Legal Nfl Betting Sites
Trusted Betting Sites Verified and Licensed Sportsbooks TopNJSportsbooks is the premier destination for those seeking information about the best legal NFL betting sites including NFL betting lines, NFL betting trends and NFL sportsbook reviews.
As legal sports betting rolls out across the US, the biggest slice of the market is betting on the NFL.
Pro football is the most-watched sport in America, and that translates to it being the most bet-on sport as well.
NFL betting sites
- NFL betting in Colorado. Despite only launching in May, the Colorado market already has a wide range of sportsbooks for betting NFL. The CO apps live today include: BetMGM; BetMonarch; BetRivers; Circa Sports; DraftKings Sportsbook; ELITE Sportsbook; FanDuel Sportsbook; Fox Bet; Smarkets; Sky Ute; TheScoreBet; William Hill; NFL betting in West Virginia.
- Steps for legally betting on NFL games online. Step 1: Choose a Trusted Online Sportsbook. Online sportsbooks that are operating legally within the industry either domestically or offshore will be. Step 2: Create an Account. The signup process at online sportsbooks is quite straightforward.
Read on for more information about betting on the NFL in 2021 and the market for it in the US.
Where you can legally bet on the NFL in the US
There are more than a dozen states where you can legally bet on NFL football games currently. Here is the list of states where sports betting is legal, or where it has been legalized pending launch (click through to learn more about betting options in any of these states:
State | Is sports betting legal? | Is online sports betting legal? |
---|---|---|
Arkansas | Yes | No |
Colorado | Yes | Yes |
Delaware | Yes | Yes, launch undetermined |
Indiana | Yes | Yes |
Iowa | Yes | Yes |
Mississippi | Yes | Yes, on-property only |
Montana | Yes | Yes |
Nevada | Yes | Yes |
New Jersey | Yes | Yes |
New Mexico | Yes, at multiple tribal casinos | No |
New York | Yes | No |
North Carolina | Yes, pending launch | No |
Oregon | Yes | Yes |
Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes |
Rhode Island | Yes | Yes |
Tennessee | Yes, pending launch | Yes, pending launch |
Washington DC | Yes, pending launch | Yes, pending launch |
West Virginia | Yes | Yes |
Online betting is currently live in these states, which should be the largest markets for sports wagering in short order:
NFL betting in New Jersey
The second biggest market for betting on the NFL is New Jersey, and it will likely surpass Nevada in the near future — possibly in 2020 or 2021.
That’s for several reasons:
- It’s a more open market for online betting — you can register online from anywhere in the state
- New Jersey is also interesting in that it has access to the New York City market; NY only has a few physical sportsbooks upstate. But New Yorkers can cross the river into New Jersey and bet easily.
- Betting on the Giants, Jets and Eagles is popular among New Jersey residents.
Nfl Football Betting Sites
There are no shortage of NJ sports betting apps:
- BetAmerica
- Hard Rock
- Bet365
NFL betting in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is the biggest state that has legal sports betting apps. Population centers and football-crazy cities Philadelphia and Pittsburgh create a good starting based for legal sports gambling.
There are only a handful of apps in the state as of September 2019, but more are on the way.
- Parx Sportsbook
NFL betting in Illinois
Illinois is the sixth most populous state in the US, while Chicago is the single largest metropolitan area with legal online sports betting. Sportsbooks are also keen to acquire customers now, while in-person registration is suspended.
There are already a handful of live apps in the state, including:
NFL betting in Colorado
Despite only launching in May, the Colorado market already has a wide range of sportsbooks for betting NFL.
The CO apps live today include:
- BetMonarch
- Circa Sports
- ELITE Sportsbook
- Smarkets
- Sky Ute
NFL betting in West Virginia
West Virginia has two of the major players in online sports betting: DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook.
There are also a trio of physical sportsbooks. While betting on West Virginia University is huge, expect a lot of betting on the NFL teams in surrounding states as well.
