Latest News
What to Look for in a Good Online Sportsbook

There are many US states, where you can use a sportsbook to wager on your favorite sports and teams legally. As dozens of different betting sites are available, it can be challenging to choose which one is best.
Fortunately, that’s where we come in. Our experts have decades of sports betting experience, so read our list of top things to look out for when choosing an online sportsbook.
Differences between Sportsbooks
You’ll notice that there are a lot of similarities between sportsbooks, with most sites choosing to have the same layout. You’ll find a list of sports on the left, your bet slip on the right, and markets in the middle. However, the similarities tend to end there.
Every betting site has different welcome bonuses, promotions, markets, bet types, odds, and more. By choosing one sportsbook, you may get an excellent welcome bonus but be unable to wager on your favorite sports. Likewise, you could choose a betting site with tons of markets to bet on but a terrible mobile app. However, there are some things to look out for when choosing a sportsbook that will help you get the best quality platform.
Welcome Bonuses
Some online sportsbooks like Bovada offer a welcome bonus exclusive to new players. A welcome bonus gives you a boost when you register an account, such as a chance to play for free or make a profit. You usually need to fulfill terms and conditions like minimum deposits or minimum odds.
Below, we’ve listed some of the most popular types of welcome bonuses:
Deposit Match Bonus
With a deposit match bonus, a sportsbook will match your qualifying deposit up to a percentage with bonus funds. Many betting sites will provide deposit match bonuses as high as 100%, letting you effectively double your money. However, every deposit match bonus will have a limit. You can use your bonus funds like cash to wager on markets like moneylines, point spreads, and totals. Good sportsbooks will offer deposit match bonuses with high percentages.
Most deposit match bonuses will have wagering requirements, which tell you how many times you need to use your bonus funds before you can withdraw. The best online sportsbooks will provide these promotions with low wagering requirements, giving you a good chance of making a profit.
Risk-Free Bet
Rather than giving you funds for depositing, a risk-free bet will cover the losses of your qualifying bet. The sportsbook will set limits on this, such as a maximum bet and minimum odds, and if you meet the requirements, your wager will be protected.
If your bet wins, you will get your stake and profit back. However, the betting site will give you free bets equal to your stake if it loses. You can use these free bets for wagering and withdraw any profits. However, this does not include the value of the free bets.
No Deposit Bonus
Some sportsbooks will provide you with welcome bonuses you can use without needing a deposit. You just need to create an account or opt in and claim the promotion. You can get free bets and bonus funds, which you can use for betting. While there isn’t a minimum deposit, there may be other terms and conditions like minimum odds and time limits.
Markets Offered
The best online sportsbooks will provide markets for a wide variety of sports. Most operators will offer betting lines on the major leagues like the NFL and NBA, but you’ll also find smaller competitions like the NCAAF and NCAAB. In addition, sportsbooks will also cover niche sports like MMA and NASCAR.
Most sportsbooks provide between ten and 20 different sports and more competitions within those sports. You should look for a sportsbook near the top end of this scale to give yourself more options while wagering. However, if you are only interested in betting on popular sports, claiming a generous welcome bonus or having a great mobile platform may be more important.
Mobile Betting
There are many advantages of mobile betting, and plenty of sportsbooks provide mobile apps you can download from the iOS and Android app stores. You can use these mobile apps to access a sportsbook’s full range of features, including all its pre-game and in-play odds and customer support. You can bring your betting on the move as you can use betting apps anywhere you have a connection.
Good sportsbooks will either provide a fully optimized mobile app or a mobile browser site that uses HTML5 technology to work on any screen size.
Gambling in the USA
UNLV International Gaming Institute Announces 2025 ESPN Research Fellows

Selected research projects will generate new insights into how responsible gambling messages are delivered and perceived in the rapidly evolving sports media landscape
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute (IGI) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 ESPN Research Fellowships. This year’s cohort features a group of scholars whose proposals will advance understanding of responsible gambling messaging in sports media and its implications for consumer well-being.
Fellowships recipients include:
-
Dr. Brandon Mastromartino, Director of the Institute on Sports Wagering and Gaming and Assistant Professor of Experiential Marketing at the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, San Diego State University. Dr. Mastromartino’s project will evaluate two of the NFL’s responsible gambling PSAs using a fan-centered marketing framework.
