Legal NFL Betting Online
Sports Betting Site | USA? | Bonus |
---|---|---|
Bovada | $250 | |
BetOnline | $1,000 | |
SportsBetting | $1,000 |
Of the Big 4 sports leagues in the United States, NFL football is by far the most wagered on. A huge chunk of that money will be wagered at legal sports betting sites. Legal NFL betting online is a very popular pastime for many Americans, and there are some extremely safe and legal NFL betting sites out there. These sites give Vegas sportsbooks a run for their money by offering all sorts of great member features and benefits, such as bonuses, mobile betting, and live play.
This page will tell you in detail about some of the excellent overseas betting sites that Americans can join free of charge. It will also answer the question “Is NFL betting legal?” In addition, it will go over the laws that affect sports betting in the US. All of this is important information to know if you want to make sure that you are betting safely and legally. State age requirement is another thing you need to pay attention to before you join a legal NFL sports betting site. By the time you have finished reading this page, you will be one step closer to being an expert on legal sports betting in the United States!
Yes, you can legally bet on NFL football in the United States, but you have to make sure you are using a legal NFL sports betting site. There are plenty of online sportsbooks, some legal and some not. It all comes down to where a website is based. If it is within US territory, it is violating federal and/or state laws unless it is in one of the few states that have legalized sports betting (though more and more states are expected to do so since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA, was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2018). On the other hand, if a site is based somewhere outside the United States, it does not have to abide by US law. This is why online sportsbooks are so popular. For most Americans, they are the best option.
There were three major laws that affected NFL betting in the United States, though with PASPA’s overturn, only two remain. Neither of these is a “one size fits all” type of law, but rather they work together to ensure that sportsbooks cannot legally set up shop in states that don’t allow the practice, and they prevent residents of one state using telecommunication platforms (like the Internet) to place wagers in other states. We are now going to look a little more closely at each of these laws, starting chronologically in 1961.
The Wire Act: This is the earliest of the sports betting regulatory laws, passed in 1961. It prevents the transfer of interstate wagers or bets (or information relating to the placing of wagers or bets) through a wire communications facility. The Wire Act obviously harkens back to a day before the Internet changed society forever, and so politicians have tried to expand and reintroduce the Wire Act under a different name, the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA). However, recent Congressional efforts to get RAWA passed have been unsuccessful.
PASPA: The full name of this now-defunct 1992 law is the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, and it is the main reason why you will only find sportsbooks in a handful of states (though that number is growing since its SCOTUS dismantling). During the era of PASPA, only Nevada was legally allowed to offer full-service single-game sports betting. This monopoly on the popular pastime was unpopular and materially destructive to the economies of several states, most notably New Jersey, who launched a successful Supreme Court challenge of the law and finally got it overturned on May 14, 2018.
UIGEA: The full name of this law is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, and what it does is limit the types of monetary transactions that can be made at an online betting site. It has been an extremely controversial law ever since it was passed in 2006. Critics lambasted the fact that it was attached to the back of a completely unrelated bill, the Safe Port Act. To add insult to injury, some in Congress were not even given the chance to read it before it was passed. As for overseas online sportsbooks, the UIGEA only affects them in one single way: You will very infrequently have your credit or debit card deposits declined.
However, like the other laws above, the UIGEA does not go after individual bettors, instead focusing on operators within other aspects of the industry. Indeed, none of the gambling laws listed here – even PASPA when it was in effect – actually criminalize the individual act of placing sports wagers of any kind through any medium.
No, you will not get into any trouble for betting on NFL football as long as you sign up with a legit online sportsbook. Since these sites function outside of US legal jurisdiction, you are not breaking any laws by joining them. In fact, there is no law to stop you from making a bet at a legal NFL sports betting site. When laws like PASPA and the Wire Act were passed, the reasoning behind them was to stop corruption in sports and to prevent the mob from profiting off illicit bookmaking. Assuming you are regular law-abiding, tax-paying citizen, you should have absolutely no problem using a legal online sportsbook to bet on the NFL. And now that only the Wire Act and the UIGEA remain in effect, there is even more access to NFL betting in various US states and at overseas sportsbooks alike.
