and safe online sportsbooks for US players. We’ve spent a lot of time exploring the farthest reaches of the web to find the best US sports betting sites.
As you can see, land-based sportsbook options are rather limited unless you live in Nevada or Delaware. We’ve gone over PASPA, the main law that regulates sports betting in the United States. We’ve established that your state probably doesn’t allow sports wagering. And we’ve mentioned a few of the benefits of online sportsbooks as a viable alternative to land-based sportsbooks. It’s a simple fact that with so few land-based options available to the average American, online sportsbooks are the way to go. Next we’re going to give you some information on some legal US sports betting sites for the discerning player.
In the 90’s, the online wagering world was fresh faced and nubile. Bovada was one of the only sites offering a truly safe and legal sports betting site for USA players, and today this site remains on top. The gigantic sportsbook is now the gold standard, and has come a long way from its humble beginnings. You will find the best industry odds on all competitions and teams along with lesser known sports and even entertainments and political props. This site really has everything and a bag of chips, and we know you will be satisfied.
You may wonder how a site like Bovada manages to stay relevant after so many years in the game. Well, this site is part of a giant collection of sports-related businesses that function all over the world. The team at Bovada can afford to upgrade their software in time with the ever-evolving world of computer technology. You can be sure that this site isn’t dated in the least, and will satisfy any sports fans’ cravings.