It's still relatively early days in terms of legal online sports betting and online casino gambling in the US. But competition is already strong in the states that have launched.

New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, and New Hampshire are home to many of the world's best gambling operators giving eager-to-wager Americans, like yourself, many options in terms of choosing an online sportsbook or casino site.

Too much choice can be a problem though, especially when you're not entirely sure what makes one different from another. That's where we come in.

We'll not only take you to the best online sportsbooks and casinos your state has to offer. But help you decide which one is best for your gambling needs.

Above all else, our goal is to guarantee the safety of players gambling online. You can expect all of the gambling sites we feature are:

• Authorized to operate in your state
• Licensed by the state's gambling regulatory body
• Compliant with legislature relative to the state in question

As with anything new, knowing where to begin can be daunting - we know we've been there. But get ready to bat those worries away!

With the help of our comprehensive guide to online gambling, we'll put you on the right track and give you the confidence to ace the start of your gambling career.

Familiarise yourself with the online gambling sites and mobile apps that have launched in your state.

Since sports betting is introduced on a state-by-state basis, not every state has the same choice of sportsbooks and apps, nor the same operators.

In New Jersey, for instance, the selection of online gambling options is vast. New Hampshire meanwhile sits at the other end of the scale with one single operator.

Depending on the legal landscape of your state, you could have numerous sportsbooks to choose from. Or, a select few.

In any case, what do you want from an online gambling site? For you to sign up with an operator and create an account, ask yourself, what must a site have?

Is a big juicy welcome bonus top of your list? Do you require a specific payment method? Perhaps, you want to be able to bet on a lesser-known sport?

US sports betting sites and online casinos differ in how they operate and in what they offer. To better identify the best option for you, set out what you need and want an online gambling site to do.

Welcome bonus offers are used by online gambling sites to entice new customers to sign up.

Typically a bonus is either a free bet or free spin that enables a new player to become familiar with how a book operates.

There’s not only one type, however. Bonuses come in many different shapes and sizes and carry a specific set of terms and conditions.

It's good to know the difference between each one.

Nevada and its array of land-based casinos in Las Vegas was once the only legal state you could place a sports bet of any kind, i.e. single-game wagers, teasers, props, futures. Fortunately, this is no longer the case.

Since the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, numerous states have moved to legalize the industry and devise a regulatory framework inclusive of online sports betting. Cue a new era for US gambling.

These states have launched online gambling in some form:

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• Indiana
• Oregon
• New Hampshire
• Iowa
• Nevada
• Delaware
• Rhode Island

We consider these states to be among the next batch to launch online, all going well in 2020:

Tennessee

Projected online launch: March 2020

A first for US online sports betting will occur in Tennessee where the absence of land-based gambling establishments will see the first online-only sports betting market. Despite a hefty fee of $750,000 for operators to renew their license, many of the big names are expected to show up in the Volunteer State, DraftKings and FanDuel among them. A firm launch date has yet to be confirmed but the market is one step closer to reality now rules and regulations are being devised.

Colorado

Projected online launch: May 2020

Sports betting was (narrowly) legalized by the people of Colorado through a voter referendum in November 2019, a year on from the law being approved initially. The market will include both retail and online sportsbooks who’ll be subject to a 10% tax rate that will contribute towards the state’s water plan. Online casino, nor poker is on the agenda at this time.

Illinois

Projected online launch: 2020

A sports betting license in Illinois will set operators back an eye-watering $10 million. But since the Prairie State is home to five pro sports teams across the big four leagues, the potential will leave many gambling operators unable to say no. The bill legalized in June 2019 includes retail and online sports betting which, for the first eighteen months will include in-person registration.

Michigan

Projected online launch: 2021

All three online gambling verticals - sports betting, casino gambling, and online poker - were legalized in one hit in December 2019 leaving Michigan poised to become an online gambling powerhouse. March Madness is the rumored debut for retail sports betting but It’s anticipated the online side of things may take more time to implement. Any online sports betting launch will be followed by online casino sites.

These states are up and running with retail sports betting but have either severely limited online wagering or stopped short of an online expansion.

Mississippi

The Magnolia State adjusted their state legislation to legalize daily fantasy sports in 2017, a move which paved the way for the introduction of sports betting. Online wagering is available but restricted to a land-based casino as per state law. Hence the retail status.

New York

The first legal sports wager was placed in late 2018 five years on from permitting sports betting. Rivers Casino in upstate Schenectady gladly played history makers. FanDuel launched its retail sportsbook not long after at Tioga Downs positioning themselves nicely for when and if NY mobile sports betting is ever given the go-ahead by lawmakers.

Arkansas

The natural became state number nine with legal sports betting in July 2019, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort taking the first legal wager and officially kicking things off. Under state law, online gambling is restricted to onsite at a casino and this isn't set to change anytime soon.

New Mexico

Against the odds, New Mexico became the sixth state with legal sports betting, without state law permitting the activity. The Tamaya Nation opened the sportsbook at Santa Ana Star Casino after discovering a loophole in the state’s gambling law. It's one of five tribal casinos in NM, none of which offers mobile sports betting.

States are nowhere near as quick in legalizing online casino gambling, the same way they did sports betting.

Many states - at least in the short term - are holding back from fully expanding its gambling options.

But why? Well, have you heard of the Wire Act?

US gambling indeed resembles a complex mish-mash of laws currently. But it hasn’t always been like this. Or, has it? You could say the shifts seen in US gambling almost mirror US history itself.

Merci France

Another country with red, white and blue in their flag are viewed as being responsible for the birth of the gambling industry in the US. Settlers from France, in search of the land of opportunity, are believed to have brought with them ‘poque’, or, as you would know it in its final form today, Poker.

Roulette also carries French roots with the two games becoming part of the American fabric faster than you could say ‘full house’.

While the notion of gambling became more widely received in this period, it wasn’t clear there would be an industry boom until the 20th century, Las Vegas showing the way.

Viva Las Vegas

Without doubt responsible for gambling standing as tall as it does in the US today. The city underwent a serious facelift in the early ’90s with the building of casino after casino dominating the skyline.

Casinos becoming part of prestigious hotel complexes hasn’t stopped Vegas losing its tag as the number one place in the world for gambling. Even with Nevada losing its monopoly of the industry recently, the appeal of Vegas is unlikely to waver.

Online Gambling Part 1

Many gambling sites popped up out of nowhere in the late 90s during a technology boom, resulting in a hike in online gamblers. This had ticked along nicely for the early noughties but things were to change rapidly when legislation was introduced seeking to put a stop on money laundering.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is seen as one of the most significant events in the history of US online gambling. It’s no surprise either given the effect it had.

Many global gambling sites were left unable to process payments, culminating in a sharp exit for many left shocked at a dramatic turn of events.

Online Gambling Part 2

The laws surrounding online gambling were relaxed at the start of the tens, leading to the point where we find ourselves now: states moving to launch individual frameworks for regulated online gambling.

Nevada - who else - was quickest off the mark in offering legal online gambling in 2013.

Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania did likewise. The current impasse centered on the interpretation of the Wire Act leaves the online industry, not for the first time, with a cloud hanging over it.