Best Baseball Betting Sites

Your Guide to Betting on Baseball

1. Baseball Betting Online
2. Best Online Betting Sites
3. Best Baseball Betting Sites Mlb
4. Best Baseball Betting Sites Odds

MyBookie is one of the newest top online sports betting sites in the market. It was established in 2014 in Costa Rica and is fast growing to compete with other older bet staking sites. The minimum online wager on MyBookie is $10 and the maximum is $1000.

Unlike most sportss, baseball games are played every day, meaning there is never a lull during in the season. If you’re not familiar with the game or the betting markets, we’re here to help. Our baseball betting guide will teach you how to bet on baseball to win.
By betting with us at our recommended sites, you’ll enjoy awesome benefits like:

• The best odds for online baseball betting
• Trusted, safe betting sites with a great track record
• Top promotions & bonuses to give you more value

1. When we’re ranking the best MLB betting sites to recommend to our American readers, they invariably come out on top. Types of Wagers at MLB Betting Sites The online sports betting websites that we recommend for Major League Baseball betting.
2. Top Betting Sites (TBS) is an honest and in-depth sports betting review and resource destination. TBS was created by a group of professional online sports bettors who have a true.
3. Extensive Review Process. We put betting sites through an extensive vetting process to ensure they meet our strict criteria for a top 5 rating. Our list of best sites is carefully selected to balance bonus amount, cash-out speed, safety plus a host of other factors so you have the best online gambling experience.

Terms & Conditions: T&Cs Apply. Full terms apply.

Why Did We Choose These MLB Betting Sites?

If you know anything about MLB betting online, you’ll know there are no shortage of sportsbooks available. These MLB betting sites try lots of techniques to get your custom, but some are simply better than others.

Our expert team has researched the market extensively to produce the list of the best MLB betting sites above. Here are some of the key criteria these MLB betting sites needed to make the cut:

Best Value MLB Betting Lines

Betting on baseball is great fun but ultimately you want to get as much value for your money as possible. We understand this as bettors ourselves. There’s nothing worse than placing a bet then a friend telling you they got better odds a week later.
That’s why when our team researched the best MLB betting sites, consistently great odds were high on our list. We only recommend sites that offer you excellent value.

MLB Betting Bonuses

They say the best things in life are free and when it comes to our recommended MLB betting sites, they’re probably right. We’ve found the sites with huge offers but also excellent terms and conditions.
Often when you see an eye-catching betting bonus online, you look at the t’s and c’s and realise it’s not worth your time. That’s why our list of MLB betting sites has not only great amounts on offer but also conditions that are attractive too.

Reputation and Customer Support

When you look at our list of the best MLB betting sites, you will probably recognise a few of the names. These established companies have years of experience, millions of happy customers and great reputations because of that.
We only recommend MLB betting sites that are licensed, reputable and have an excellent track record of customer service. This means you can be at ease and get on with what you enjoy – betting on baseball.

Baseball Betting 2020

Baseball betting is a truly unique experience, as the sport is in many ways different from almost any other competition on the planet. For instance, when it comes to MLB betting, each team plays an incredible 162 games each season. What’s more, there are no truly dominant teams in baseball, such as the types you might see in other sports. A team that wins 70 per cent of the time is an all-time great side, while the worst teams in MLB history have won at least 25 per cent of their games.

That means you won’t find the kinds of outlandish odds that you would in many other sports. Baseball lines are typically fairly close on both sides, at least at the MLB level. For example, a team that is a -200 favourite is likely to be much better than their opposition, but the short-term luck inherent to baseball means that the weaker side always has a chance.

Another way in which baseball differs from other types of sports betting is the fact that the perceived quality of a team can vary significantly between games. This is due to the fact that each team employs a rotation of starting pitchers – usually five – who take turns on the mound. A team may have a mediocre offence every night, but when their ace pitcher is starting, they could be as tough to beat as anyone in the league.

“Baseball betting is a wonderful opportunity for those who enjoy pouring through statistics”

Baseball betting is a wonderful opportunity for those who enjoy pouring through statistics when coming up with a strategy for their wagers. Numbers are everywhere in baseball, and many gamblers use them to create their own handicapping formulas – although others rely on much simpler systems to decide who they want to bet on.

How to Bet on Baseball

Most betting sites offer a number of ways to get into baseball betting, but there is no doubt that a few markets are the most popular. Unlike in many American sports, where spread betting is king, the relatively even nature of most baseball games means that straight moneyline wagers are the most common bets on this sport.