NFL betting in Nevada
Sports betting has been around for decades in Nevada, and it’s the biggest market for NFL betting right now. Hundreds of millions are wagered on NFL games in Las Vegas and beyond.
While there are more than 100 physical sportsbooks, nearly all of them also have a sports betting app. While the tech in Nevada lags behind other markets, and you have to sign up in person for an app, they are still a good option.
Mobile betting accounts for more than half of all betting — NFL and otherwise — in Nevada.
NFL betting in Iowa
Iowa went live with sports betting in the summer of 2019, rolling out physical sportsbooks and online sports betting apps almost in parallel.
There are already more than a dozen sportsbooks in the state, along with apps that you have to register for at a casino and racetrack.
Legal NFL betting apps vs. illegal offshore apps
If you’re not in one of the states mentioned above, you are not betting at a site that operates legally in the US or in your state.
While many people believe that sports betting became widely legal in 2018, all that happened was the repeal of a federal ban allowing states to legalize sports betting.
So if you want to bet on the NFL, keep in mind where you’re betting. While individual bettors are unlikely to get in trouble for betting at a site that operates outside of the constraints of US law, the sites themselves do run afoul of federal and state law. Despite the fact that these sportsbooks will tell you they are operating legally, that is far from the truth.
If you’re in Nevada, New Jersey and other states that have betting laws, you have a number of regulated choices to choose from. Unfortunately for much of the country, there is no legal option. That includes large states like California and Florida. In New York, you can bet at some upstate sportsbooks but only in-person.
How much do Americans bet on the NFL?
Despite the fact that the NFL has the fewest games of any pro team sport, it’s by far the most popular to bet on.
With a handful of preseason games, 16 in the regular season and then a win-to-advance playoff system, there’s a premium on every game. That dynamic makes the NFL the most popular sport to watch on TV; the Super Bowl every year is the most-watched program on TV in the US.
All of that interest creates a robust market for betting on the NFL in the US, despite the fact that single-game wagering has only been legal in Nevada before 2018. People still find myriad ways of having a monetary interest on the outcome of games, from fantasy sports, to betting against friends, to using illegal offshore sportsbooks.
Gauging how much is bet on the NFL by Americans is tricky because of all that. The American Gaming Association says that 38 million adults will bet on the NFL in 2019.
If you include fantasy and social betting, the number is certainly in the hundreds of millions. If limited to offshore books, the number has been estimated from the tens of billions to $150 billion.
The advent of legal sports betting outside of Nevada will increase all of these figures even more. The NFL, as the country’s most popular sport, will drive betting handle in most states.
When is NFL betting the biggest?
The interest in betting on the NFL usually follows a rhythm, starting out strong before hitting a crescendo in the postseason:
- The first few weeks of the NFL season are usually the biggest in the regular season, outside of weeks that feature several top teams facing off and/or divisional rivalries. Everyone is excited to bet on the NFL when it returns, and that honeymoon usually lasts several weeks.
- Thanksgiving is now a big time to bet on games. With the unidivided attention of NFL fans — at least before dinner is served — there are three games that take place on the holiday every year.
- The end of the season is often a bit slower for betting on the NFL, from attrition of bettors to lack of interest as some teams fall out of the playoff hunt. But that resets as the playoffs begin, with huge numbers of bettors wanting to have action on wild-card games, divisional games and conference championships.
- The Super Bowl is usually the single biggest day for betting at any sportsbook. Tens of millions of people will watch, and many of them have action on the game some way, whether through a sportsbook, a squares competition or a wager with a friend. But as sports betting rolls out in more and more states, expect there to be a lot of betting on the NFL.
Sports betting apps vs. physical sportsbooks for NFL
NFL fans love to watch games at sportsbooks. Nevada has long cashed in on the intersection of betting and lots of TVs, packing sportsbooks in Las Vegas and elsewhere with fans on NFL Sundays.
It is usually a good experience, except it can be difficult to get your bet down in-person on a busy Sunday. The lines to place bets in states with legal sports betting are usually extremely long; in states where online betting is legal, it’s far more convenient.