-
Dr. Chris R. Noland, Assistant Professor of Advertising at the University of South Florida’s Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications. Dr. Noland will examine the influence of celebrity endorsements and promotional inducements in Instagram advertisements on online sports betting behavior.
-
Dr. Ramon Silva Leite, Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Management at Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Dr. Silva’s project will investigate how responsible gambling messages are constructed and delivered through sports media, and how young sports bettors perceive and respond to them.
-
Dr. Sarah Stokowski, Associate Professor of Athletic Leadership at Clemson University’s Department of Educational and Organizational Leadership Development. Dr. Stokowski will investigate how college student-athletes perceive and interact with sports betting content on social media.
These projects will provide important insights into practical strategies that policymakers and the industry can adopt to help safeguard the wellbeing of sports enthusiasts and the public at large.
“IGI is tremendously proud of the work our previous Fellowships produced. A key goal of this initiative is to support innovative and impactful research to better understand the rapidly changing global sports and betting environment,” said Dr. Kasra Ghaharian, Director of Research at IGI. “This research represents critical perspectives on how gambling is represented in sports media and holds important implications for all gambling stakeholders.”
“Responsible gaming continues to be a priority for ESPN, and we are proud to continue our collaboration with IGI to support research that delivers real-world impact,” said Kevin Martinez, Vice President of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “These new projects will provide valuable insights into how responsible gaming messages can be delivered effectively across sports media and help strengthen standards that protect fans everywhere.”
Each research fellowship lasts six months. Research results will be featured in an IGI webinar in 2026.
Latest News
ACR POKER’S HUGE ONLINE SUPER SERIES XL MAIN EVENTS KICK OFF THIS WEEKEND, AWARDING $4.25 MILLION GUARANTEED

Phase 1 of the $150,000 GTD Survivor Flips starts today and first Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight Day 2 gets underway this Sunday, September 21st
ACR Poker’s biggest-ever tournament series, Online Super Series (OSS) XL, is in full swing and this weekend the action really heats up with the colossal Main Events kicking off on Sunday, September 21st, offering $4.25 million total guaranteed.
Players can take their shot at the $2 million guaranteed ($2,650 buy-in), the $1.5 million guaranteed ($1,050 buy-in), and the $750,000 guaranteed ($215 buy-in) Main Events. Day 1A starts this Sunday, September 21st, Day 1B is on Sunday, September 28th, and Day 2 is on Monday, September 29th.
The flagship series boasts over $50 million in guarantees and runs until Tuesday, September 30th. It has a range of events catered to players of all bankrolls from as little as $0.55, which include the $0.55 Micro PKO, $6.60 Early Special, and $22 Euro Mini Special.
Adding further excitement is the high-energy Survivor Flips tourney ($130 buy-in), offering a $150,000 guarantee. Phase 1 and Steps Flips run from today (Wednesday, September 17th) to Sunday, September 21st at 3:00pm ET. Phase 2 is a regular tournament on September 21st at 3:05pm ET where all players start in the money.
There are also four Mystery Bounty Multi-Flight events, including two $500,000 GTD ($109 buy-in) events, with the first having its final flight and Day 2 this Sunday, September 21st. The $200,000 GTD ($33 buy-in) and $100,000 GTD ($5.50 buy-in) events have their final flight and Day 2 on Sunday, September 28th.
“OSS XL has already delivered incredible action, with huge fields, dramatic final tables, and amazing wins for players at every level but there’s still so much to come,” said ACR Pro Chris Moneymaker. “The Main Events are always the highlight of the series, and this weekend promises to be the biggest stage yet for anyone looking to make their mark.”
Finally, to add further sweat, ACR Poker’s Leaderboard Contest is awarding $65,000 in cash and tourney tickets across three tiers. The High Stakes ($104.50 buy-ins and above) will award a $15,000 top prize, while the Mid Stakes ($16.50 to $88 buy-ins) and Low Stakes (under $15 buy-ins) will award $7,500 and $4,000, respectively.
For further details on OSS XL, read the ACR Poker blog or visit ACRPoker.eu.
International News
1/ST CONTENT and Italy’s MASAF form new partnership ahead of the Breeders’ Cup

Distribution deal sees leading racing provider for the Americas extend its scope into Italy’s local pool betting via governing body for horse racing
1/ST CONTENT, the pre-eminent provider of premium North and South American horse racing content and a key division of 1/ST, has continued to grow its international footprint in a new partnership with the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF) in the run-up to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, one of the true highlights on the global racing calendar.