Moneyline Bets

If you’re not familiar with the term, a moneyline bet simply means that you are betting on which team will win the game outright, without any consideration for the final score. In MLB betting, a common moneyline offering might look like this:

Boston Red Sox -170

New York Yankees +160

We’ve used American odds, as they are the ones most commonly utilised when it comes to baseball betting. In the example here, the Red Sox are the favourite, with a bettor needing to wager $170 to win $100. Meanwhile, betting $100 on the Yankees will return a profit of $160 should they win the game.

Barring a cancellation for weather, there’s no need to worry about draws in baseball, so every bet typically resolves with a winner and a loser. This is a deceptively simple wagering system, with the key being to properly analyse each side’s chances of winning rather than attempt to find a “sure thing” – something that rarely, if ever, exists in baseball betting.

Runline Bets

While straight bets on who will win a baseball game are certainly the most common wager, MLB betting does offer its own version of the point spread. Known as runline betting, this type of market requires the favourite to win by a certain number of runs in order to “cover the spread”. In baseball, this number is typically set at 1.5 runs, meaning the favourite will win only if they win by two or more, while a bet on the underdog will pay out even if they should lose by a single run. Here’s an example:

New York Mets -1.5 +110

Philadelphia Phillies +1.5 -130

When considering how to bet on a runline market, make sure you consider not only the spread but also the odds on each side. Since the 1.5 run spread is almost universally used, it isn’t always seen as perfectly fair, and bookmakers will adjust the odds on each side accordingly. In the example above, the Mets are favoured to win the game. However, they are a slight underdog once the spread is considered, paying out $110 for every $100 you bet should they cover.

Five Inning Lines

Five inning lines are a type of moneyline wager that only considers the action of the first five innings of a nine-inning contest. The only thing that matters for these bets is the score once the fifth inning concludes. Whichever side is ahead pays out as the winner, making these similar to halftime bets in football, basketball, or NFL betting. Keep in mind that because a game might be tied after five innings, it is possible to push these bets.

Totals Bets

Also known as an over/under, a totals bet is a wager on the number of combined runs that will be scored by both teams in a single game. Typically, this total might be set anywhere between six and eight runs, based on the quality of the pitchers and the batting lineups involved in the game. For example, should a total bet set at 7.5 runs, the over bet will win if the teams combine for at least eight runs, while under wagers will pay out should the teams combine to score seven runs or less.

Baseball Futures

Futures wagers are a very popular part of baseball betting. Many fans and gamblers like to take a flyer on a team winning their division, league, or the World Series well in advance. Odds on these bets can vary tremendously throughout the season, as the fortunes of various teams change. These bets only resolve when the market is completed. In other words, while you can bet on who will win the World Series during spring training in March, it will not resolve until a team wins the championship in October.

Proposition Bets

Often called prop bets, these wagers aren’t as common as they are in American football, but they are still popular among bettors looking for alternatives to traditional baseball betting. For instance, you may be able to bet on the number of home runs a batter will hit during the season, the number of wins a pitcher will accumulate, or which of two players will finish with a higher batting average.

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Understanding and Finding the Best Baseball Betting Odds

While finding the best odds is critical to winning in any sport, it is particularly crucial in baseball betting, where pretty much everyone agrees that scouting the odds is the key to finding the best bets. While the odds will often be similar at different betting sites, taking advantage of tiny differences can add up in a season where gamblers can reasonably wager on hundreds or even thousands of games.

Most bettors say that dime bets are the gold standard when it comes to MLB betting. This is a reference to the difference between the payouts for each team when expressed in American odds. If the difference is only ten points, this is considered a dime line. The following example would fit the description of a dime line:

Los Angeles Dodgers -150

San Francisco Giants +140

Some betting sites pride themselves on their dime lines, while others offer them on special occasions or as promotional opportunities. Many bookmakers instead set 20-cent lines, which are more profitable for betting sites. For instance, that same game above might appear as follows for a 20-cent line:

Los Angeles Dodgers -155

San Francisco Giants +135

Bettors will now stand to win slightly less on either side – a subtle but important difference, especially if you plan to do a lot of baseball gambling. While both standards are common throughout the industry, there’s no reason to avoid dime lines, as they consistently offer punters the best chance to win in the long run. If you plan to bet on MLB games on a regular basis, we recommend seeking out dime lines whenever possible. Keep in mind that in some games where one team is heavily favoured, there may be larger spreads between the two sides, even if a betting site normally offers 10-cent lines.

