Sports betting has taken the United States by storm. Up until May 14, 2018, you basically had to go to Nevada in order to bet legally. When the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) by a landmark 6-3 decision, the floodgates opened with online sports betting launching in states around the country.
Sports leagues are on board. Legislators and lawmakers are on board. Over half of the 50 states have some form of legal sports betting. Most even take wagers online or through mobile apps. All of the developments of the last few years would have been simply unheard of before the Supreme Court struck down PASPA.
Because of the increased visibility of wagering on games and events, it has led a lot of people to wonder, “What is sports betting?” No, not the basic act of risking money on the outcomes of a sporting event, but what actually goes into the process of sports betting? Who can bet on sports? How can you bet on sports? What is “the spread”? What is a “moneyline”?
Sports betting has a language all its own. Those who have been around the business for a long time rattle off the lingo and talk about odds and bet types and all of the technical elements of the industry.
For those who are just dipping a toe into the sports betting pool or those who are just jumping in with no regard for the temperature of the water, it can be overwhelming. The learning curve can be quite steep. The number of options may be surprising. Mastering the basics is a vital step of the process. Going from Handicapping 101 to Handicapping 201, 301, 401, etc. may take some time and it may take some a lot longer than others.
Don’t be discouraged. Be a sponge. Soak up all of the information that you can. Ask questions. Most people who have been in and around the business for a long time are willing to take the time to help novice and newbie bettors learn and improve.
In this Intro to Sports Betting, we’ll highlight a variety of different topics and also provide links to read about those in more detail. Our primary goal at ATS.io is to be a resource for everybody, from the rookie bettor and the weekend warrior to the seasoned bettor looking for different perspectives.
Below is information on where you can bet on sports, guides to help you understand what key terminology means, and what different bet types you can use along your sports betting journey.
Where Can You Bet on Sports?
In the United States, most states require that you are 21 years of age. You must be physically located in an approved jurisdiction in order to legally bet on sports. As long as you are able to provide the requested personal information at sign-up, which will allow the sportsbook to verify your identity, you can sign up and start betting.
We cover the industry from a lot of angles, including legal US sports betting news, and sportsbook reviews. The sportsbook review pages will explain which states that offer that particular sportsbook and information on how to sign up, claim that site’s new player bonus, and begin betting.
At the time of this writing, the states and districts accepting legal sports bets are:
- Arizona (retail & mobile)
- Arkansas (retail & online)
- Colorado (retail & mobile)
- Connecticut (retail & mobile)
- Delaware (retail only)
- Florida (retail & mobile)
- Illinois (retail & mobile)
- Indiana (retail & mobile)
- Iowa (retail & mobile)
- Kansas (retail & mobile)
- Kentucky (retail & mobile)
- Louisiana (retail & mobile)
- Maine (mobile only)
- Maryland (retail & mobile)
- Massachusetts (retail & mobile)
- Michigan (retail & mobile)
- Mississippi (retail only)
- Montana (retail only)
- Nevada (retail & mobile)
- New Hampshire (retail & mobile)
- New Jersey (retail & mobile)
- New Mexico (retail only)
- New York (retail & mobile)
- North Carolina (retail only)
- North Dakota (retail only)
- Ohio (retail & mobile)
- Oregon (retail & mobile)
- Pennsylvania (retail & mobile)
- Rhode Island (retail & mobile)
- South Dakota (retail only)
- Tennessee (mobile only)
- Vermont (mobile only)
- Virginia (mobile only)
- Washington (retail only)
- Washington D.C. (retail & mobile)
- West Virginia (retail & mobile)
- Wisconsin (retail only)
- Wyoming (mobile only)
Other states that could be coming soon include:
Basic Betting Terms & Bet Types
There are some basic betting terms that every bettor needs to understand. Whether you are placing your bets with a representative at the counter of a retail sportsbook, betting on a website or mobile app, or are simply chatting with friends about sports betting, these are the most common words and phrases in sports betting that bettors should know so they know what they’re talking about in all of those situations.
