TopGambling

While sports betting has been both wildly popular and legal around the world for decades, the United States was the one country that shunned sports betting, with the exception of Las Vegas and a few other jurisdictions. However, this all began to change in 2018 when PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992) was overturned, preparing the way for the introduction of sports betting in any state that chose to set up a sports betting industry within their jurisdiction. Three years after the overturn of PASPA, sports betting is now legal and available in a number of states as well as online. However, there are a lot of shady sites and operations popping up all over the place. How do you know where to turn? Here is a guide to help you bet on sports legally in the United States.

[B]Where to bet on sports?
[/B]
While sports betting isn’t legal across the entire United States, here is how some of the states are stepping up to the plate.

[B]Illinois[/B] – With some of the biggest teams in professional sports such as the Chicago Bears, Cubs and Bulls, it’s no surprise that Chicago would want some of the action. Legal sports betting has been available in Illinois since March of 2020. However, online and mobile platforms did not come into being until later in the summer. Apart from the state apparatus being mobilized to facilitate sports betting, clubs such as the Chicago Cubs have also dropped their hat in the ring with plans to start a sports betting company at Wrigley Field in collaboration with online outfit DraftKings.

[B]Colorado[/B] – Not be outdone, Colorado also started to permit legal sports betting in May of 2020. Already there are quite a few sports booking companies in operation and more are expected to commence operations before too long. There are also plans to set up online sports betting facilities, but in order to proceed, these online outfits must partner with a physical casino already operating in the state.

[B]Nevada[/B] – It may seem unnecessary to mention Nevada, the home of Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world, but they have also had to make adjustments with large-scale legalization across the United States. Nevada has had a head start on all other jurisdictions; however, this does not look like it will change anytime soon despite the liberalization of sports betting laws. Casinos that have long had sports betting as a side interest have not lost much, if any, of their popularity. However, the state has also made more forays into mobile and online betting, although to register for such requires one to register in-person.

[B]How to bet?
[/B]
There are many ways you can bet on sports in the United States. While the variety may appear formidable to new players, it is not impossible to learn and it’s easy to get the hang of. Here are a few of those ways.

[B]Sports betting odds[/B] - Understanding how odds work is going to help you place wiser bets and earn better payouts. By contemplating the odds, you are estimating the likelihood of a particular outcome. When people calculate odds, they take into consideration the number of events that may produce that outcome alongside the number that do not.

Point Spread – The point spread is an estimate of the difference in points scored by the two teams. The [URL="https://www.lines.com/betting/nba/odds"][U]NBA point spread[/U][/URL], for instance helps individuals place bets on what they think the point difference would be between the two teams. For example, if Team A is supposed to beat Team B by at least three points, players can place bets on whether or not this will be the actual outcome.

[B]Moneyline[/B] – A money line bet may be one of the easiest forms of sports betting for new bettors. This is the simplest type of bet there is. Here, the users bets simply on who they think will win. Odds for favorites are expressed as negative numbers while those for underdogs are expressed as positive numbers.

[B]Parlay[/B] - Instead of betting on a single outcome, a parlay allows an individual to bet on several different outcomes that are combined on one slip. As you would imagine, the opportunity for increased returns are greater, however winning a parlay is dependent on you winning all the listed outcomes.

Sports betting is still in its infant stages in the United States. However, as more states become [URL="https://openskynews.com/sports-and-recreation-expected-to-reopen-covid-19-still-in-play/07956/"][U]open[/U][/URL] to the industry, players can look forward to the industry evolving accordingly.