With online sports betting legal in several US states, many players are exploring sportsbook apps for the first time. As new legitimate betting sites launch and existing operators constantly innovate their mobile versions, more experienced bettors are discovering new and exciting sportsbook app features.
Whether you are a betting rookie or experienced player, read our full guide covering all common features that the legal US sports betting apps offer – from the most basic capabilities to more unique and complex features.
As new sportsbook apps launch and existing ones constantly evolve, make sure you check our offers page to find the latest apps, features, and bonuses.
Sportsbook App Features: Account Management
After signing up and creating your account with a legal sports betting app, the next step is to familiarize yourself with features that allow you to manage your sportsbook account. These are the most basic features that will help you set up the app and prepare to make your first bets.
Security
As with every mobile app, your safety and security must be at the highest priority when using a sportsbook app, especially when providing personal and financial information. Account security starts when you register your account, choose your password, and connect your account to your mobile phone number and email.
US sportsbook apps will protect you from third-party infiltrations by using several layers of security. Beyond your password, apps utilize a two-step authentication, which has the latest encryptions and SSL certificates. The security or privacy area in your account settings will enable you to customize and learn more about the level of security.
Account Preferences
US legal sportsbook apps offer a dedicated section where you can set your account preferences, including display, preferred sports and leagues, data usage, display settings, and app notifications.
Banking
It’s typically best to deposit at a sportsbook shortly after signing up. This way, you are ready to place a wager when the opportunity strikes. Deposits and withdrawals are made on the cashier section of the app, and US sportsbooks usually provide a premium experience in this area.
Bettors who want to make deposits can use various payment options to fund their accounts. This includes the most basic payment methods like credit cards and bank wire transfers. Some unique payment options such as e-wallets Paypal, Neteller, and Skrill are also available. Most legal US sportsbook apps also accept PayNearMe – a prepaid card funded at major stores like CVS and 7-Eleven.
Another convenient way for players to transfer cash in and out of their sportsbook app is by paying a visit to the retail sportsbook counter of the sportsbook’s licensed land-based partner. Since legal US sportsbooks in most states partner with brick-and-mortar casinos, you can make deposits and cash out on the spot.
The cashier section of US sports betting apps is also where you cash out. A range of payment options is offered for withdrawals, with different processing times and fees applied to each. If you are looking for the fastest payout, e-wallets like Paypal usually have the quickest processing times. Alternatively, you can cash out instantly at a physical casino or sportsbook location.
Bonuses & Promotions
If there is one thing that distinguishes sportsbook apps from real-world operators, it is the fact that the apps give away much more in terms of bonuses and promotions. Signing up with US sports betting apps will give you access to many generous bonuses that will boost your bankroll before you even make your first bet.
Bonuses you can expect when using legal US sportsbook apps include:
- Welcome bonuses (that can double your first deposit)
- Free bets that give you a chance to bet without any risking cash
- Cash backs
- Loyalty reward programs
Additional promotions such as boosted odds and odds multipliers are also available on many legal US sports betting apps.
Every time you sign up with a legal US sports betting app, check its promotions tab to discover what offers are available. Downloading multiple sportsbook apps will allow you to get more available bonuses and boost your bankroll in the best possible way.
Visit our offer pages to learn more and compare the best US sportsbook apps in your state and their latest bonuses and promotions.
Responsible Gambling
Sports betting can be fun and exciting. It’s a great way to back your team and get involved in the game, but it is also important to remember that sports betting is gambling. That means you will face all the potential risks of gambling when you play on legal US sports betting apps. You should also be careful not to overdo the hobby and allow it to turn into an addiction.
If done within reason, sports betting is fun and safe. However, gambling responsibly can be challenging for some bettors, which is why all legal sportsbook apps have safeguards to ensure their users are playing responsibly and within their financial means.
US sportsbook apps will present you with a whole set of features that you can use to protect yourself from problem gambling. For example, you can limit your weekly and monthly deposits, set up cool-off periods and time limits; and exclude yourself from real money play altogether if things become difficult.
Dedicated helplines are also available to players who feel like their gambling habits get out of control. If you feel like you can no longer gamble responsibly, you are not alone – your sportsbook’s support staff will be more than happy to assist and refer you to the right resources and help.
Sportsbook App Features: Basic Betting
Now that we have gone through the basic account features you will encounter on US sports betting apps, let us look at the basic sportsbook app features you should use to place your bets.