In this section of our Intro to Sports Betting, we will go over those key terms, and bettors can click on the links below to get more information on each one.
Point Spread
The spread is a handicap placed on the teams in order to bridge the gap in talent, performance, success, or simply to try and get some sort of balanced action on the game. Read More
Moneylines
The moneyline is the odds on a team to simply win a game. The bet types for baseball and hockey are primarily moneyline or totals wagers. Football and basketball are going to feature more spread betting. Read More
Over/Under
The total for a game is sometimes referred to as the Over/Under. The total on a game can vary greatly based on offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, the location of the game, the type of team, the type of league or conference, and the pace at which the teams play. Read More
Parlay
A parlay is a bet type that combines multiple wagers on one ticket and you have to win every pick to have a winning bet. The more “legs” you add to a parlay, the higher the odds, but also the lower the chances of winning the bet. Read More
Teaser
Teasers are a form of parlays in which you can manipulate the spread or the total in your favor. Like parlays, you must have at least two bets on your teaser ticket, all of which need to win. Teasers are most popular in the NFL, but they can be done with the NBA, college basketball, and college football as well. Read More
Pleasers
The best way to describe a Pleaser is that it is a Reverse Teaser. Basically, instead of moving a line in your favor, you move the line against the side that you like. The purpose of playing a Pleaser is to enhance your payout odds if you are correct. Read More
Odds
Sports betting odds can look a little bit difficult to understand if you don’t know what you are looking at on the board. Most odds screens, including ours at ATS.io, will have the Rotation Number, the teams, the spread, the moneyline odds, and the total listed. Read More
Best Sports Betting Apps
Now that you have learned more about where you can bet on sports and what kind of bets you can place, it’s time to turn our attention to which sportsbooks to use. There are several high-quality sports betting apps available in the United States. Bettors will want to check which of the best US sportsbooks listed below are available in their states. To find out more about each one and to get a bonus for each, click the links below.
BetMGM
BetMGM calls itself The King of Sportsbooks and that title is justified, as they offer bettors frequent odds boosts and promotions to spice up betting on popular sporting events all year long. Read More
DraftKings Sportsbook
When it comes to the number of betting options they offer, it is hard to do better than DraftKings Sportsbook, who has more prop and parlay betting choices than their competition in football, basketball, and more. Read More
Caesars Sportsbook
The online sportsbook inspired by the legendary Caesars Palace, Caesars Sportsbook brings a Las Vegas vibe to their online sportsbook, with great new player promotions on a consistent basis to make things exciting from the start. Read More
Bet365
Bet365 started out in Europe but their American sportsbook is one of the best in the country. Their early win feature might be the best feature of any online sportsbook in the US and is something players should take advantage of immediately. Read More
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook brought the Same Game Parlay into the mainstream and their innovative nature makes them a great place for both new and experienced sports bettors to place their bets. Read More
Of course, different sportsbooks have different features that may appeal to one type of bettor over another. It is important to do all of the research you can to find out what each site offers and how that lines up with your unique needs. Fortunately, we have enough information on each app to help you make informed decisions on that front.
Summary
Once you get into the habit of using these terms and get accustomed to seeing the odds presented and talked about in this manner at your preferred sportsbooks, it will become second nature for you. Resources like ATS are going to be extremely beneficial as you progress as a bettor and as a handicapper. We’re happy to teach you the basics and to help with the more advanced concepts as well.
Betting on sports can be a lot of fun and can also be profitable, so long as you have an idea of what you are doing and can take advantage of the opportunities that are presented by the fact that the oddsmakers have to put a line out on every single game.
You don’t have to bet every game, but they have to balance risk and consider a lot of different factors for every game. That means that they aren’t going to be right all of the time. If you can utilize these different bet types and find some edges, you can be a successful sports bettor.
