Read more: How Is the Online Gambling Industry Making Room for the Next Unicorn Company? Top 10 Sports Betting Companies in the Global Gambling Industry 888 Holdings. 888 holdings is one of the most popular online gaming operators, which operates 888 sports, casino, poker, and bingo brands. THE HISTORY OF ONLINE GAMBLING IN THE UNITED STATES. The first online casinos started opening up on the internet back in 1994. The operators of these sites were mostly based in places like Antigua and the Isle of Man, but they happily accepted customers from the United States. This is one of the reasons licensed online gambling sites have done financially worse than expected. Only existing brick & mortar casino owners within those states can apply for licenses, although they can apply together with an existing online gambling site in a software-licensing agreement, like Caesar’s Interactive and 888.com have done. S of Tuesday, casinos in nearly three dozen states had either been shut down by government order or done so voluntarily. The states that offer online gambling for casino games or poker so far include New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware and Pennsylvania; others offer online sports betting, but that market has dried up virtually overnight as most major professional and college sports have shut down due.

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Skip the Headaches and Play at a Legitimate Site

First and foremost: online gambling is legal in the USA. Gambling laws are constantly changing on a state-by-state basis, but here is what you need to remember: while running your own casino, sportsbook, or poker room inside the United States is not legal, individual U.S. Residents will not be prosecuted for making online bets.

You’re looking for a legitimate U.S. gambling site, but can’t decide which site to trust with your hard-earned money?

Good news! We’ve been in the online gambling industry for over a decade (several decades, really, if you add all of our experience together), and we’ve spent countless hours to bring you a list of the most legitimate sites.

Here’s what all of these sites have in common:

• 10+ years in the business with strong reputations.
• Attractive promotions for first-time customers.
• Quick money withdrawals (relative to the U.S. market).

Why Bovada Is #1 in the U.S.

#1: Fastest Check Cashouts

Bovada gets 10 times as much traffic as its second best US competitor and still delivers check payouts faster than any of them. Bovada processes check withdrawals in 7 days; many of its competitors take weeks, some more than a month to do the same. (There are other fast options, like the #3-ranked BetOnline, which delivers checks in 14 days.)

#2: Service

An equally important aspect of Bovada’s operations is its customer service. If there ever was an indication of how much a company respects its customers, it’s the level of customer service the company provides. I haven’t found any US-friendly site doing this aspect of the business better (although 5Dimes is a worthy runner-up).

#3: All-In-One

Finally, all parts of Bovada’s business (sportsbook, casino, poker, racebook) are popular. Bovada is best-known for sports betting and casino games, however, even its online poker room has around four times as many players online as the second biggest US poker site. You can access all of their games with one player account.

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… But You Should Know This

Bovada is recreational-friendly, perhaps more-so than any other US site. You’ll find few golden opportunities in their sportsbook (read more about their use of dual lines), they have a relatively high overall house edge (especially after recently increasing house edge in video poker games) and their online poker room only has “anonymous” tables.

Although not everyone agrees with me, the recreational-friendly part is an advantage for skilled poker players. Since Bovada appeals to recreational gamblers, you’ll be like a shark among regular fish.

Bovada charges a 4.9% fee for credit card deposits (a lot considering how most sites charge nothing). The impact of the deposit fee is slightly compensated by their welcome bonuses, which are better than average.

All online gamblers look for entertaining games, attractive promotions and aesthetically pleasing software. To have a safe experience, however, you want a site to:

1. Serve its customers with safety and respect,
2. Operate with a reasonable house edge, and
3. Handle money transactions promptly.

Yes, the third point is included in the first point but it’s also such an essential part of the customer experience that it must be mentioned separately. Many online gambling websites operate without an adequate level of service so these points are worth considering. It’s rare to find a combination of all three points.