Strategies for Betting on Baseball

For gamblers who want to know how to bet on baseball and win, there’s one basic answer: learn as much as you can about the teams involved. Sure, you could say that about any sport, but in baseball, there is a limitless amount of data available on every team, player, and ballpark that could influence your bets.

Of course, this also means that it’s easy to overload yourself with statistics, leading to paralysis by analysis. But at a minimum, it’s important to get familiar with a few key indicators before you start betting on MLB games.

One of the most confounding factors for those new to baseball betting is the role of pitchers. This single position can have an oversized impact on the result of a game, as great pitchers can shut down even the most imposing lineups when they are at their best. The most basic indicator of a pitcher’s effectiveness is ERA (or Earned Run Average), which tells how many runs a pitcher allows on average over nine innings of work.

One of the critical things to understand, however, is that raw stats aren’t always enough to get a true idea of how a pitcher will interact with the opposing team. Lefty/righty splits are crucial, as left-handed batters will naturally hit better against right-handed pitchers, and vice versa. That means that a dominant southpaw on the mound may not do as well against a team that has an unusual number of left-handed batters.

When considering totals, it’s also important to consider ballpark factors. Unlike in many sports where arenas are identical (or almost), baseball stadiums vary in terms of their size and the amount of foul territory between the field and the stands. This implies that some stadiums allow more runs than others.

On a deeper level, the specific dimensions in a field might favour left-handed or right-handed batters, or certain types of pitchers – all things worth considering for serious MLB betting. Even the weather can impact scoring: if it’s blowing in from the outfield, it will be much more difficult for hitters to hit home runs.

While many gamblers rely on these and other MLB betting tips to find the best bets available, others have systems they make use of to suggest which teams they should gamble on. Given the unpredictable nature of baseball, underdog systems are popular, with punters looking to cash in on the better odds available on weaker teams. A typical underdog system will bet on teams listed at +150 or below, with the thought that these games are virtual toss-ups. Such systems often prefer games between teams in the same division, but they avoid betting against the best MLB pitchers.

Major Baseball Tournaments

Baseball season consists of several major competitions and tournaments. Baseball betting takes place throughout the regular season, of course, but the most important competitions are the year-end playoff tournaments that determine champions for different leagues and levels of play. Here’s a look at a few of the most important baseball tournaments.

World Series

The World Series is the most important championship in all of baseball, and it is annually awarded to the winner of the MLB playoffs. A total of ten teams – five each from the National and American leagues – enter the postseason, with one coming out of each league to contest the World Series in a best-of-seven series. The winner is considered the world champion, even if the competition only includes teams from the United States (and one team from Canada).

College World Series

NCAA baseball may not get the attention that college competitions in basketball or American football attract, but it is still popular among punters. NCAA baseball betting odds are available throughout the season, although most of the action centres on the College World Series, held each year in Omaha, Nebraska. The best college teams in the United States compete for the right to get to this stage, with the final two playing a best-of-three series to determine the championship.

Baseball Betting Online

Japan Series

Outside of the United States, the highest level of competitive baseball is Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. While NPB teams do not have the depth of talent seen in MLB sides, many star players in Japan are at the same level as their MLB equivalents and some of the top performers have made the transition from Japan to the United States during their careers. The Japan Series is the best-of-seven championship held annually between the winning teams of the two major leagues in Japan: the Central League and the Pacific League.

World Baseball Classic

International play is not as prestigious in baseball as it is in football, but this form of play has been making strides in recent years. The most important competition is the World Baseball Classic, which is held every four years and sees many of the world’s best players compete on behalf of their countries. In its first four incarnations, Japan won twice, while the Dominican Republic and the United States each captured one title. Other highly competitive nations include Cuba, South Korea, the Netherlands, and Puerto Rico.

History of MLB Online Betting

The history of the MLB stretches back to the 19th century. Wagering on baseball then was a far cry from the world of MLB online betting we’re used to today. The first baseball league in North America was the National League that was founded in 1876, making it the oldest professional sports league in the world.

25 years after the formation of the National League, the American League was founded. The 2 leagues begun their association 1903, but it wasn’t until 2000 that Major League Baseball was officially started.

The league has 30 teams. 29 of them in the US and 1 in Canada. The sport of baseball is known as ‘America’s pastime’ and thanks to the formation of the league in 2000, MLB betting online is now a hobby for many people around the world.

