What Is a Sportsbook?
A sportsbook is a company or entity that accepts bets. It can be legal or illegal. DraftKings 0️⃣ is a licensed sportsbook, while Bovada is an offshore sportsbook that's been operating without a license in the U.S. for 0️⃣ years. Players who live in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Nevada will not be able to register and 0️⃣ play on the site. Most sportsbooks accept wagers on most major sporting events, especially college and professional events. Some online 0️⃣ bookmakers expand the kinds of bets they offer to other, non-sporting events, like the results of political elections and/or the 0️⃣ Oscars.
In common usage, a sportsbook typically refers to a company that takes sports bets. A sportsbook is technically the same 0️⃣ thing as a bookmaker or bookie, but these terms usually apply to individuals (or small groups of people) who take 0️⃣ bets. People will sometimes also refer to the place where bets are made as a sportsbook, which can be a 0️⃣ building or even a website.
For many years, the only fully legal sportsbooks in the United States were in Nevada, although 0️⃣ they also operated in limited form in Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. But a 2024 Supreme Court decision changed that. Now, 0️⃣ 30 states have legalized sportsbooks, and some allow these to be accessed online.
Key Takeaways A sportsbook is a company or 0️⃣ individual who accepts bets from individual sports bettors.
Sportsbooks generally accept bets on either side of a sporting event. They can 0️⃣ do this because of the difference between what you wager and what you win.
For many years, the only fully legal 0️⃣ sportsbooks in the U.S. were in Nevada, although they also operated in limited form in Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. A 0️⃣ 2024 Supreme Court decision changed that.
Now, 30 states have legalized sportsbooks, and some allow these to be accessed online.
How a 0️⃣ Sportsbook Works
A sportsbook is a place—either a website or a building—that accepts bets on sports. The most popular sports bets 0️⃣ that bookmakers handle include:
Baseball
Basketball
Boxing
Football
Golf
Mixed martial arts
Racing (both cars and horses)
Tennis
Soccer
Sportsbooks generally accept bets on either side of a sporting event. 0️⃣ They can do this because of the difference between what you wager and what you win. Most bets at most 0️⃣ sportsbooks require you to wagerR$110 to winR$100, although some requireR$120 to winR$100, and some discount sportsbooks only require you to 0️⃣ betR$105 to winR$100. This ratio applies to bets of every size — you could betR$55 orR$11, and you’d then see 0️⃣ winnings ofR$50 orR$10 for those bets.
Sportsbooks are bookmakers, and they make money in the same way. For each bet, they 0️⃣ will set a handicap which almost guarantees them a return in the long term.
Warning
A sportsbook makes money the same way 0️⃣ a bookmaker does: by setting the odds so that it will generate a profit over the long term.
The History of 0️⃣ Sportsbooks
Many states have only recently made sportsbooks legal. Some states still require gamblers to place bets in person, but in 0️⃣ others, you can now access sportsbooks online.
This was a fairly recent development. In the United States, the Professional and Amateur 0️⃣ Sports Protection Act of 1992 designated only Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware as states that could allow legal wagers on 0️⃣ sports other than horse and greyhound racing or jai alai.
As a result, an illegal market developed for the rest of 0️⃣ the country whereby illegal operations of bookies provided opportunities for betting. Some bookies were involved in organized crime, while others 0️⃣ operated independently, simply taking bets for a few friends, family members, or colleagues.
The 1992 act was ruled unconstitutional on May 0️⃣ 14, 2024, which allowed legal sports betting at states' discretion. The ruling created opportunities for sports betting in any states 0️⃣ that legislate in favor of legalization.
Since that ruling, many states have moved to legalize sports betting.
Important Sportsbooks were limited to 0️⃣ Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware until a 2024 Supreme Court decision gave states the ability to legalize them.
Are Sportsbooks Legal?
The 0️⃣ 2024 Supreme Court decision permitted states to make sportsbooks legal, but states vary widely in their attitude toward sports gambling. 0️⃣ As of Oct. 8, 2024:
30 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized sports betting through retail and/or online sportsbooks
Three states have 0️⃣ authorized sports betting, but have yet to launch
Four states have bills to legalize single-game sports betting or a voter referendum 0️⃣ is scheduled
In some states such as Utah, where sports betting is illegal, it’s unlikely that sportsbooks will be legalized in 0️⃣ any form. However, Utah residents are able to use Bovada. You can check out the situation in your state and 0️⃣ see a list of licensed sportsbook operators at the American Gaming Association.