Bovada fulfills all of the above criteria better than other sites but 5Dimes does well, too. In fact, I’m confident in ranking those two as the best USA gambling websites specifically because they deliver so well in the areas related to safety and trustworthiness. A site without proper customer service and safety measures is not one you should deposit money to, regardless of its promotions and whatnot.

What Are Some Alternative Options?

For Sports Bettors

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5Dimes.eu is the best betting site in the US for the following reasons: they’re professional-friendly and offer reduced juice betting lines (in other words, less house edge). Before betting on any game, I recommend taking a look at the odds 5Dimes is offering. They’ve been a reliable sportsbook for over 10+ years — you’ll find few complaints about 5Dimes online, and the ones you find have been resolved quickly.

For poker and casino games, I would go with Bovada. But for sports bettors, it makes the most sense to have an account at 5Dimes.

Another Solid Option

BetOnline.ag is my third suggestion. It’s not significantly better than the others in any area but they’re simply a solid option. Prompt cashout processing, decent poker traffic, good sports betting options and entertaining casino games. Additionally, I’ve had good experiences with their customer service.

For sports bettors, BetOnline is worth signing-up at simply to be able to compare betting lines among a few sites. For poker players, BetOnline may offer some good games every now and then (keep in mind: you can bet on sports and play casino and poker games with the same account, so plenty of gamblers will stumble on the poker games eventually). For casino gamblers, BetOnline has a basic but reliable offering.

BetOnline charges a 6% fee for credit card deposits.

Is It Legal to Play?

The definition of ”gambling” and the laws surrounding vary depending on which state you live in.

In Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, some forms of online gambling have been legalized and regulated (only state-licensed sites are allowed to operate legally). In other states, it’s likely (although not widely agreed upon) that playing – and certainly operating – online gambling games for real money is illegal.

On a federal level, sports betting is the only form of prohibited gambling via the Wire Act of 1961. For several years, the Department of Justice (DOJ) maintained that the Wire Act applies to all forms of online gambling, but in December 2011, they corrected that stance by stating that the Wire Act only applies to sports betting – a result of a 13-page memorandum from the Office of Legal Counsel to the Criminal Division of the DOJ (source).

State laws, however, often indirectly prohibit gambling. Or to put it another way: it would be difficult to claim any forms of online gambling legal with absolute certainty in most states (lotteries and such aside). Most state laws indirectly prohibit gambling simply by making all forms of gambling unlawful that have not been made lawful.

Purely based on history, it’s unlikely you’ll get into legal trouble; then again, if something is illegal, you can get into trouble, and someone probably will. Gambling online may be illegal where you live. Contact a local gaming lawyer to get a better idea of your local laws.

Legal Troubles

Industry-changing events have taken place in the online gambling world – mainly concerning online poker – such as the UIGEA and Party Poker’s exit from the US market, or PokerStars’ exit from the US market in 2011.

Those crimes were committed by online poker operators, though, not players. Still, the mere fact that online poker companies were targeted was enough to cast a shadow over the legality of US online poker, and furthermore, players grew more and more worried about one of these sites getting shut down along with the money on their player accounts.

In fact, there is a legitimate reason to worry about dishonest US gambling sites taking your money. Some sites have indeed taken off with the money – a recent example is Lock Poker, which currently may owe its customers over $15 million. I created LegitGamblingSites.com mainly to give more exposure to the sites with strong track records of honest business practices.

The lawmakers, in that regard, have a point about not allowing unlicensed sites to provide online gambling games to US citizens. While that may not be the reason, it’s likely one of them. (If I had to guess, I’d say they’re more concerned about losing out on tax dollars and protecting the interests of brick & mortar casino owners such as Sheldon Adelson, although through the RAWA – Restore America’s Wire Act legislation – he tries to do that by himself.)

How to Move Money Around

Ever since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) became a law, US citizens have had a more difficult time finding a suitable deposit method.

There are only a few left, actually.

The most common deposit method for US citizens is still credit card deposits, out of which VISA is the most widely accepted brand, followed by Mastercard, with American Express being a distant third. Cards must be eligible for both international and online transfers.