Here’s a bit of a breakdown:
Sports betting app advantages
- Multiple ways to deposit and withdraw funds
- Easier to place bets
- Live betting options — betting while games are going on — is far more robust.
- Convenient to bet from nearly anywhere (as long as you are located in a state where it is legal).
- Deposit bonuses and odds boosts
Physical sportsbook advantages
- Personal contact with a ticket writer
- Can watch nearly every game at a sportsbook
- Free drink tickets are sometimes given at sportsbooks
More about NFL betting odds and lines
If you are betting on the NFL, there are a variety of ways to do so. Here is a quick look at some of the ways:
- Point spread: This is the most common way to bet on NFL games, and is generally the type of bet that sportsbooks see the most of. Here, the sportsbook sets a line that team X will win a game by Y points; for instance, New England could be a three-point favorite at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. If you bet New England at minus-3, you are betting that New England will win by four or more points. If you bet on the Eagles, you are betting that Philly will either win, tie or lose by two or one points.
- Moneyline: This simplest type of bet, a bettor is just picking who will win the game. The confusing part for bettors not used to looking at moneyline odds. Here, a favorite will usually be assigned a negative number, and the underdog a positive number. New England could be a -148 favorite, meaning you need to bet $148 to win $100. Philly could be a +128 underdog, meaning you bet $100 to win $128. Favorites, therefore, return less money than underdogs.
- Totals: Betting on how many points will be scored in an NFL game is another very common bet. Here, the sportsbook sets a line, and you bet whether the two teams will combine to score more or fewer points than that total.
- Futures: There are a variety of ways to bet on future events for the NFL. The most common is to bet on the winner of the Super Bowl. You can also bet on conference champions, division champions, and regular-season win totals among other things.
- Prop betting: Here, a bettor is betting on whether something will or won’t happen in a game. Will Tom Brady pass for 300 yards or more? Will Antonio Brown score two touchdowns? You’re betting on whether the number set by the book.
- Parlays: A bet where you connect more than one outcome into a single bet. For instance, you could combine three point spreads into a single bet that would result in longer odds and an increased payout if the bettor picks all three correctly. These are generally profitable bets for sportsbooks because of the degree of difficulty for the bettor.
- Live betting: Betting on a game while it is in progress is an increasingly popular way to wager. Most of the methods of wagering above are available while games are going on, including spreads based on the current score and time, what players will do during the game, etc.
- Teasers: This is essentially a two-leg parlay that lets you move the point spread or total six points in your favour. For example you could tease two 8.5 point favourites down to -2.5. You normally pay -110 to -120 on a two-team teaser.
Note that all of these types of winning bets will include vigorish or a commission that the sportsbook charges on winning bets. More on sports betting terms can be found here. And that’s not an exhaustive list of bet types either.
In the United States, there are many professional sports, but only one that reigns supreme – professional football. The NFL is hands-down the most watched sport in the US, which by default makes it the most bet-on sport in the US as well. Finding legal NFL betting sites that accept American bettors is not hard. It’s finding the absolute best of those sites that can be a bit tricky.
That is why we have decided to do the finding for you. On this page, we have put together a list of the best Legal NFL betting sites available to US residents all across the country. We also answer the important questions, like whether or not betting on the NFL is legal, how you can participate in legal NFL gambling online, and how online NFL wagering can actually be done.
Is It Legal To Bet On NFL Games Online In The US?
The simple answer to this question is yes, online NFL wagering is legal in the US. That is, so long as you are placing your bets at the correct location. The majority of legal NFL betting sites available to US residents are online, offshore sportsbooks. You may also be able to bet on NFL games at online sportsbooks that are regulated by the state where you reside.