The deal now opens a breakthrough gateway for local pool betting on North American, South American and Turkish racing in Italy – and was soft-launched over last month’s 100th edition of the Hambletonian at The Meadowlands, NJ. This milestone renewal, the pinnacle of harness racing and a format of the sport which is particularly popular with Italian racing fans, fostered immediate fan engagement, as reported by MASAF this month via https://www.grandeippicaitaliana.it/.
The agreement kicks off with the 2025 flagship finale at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in Del Mar (31 October – 1 November) and brings many of the premier stateside races to Italy, including the Pegasus World Cup (24 January) and the Triple Crown contests of Preakness 151 (16 May) and the Belmont Stakes (6 June). In the aggregate, 1/ST CONTENT’s extensive content portfolio maps approximately 90% of all North American racetracks, alongside South American and Turkish venues, neatly complementing Italy’s domestic sporting action with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content between 18:00 and 05:00 CET.
Italian and North American horse racing currently enjoy a strong reciprocal bond, thanks to three of Italy’s leading jockeys in Frankie Dettori, Umberto Rispoli and Antonio Fresu plying their trade in North America. These three Italian ambassadors were recently introduced to a mainstream global audience via Netflix’s acclaimed Race For The Crown.
1/ST CONTENT’s worldwide experience and customer base for pools betting features the Americas, Morocco, Italy, Singapore, Australia, Turkey, Sweden, France, New Zealand and Hong Kong. As a result, by leveraging 1/ST CONTENT’s unparalleled expertise in capturing and streaming elite live-racing events, bettors across Italy can now enjoy a best-in-breed international racing experience.
Key features of the deal include but are not limited to:
- Comprehensive Coverage: exclusive signals of all racetracks in the United States, Canada, South America and Turkey, ensuring an extensive and diverse range of racing content for Italian audiences.
- Cutting-Edge Technology: high-quality, immersive broadcasts, providing viewers with an unparalleled access to live racing and informative content that both engages the seasoned viewer and educates those unfamiliar with the sport.
- Enhanced Viewer Engagement: accompanying innovative marketing strategies, promotions, and engagement initiatives, enhancing the overall viewer experience and speaking to a dedicated racing community in Italy
Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President International at 1/ST CONTENT, said: “We’re thrilled to be working as a partner with MASAF on a program to rejuvenate their horse racing audience and breathe new life into the Italian industry. Our collaboration marks a cornerstone from which we can build together to ensure that racing is competitive with other betting options and further expands 1/ST’s global reach.”
Remo Chiodi, Director General for Horse Racing at MASAF, added: “This partnership is part of a broader framework aimed at strengthening relations between Italy and the United States in the horseracing sector: it is a path that consolidates ties between the two countries, enhances both our national excellence and international achievements, and opens up new opportunities for growth and exchange. It is a step that also involves breeding and training, while highlighting the image of Italian racing excellence in the United States, represented by our most renowned jockeys competing overseas.
“Thanks to this agreement, major American racing events will be broadcast free-to-air on EQU TV, expanding the television offering and allowing betting on the races within a fully integrated system. After years of challenges, Italian racing is redefining the entire sector to restore our sport to a position of strength, both at home and abroad.”
-
Latest News7 days ago
Inspired Extends Brazil Presence with EstrelaBet Partnership
-
Compliance Updates7 days ago
ThrillTech secures regulatory approvals to launch jackpots in Latam
-
Gambling in the USA6 days ago
TCSJOHNHUXLEY to Sponsor Inaugural G2E Dealer Championship
-
Compliance Updates7 days ago
MGCB Renews Licenses for Detroit’s Three Commercial Casinos, Highlighting Continued Community and Economic Impact
-
Latest News7 days ago
NOVOMATIC sets high expectations at GAT Bogotá with launches that redefine multi-games
-
Compliance Updates6 days ago
Hard Rock Bet Launches New Responsible Gaming Website
-
Latest News6 days ago
Influencer Rafa Campelo Becomes the New Face of MC Games’ Social Media Presence
-
Latest News6 days ago
BetMGM Partners with Fremantle to Launch New “The Price is Right” Game