Odds Lists
One of the basic sportsbook app features is the odds list, which presents the games’ betting odds. US legal sports betting apps give you access to pre-game and live odds lists, with odds for upcoming and live events separated.
Take note that you can filter for odds based on the sport, game, team/player, or bet type.
Most US betting apps have dedicated odds lists ready and waiting for each game, showing betting odds for each specific wager within the game. Knowing how to make use of odds lists gives you better visibility and control over your bets.
Bet Search
Are you looking to bet on one particular game or market? Most US sportsbook legal apps offer a bet search feature. This allows you to find only the game you are looking for and filter out irrelevant games or bet types. This feature saves you from going through the entire odds list and allows you to place only the bets you plan to make quickly.
List Of Open Bets
Once you have placed bets, a list of open bets will be shown. This feature displays all pending bets waiting to be graded. The bets will remain on the list of open bets until the moment your bet is won, lost, or pushed.
You can use your list of open bets to remind yourself of the pending bets. Once all your bets are settled, the list of open bets will clear. You can fill it up again by making more bets.
Sportsbook App Features: Advanced Betting
We described above the basic betting features legal US sportsbooks offer. However, the top sports betting apps offer more advanced features. These will come in handy to novice and experienced bettors alike. Some of these include:
Cashout Bets
The cashout feature is one of the most exciting sportsbook apps features out there. Some bettors say it changed the betting world forever. This feature allows you to cash out before the game is over.
As the game progresses and your bet becomes more or less likely to come through as a winner, the sportsbook will offer you payouts via the cashout feature. The closer you are to winning the bet, the bigger your potential payout. If your bet seems likely to lose, you can cash out for lower odds and cut some of your losses.
The cashout feature is excellent for players who like to bet on parlays. Oftentimes, players may have a parlay with many picks, with several having already come through. You can make sure your parlay is a winner by simply cashing out a good chunk of your winnings. You may leave some money on the table, but it will save you from the frustration of losing the entire parlay at the last minute of the final game.
Bet Builder
The bet builder feature is a fairly new concept in the world of sports betting and is available on many US sports betting apps. This feature allows you to combine bets that usually could not be put on the same parlay. Using the bet builder feature will enable you to make multiple bets on the same game and get paid more if the game goes the way you predicted.
For example, you could bet on the final result of a game and the total team points for one side. You could also include prop bets such as individual player performances. Traditionally, you could not put these bets on the same parlay. With a bet builder, you can combine any bets you want, and the sportsbook will give you appropriate odds for your picks.
Handicapping Contests
Betting against the sportsbook can seem futile since it is hard to know better than the house oddsmakers. However, you can compete with other bettors, which is why handicapping contests are an excellent way for savvy sports bettors to have fun and try to win some money.
A handicapping contest is a tournament in which you compete against other bettors, not the sportsbook. Instead of getting all your picks right, you only need to do better than your opponents, making this a real skill game.
Some of the best US sports betting apps offer handicapping contests for horse racing and other sports. However, keep in mind that handicapping contests usually cater to horse racing bettors and cannot always be found on legal US sportsbook apps.
Sportsbook App Features We’d Like To See
Now that we have described some of the most popular sportsbook app features you can find at the US sports betting apps, let’s look at a few features that are not widely available. But we would love to see more US sportsbooks adding these features.
Betting Guide
A betting guide can help you make more reasonable bets, especially if you are a novice player. Betting guides are very popular on European sportsbook apps, but they aren’t as common on US betting sites and apps.
If you are wondering why the sportsbook would want to help you make better bets, it actually makes perfect sense. After all, it’s in the sportsbook’s interest to get as many bettors involved as possible. The house tends to win in the long run regardless of how individual players do.
User Interaction
We live in the age of social media, where user interaction over the internet is very common. When using legal US sportsbook apps, access to social features would make them even more user-friendly and help players be more involved with the app and community of bettors.
We would love to see the US sports betting apps introduce between users, chats, sending betting slips, their results, and similar. By adding such features, the sportsbooks would surely get more user interaction, and the time spent using the apps would increase.
Faster Cashouts
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges with using legal US sportsbook apps is that sometimes cashing out your winnings can take a long time. Waiting to get paid for many days can be frustrating, as you may want to celebrate your win immediately, which is where faster cashouts would come in handy.
If US online bookmakers could speed up the payouts like their European counterparts, it would help make the whole experience even more enjoyable. Of course, it is essential to keep in mind that some delays in payouts are not always up to the sportsbooks. This is because there are legal standards they have to abide by.