The law that most impacts online gambling in the US is the Wire Act of 1961. This law states that the acceptance of interstate wagers over a telecommunications system is an illicit activity. This law is meant to keep fly-by-night operations from taking advantage of bettors, but today it excludes sites that are licensed by the state (but still requires those using such a site to physically be in the same state as the site itself, as is the case in places like Nevada, Tennessee, and New Jersey). The Wire Act has no authority over the operators of overseas sportsbooks, however. It cannot forbid people in other countries from doing anything as they do not fall under the Wire Act’s jurisdiction.
Right now, there are not many states with online sportsbooks, though the number is growing thanks to the overturning of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA, 1992). This is why the best Legal NFL betting sites we can recommend at this time are those that are located overseas. They don’t violate the Wire Act or other sports betting laws either, as their operators are not based in the US. These sites are perfect for legal NFL gambling online, and they are – for the most part – accessible to everyone across the US.
Ways To Bet On The NFL – Online Betting Types & Other Unique Ways To Gamble
As the most popular sport to wager on in the US, there are a number of different wagers you’ll find at the legal NFL betting sites on this page. Below, we’ll just go over a few, so that you can learn the basics. If you are unfamiliar with online NFL wagering and wish to learn more, these legal NFL betting sites have in-depth and comprehensive “How To” sections, where everything is explained by a betting expert. These sites will have you betting like a pro in no time.
Moneyline – A money line bet, also called a straight bet or straight money line bet, is a wager on which team will win the game. Favorites are given less appealing odds, as there is less risk associated with betting on the team that most analysts expect to win the game. Straight bets are the most straightforward wagers you’ll make at any legal NFL betting site.
Spread – The spread is a way to bet on the winner of the game, but at an adjusted score. The spread takes points away from a favorite and gives them to the underdog, giving the perceived weaker team a sort of “head start” on the betting boards. The spread is determined by oddsmakers about a week in advance of a given game, allowing the bettor time to determine whether the dog or the favorite will be able to cover the spread.
To cover the spread, favorites must win by more than the allotted points assigned by the sportsbook, while underdogs must either win the game outright or simply lose by less than the spread. For example, If the Jets were the 10 point underdogs to the Patriots, they would have to lose by nine points or less, while their opponent would have to win by at least 11 points to cover a wager in their favor.
Point Totals – Totals are bets made on the total amount of points scored in a game. A figure is determined about a week in advance, and then bettors choose whether the final score will be over or under that number. This wager type is often called the over/under because of this.
The Best Deposit Method For Funding Your Account At Legal NFL Betting Sites
The best deposit method for funding your legal NFL betting site account is Bitcoin. This is a form of cryptocurrency that allows for quick, private, and large deposits to be made into your account. This method helps bettors to avoid any interference from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA, 2006) when funding their accounts on any legal NFL betting sites.
The UIGEA is a federal banking regulation that occasionally will block credit card and debit card payments to online NFL gambling sites because banks are having trouble processing the request. This very rarely happens, but when it does, it can be an extreme inconvenience. This is why we recommend Bitcoin, which is an independent currency that never has to be processed by US banks.
Bitcoin is nearly as fast as using a credit card if not faster and allows you to deposit more funds into your account in a single transaction than just about any other common banking method. This means you don’t have to make nearly as many deposits to your account at legal NFL betting sites. Bitcoin also adds an extra level of security and privacy to deposits, as you use a BTC wallet to make your transactions. This removes the need for account numbers and other private financial information that can potentially be used by hackers or other parties in reprehensible ways. Bitcoin is quickly becoming the preferred deposit method for all legal NFL betting sites.
Best NFL Betting Sites Online
Legal Nfl Betting Sites 2019
Sportsbooks that offer legal NFL wagering are easy to find, but the trick is going with one that comes recommended. There are many reasons to choose an online sportsbook, from the betting odds offered on site to the sportsbook bonuses bettors can receive, as well as the funding and payout methods for a smooth transition of funds back and forth.
Learn about specific betting sites that have legal NFL wagering further below, as well as some of the features that can be found across the board at legal betting sites.