The most successful team in the history of professional baseball is the New York Yankees. The Yankees have won the World Series a record 27 times, their last championship coming in 2009. Baseball’s most famous, and consensus greatest player of all time is Babe Ruth. Other superstars of the sport include Micky Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and more recently Greg Maddux and Derek Jeter.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, many baseball betting sites offer bonuses for new players. Check out our recommended bookmakers, who offer a variety of first deposit bonuses and free bets for you to choose from.

The answer to this question depends on where you are located. For instance, UK users playing at sites regulated by the Gambling Commission will often have PayPal available as a deposit and withdrawal source. However, PayPal does not allow its services to be used for gambling purposes in areas where online wagering is not expressly legal.

In most countries, betting on baseball is 100% legal, although local laws and regulations do vary. Even in areas where sports betting may be prohibited, these laws are almost always enforced against groups and individuals taking wagers, not those making individual bets.

Runline betting is similar to point spread betting in sports like basketball and American football. One team (the favourite) is given a handicap of 1.5 runs, meaning that side must win the game by at least two runs in order for bets on that side to be paid out. Meanwhile, bettors who backed the underdog can win even if their team loses by a single run.

A dime line is one that features a spread of only 10 cents between either side of the action when expressed in American odds. In other words, if the favourite is listed at -150, a dime line would put the underdog at +140. Dime lines are often considered the standard by which odds are measured in baseball betting.

Colorado sports betting is a thriving ecosystem with new entrants emerging all the time. There are 16 live online sportsbooks in Colorado at the time of this writing, and over a dozen more sportsbook licenses up for grabs. The Colorado Limited Gaming Commission still has plenty of room to grow Colorado’s sportsbook industry, which got an impressive start out of the gate in its first months in business.

Most of Colorado’s sportsbooks are either standalone companies or the result of casino partnerships. DraftKings, FanDuel, and William Hill are companies whose core businesses are sportsbooks. However, Colorado’s homegrown casinos want in on the red-hot sports betting industry, too. Many have either partnered with sportsbook companies or developed their own. BetMonarch is one such sportsbook app that’s wholly owned and developed by Monarch Casino. Another is Sky Ute SportsBook, the first tribal-run sportsbook to launch in the state.

Online sports betting has taken off like a rocket in Colorado. That may be because it’s the safest betting option in the social distancing age. However, Colorado’s online sportsbooks are competitive choices for bettors’ funds. Here’s everything bettors need to know about them.

**Some of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. All bonus and promotions have Terms & Conditions that apply. 21+ for legal online gambling sites. If you think you have a gambling problem, please call 1-800-522-4700.

The Best Colorado Sports Betting Sites & Bonus Offers

• William Hill >> Claim $500 Free Bet With $250 Deposit
• BetRivers >> Claim 100% Deposit Match Bonus Up To $250
• FanDuel Sportsbook >> Claim A $100 Risk-Free Bet
• PointsBet >> Claim $1500 In Two Risk-Free Bets With Bonus Code BIGBONUS
• DraftKings Sportsbook >> Claim 20% Deposit Match Bonus Up To $1000

Colorado Online Sports Betting Sites For December 2020

Pro sports got off to a late start this year due to the pandemic, and Colorado has mostly reopened since the March stay-at-home orders were rescinded. But even the lack of professional sports and the pandemic couldn’t deter Colorado from opening its first legal sportsbooks on May 1, or the bettors from flocking the newly launched sites and apps.

The launch of online sports betting in Colorado took some navigating, as officials grappled with the fallout from coronavirus. At the time of launch, there were few sports to bet on, but the market has done very well in the first months, even with bettors at first confined to wagering mostly on golf or table tennis. Here are the online sportsbooks who’ve secured partnerships in Colorado so far.

In addition to our top recommendations above, these are all of the sports betting apps in Colorado that are licensed, regulated in Colorado, and available for download:

The Best Colorado Online Sportsbooks (Ranked By Our Editors)

Best For New Bettors

$500 Free On $250 Deposit

Available On: Web, iOS, Android

Best For New Bettors

William Hill Colorado

4.7

An international sports betting brand, William Hill is taking its top-notch reputation to the US sports betting industry. Currently available in almost a dozen states, they offer all domestic and international sports odds. William Hill offers a $500 free bet to new bettors who deposit $250 or more.

