The US has swung open the door to a whole new world of sports betting.

No longer do sports bettors need to ‘chance it’ using offshore and illegal sites - mentioning no names, ahem, Bovada, to make wagers.

Depending on the status of sports betting in the state in which you reside, players can now bet legally within a regulated market, safe in the knowledge that licensed betting operators will play a fair game - no shady business here, thank you very much!

At United Gamblers, we only compare and review licensed sportsbooks. Subsequently, you needn’t worry yourself about the site in front of you meeting such criteria.

With each sportsbook featured on United Gamblers you can guarantee the following:

• Licenced to operate in legalized state
• Solid industry reputation
• Transparency
• Safe payments

As mentioned, all sportsbooks listed are permitted to operate, in the state in question.

As a result of this you won’t find just any old betting site. We’re talking big name gambling operators who have a solid standing in the industry and can be trusted 100% to act within the law.

"How does one decide on a betting site?" It's the question we're asked all the time!

The thing is, it all comes down to personal choice. As much as we can suggest which one we deem to be the best, you need to get to the bottom of what you believe to be most important.

Once you have this, your focus will sharpen and you'll be able to identify exactly what it is you're after.

Being the good natured folk we are at United Gamblers, we've raised a few of the points most worthy of consideration below.

Competitive lines: Have I shopped around?

The motive behind wanting to wager can vary from bettor to bettor.

For some, the pure adrenaline of wagering is enough. For the majority of us though, sports betting is a nice side hustle we can dip into when it suits.

In any case, you’ll want to find a sportsbook offering the best bang for your buck.

You may not think that searching for that extra half point matters, at least not initially. However, in the long run, it can add up and seriously impact your bottom line.

Set aside some time to go over the lines on offer across the board. Not only will this help maximise potential profits, it may well prove the difference between a winning wager and one that falls by the wayside.

Mobile app: Does it accommodate my device and how does it perform?

In time, mobile sports betting will be par for the course in the majority of states - it may even be live already where you reside.

If this is the case, opportunities to wager are literally infinite - daily commute, chilling on the sofa, in the toilet - you’ll want to take advantage of such a luxury whenever you can.

But you want an app that fully caters to your needs, otherwise what’s the point?

For instance, it needs to be able to run on your mobile’s operating system, while you need to have the necessary storage space for it to run smoothly - nobody has time for an app constantly lagging.

Functionality and how user-friendly an app is should also play a part in your decision process, especially if you’re new to sports betting.

The best app will be uncomplicated in its design and language used, guaranteeing you find the wagers you want with minimum fuss. In our mind, DraftKings manage to tick the boxes highlighted. But who knows, you may prefer what another betting app has to offer.

Functions & features: Can you cashout, bet in-play live stream games?

Comparing a betting site in 2019 compared to one on the market ten years ago is like chalk and cheese. They couldn’t be more different.

Sports betting operators have embraced the technology boom of the last decade by rolling out numerous features to enhance the overall experience of a bettor.

Take Live-In Game betting for instance. Being able to bet on a game whilst its ongoing has revolutionised the industry. At the same time, it’s possible to live stream events you have a vested interest in, as well as cashout of a bet before the final whistle should you decide to quit while ahead or cut your losses.

It’s standard practice for all (good) sportsbooks to offer such functions and features. But some sites will excel in certain areas and vice versa.

Variety of sports & betting markets: Does my game feature?

Looking beyond the big four major leagues is something to consider when choosing the sportsbook for you.

What happens when your favorite sport is in the off season and there’s not much to bet on? You want a good range of sports to maintain interest and keep that bank balance ticking over.

At the same time, you’ll want this complemented with a number of different betting markets, beyond the traditional ones such as money line, point spreads, totals etc.

The type of betting markets available nowadays can border on the ridiculous but this can be an interesting alternative to dip into and have fun with from time to time.

You never know betting on the player to score the most points or a team to have a certain number of corners, as in soccer, could be your new favorite market to wager on.

Promo offers: Is the bonus worth it?

Choosing a sportsbook with an attractive promo offer can provide a significant boost to a betting career in its infancy.

This said, it’s important not to become blinded with the size of the bonus and how much ‘free money’ you can make.

In the long run, other factors such as user experience and availability of specific lines will become more important.

Payment methods: Can I pay via my preferred method?

The majority of US sportsbooks provide bettors with several ways to pay; the major methods, i.e. credit/Debit card and e-wallets are pretty much a given across all sites, while the availability of prepaid cards and bank transfers vary from sportsbook to sportsbook.

Ultimately, the method you select should be convenient for you and allow for deposits and withdrawals to be made in smooth and timely fashion.

The US online betting scene will one day become the biggest in the world.

As it stands though, we have just three states - Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania - where live wagers are being taken online and via mobile apps.

The Garden State currently lead the way with thirteen online sites betting launched. Among the names: Daily Fantasy Sports giants: DraftKings, FanDuel; established U.S casinos: playMGM, Caesars, SugarHouse; sports betting mainstays: William Hill, 888 Sport and America’s fastest growing online bookmaker with its roots Down Under, PointsBet. One of the top 10 leaders in legal sports betting within Europe, Unibet will join soon.

Pennsylvanians have a choice of three online sportsbooks with, SugarHouse, BetRivers (sister company of SH) and Parx Casino up and running. FanDuel are also due to join the ranks in the not too distant future, further increasing competition in The Keystone State.

In Nevada, a host of online betting options exist at its many land based casinos. Among the names in The Silver State are Caesars, Golden Nugget and William Hill.