Depending on what state you live in, the legal betting age will be anywhere from 18 to 21. There are some states, however, that do not have any age laws at all. In other states, the age varies depending on which part of the state you are in, which can get pretty confusing. Since it is left up to every state to decide the legal betting age, there is no across-the-board age requirement.
If you are not sure how old you have to be to bet in your state, we recommend that you either look it up or contact one of your local state representatives. It is extremely important that you follow the law completely and without fail when betting on sports, because it is possible to get into financial (if not legal) trouble for underage gambling. We don’t want that and you don’t want that, so our advice is to be smart and be safe. For what it’s worth, all of the top sites for legal NFL betting online merely require their members to be 18 in order to sign up and wager.
Plenty of sites specialize in online sports betting, but we want to make sure you are using an Internet betting site that is safe, trustworthy, and legit. That is why we have compiled a list of the all-time greatest legal online sportsbooks for US players. Not only will your money and personal info be safe at any of these sites, but you will have access to some awesome members-only features. These include bonuses and special money-saving deals, convenient features like live and mobile betting, and a slew of easy methods to deposit and withdraw money from your account.
Bovada Sportsbook
Football fans who are looking for a good place to bet on NFL action will find everything they are looking for at Bovada. It is one of the world’s most popular online betting sites and has a reputation for fairness, honesty, and integrity. Bovada has been up and running for about 20 years or so, and it continues to advance by leaps and bounds in the 21st century. Today, Bovada is home to millions of members from all over the United States, and that number will continue to increase as online sportsbooks replace traditional land-based sportsbooks as the dominant way to bet.
One of the great things about Bovada is that you know they can be trusted. The site is based out of Quebec (Kahnawake, Mohawk Territory), so it is not bound by any United States gambling laws. What this means is that American citizens can legally join Bovada without fear of consequence. And now, when you join Bovada, you will be able to save money right off the bat by using their $250 Sports Welcome Bonus, which matches your first deposit at a rate of 50%, padding your bankroll right from the get-go. It’s just one of the many ways that Bovada works to keep its customers happy. Sign up today and claim your bonus!
BetOnline Sportsbook
If you want to know where all the NFL action is, look no further than BetOnline. This state-of-the-art, modern Internet betting site features all the best NFL game lines, odds, and wager types you’ve been craving, plus great bonus features that can help you to save money hand over fist. BetOnline is a legitimate and legal site, and anyone living in the US who is old enough can join! All you have to do is sign up for an account, which takes all of two minutes and doesn’t cost a thing! There is no commitment, no contract to sign, and nothing extra to download, either.
Once your BetOnline account is set up, of course, you need to fund it. Lucky for you, BetOnline gives you some great options when it comes to deposit methods. You can use your Visa, American Express (on request), or MasterCard to deposit anywhere from as little as $25 to as much as $5000 into your account. Credit cards work almost instantaneously, making them one of the most popular methods. BetOnline also supports several different cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and DASH. These are just a few of the easy funding methods you will find at BetOnline. And no matter which method you choose, new BetOnline members can get a 50% first-time deposit bonus worth up to $1000 in free-plays!
SportsBetting Sportsbook
Those who enjoy betting on NFL football are in luck, because they have an awesome online sportsbook where they can do all of their wagering. Its name is SportsBetting, and it is one of the most beloved and popular online betting sites geared toward sports bettors in the United States. SportsBetting accepts players from all 50 US states as long as they are of legal betting age (18). Based in the Republic of Panama, SportsBetting is one 100% legal and safe. Players can relax knowing that they are in good hands. Besides having a superb reputation, SportsBetting offers all sorts of terrific rewards and perks to its loyal members.