BetOnline Sportsbook - Great Betting Features That Include Mobile + Live NFL Betting
NFL betting at BetOnline goes together like peanut butter and jelly; it just makes sense. You'll notice right away that game lines are formed faster than other sportsbooks, which includes the money line in addition to the point spread and the game total. Getting those odds before they are released elsewhere at BetOnline, who has long been an industry trendsetter is paramount for a bettor. At BetOnline, account holders are able to research and spend more time on a game line, simply because they have earlier access than members of other sportsbooks.
Check out the Super Bowl predictions that are up year-round, with the action heating up weekly during the regular season where bettors will find that lines change quickly as teams win or lose their previous weeks’ games. At BetOnline, the action is always live, and lines change frequently based on the bets coming in. When you see a line you like or odds that you think can’t get more profitable, you should place your wager immediately.
New NFL betting fans who join BetOnline today can get a 50% deposit match bonus worth up to $1000 in free-plays to use at the site’s sportsbook using the code BOL1000. Returning members can opt-in to BetOnline’s industry-exclusive Bonus For Life program, which gives them a 25% match on every deposit they make, up to $1000 in extra cash, using the promo code LIFEBONUS.
Bovada Sportsbook - One Of The Best Legal NFL Betting Sites
Bovada is definitely one of the best online sports betting sites that you can visit for NFL wagering. It starts with the game lines that are featured front and center when you log in. These cover preseason, regular season, and postseason NFL action, and they are constantly updated as the events of each week play out on and off the gridiron. A variety of different betting odds outside of game lines can be found as well, including props and futures. Bovada’s statistics are used by networks like CBS before the start of a game, they are that reliable.
Bovada has live betting for NFL games, where bettors can check out and place wagers as the action is happening in front of their eyes. It's a thrilling feature every bettor should try at least once, with a variety of different lines and payouts attached to every play on the field.
Even better, Bovada is known for having some of the biggest sportsbook bonuses available today. Although their new member bonus of a 50% match on a user’s initial deposit of up to $250 might seem a bit small compared to the bonuses offered at other books, Bovada’s comes with the industry’s lowest rollover requirement of just 5X, making it extremely attractive and valuable to new bettors. There is no promo code required to receive this bonus.
SportsBetting Sportsbook - Welcome Players From All 50 States; Fans Of All 32 Teams
You will never miss the opportunity to bet on a game at SportsBetting, and this can be attributed to reliable hosting but also having the matchups that NFL fans want to bet on before most other sports betting sites. SportsBetting is one of the busiest books in the business, and it sits among the top three books by volume in terms of bets placed and US membership numbers alike. Simply put, SportsBetting is one of the two or three most popular NFL betting sites in America. And for good reason!
One reason why SportsBetting is so popular is that bettors don't have to be on their computers to place wagers thanks to the site’s excellent mobile betting system. Mobile devices like iPhones, iPads, and Androids are owned by everyone, so why shouldn't sports betting sites take advantage of this? Well, SportsBetting does, allowing bettors to check out their NFL betting lines from any mobile device internet access capabilities or a terrific data plan. NFL bettors can make betting deposits as well as actual wagers from wherever they are in America with mobile betting at SportsBetting.
New NFL bettors who sign up with SportsBetting now can choose from a number of valuable bonuses. While SportsBetting takes the most forms of deposit payment methods of any sportsbook (including American Express, a rarity in the industry), their real focus is on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, and DASH. Crypto users can get a SportsBetting bonus match of 100% on their initial deposit of up to $1000 in free-plays just for signing up and depositing with this alternative currency! To receive the cryptocurrency promotion, users must use the code 100CRYPTO. New members will receive a 50% match on their initial bonus of up to $1000 using the promo code SB1000. If that wasn’t enough, SportsBetting also offers a lifetime guarantee of bonuses to its users. Each and every deposit made will be matched by 25% up to $1000 in free bonus cash using the promo code FORLIFE. With all of these bonuses, SportsBetting is definitely a sportsbook worth joining.
- COUNTRY
- BEST NFL SPORTSBOOKS
- PLAYERS ACCEPTED
- RATING
- MOBILE?
- MORE INFO
- VISIT
- BetOnline Sportsbook
- Accepts U.S. Players From All 50 States
- Bovada Sportsbook
- No Players In DE, MD, NJ, or NV
- SportsBetting Sportsbook
- Accepts U.S. Players From All 50 States
- MyBookie Sportsbook
- Accepts U.S. Players From All 50 States
- BetDSI Sportsbook
- Accepts U.S. Players From All 50 States
Other Features + Facts About Betting NFL Games Online
The sites for legal NFL betting are obviously the catalyst for all that can be done. NFL Betting Sites discussed some important features within the internet world of NFL betting. The features that are offered on these sportsbooks will be expanded upon briefly to give you a better understanding of what to look for and what to expect when checking out the different sites.
Ways To Bet On The NFL - Online Betting Types & Other Unique Ways To Gamble
NFL wager types extend to more options than most other sports, because of the nature of wagering in general. Straight bets are what most bettors will recognize, as they make one bet for one outcome. But there can be many other types, such as parlays, if-bets, teasers, pleasers, and even more. The individual sportsbook will designate which wagers can be made.
Live In-Game Wagering + Mobile NFL Betting
These are two types of betting that are a favorite among bettors. These options have brought an entirely new perspective to the online sportsbook world, plus it allows members the convenience of being able to place their sports wagers wherever they are.
Mobile betting is the theme of today in essence because it encompasses the ever-changing technology around us that we engage in daily. Mainstream online sportsbooks like the ones detailed on this page will have the option of using their desktop site on a mobile device. However, it should be noted that native sports betting apps are not available on the US App Store or in Google Play due to corporate policies on real-money gambling in various American locations.
With respect to live-betting, this can be done on the computer or through mobile betting platforms, as the technology allows members to make wagers on real-time action. With live in-game betting, hundreds of bets can come across the screen in a short amount of time, opening up a whole new world of betting lines to the bettor.
Betting Odds For NFL - Games, Players, Super Bowl + More!
Betting odds on the NFL will cover a ton of different things. Bettors will find game lines to be the most popular. Game lines cover the point spread, money line, and the game total. Odds extend much further than that though within a game, including team and player props. These are performance-based odds that can cover an individual game or even the course of a season. And then there are futures lines, which are division odds, conference odds, and the Super Bowl odds. Futures can be up for an entire year, always giving NFL bettors something new to check out.
NFL Betting Sites FAQs
Why did my credit card get declined?
Sometimes credit cards get declined because of the UIGEA, which is federal banking regulation. This regulation allows banks to deny transactions at online, offshore gambling sites because of findings by the National Gambling Impact Study Commission in 1999. The study claimed that banks were having too much trouble processing these types of transactions, which has since been disproven. Despite this, the UIGEA still gives banks the ability to decline payment, which is why you might sometimes have a deposit that does not go through, despite the fact that you are using a legal NFL gambling site. If this is not the case, some banks and credit card companies will flag international activity and decline a transaction. If this occurs, simply call the online sports betting site for alternate payment options.
Is Bitcoin secure?
Bitcoin is one of the most secure deposit methods you can use when making payments to legal NFL betting sites. Bitcoin transactions are recorded on a blockchain, which is verified by people called miners. The blockchain acts as a ledger, which verifies and controls all payments made to the sportsbook. This means that no one can falsify a transaction, because everything is stored on the blockchain, making this one of the most secure online payment methods in the world.
Are bitcoin sportsbooks regulated and licensed?
Bitcoin sportsbooks are regulated and licensed by the authorities in the countries where they are located. The legal NFL betting sites recommended here all use Bitcoin as a preferred method of banking, and they have each received the proper licensing from their countries of origin to do so. Furthermore, they are each regulated by gaming commissions in their home nations. This guide to NFL betting sites would not recommend sportsbooks that haven’t met the proper quality control standards you would expect from your legal sports wagering sites. This is why only the top offshore sportsbooks in the industry have been recommended to you.