As a novice to online gambling, it can be daunting knowing where to start. But there really isn't too much to it as our Online Gambling Guide for Beginners is about to show you!

To get your online gambling journey started today, just follow these simple steps:

How to Start Online Gambling As a Beginner

1. Check your state permits online gambling
2. Choose a gambling site suited to you
3. Create an online gambling account
4. Make a deposit
5. Claim a welcome bonus

Online gambling in the US is legalized state-by-state. That means your right to legal online gambling is dependent on where you reside in the US.

Given the difference in gambling laws between each state, it’s essential you’re aware of where your state stands on the industry.

Here’s a list of active states with legal online gambling. Just click to discover the forms of online gambling permitted in each state.

Online Gambling States

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• Indiana
• Colorado
• Illinois
• Tennessee
• Iowa
• Oregon
• New Hampshire
• Delaware
• Montana
• Rhode Island
• Nevada

To save time and make sure you choose the right gambling site from the get-go, consider your gambling intentions.

For example, will you be solely betting on sport? Playing casino games? Poker? Or, perhaps you want all three gambling verticals at your fingers tips?

Is live streaming a must? Do you need a specific payment method? And what about customer support. Does it matter if there's no live chat?

Knowing what you want (and don't want) in advance will allow you to filter out the gambling sites that do not match your requirements and narrow down your search so you end up with the one which does.

What to think about when choosing a gambling website

• What's your primary use going to be? eg. sports, casino?
• Is the mobile app easy to use and responsive?
• What payment methods are available?
• Are the customer support options sufficient?
• Is there a good variety of markets and sports/games?
• Does the welcome bonus represent value?

Once you have a gambling website that ticks the boxes, you can start with the sign-up process.

All you need to do here is provide the type of details you would if you were signing up to any online account, i.e personal information (name, address, contact details), as well as a username and password that you remember and ensure your account is secure.

US gambling sites are also obliged to ask all new customers to share the last four digits of their Social Security Number for verification purposes, so bear this in mind also. For more help and detail, check out the guide, below.

Everything moves quickly from here, especially given the range of deposit methods made available by US gambling sites.

At least that should be the case - if you quickly discover payment options are on the light side then perhaps you need to have a look at another sportsbook.

But, on the whole, US gambling sites offer a well-rounded set of methods that enable bettors to wager quickly, based on their preference. Below, we've listed the common payment options you can expect to find when gambling online in America.

Popular Payment Options at US Gambling Sites

• Credit card
• Debit card
• Discover
• American Express
• PayPal
• Play+
• PayNearMe
• Online Banking Transfer
• Skrill

Players that set up a new gambling account are rewarded with a welcome bonus by online gambling operators. Across US gambling sites there are various types of welcome bonus offers waiting to be claimed.

Some will match your first deposit amount, others will allow you to wager risk-free, while a select few will hand out free cash absolutely free to really welcome you and provide you with a much-needed boost in the beginning.

You can read more about the different types of bonuses and how they work here. We’ve also listed a selection of the best promo deals in the US right now, to give you a flavor of what’s on offer.

To take advantage of a welcome promo from the list of US gambling sites below, all you need to do is decide which site you want to sign up with and click on the green ‘claim’ button. And in no time at all, that's you signed up and ready to start wagering. Enjoy!