Online Gambling for Beginners
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
- Check your state permits online gambling
- Choose a gambling site suited to you
- Create an online gambling account
- Make a deposit
- Claim a welcome bonus
1. Is online gambling legal in your state?
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
2. Choose the best gambling site for you
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?
Expert advice: Horses for courses
3. Create an online gambling account
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.
Need help creating an online gambling account?
4. Make a deposit
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
5. Claim Welcome Bonus
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 and others will allow you to get bonus bets which provide you with a helpful 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 taste 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!
Best US Welcome Bonus Promo Offers
21+. Bet Responsibly. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Bet $1, Get $365 in Bonus Bets
21+ and present in CO/IA/NJ/OH/VA. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required within 30 days. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expires in 90 days. Full T's & C's apply, visit sign up page for more info. #ad
10x $100 Second Chance Bets
T&C apply21+. New customers only. CO/IA/IL/IN/KS/MD/MI/ NJ/NY/OH/PA/VA/WV. Must make a qualifying deposit (min $10) and place first real-money wager bets (minimum $0.50). If the first 10 cash bets (first bet per day for 10 consecutive days) on a fixed odds market loses, you will receive Bonus Bet(s) in the amount of the losing wager(s), up to $100 each. Full T&C apply, see sign up page for more info.
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets
T&C apply21+ and present in AZ/CO/CT/IA/IL/IN/KS/LA (permitted parishes only) /MA/MD/MI/NJ/NY/OH/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY. Minimum $10 first deposit required. Promotion Bonus will be credited to your account within 72 hours settlement of Qualifying Wager. First online real money wager only (minimum $5). Bonus issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets that expires in 14 days. See full terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com.
20% Deposit Bonus up to $1,000
T&C apply21+. New customers only. AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA/MD/MI/NJ/NY/OH/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Minimum $5 deposit. Bonus amount is equal to 20% of the deposit amount, not to exceed $1,000. Bonus funds will be awarded following play-through requirement of 25x the bonus amount: eg every $25 played on DFS/Sportsbook/Casino will release $1 in bonus funds. Play-through requirement must be met 90 days from the first deposit to receive maximum bonus. Full T's & C's apply, visit DraftKings Sportsbook for details.
First Bet up to $1,000 on Caesars
T&C apply21+ only. New customers in AZ/CO/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA/MA/MD/MI/ NJ/NY/OH/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Deposit required (min $10). Must place first real money Qualifying Wager (min $10) within 30 days. Qualifying wager must settle within 30 days of being placed. Qualifying wager returned as non-withdrawable bonus bets only if wager is settled as a loss. Maximum Bonus Bet $1,000. Bonus Bet expires 14 days after receipt. Full T’s and C’s apply, visit Caesars Sportsbook for more details.
Get up to $1,500 Back in Bonus Bets
T&C apply21+. AZ/CO/IL/IN/IA/KS/LA/MD/MA/MI/NJ/OH/PA/TN/ VA/WV/WY only. Offer not available in DC/MS/NV/NY/PR. New customers only. Qualifying deposit (min $10) and first real money wager required. If qualifying bet settles as a loss, user is refunded 100% in non-withdrawable bonus bets up to $1,500. Full T&Cs can be found on betmgm.com.
Second Chance Bet up to $500
T&C apply21+. New Customers Only. AZ/CO/IA/IL/IN/LA/MD/MI/NJ/OH/PA/VA/WV Must make a qualifying deposit of $10+ with claim code SPORTS. Must make qualifying cash wager with odds of -200 or greater. If the first qualifying wager settles as a loss, receive a non-withdrawable Bonus Bet equal to your stake, up to a maximum of $500 ($250 in CO/NJ, $100 in NY/OH/AZ/WV/IA). Full T's & C's apply, see BetRivers for more details.