William Hill Colorado

Bonus: 100% up to $500 on deposit

Retail Partner: Eldorado Resorts (Caesars Entertainment)

UK-headquartered William Hill is one of the biggest and most widely available sportsbooks in the US. Partnered locally with Eldorado Resorts (now Caesars Entertainment), William Hill kiosks have been available in Black Hawk since July, but the app didn’t launch until Sept. 8. New sign-ups can get up to a $500 risk-free bet with our exclusive link.

Best Mobile App

20% Deposit Bonus Up To $1000

Available On: Web, iOS, Android

Best Mobile App

DraftKings Colorado

4.9

DraftKings is one of the top US sports betting brands after making its name in the Daily Fantasy Sports industry. They offer one of the best mobile apps, with a easy-to-use interface. The interface makes it easy for new bettors to find sports, odds, and to place a bet. They offer a deposit bonus up to $1,000.

DraftKings Sportsbook Colorado

Bonus: 20% up to $1000 on deposit

Retail Partner: Mardi Gras Casino

DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the top US brands in sports betting, and it’s open for business for sports bettors in Colorado. Its variety of sports and lines are almost unmatched, and it offers some unique betting opportunities like teasers and parlays. It also has frequent bonuses and promotions.

Best Deposit Bonus

100% Deposit Bonus Up To $250

Available On: Web, iOS, Android

Best Deposit Bonus

BetRivers Colorado

4.7

BetRivers makes it easy to start betting in Colorado. New bettors can claim a 100% deposit match bonus up to $250 with only a 1x playthrough. This makes BetRivers Colorado the perfect choice for more casual bettors. For more experienced bettors, check out the BetRivers jackpot parlay bet.

BetRivers Colorado

Best Online Betting Sites

Bonus: 100% up to $250 on deposit

Retail Partner: J.P. McGills

BetRivers is owned by Rush Street Interactive, which makes iGaming platforms in addition to its sportsbook offering. One of BetRivers’ differentiators is its extensive rewards system, which start at the basic level but top off at the “luxury” rewards for higher-tier wagers.

Best Betting Experience

$1000 Risk Free Bet Offer

Available On: Web, iOS, Android

Best Betting Experience

FanDuel Colorado

4.9

Much like DraftKings, FanDue Sportsbook made its name on Daily Fantasy Sports but now offers online sports betting across the US. The FanDuel Colorado app is one of the strongest in the state, with all major sports and some minor events as well. The interface is easy to understand the sportsbooks offers competitive odds.

FanDuel Sportsbook Colorado

Best Baseball Betting Sites Mlb

Bonus: $1000 Risk-Free Bet

Retail Partner: Golden Gates Casino

Once known only for fantasy sports, FanDuel Sportsbook is all grown up, serving CO sports bettors 24 hours a day. FanDuel Sportsbooks has lines on MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA, along with all kinds of other sports and events, both niche and mainstream. It has bets on the spread, the moneyline, halves and quarters of select games, and the over/under, and offers highly competitive odds in the CO sports betting landscape.

Best For Experienced Bettors

$1,500 In Two Risk Free Bets

Available On: Web, iOS, Android

Best For Experienced Bettors

Best Baseball Betting Sites Odds

PointsBet Colorado

4.9

Australian sports betting brand, PointsBet, is one of the newest sportsbooks to launch in Colorado. Offering competitive lines on US and international sports, PointsBet offers a high-risk, high-reward options for experienced bettors in their PointsBetting system.

PointsBet Colorado

Retail Partner: Double Eagle Casino

Australian-owned PointsBet is a mobile gaming partner of Double Eagle Casino in Cripple Creek. PointsBet was one of the first sports wagering companies to announce its intentions to operate in Colorado and was awarded an online license on March 19. They finally launched their online sportsbook app in November 2020.

PointsBet offers a unique winnings boost if your team wins big, called PointsBetting, offering multipliers for winning wagers based on the number of points a team wins a game. PointsBet also has a partnership with Koenke Sports & Entertainment to be the exclusive gaming partner of the Avalanche, Nuggets, Colorado Mammoth, and the Pepsi Center itself.

All Colorado Sports Betting Sites

SportsBetting.com

Bonus: $150 deposit bonus

Retail Partner: Carousel Group (Johnny Nolon’s, Cripple Creek)

SportsBetting.com gives new players up to $150 dollar deposit bonus. New users who deposit $10+ will get 100% bet credit up to $150 dollars using our exclusive link right here.