It’s important to note that just because a sportsbook 0️⃣ is online doesn’t mean anyone can use it. The Wire Act of 1961 outlawed interstate gambling, and so states that 0️⃣ launch (or plan to launch) online sportsbooks are careful to check that bettors are within state lines. Generally, this means 0️⃣ that they structure online sportsbooks as a fenced-in market with geolocation services.
This means that even though BetMGM is now active 0️⃣ in New Jersey and New York, it must operate slightly differently in each state in order to comply with state 0️⃣ law and verify the location of all of its customers. “The verification is all done through a location service called 0️⃣ GeoComply, which uses your phone or computer location to make sure you're within state lines," explains Steven Petrella, deputy editor 0️⃣ for the Action Network. "However, if you're an Ohio resident [where sports betting is illegal] and travel to Michigan [where 0️⃣ it is legal], you can bet legally.”
Because of the Wire Act, it’s likely that up to 48 states will eventually 0️⃣ legalize sportsbooks (again, excluding Utah and Hawaii), but there will almost probably never be a national sportsbook that is accessible 0️⃣ from everywhere.
Gambling always involves a negative expected return—the house always has the advantage.
Choosing a Sportsbook
If you are looking for a 0️⃣ sportsbook, you should consider many factors. The most important among them, according to David Forman, senior director of research at 0️⃣ the American Gaming Association, “is whether it is legal and regulated in your jurisdiction.” Legal sportsbooks, he points out, offer 0️⃣ consumer protections and a commitment to responsible gaming that doesn’t exist in the predatory, illegal sports betting market. This means 0️⃣ “bettors are safest when wagering with a legal, regulated sportsbook.”
You should also choose a sportsbook that gives you good odds, 0️⃣ of course. But as Petrella says, “Most sportsbooks are actually pretty similar in terms of the odds they offer.” If 0️⃣ you're new to betting, he explains, you should care about three things:
Are the book's odds in line with everyone else's? 0️⃣ Make sure you're getting -110 on NFL point spreads, for example.
Does the book offer the things on which you want 0️⃣ to bet? If you're a big golf fan and bettor, do they offer plenty of golf markets?
Is the book easy 0️⃣ to navigate? Many sportsbooks are built on legacy technology, and it can be difficult to find anything.
Your options will vary 0️⃣ by state, of course, and new concepts in sports betting are opening up all the time.
If you or someone you 0️⃣ know has a gambling problem, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700, or visit NCPGambling/Chat to chat with a 0️⃣ helpline specialist.
What Is a Sportsbook? A sportsbook is the same thing as a bookmaker or bookie: It's a company or 0️⃣ individual that accepts bets from individual sports bettors. Sportsbooks accept bets on either side of a sporting event. They're able 0️⃣ to afford to do this because of the difference between what a bettor has to wager and what a bettor 0️⃣ wins.
How Does a Sportsbook Make Money? Sports betting companies make money by collecting a commission on losing bets, which is 0️⃣ often called the vigorish. Often abbreviated to the vig, the vigorish is the cut or amount charged by a sportsbook 0️⃣ for taking a bet, also known as juice in slang terms. The sportsbook only collects the vig if the bettor 0️⃣ loses the wager.
Are Sportsbooks Illegal? Since 2024, when the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), 0️⃣ 30 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting and six more are currently considering legalization efforts, according 0️⃣ to David Forman, senior director of research at the American Gaming Association. “This is a testament,” Forman argues, “to the 0️⃣ consumer demand for legal markets and meaningful tax revenue generated by legal sportsbooks.”
The Bottom Line
A sportsbook is a company or 0️⃣ individual who accepts bets from individual sports bettors. Most of these bets are on whether a team (or individual) is 0️⃣ going to win a specific sporting event. Sportsbooks were limited to just a few states in 2024, but since then 0️⃣ have been legalized in more than 20 states across the country.