The alternative method is to use a money transfer service such as Western Union. Western Union is mostly a deposit-only method. (Bovada is an exception since they only allow you to withdraw money via a check.)

Why to use a money transfer service instead of a credit card?

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• A card deposit fails to go through. This happens every now and then, and the only way to know if your card will be accepted is to try. According to various forum reports, Vanilla VISA is declined at most sites while Netspend VISA has been successful.

  Surprisingly, players have had problems with card deposits even at state-licensed sites due to banks like Bank of America outright declining all gambling transactions. Things will likely get better with the new MCC codes for VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Distant which will help casinos to identify gambling transactions more accurately. It’s unclear how much of a help this will be since banks still have the right to decline transfers marked with the new MCC codes, and due to not wanting to violate the UIGEA (according to which they’re prohibited from knowingly processing unlawful gambling transactions), banks may decide it isn’t worth it and keep cancelling transactions even if they were for state-licensed sites.

  This is expected to change once bigger states – perhaps even the biggest of them all, California – join internet gambling, since declining the transactions will then affect such a large percentage of any bank’s customer base.

• You want a faster cashout. While money transfer services cost more (many sites, like Bovada, allow one free check cashout a month), the money is usually delivered to be picked up at a local Western Union location in five days or less.
• You don’t want a check cashout. You need to go to a cashier to cash a check. Most people would rather avoid doing this, especially since banks aren’t allowed to knowingly process online gambling related transactions (unless in Delaware, Nevada or New Jersey, but people have had problems in those states as well).

In general, you’ll have higher transaction costs with money transfer services than with a combination of credit cards and checks. BetOnline and Bovada are the only major USA sites charging for credit card deposits and most allow one free check cashout per month – some, like True Poker, allow a free check withdrawal every seven days.

How to use a credit card/check combination?

1. Enter your credit card details online after which you have the money on your player account instantly.
2. When done playing, order a check cashout, which will take from a week to over a month depending on which site you’re dealing with.
3. Go to your local bank to cash the check.

How to use a money transfer service (like Western Union)?

1. Go to their website or a live Western Union location and send money to the gambling site. (You’ll need to contact the gambling site first to get their transfer details.)
2. When done playing, initiate the withdrawal from your player account.
3. Go to a live location to collect the money.

State-Licensed Sites

As mentioned, Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey have legalized and regulated some forms of real-money online gambling. Delaware started with online poker but has since expanded into casino games as well; Nevada offers online poker games only; New Jersey offers online poker and casino games.

As you can see, not a single one of these states offer online sports betting. In New Jersey – clearly the biggest market of the three – there’s a clause according to which sports betting may be considered to be added in the future.

Requirements

You must be physically located within a state’s boundaries to play at the licensed sites. If you’re currently located in California but live in Nevada, you’re unable to play until you return to Nevada; if you’re currently located in Nevada but live in California, you can play as long as you stay within Nevada’s state boundaries.

Licensed sites have to make sure nobody outside of the state can participate in the games. Geolocation – identifying exactly where a person is located – has been difficult, and there are still people who are unable to play even though they’re located within those states. This is one of the reasons licensed online gambling sites have done financially worse than expected.

Only existing brick & mortar casino owners within those states can apply for licenses, although they can apply together with an existing online gambling site in a software-licensing agreement, like Caesar’s Interactive and 888.com have done. If a poker site kept operating in the US after the UIGEA of 2006, it will be subjected to a ”bad actor” clause in Nevada and be prohibited from operating in the state for now.

Performance

Each state has had a rocky start, although New Jersey is doing OK. In March 2014, they did $11.87 million in revenue, which grew into $13.16 million in March 2015. A growth rate of 14.57% year-over-year is better than nothing, but still a far cry from the $1 billion within the first 7 months of operating Governor Christie expected (New Jersey gambling sites were launched in November 2013). In other words, his expectations were a little over $140 million a month on average, or about ten times the current revenue.