BetMGM

Bonus: $500 Deposit Bonus

Retail Partner: Midnight Rose

MGM is a premier name in gambling and entertainment, and its sports betting app BetMGM is available to CO sports bettors. BetMGM currently operates in Colorado, Indiana, New Jersey, and West Virginia.

BetMonarch

Retail Partner: Monarch Casino

Monarch Casino in Black Hawk launched BetMonarch in May 2020, the first fully in-house sportsbook in the state developed by a casino. It offers the sports and leagues you’d expect lines on, but it also has an advantage many other sportsbooks don’t: BetMonarch rewards points players accumulate through their play can earn free hotel stays, meals, and more.

FOX Bet

Retail Partner: Eldorado Resorts (Caesars Entertainment)

Fox Bet’s local gaming partner is the Lady Luck Casino in Black Hawk, owned by Eldorado Resorts, which recently acquired gaming giant Caesars Entertainment, as well as the Isle Casino. Fox Bet has some solid bonus offers, including a $1,000 sign-up bonus ($500 risk-free bet + 100% match bonus of up to $500). In addition to the standard slate of sports to bet on, Fox Bet offers a wide range of betting boost, which are riskier, but could be lucrative wagers for lucky bettors.

SBK Sportsbook

Retail Partner: Christmas Casino*

SBK Sportsbook by Smarkets has a different approach to setting odds from most sportsbooks. Rather than making its money tilting the odds in its favor, SBK charges a 2% commission on bettors’ net winnings. The odds are then created as a consensus is slowly reached among where bettors are putting their money. SBK is a bit light on welcome bonuses, but it does offer a refund of the first $20 in lost bets over multiple bets.

Sky Ute SportsBook

Retail Partner: Sky Ute Casino

The launch of Sky Ute SportsBook made a bit of history for Colorado sports betting as the first tribal-owned casino in the state to launch its own sportsbook. Being on tribal lands, Sky Ute isn’t beholden to Colorado state laws governing odds, so they say their lines are some of the best in the state. Bettors can fund an account and start betting with just $25.

Circa Sports

Retail Partner: Century Casinos

Circa Sports, a Las Vegas-based sports wagering operator, was the first partnership agreement struck by Century Casinos, which operates two eponymous casinos in Colorado, one in Black Hawk, the other in Cripple Creek. Circa Sports is partnered with the Cripple Creek location, so that’s where eventual Circa-branded kiosks and windows will most likely be located. Circa offers multiple deposit and withdraw options, and has some of the best odds on favorite to win bets of any CO sportsbook.

BetWildwood

Retail Partner: Wildwood Casino

Cripple Creek’s first retail sportsbook, Woody’s at Wildwood, was also the first self-launched app by a casino in Colorado’s southern gambling resort town. BetWildwood offers sports bettors moneyline and spread bets on a variety of sports, and has live in-game betting for many. There are numerous deposit/withdrawal options, and it offers new members a $50 free bet.

ELITE Sportsbook

Retail Partner: Red Dolly Casino

ELITE Sportsbook was the 11th sportsbook to launch in Colorado. Bettors can start placing wagers on its website or through the app right now. ELITE Sportsbook offers bettors a variety of prop bets and parlays, and promotions will be available, including a sign-up bonus worth up to $1,000 in free bets. The company says it will be the only sportsbook in the state to offer a progressive parlay.

theScore Bet

Retail Partner: Jacobs Entertainment

theScore bet is a popular sports betting platform that launched in Colorado in September through its partnership with Jacobs Entertainment, which owns and operates the Lodge Casino and Gilpin Casino, both in Black Hawk. theScore debuted in New Jersey in 2019, the first ever sportsbook launched by a North American Media company, Score Media.

Betfred

Retail Partner: Saratoga Casino

Betfred, a major player in the United Kingdom sports betting market, expanded into the US in 2020, with the first Betfred USA sportsbook opening at Iowa’s Grand Falls Casino. The brand’s second US location is Colorado. Saratoga Casino has partnered with Betfred USA for its sports betting platform. Betfred operates more than 1,500 locations in the UK. Betfred’s sportsbook was the very first retail window to open in Colorado, giving it a first-mover advantage.