You can sign up for an account at SportsBetting right now if you want to. It just takes a few moments of your time. Once you become a member, you will be offered the 50% percent Welcome Bonus for new players, which is good for your first deposit and will earn you as much as $1000 in bonus free-plays to put towards your first NFL bets. If you enjoy the SportsBetting Welcome Bonus, there are other great deals and promotions available as well, including the 25% Bonus For Life reload program, the Mobile Betting $50 Free Play, and the Live Betting $25 Free Play. SportsBetting makes it easy to fund your account and claim these bonuses, too. Just deposit via credit, debit, Bitcoin, altcoin, check, money order, bank wire, or another supported option, claim your perks, and get betting on this week’s NFL action!
NFL BETTING SITES | U.S.A. + STATES | DEPOSIT PROMOTIONS | FULL REVIEW | PLAY NOW |
---|---|---|---|---|
50% Up to $250 | Review | Visit Today | ||
100% Up to $500 | Visit Today | |||
50% Up to $1K | Review | Visit Today | ||
50% Up to $1,000 | Review | Visit Today |
There are a number of ways to effectively and safely fund your account, but the best deposit methods for legal NFL betting online comes down to personal preference. If you want to get your money transferred as quickly as possible, you should use a credit or debit card, as these process instantly. However, their limits are comparatively low. For putting in larger amounts of money to wager with, we recommend a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, Litecoin, or Ethereum, which all clear in mere minutes and carry high maximum deposit limits.
Some bettors prefer to use more traditional methods, but these are much slower, taking between one and two weeks to clear, and they also come with added processing fees. Such methods include cashier’s checks, money orders, bank wires, and person-to-person services like Western Union and MoneyGram.
Fastest Payouts For Legal NFL Betting Online
When it comes to withdrawing your winnings, you have two options. For the fastest payouts for legal NFL betting online, you’ll need to use Bitcoin or another crypto (Litecoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, DASH, etc.). These carry high limits, no added fees, and transfer within just a few hours.
If you aren’t set up to use crypto and don’t wish to get involved in that new financial movement, you can opt to be paid out via courier check, money order, or bank wire. These, of course, carry significant added fees and take up to two weeks to show up in your private account stateside, but they are reliable and effective. They also have adequately high limits suitable for the majority of NFL bettors.
With sports betting, true revolutions are few and far between. However, live, in-game NFL betting has proven to be all that and so much more. With traditional wagering, you have to have your football bets in before the start of a given matchup. Not so with live in-game NFL betting. With live betting, you can actually place wagers during the games themselves, as their odds will constantly shift to reflect the action of the matchup in real-time. You can bet on dynamic moneyline odds, spread bets, totals, and even various props that are limited to upcoming individual plays. Live NFL betting truly lets you wager not just on every game, but on every snap!
Mobile betting is one of the most sought-after features of any sportsbook, and when it comes to NFL wagering, you can place bets on-the-go, no matter where you are in the country. All the top sites for legal NFL betting online have mobile portals that work seamlessly and efficiently with your iPhone, iPad, Android device, and more, allowing you to take your bookie with you wherever you go. As long as you have a membership at one of these top NFL betting sites, a mobile device, and a solid Internet connection, you can bet 24/7, nationwide. Mobile betting is hands-down the most popular and accessible way to wager on all your favorite NFL action!
Getting started is as easy as selecting a sportsbook and signing up for one. The process to create a new account at a sportsbook takes only a few minutes to complete. After that account is verified through email, bettors are then able to make a deposit of their own choosing that is accepted by the sportsbook and will be able to wager on NFL games from there. We suggest that you check out several sportsbooks and compare payouts, betting lines, and other important aspects like deposits, payouts, and sportsbook bonuses.
The amount of betting odds and the available options for NFL betting will probably come with the most choices of any other sports section, especially if the betting site accepts American players. This is because the NFL is the most bet-on sports in the United States, so plenty of time will be dedicated to the section operated by the sportsbook.
