Best sportsbooks in the United States

How betting works in the United States

Each state regulates separately. A sportsbook needs a licence in every state where it takes bets, usually in partnership with a casino or a tribe, and verifies at every login that the customer is physically inside the state, by geolocation on the phone or a plug-in on the computer. Registration asks for the last four digits of the Social Security number beside the usual identity details, and identity is verified against databases at once. California, Texas, Georgia and Florida’s neighbours are the large states still without online betting; the list changes every year.

Winnings are taxable income federally and in most states; the sportsbook issues a tax form for large wins and withholds on the largest, and losses can be deducted only by taxpayers who itemise. Offshore sites serving Americans hold no US licence, break federal payment law when they accept cards, and offer no recourse; they remain popular in the states without a legal market, at the customer’s own risk.

Payments are cards, which some banks decline for gambling, PayPal, online banking through Trustly-style connections, Venmo at some books and prepaid cards issued by the sportsbook itself. Withdrawals took one to three days in our tests; PayPal was fastest, bank withdrawals slowest.