Mobile sports betting has never been more popular than it is right now thanks to the innovations in smartphone and tablet technology over the past decade in addition to sports betting legislation sweeping the nation.
Today, nearly everyone in the United States has access to a smartphone or tablet, and whether you have an Apple iPhone or iPad, a Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel phone running on Android, or any other type of mobile device, bets can not only be placed on sports while on the go but can also be placed in real-time via live or “in-play” betting.
But is it legal to bet on sports from your smartphone or tablet? And if so, where and how can you take advantage of the apps that allow you to bet real money on sports? We provide an overview of legal mobile sports betting below and list the best legal sports betting apps we recommend for use in the United States for 2019.
Best Legal US Sports Betting Apps For 2020
Are Online And Mobile Sports Betting Apps Legal In The United States?
Yes. Each of the sports betting apps listed above is legally sanctioned to use. American bettors are not violating any US gambling laws by placing bets at these destinations. The provider for these sportsbook applications are legally licensed in their jurisdiction or are owned by a parent company that holds legal licensing credentials, and all are located offshore.
State-licensed online and mobile sportsbook apps are currently not legal in the vast majority of states since most states have yet to legalize sports betting within their jurisdictions and even fewer have permitted online and mobile sportsbook apps to operate within state lines.
States That Have Launched Online and Mobile Sports Betting
After PASPA was overturned by the Supreme Court in May 2018, states were then granted the right to decide whether or not they wanted to legalize sports betting within their jurisdiction and begin the process of licensing sportsbooks to operate from inside state line. Below is a list of the states that have legalized and launched online and mobile sports betting within their jurisdiction.
Advantages of Using Mobile Sportsbooks
Land-based or “brick-and-mortar” locations – for sportsbooks or any kind of retail, honestly – are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Gone are the days where your only option was either hop on a plane to Las Vegas or find an illegal back-alley bookie just to put money on the Super Bowl or any sporting event for that matter.
The Internet is here to stay and smartphones and tablets allow us to be online from wherever we are, essentially becoming an extension of ourselves. In fact, I bet you are either reading this from a mobile device right now or are within arms reach of your smartphone or tablet. Apart from a smaller screen, there are no downsides to using a sportsbook app from a mobile device and even that may be a thing of the past soon with foldable screens.
Just like on desktop computers, mobile sportsbooks on smartphones and tablets allow bettors to sign up, manage their account, make deposits, request withdrawals and place bets on the odds across any college or professional sport. Some sportsbook apps even have access to advance statistics, stream live events, host chat rooms, and provide real-time scoring among other unique features.
However, the biggest advantage to using mobile sportsbooks is that you can now bet any time during a game whether you’re at home or on the go, and we’ll cover that in the section below.
Live In-Play Sports Betting From Your Smartphone and Tablet
Pretty much everyone is familiar with the traditional and most common way to place a bet, which was to put money on a team’s point spread, money line, total, etc. before the game began, and until recently, that was essentially the only time you could wager on a game.
However, that’s now a thing of the past thanks to live betting – or “in-play” betting – that is available from each of our reviewed online sportsbooks. With live betting, you can wager on the odds of teams and players while the game is currently in progress from your smartphone or tablet. Regardless of where you are or how much time is left in the clock, you can always put some skin in the game and get in on the betting action.