Straight Wagering - This is your most basic bet, where a wager is placed on one outcome, for one payout. Examples of this would be a bet on the spread or money line for the game lines formed. But straight bets can also encompass prop lines and futures as well.
Parlay Bets - A parlay is a bet in which there are multiple outcomes linked to one payout. For the parlay to win, each bet made within that parlay must hit. Parlays can be among the highest payouts of all wagers. Sportsbooks will have their limits on what a parlay is able to up to, with some having as many as 15-team parlays available.
Pleasers - A pleaser is a line adjustment that moves the point spread of a matchup in the NFL away from the bettor's favor. This increases the payout so that there is a higher margin of profit if the new spread is covered. The bet is more difficult to win, but the reward can be great for the bettor.
Teasers - The teaser is the exact opposite of the pleaser. A teaser moves the betting line to help out the bettor. While the payout decreases, the chance of winning the bet drastically increases. This can often take a favorite and turn them into an underdog. This makes winning a bet more likely, but the payout is sacrificed to some of the smallest margins of profit out there.
Other Ways To Bet - Sportsbooks will often feature other types of wagers to take advantage of, such as round robins, or if-bets. The thing about NFL betting is that most every type of wager will be on the table. That is not always true for many other sports. Typically football will have the full options, with basketball right there as well.
Betting on the NFL brings about as many opportunities as any league or sport you will come across. Just about every type of betting line and wager type is on the table, and a sportsbook will field more odds for it than with others. Check out the types of betting odds that are formed as well as the different wagers that can be made.
NFL Game Lines - Consisting of a point spread, a moneyline (price for a straight up win w/o the spread), and an over/under total, these are the most commonly bet odds when talking about putting money on the NFL.
The point spread establishes the favorite in the game, and the underdog. The spread is a handicap system, designed to even the playing field on a matchup that is perceived by oddsmakers to be uneven. The bet is made on a team covering the spread.
NFL spreads are much different from the moneyline as the bet is made on the team to win the game. There is no spread; the only outcome that matters is the winner and the loser.
The third part to the game lines is a game total. This is a number installed for which the bet is made on the game's total exceeding that, or going below.
NFL Proposition Wagers - For the prop odds that are formed, sportsbooks will break it down into player props and team props. Making wagers on NFL props can be a lot of fun because they cover so many different topics and could involve something as wild as the length of a postgame handshake.
The most commonly proposition wager during the regular season are the ones issued for individual players. Game performances are usually what most NFL player props center upon but you can sometimes find a wacky one here and there depending on the latest events.
Team props are directly determined by the effort of the whole team but can involve just one side of the ball. Examples of team propositions that one might see during a give week would be to wager on a team to score first in a particular matchup, over/under number of first downs, team to commit first turnover and so on.
NFL Futures + Super Bowl Betting Odds - Betting on the Super Bowl is one of the most popular bets to make. These lines can be found throughout the offseason and of course during the regular season. Super Bowl odds adjust weekly during the season through the playoffs until the game line is formed for the big game.
While there is no guaranteed strategy that will get a win on a bet everytime, there are certainly some things that bettors can try out and keep in mind. In that spirit, we've put together a few tips that can be used in future betting on the NFL.
There are plenty of resources available to bettors when looking for a matchup. If they are interested in a game on the schedule, check out the information on the game, such as betting trends, and other related pieces of information that would help you decide which side of the line to go, or whether or not there is another game out there that would be less risk to take. Doing your homework and researching gives you a leg up.
There is no need to risk it all on a bet. In fact, set a budget and stick to that budget as you wager. Spread your wagers across the board and that way you can allow for potential losses to be negated by wins. This will extend the life of your wagering, and will increase your chances at winning wagers down the line.
It's a good idea to be an account holder at multiple sportsbooks. Different betting sites could have different betting lines and payouts for the same game. Shop the betting lines and get the payout that is best for the side of the line in which you are thinking about wagering. This can only help you as the sports betting industry can be quite competitive.