According to PokerScout.com, Nevada’s online poker revenue is going downhill. Year-over-year decrease in revenue of around 44% (from February 2014 to February 2015) is, no matter how you look at it, a disappointing result. Problems with card deposits and geolocation – both of which exist in other states as well – and player liquidity have undoubtedly contributed to the significant decrease. Players have to deal with fewer problems when playing at offshore sites, and as long as that continues, it will be difficult for state-licensed sites to gain major traction.

In Delaware, the state keeps all yearly revenue up to $3.75 million. Since total revenue for 2014 was around $2.1 million, gambling operators have made nothing. The main reason for such a low amount of revenue is Delaware’s population of 0.94 million (in comparison, New Jersey has a population of 8.9 million). Liquidity is important for online poker since you need lots of players to run games at various stakes, in several forms and throughout the day. Delaware is trying to improve its poker liquidity by combining player pools with Nevada but so far there hasn’t been a significant improvement to its online gaming revenue.

If all of the three states were to combine their player pools, it would create a poker economy of around 12 million people, which could add significant liquidity to the games and thus bring in more revenue to each of the states.

Offshore Sites

Gambling sites accepting US customers from outside of the three states are all ”offshore” sites, meaning they operate from outside of the US and have no license to operate within the US. They have obtained a license in some other jurisdictions – such as Antiqua & Barbuda or Panama – but many of those jurisdictions have less-than-stellar reputations.

The disadvantage of gambling at offshore sites is the lack of safety. For an outsider, it’s impossible to know how strict testing measures these sites go through to prove their legitimacy, and hypothetically, if one of them were to disappear from the internet tomorrow along with your money, what could you do about it?

Lock Poker, as already mentioned, is an ongoing example. They’ve now lost their license in Curacao (weirdly, they were able to keep the license easily over a year after refusing to process customer cashouts) and there’s nothing anyone can do to make sure Lock Poker’s customers have their money returned. All we can do is spread the word to the people who are considering signing-up and depositing money to their site.

The best thing you can do is consider the reputation of the site rather than the jurisdiction since all jurisdictions have had dishonest sites. The longer a site has been fully operational, and the fewer complaints it has generated, the better. Essentially, Bovada has been in the online gambling business since 2000 when Bodog.com was founded (the US-friendly operations of Bodog were re-branded as Bovada in 2011), and as mentioned, they’ve achieved an excellent reputation with a high level of customer service.

But there are advantages to playing at an offshore site, too, and you can legitimately argue that the advantages override the disadvantages. Offshore sites place fewer restrictions on customers, need less personal information and have to compete with lots of other sites (within US states, competition is limited) which forces them to be at their best in order to succeed. There are no geolocation issues either.

Safety and legality aside – although obviously, both are big considerations – offshore sites are the better option in almost every area. Since only three states have legalized some forms of real-money online gambling in the US, they’re the only places for internet gambling for around 96.4% of US population.

What’s Next?

US online gambling is in a transitional phase: after a long wait of legalization, three states have done it, mostly with lackluster success. Suggesting geolocation and deposit issues are resolved, revenue streams may grow. With online poker, though, most likely at least one of the bigger states has to legalize it and combine player pools with the others to create a meaningful poker economy.

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A federal legalization would create much-needed competition and player pools, which in turn creates a bigger incentive for operators to participate and, in many ways, a better environment for gamblers. If internet gambling was to be legalized nationwide, every operator and their grandmother would want a license. As of now, it’s more beneficial for most operators to stay outside of the US.

With the digital revolution in full swing and the ease of government regulations on gambling, the sports betting industry is undergoing dynamic transformations over the last few years and consequently surging in popularity around the word, the revenues of many world’s leading sports betting companies are also growing significantly year on year. Today, sports betting has become one of the fastest growing industries across the world, offering immense potential for both bettors and sportsbooks. Some of the popular games for sports betting include horse racing, greyhounding, cricket, football, baseball, basketball and golf.