Not-Yet-Launched Sportsbooks

Barstool Sports (Penn National Gaming)

Retail Partner: Ameristar Casino

Penn National, which operates the Ameristar Casino Black Hawk, has brought its Barstool Sports sportsbook brand to Colorado and soon will open branded retail sportsbook windows at Ameristar, the largest casino in the state. Ameristar soft-launched a self-branded sportsbook this summer, so bettors can place bets in person for now until the Barstool Sports app launches.

Twin River Worldwide Holdings

Two of the biggest names in mobile sports betting will come to Colorado via Twin River Worldwide Holdings, which has been awarded three master licenses from the CLGCC.

Twin River (operating as Premier Entertainment Black Hawk in Colorado), has announced partnerships with both FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook, the two companies leading the market so far in open mobile sports betting markets in the US.

Three Colorado land-based casinos (Golden Gates, Golden Gulch, and Mardi Gras) were purchased by Twin River in January, with the intent of using those properties in partnership with FanDuel and DraftKings to bring sports betting to Colorado.

Online Sports Betting Partnerships

Guide To Betting Online In Colorado

Although Colorado’s sportsbooks are each uniquely branded, there are similarities between each sportsbook. Here are a few things bettors can expect no matter where they wager.

Common Sportsbook Bonuses

When bettors create sportsbook accounts, they’re often offered welcome bonuses. These bonuses incentivize bettors to place wagers and continue placing bets long after the first one is settled. The most common bonuses in Colorado are deposit bonuses and risk-free bets.

Deposit bonuses usually require bettors to deposit funds into their accounts. (There are also deposit bonuses that award site credits upon signup, but they’re usually tiny–less than $50.) Most deposit bonuses will match bettor deposits at a certain rate. For example, Fox Bet has a 50% deposit rate. That means for every $2 bettors deposit, Fox Bet will give a bettor $1 in site credits. That allows bettors to deposit at their own pace and place larger bets with less risk.

However, these deposit bonuses usually max out at $250 to $500. Sportsbooks can’t award site credits indefinitely.

Many sportsbooks also offer risk-free bets. They’re bets that get refunded if bettors lose a bet. FanDuel offers a risk-free bet of up to $500. If a bettor’s first wager is $500 and it loses, then that bettor will get $500 back in site credits. However, the risk-free bet is only good for the first bet. So, a $50 that loses would only get $50 of site credits back. Risk-free bets are popular choices for sportsbooks to offer, but they don’t allow bettors to wager at their own paces like deposit bonuses.

Colorado Teams That Can And Can’t Be Bet On

There are many different sports to bet on, but Coloradans have their favorite teams. The Broncos will have lines available during the NFL season. They’ll have moneylines and point spreads ripe for enthusiastic betting. There are plenty of prop bets and futures that’ll be available on the Broncos, too.

A Colorado list of teams wouldn’t be complete without the other three main sports, though. The Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, and the Denver Nuggets are huge draws for sports fans across the state. All of them are fair game for sports betting, too.

College teams are fair game for certain types of bets, too. The Colorado Buffaloes are one of Colorado’s most popular teams, whether it’s CU’s football or basketball teams. Bettors will have the standard moneylines, spreads, and futures available as the professional teams offer.

However, Colorado sportsbooks won’t offer prop bets on college games. Colorado’s Division of Gaming prohibits prop bets on college games. It likely arises from a compromise with the NCAA, which is adamantly opposed to sports betting. Bettors shouldn’t be surprised when they don’t find sports betting on college teams.

What Is The Status Of Esports In Colorado?

Colorado not only allows esports betting. It also counts esports among its authorized sports catalog. The Division of Gaming’s rules stipulate that the Division will regulate sports and bets. That way, no one can make up a sport or bet that cons bettors out of their money. Sports matches must have clear, consistent rules to ensure bettors can understand how their wager will play out throughout the game. Bets must have similarly clear rules. Otherwise, sports betting wouldn’t be fair to bettors.

Sportsbooks Coming Soon To Colorado

There are two sportsbooks that are in other states but could come to Colorado next. The first one is Golden Nugget. It’s available in New Jersey, but it doesn’t have a partnership in Colorado yet. The second is Parx. It has an online casino and sportsbook in Pennsylvania, another prominent sports betting state.

However, the full list is anyone’s guess. There will likely be more than two dozen online sportsbooks in Colorado by the time everyone arrives.

Legal Vs Illegal Sports Betting In Colorado

Sports betting used to be an illegal activity in all but four states. Sports bettors’ only options were illegal sportsbooks and bookies. If there was a bookie or website that bettors created relationships with, it could be hard for some of them to leave. However, legal sports betting sites are superior to illegal sites.

