When it comes to betting on your favorite sports online, there are some key tips every bettor should follow. Just because you lost all of your picks on Sunday doesn’t mean you should try to “chase” your losses in Monday Night Football. Your wager size shouldn’t swing wildly based on recent wins or losses — discipline usually outperforms impulse. Bet with your head, not your heart, and don’t stake money on your home team simply because you want them to beat their divisional rivals. These are just a few of the tips we’ll cover on this page.
As of 2025, sports betting is legal in 38 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with many states offering regulated online/mobile betting. But even if you live in a state where betting is prohibited or tightly restricted — for example, California, or New Mexico (where only in-person tribal sportsbooks are allowed and no regulated online options exist) — you can still benefit from most of these strategies. These tips apply regardless of where you’re located. By sticking to our recommended offshore sportsbooks—which typically offer better bonuses, broader lines, and higher payouts—you can bet without any concern!
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Top 5 Sports Betting Tips for U.S. Players (Including Options For Non-Regulated States)
If you can only follow five tips, make sure to prioritize these:
Pick the best sports betting site
No grown adult likes surprises anymore, especially when they involve getting your money in or out of a sportsbook. It’s very important that you choose a recommended sports betting site. This is why we’ve made a list of the top sites based on a wide variety of factors including reputation, bonuses, customer service, and wagering options. In this section, we have put together a list of contributing factors that set apart the best sports betting sites from the average ones. Regardless of whether you are new or a veteran to sports betting on the web, it’s always very important to find a sportsbook that accepts players from your jurisdiction, has deposit and payout methods that you can live with, and offers betting lines and wager types that you’re looking for.
Sports betting bankroll management tips
As mentioned above, it is always crucial to pick a risk amount that you are comfortable with, regardless of whether you are on a hot streak or a cold one. Don’t let your emotions get the best of you leading you to try to chase your losses. There’s always another game and another shot so be patient and bet with a clear mind. If you make a $50 deposit into your account, $5/wager is a reasonable risk amount (it's 10 percent of your balance). In sports betting you don’t need to go all-in on just a single game, this is not poker. It’s always good to keep at least $25 in your balance at all times because you never know when you might get a hot tip or last-minute injury prior to game time and you may not have enough time to make a deposit.
Drunk bets are bad bets
Drunken bets can only be good bets in two possible scenarios; one, if you win the bet, and two, if you were so drunk that you didn’t realize that you ever lost the bet or even made a bet. In other words, leave the drunken bets to players who enjoy losing, and losing big amounts. Over the years we have witnessed many of bet gone wrong stories because of drunken Tom Foolery. Not choosing the correct winner is not always the result of a drunk bet, sometimes players just click on the wrong box entirely thinking they placed the bet correctly when under the influence. Next thing you know they are betting their whole balance on a WNBA game. This is not to say that you can’t have a couple of beers to get you in the mood, just don’t go overboard. Buzzed betting is drunk betting.
Which sportsbook has the best sign-up bonus?
Before choosing an online sportsbook, take a look at the available signup bonuses available to new players in order to capitalize on the best online sports betting bonuses. There are a lot of sports betting sites with a different signup bonus for each of them. Unfortunately going through each sportsbook to find the best bonus is time-consuming and may lead to you throwing your computer/phone out the window. This is why we have made it easy for you by grouping all the best online sports betting bonuses on one page for easy comparison. We only wish everything in life was this organized.
Compare Sports Betting Lines
Different online sportsbooks offer different lines — some post them days in advance of a game, others only hours beforehand. That’s why having accounts with multiple sportsbooks gives you more flexibility and value. With a line-comparison tool, you can quickly see which site is offering the best odds for your wager.
Take Super Bowl LIX in 2025 as an example: the Kansas City Chiefs entered as slight favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles, with most books listing the Chiefs around -120 on the moneyline and the Eagles at even money. Depending on where you looked, some sportsbooks offered slightly better returns on the underdog Eagles—and they ended up winning! Finding and capitalizing on those differences can be the key to maximizing your payout.