For the latest online gambling market size, sports betting market forecast, and top sports betting companies in the world, please see our report Global Sports Betting Market 2018-2022, or download your FREE Global Sports Betting Market Report Sample now!

Global Sports Betting Market Analysis

Over the last few years, the world has opened immense opportunities for gamblers to take part in sports betting anywhere in the world through digital platforms, except in those nations where betting is banned. The global sports betting sector occupies the major market share in the overall online gambling industry accounting for more than 40 % of the worldwide gambling revenue generation. According to the Technavio’s market analysts, the sports betting market will grow at an impressive CAGR, with the global sports betting market revenue expected to reach nearly $370 billion by 2022.

Read more:How Is the Online Gambling Industry Making Room for the Next Unicorn Company?

Top 10 Sports Betting Companies in the Global Gambling Industry

888 Holdings

888 holdings is one of the most popular online gaming operators, which operates 888 sports, casino, poker, and bingo brands. Since its launch in 2008, 888 Sports has been successful in establishing a strong presence in the online sports betting market. The online betting site breaks away from the traditional bookies with exclusive customer deals, a range of new markets and an international appeal. Although the company exited US market long back owing to the strict government regulations, they have been keeping a close eye on regulatory developments in the US.

Today, 888 has already positioned itself in the market by partnering with the US-based companies. The potential for the sports betting sector in the US is significant and, as the only firm in all three regulated US states, 888 is all set to exploit the potential growth opportunities in the US market.

Read more:The Game is on! Here are the Top 15 Online Gaming Companies

GVC Holdings

GVC Holdings is one of the largest sports betting companies and gaming groups. With its unique proprietary technology platform, GVC offers casino, poker, bingo, and sports betting under some of the industry’s most popular online betting brands including partypoker, CasinoClub, Betboo, Bwin, Foxy Bingo, and Sportingbet. In a spell of acquisitions, GVC Holdings made a milestone €1.1 billion acquisition of online gaming brand bwin party in 2016 and acquired UK rival Ladbrokes Coral in March 2018.

Further, GVC Holdings also confirmed a $200 million joint venture deal with MGM Resorts recently that will see the former transfer its online sports betting know-how to the latter. This deal will soon lead to the launch of a wide range of sports betting sites in the US.

Kindred Group

The Stockholm-listed online gambling company, Kindred, continued their record-breaking financial performance in 2018, thanks to the all-time growth of their active customer-base and the 2018 FIFA world cup, that led to higher active users. Today, the company is regarded as one of the world’s leading online gambling brands within the sports betting arena. Kindred Group recently signed a 5+5-year agreement with Casino Atlantic City and Hard Rock Hotel in New Jersey. This move is Kindred’s first step into US gaming, with a view to offering online sports betting services to US customers.

Kindred’s major revenue comes from casino games and online sports betting. With these two segments which generated respective revenue of £104 million and £104.9 million during Q2, Kindred continues to witness significant online organic growth.

Read more : Why Sports Betting Accounts for the Largest Share of the Gambling Market

Paddy Power Betfair

Paddy Power Betfair was born following the merger of Paddy Power plc and Betfair Group in February 2016. Today, the business has four divisions: Online Australia, Irish Retail, UK Retail, and Telephone segments. The company’s Online Australia segment provides sports betting services and is the market leader in the Australian gambling industry. Its UK and Irish Retail segment operate 623 betting shops across Ireland and UK. It has a presence in Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland and across the world.

Paddy Power Betfair provides gaming and sports betting services through websites including betfair.com, paddypower.com, tvg.com, sportsbet.com.au, and us.betfair.com under the Betfair, Sportsbet, Paddy Power, and TVG brand names, and through a chain of licensed betting offices.