Legal sportsbooks are required to have a cash reserve so it can pay their winning bets out. Think about what happens if an underdog with long odds comes through. A futures bet with +5,000 odds will drain a sportsbook’s cash reserve quickly. Licensed sportsbooks have a formula set by the Colorado Division of Gaming to determine how much cash to have on hand.

In contrast, local bookies may not have that kind of cash on hand. They could be collecting bets informally at the bar with a makeshift business. In that case, there’s nothing stopping them from pocketing bettor money. Even if they’re reliable, they may get stretched too thin and be unable to pay out winnings. If that happens, bettors have no legal recourse because betting with a bookie is illegal in Colorado. They’re stuck without their winnings.

The worst-case scenario is a bookie that works for a crime syndicate. Your bookie may be cool, but his employers may come after bettors who bet on credit and don’t repay their debts. Bettors in good standing may also fund human and drug trafficking unknowingly. Licensed sportsbooks’ transparency ensures bettors don’t fall into these traps.

How Do I Know Online Sportsbooks Are Fair?

Online sportsbooks aren’t all shady offshore websites. However, new bettors may struggle to tell the difference between the two. Here’s how bettors can know they’re betting at a legitimate company.

Who Regulates Legal Online Sportsbooks?

The Colorado Division of Gaming regulates all the sportsbooks in Colorado. It’s a government agency that awards licenses, establishes rules, and enforces industry guidelines. The Division of Gaming also has resources for sports betting operators and customers alike, creating a transparent environment for all industry players.

Before sportsbooks are licensed, the Division of Gaming thoroughly examines each applicant. That includes financial statements, background checks, and a complete record of lawsuits the applicant was involved in. And if a sportsbook doesn’t pay out winnings, the Division of Gaming is a bettor’s next stop. It has processes in place to keep sports betting safe and fair across the board.

Why Should I Trust Online Sportsbooks?

Before they go live, online sportsbooks submit to a security audit. It ensures the sportsbook can protect sensitive bettor information. The sportsbook hires an independent auditor who submits her findings to the Division of Gaming. If the auditor finds areas of improvement, she’ll list them in the report as well.

The Division won’t award a license to a sportsbook that can’t protect its bettors’ information. Since bettors submit their banking information during registration, sportsbooks need top-notch security in place. Bettors can rest assured that by the time they place a wager, their sportsbook of choice is prepared to protect their data.

How Do I Get Paid If I Win?

Sportsbooks make transferring money in and out of the sportsbook account easy. They know no one wants to bet at a sportsbook that makes handling money a hassle. If bettors win, they’ll have cash moved into their sportsbook account. From there, it’s usually as easy as hitting ‘withdraw’ and moving money to their bank or PayPal account. There are other options too, but no one’s using 7-Eleven’s cash withdrawal option during a pandemic.

In short, bettors can get paid from the app. They just have to win, which is win. Best of luck to all the aspiring bettors out there!

Online Sports Betting FAQs

Online sports betting is new to Colorado, so bettors may have a few clouds of doubt about the industry. Here are some common questions we can clear up at the end.

Yes, you can register online and start betting anywhere in Colorado. You only need to be physically within the Colorado border to place wagers.

Moneylines, spreads, prop bets, and futures are legal on professional teams. However, Colorado bettors cannot place prop bets on college games. All bets are prohibited on high school games. (No one seriously thought DraftKings would have lines on their daughter’s softball game, did they?)

Yes. Because the Buffs are a PAC-12 team, college sports is a big draw in Colorado. And that’s before factoring in all their popular opponents. Everything besides prop bets is fair game on college sports.

Yes. Several sportsbooks have esports sections in their apps. If the pandemic shuts down major sports again, bettors may end up relying on the esports section to get their betting fixes. Counter Strike, anyone?

10%. The taxes largely go to water conservation projects in Colorado. Since Colorado shares water with seven other states, it’s a lot more than an environmentalist cause. It’s a precious resource that’s being funded by a portion of every bet.

Licensed Casinos and established sportsbook companies. Unless aspiring entrepreneurs have all the pieces of their business in place, they can’t complete the license. It wouldn’t be impossible for someone to start a sportsbook in Colorado. However, it would require a massive cash infusion upfront. The sports betting market is largely inaccessible to companies without a track record.

Yes. It was also one of the first sportsbooks to do so.