Safe Betting Options For Non-Regulated States
International sportsbooks — more commonly referred to as offshore sportsbooks — are accessible almost anywhere. Because they operate from jurisdictions where betting is legal, they welcome players from around the world, including those in states or countries where regulated options don’t exist. This broad accessibility is one of the main reasons many bettors turn to offshore bookies, which are generally considered safe when you stick to our recommended sportsbooks.
Beyond convenience, these sportsbooks often match — and sometimes surpass — the quality of regulated sites. Their odds are usually on par with what you’d find at major Las Vegas sportsbooks, and they tend to feature a wider variety of markets. Unique betting categories like politics, awards shows, and entertainment props are typically only available through offshore platforms, which makes them far less restrictive than most licensed counterparts.
How To Choose A Trusted International Sportsbook
There are hundreds of offshore sportsbooks. Hundreds! Of course, not all of ‘em are worth your time and money. Here’s how to go about finding a good and trustworthy bookmaker:
Reviews: start by analyzing reviews — both online and our unbiased reviews. If the site is sketchy, then it won’t be hard to find a laundry list of negative reviews about it. Immediately disqualify those sites from contention. At the same time, gauge which sites have more positive sentiment (no site will ever have perfect reviews). Those that do should be on top of your list.
Security features: To ensure your key information (e.g. debit card or address) is being stored safely, the sportsbook MUST have SSL encryption on its site. It’s often illustrated with a padlock icon on your browser near the web address. If your browser is at all warning the site isn’t secure, run in the other direction. Your personal information (especially financial one) is never worth risking like this.
Licensing: It's a good idea to align with bookmakers operating out of reputable jurisdictions like Malta and Curacao. Both these countries freely allow betting so you don't run the risk of having the betting operation shut down (and your money locked inside forever).
Maximizing Bonuses On Offshore Sportsbooks
One of the biggest advantages offshore sportsbooks have over regulated sites is their bonuses. Offshore bookies are typically more generous with promotions, which means more free bets and extra value for players.
Of course, no one can track every deal across every site, but the key to analyzing bonuses is simple: focus on two numbers — the match percentage and the maximum bonus. The match percentage shows how much of your deposit the sportsbook will match (a 100% match is excellent), while the maximum bonus sets the ceiling on how much you can actually claim. Higher numbers in both categories usually mean better value.
Mastering how to read these details is essential if you want to maximize sign-up and reload bonuses and give yourself more opportunities to bet with “house money.”
Finding The Best Odds On Offshore Platforms
Remember how we mentioned there are hundreds of offshore sportsbooks? That sheer volume creates fierce competition, and each site is constantly trying to outdo the others. For bettors, this usually translates into more aggressive promotions and free-play deals being handed out like candy.
But the benefits don’t stop at bonuses. Competition also drives differences in odds. Not every sportsbook prices the same wager equally — some will offer slightly better payouts, while others may be less favorable. As a bettor, your goal is always to find the line that gives you the most value.
That’s where line shopping comes in. At its simplest, it means comparing odds across multiple sportsbooks before placing a bet. Spot a discrepancy that works in your favor? That’s your cue to act. While paid tools can automate this process, even a quick manual check across a few accounts can make a meaningful difference to your long-term returns. Always shop the lines before locking in your wager.
Diversity Your Bets Across Multiple Sportsbooks
We’ve already covered tips on betting psychology and avoiding common pitfalls, but here’s one of the simplest — and most powerful — strategies: don’t stick to just one offshore sportsbook. Seriously, there’s no reason to tie all your money, promos, and wagers to a single platform. In fact, we strongly recommend against it.
Here’s why: sportsbooks are constantly competing for your attention and your bankroll. That competition means more opportunities for you — whether it’s a better bonus, sharper odds, or an exclusive contest. By spreading your action across multiple platforms, you give yourself the flexibility to take advantage of these perks whenever they pop up.
And remember, going “all in” is risky — not just on a single bet, but on a single site. Losing access to your only betting account, whether by forgetting your credentials or being restricted by the operator, is a headache you don’t want. Diversify your accounts, and you’ll always have options.
Other Pages in this Betting Guide
Winning Strategies Used by Winning Bettors
Software: Tools That Give you an Edge