William Hill

Since 2012, when the UK-listed bookmaker merged three businesses to establish William Hill US, the company has grown consistently to achieve the market share of around 30 %, making it one of the largest sports betting companies in the UK and the US. William Hill is one of the early movers to reap the benefits from the legalization of sports betting in the US after the Supreme Court’s decision in May to strike out a federal ban passed in 1992. William Hill US is already the leading sports betting company in the US, operating more than 108 race and sports books in Nevada along with the state’s top mobile sports betting app.

The sports wagering giant signed sports betting agreements with a number of casinos in the US last month and is in talks with more operators. The company is ramping up hiring in Nevada for growing its US business. The company announced that it will offer mobile betting technology and sports betting risk management services to 11 casinos in Mississippi and West Virginia.

Download related report sample for free:Global Mobile Gambling Market 2017-2021

Bet365

Having added a vast range of betting options and products to their core over the past several years, Bet365 has grown to be one of the largest firms in the sports betting industry. Bet365 was one of the first sports betting company to start offering eSports to bet on. This British online gambling and sports betting company serves more than 23 million customers across the world by offering poker, casino, games, bingo, and sports betting, along with video streams on sporting events. The company recently inked a partnership with another sports betting company – Hard Rock Atlantic City casino to offer sports betting service

Stars Group

The ultimate owner of the most popular gaming brands such as PokerStars, BetStars, PokerStars Casino, and Full Tilt, Star Groups (formerly known as Amaya Gaming) recently announced that it has successfully acquired the Sky Betting and Gaming (SBG). This deal will turn the online poker giant into the largest sports-betting company in the world. Stars Group is one of the most licensed online gaming operators with its subsidiaries holding approvals and licenses in 19 jurisdictions across the world, including the Americas, Australia, and Europe. Star Group brands have millions of customers globally and are leaders in mobile and online betting, casino, poker, and other gaming-related offerings.

Download related report sample for free: Global Online Gambling Market 2018-2022

Draft Kings

DraftKings is one of the most popular daily fantasy sports content providers that allows users to enter fantasy sports-related contests based on team and individual player performance in five largest American sports (the NBA, MLB, the PGA, the NFL, and the NHL), NASCAR auto racing, Premier League and UEFA Champions League soccer, the Arena Football League, Canadian Football League, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Tennis. After the US Supreme Court cleared the way to legalize sports betting, DraftKings got to work immediately, as sports gambling will account for a major share of their business.

Betsson

Betsson is an award-winning sports betting website that has been around since 2006 and literally grew into a gambling empire. The company provides users from all over the world an option to play poker, casino, bingo games and place their bets on various sports events. Betsson is based in Malta and holds a betting license from the gambling commission in the same country as well as one from the United Kingdom as well. Today, its sports betting option is offered on various markets and more and more consumers choose it as a significant option for sports betting.

BetAmerica

BetAmerica made its name in online gambling industry through horse racing, which then branched out into fantasy sports with the launch of FanEx Sports. Today, BetAmerica.com is considered as one of the most legal and secure sports betting companies based in the US. With a wide range of fantasy leagues for MLB, NFL and NBA and more than 200 racing tracks to choose from, BetAmerica is all set to grab the major share in the sports betting industry.

To find out other major sports betting companies in North America, Europe and Asia, download your FREE Global Sports Betting Market Report Samplenow!

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Global Sports Betting Market Trends

Online betting was brought into the sports industry in the late 1990s and has been growing significantly since then. With the emergence and high penetration of the digital platform, punters have the flexibility in placing bets on sports from any part of the world. Indeed, the digital revolution has given sportsbooks a platform to connect with new customers. Online gambling is one of the fastest growing sectors in the e-commerce industry and is a rapidly growing mode of gambling. The use of digital processes and the growing punter demand will propel the growth of the online gambling industry, while the major sports betting companies in the world are also expected to achieve higher revenues in the near future.

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For more market intelligence in the global sports betting market, please check this following report: