Seasoned sports bettors know what they like and don’t like when they look for a sportsbook. But what if you’re a new sports bettor?
If you’re looking for the best sportsbook for beginners, this page is going to give you all of the information you need.
Not only are you going to see the pick for the best sportsbook for beginners, but you’re also going to learn why the picks below are the best. So, even if you don’t know what to look for in a sportsbook yet, you will by the end of this page.
What Is the Best Sportsbook for Beginners?
It was a close battle between the top two sportsbooks for beginners. The main difference between first and second place is the bonus and promotion offered.
But a winner had to be picked. However, any of the three sportsbooks listed here are good options for new sports bettors.
Here’s the choice for the best sportsbook for beginners:
DraftKings is the best sportsbook for beginners. The company started offering bets on daily fantasy sports in the US over 10 years ago and now is the leading legal sportsbook in the states.
It’s easy to set up your account at DraftKings and you have multiple safe deposit and withdrawal choices. The betting site and mobile betting system are easy to use and designed in a user friendly way.
To learn more about the DraftKings sportsbook, see this page.
DraftKings gives every new bettor a deposit bonus of 20% of their deposit, up to $1,000.
The Second Best Sportsbook for Beginners
FanDuel offers most of the same benefits as DraftKings. The main difference is the signup promotion.
The account creation process at FanDuel is easy, and they offer plenty of withdrawal and deposit options for US bettors. And the mobile and online site is simple, with all of your bets listed to the right. You can quickly see how much you’re risking and how much you can win before locking in your bets.
The review of FanDuel can be found here.
Instead of a deposit bonus, FanDuel gives every new gambler a bonus bet. You can make your first bet up to $1,000 with no risk.
The Third Best Sportsbook for New Sports Bettors
While the top two choices for the best sportsbook for beginning players were close, the top two choices are a little above the next spot. But the third spot came down to three good US sportsbooks.
William Hill sportsbook edged out the other competitors. But it wasn’t by much. The William Hill sportsbook review can be read here.
Every new player at William Hill receives a bonus bet of up to $500. The amount of your bonus bet depends on how much you deposit.
William Hill is one of the largest sportsbooks in Europe and has been steadily staking its claim in the US.
Two other sportsbooks were close to making this list. But they missed out on third place by a hair. However, they’re both good options. You can find more information about each of them on the following pages.
Caesars sportsbook is backed by one of the largest gambling empires in the world.
Another sportsbook backed by a huge gambling company is BetMGM sports.
Caesars and BetMGM have both been operating in the gambling industry for a long time. And they both offer a good online experience for beginning sports bettors.
What Is a Beginner Friendly Sportsbook?
You want to find the best sportsbook for beginning players. But you don’t know what you need to look for.
Here’s what makes a sportsbook beginner friendly.
The first thing to consider is how easy it is to sign up and make bets. Fortunately, most sportsbooks make this as easy as possible. It usually only takes a couple of minutes to create a new sportsbook account. And legal US sportsbooks have multiple options to fund your account.
You also want to use a sportsbook that has good customer service. If you don’t feel safe, you’re not going to use a sportsbook. You can see how long a sportsbook has been operating to get an idea if they run a good operation.
The only sportsbooks considered for this page are legal in the US and offer a safe environment for beginning sports bettors. US sportsbooks have to follow strict laws, and you have protections in place if something goes wrong. The same isn’t always true when you deal with unlicensed sportsbooks.
Once you create an account and make a deposit, is it easy to place a bet? Even if you plan to make most of your bets on your computer, you should look at the mobile betting options. It’s nice to be able to place a quick bet when you find value, even when you’re not at your computer.
Sportsbook Features Evaluated
When determining the best sportsbook for beginners, many factors were considered. Here’s an overview of the things considered, with a short explanation of each.
Deposit options – A beginner friendly sportsbook has to offer multiple deposit options. And the deposit options have to cover common choices that most beginning gamblers have access to. For legal US sportsbooks, common deposit options include credit cards, PayPal, PayNearMe, Play+, and bank wire.
Withdrawal options – If there’s not a fast and easy way to take your money out when you win, a sportsbook isn’t beginner friendly. All of the sportsbooks on the list below have multiple withdrawal options for US sports bettors.
User friendly site and mobile app – You have to be able to make bets quickly and easily. The first thing considered for each sportsbook is their mobile options, but the ease of use for computers is also considered.
History – Each sportsbook is considered based on how long they’ve been operating and the company that owns the sportsbook. Companies with a long history of fair bets and paying winners are more beginner friendly.
Bonuses and promotions – Most legal sportsbooks offer promotions and bonuses. And some offers are better than others. If everything else is equal, a sportsbook with a better bonus is higher on the list. You can learn more about beginner sports betting bonuses in the next section.
Easy to sign up – How long does it take to create a new sports betting account? Most online sportsbooks make it fast and easy, but if a sportsbook doesn’t make it easy, they get moved down the list.
Legal in the United States – This site only covers sportsbooks that are legal in the United States. If a sportsbook operates offshore or isn’t licensed in the US, it’s not on the list.
Quick Guide to Sportsbook Bonuses for Beginning Players
Because bonuses and promotions play such an important part in ranking the best sportsbook for beginning gamblers, here’s a quick guide.
The first thing you need to know about sportsbook promotions is they all have terms you need to read. Terms tell you what strings are attached to the promotion. Strings aren’t necessarily bad. But you need to know what they are.
Deposit bonuses are common in online gambling. Some sportsbooks use deposit bonuses. When you make a deposit, you receive a percentage of your deposit as a bonus. Many sports bettors like deposit bonuses, but some like the other type of bonus.
The other common promotion is a bonus bet. When you make a deposit you get a bet that carries no risk. If you win the bonus bet you keep your bet and the money you win. But, if you lose the bonus bet you get your original wager back.
Can You Have Accounts at Several Sportsbooks?
Even experienced sports bettors have a sportsbook they prefer. But there’s no rule that you can only have one sportsbook account.
In fact, you should have more than one sportsbook account. Here’s why you need to have accounts at several sportsbooks.
The first reason why you need multiple sportsbook accounts is because of the lines. You make money betting on sports by evaluating games well and making bets on good lines.
When you evaluate a game and make a bet on a good line, it’s called finding value. Winning sports bettors learn how to find value.
You have to learn how to evaluate or handicap games well. But there’s no value until you find a profitable betting line.
What’s the best way to find a profitable betting line?
The best way to find profitable betting lines is to have access to multiple betting lines. And the way to access multiple betting lines is by having multiple sports betting accounts.
Another valuable reason to use more than one sportsbook is finding a lower vig when you bet. Even if the standard vig for point spreads and totals is the same at two sportsbooks, the moneyline vig is often different.
The final profitable reason to use more than one sportsbook is you can get bonus and promotion offers from every online sportsbook you use.
Sign up for the best sportsbook for beginners and at least one other sportsbook listed on this page. Eventually, you can sign up for other online sportsbooks so you receive more bonuses and access to more betting lines.