Using the market to find the best online sportsbook for you

It’s still early days for the US sports betting industry but competition between betting sites is already vigorous. For you, as a sports bettor, this is great news.

As in any industry, companies challenging one another to be the best, allows customers to find the product they like most.

By having a range of sportsbooks to choose from, all with their own strengths and weaknesses and way of doing things, bettors are able to find a site in line with their own preferences.

As we’ve discussed, this can extend across a number of areas. One could base their decision to sign-up on sport, promos, pricing of odds, range of sports, depth of betting markets, payment methods, functionality of site/app, user interface - the list is almost endless.

You’ll discover the majority of sportsbooks have honed in on specific areas to find their niche in the market and guarantee a share of users.

Football is by far the nation’s favorite sport to watch. The appeal of NFL and it’s showpiece event, The SuperBowl, has seen its popularity extend out of the states too - even England.

If you hadn’t thought about adopting an NFL team a couple of seasons back, it’s likely you’ve done so now, not least for conversation sake or social occasions where its against house rules to sit on the fence.

It’s no surprise then to see Football a primary feature of every sportsbook on the market; in the list of sports offered by a betting site, the NFL will always be at the very top of the menu.

But what are the main qualities of a good sportsbook for NFL betting? What you should be looking for exactly? We have identified the following to be the most important:

• Range of markets
• Ability to bet in-play
• Good amount of in-play markets
• Cash-out function
• Live streaming

It’s hard to look past DraftKings and FanDuel in terms of offering the best variety of markets and wagers.

DraftKings, especially, leave rival sportsbooks for dead with their NFL offering.

Football fans are able to bet on ‘mini events’ within a game to ensure there’s money riding on every phase of play, say, whether Aaron Rodgers next pass will reach a teammate for instance. Or when then the next penalty will be called - most likely ‘soon’ if Morgan Moses has anything to do with it!

Betting on the Super Bowl

First weekend of February. Folks are round. Buds are chilling. Food is grilling. Weird and wonderful halftime shows. It can mean only one thing: The Super Bowl Final

The season finale is an event one does not miss. And the sportsbooks will make sure you don’t with heaps of promos around the game to cash in on.

You can expect your sportsbook to hand out more promos than normal given the significance of the game, making it the ideal time to sign up with a new betting site in the US.

Now you have the opportunity to wager safely and securely within a regulated industry, there’s little concern regarding if you’re going to be paid out. That is now a given, thankfully.

For many of you now, it’s all about how quickly you receive your money.

Once the funds have hit your betting purse, you can then proceed to withdraw to your bank account.

What constitutes a reasonable amount time frame for the transaction to be completed can depend on how patient one is. Naturally though, bettors naturally want their money as soon as. Or even yesterday!

Processing and withdrawal times at every sportsbook varies and is dependent on the payment method used.

Below, we’ve outlined some of the typical minimum/maximum payout times:

• DraftKings: 48 hours/7 days
• FanDuel: 24 hours/7 days
• SugarHouse: Instant/5 days
• 888 Sports: 48 hours/5 days
• BetStars: 2 hours/10 hours
• William Hill: 24 hours/28 days

And the fastest is…

Use the SugarHouse Play+ Card and you’ll receive winnings instantly - hard to argue with that service.

Withdrawals at William Hill made via Skrill, PayPal, Neteller take 24 hours to complete with the same time frame applicable to FanDuel when using the FanDuel Prepaid card or PayPal.

888 Sport and DraftKings rank among the slowest with customers paid winnings no quicker than 48 hours.

Major League Soccer (MLS) may barely make the daily sports bulletins in the states. But interest in a sport referred to as ‘the beautiful game’ in mainland Europe, is certainly picking up.

You’ll find each of the sportsbooks launched will cover soccer in some capacity given its global appeal. But only a select few cover soccer in depth.

888 Sport is the standout soccer betting site in the US

Its extensive coverage spans numerous countries and leagues. Alongside the bigger and more recognised competitions - FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, English Premier League and, of course, the MLS, wagers can be placed on the some of the smaller and more obscure national leagues in Czech Republic, Denmark and Poland for example.

On a random day, 888 Sport can have in excess of 33,000 individual wagers active - a joy to behold for any soccer fanatic.

As you read above, there are various components that go into the making of a betting site.

And, there’s a lot to consider when choosing the right one.

With that in mind, just what is a good betting site?

We use the following as a yardstick:

User experience

First impressions last. This applies even more so to websites where users will decide within seconds whether to stay or quickly move on to see what the next site has to offer.

Is the site easy to navigate? How does it look aesthetically? What’s the page speed like?

We all invest a lot of time and money in betting sites. In return, we expect a product that delivers, at least on the basics. You can have all the betting features and pretty pictures in the world but if a site fails with the fundamental stuff, what does it say about the rest?

Betting features

We’ve already alluded to some of the features of betting sites - in-play betting, cashout, live streaming, that kind of thing.

And we believe it’s a real biggie if a sportsbooks doesn’t have at least these three. You do too, no doubt.

Such features have revolutionised how we bet - it’s hard to imagine what life was like before we could bet in-play or cashout in truth.

Deposit/Withdrawal methods

A diverse set of banking options is a healthy sign and points towards a good betting site.

As a bettor, you want to be able to choose the way you intend on depositing and withdrawing funds. Not have this dictated to you by a lack of options, none of which you are familiar with using, as may be the case.

This is a vital ingredient for betting sites in attracting and retaining customers. The subject of money is always a sensitive subject. Issues with not being able to move money how you like can be seriously off-putting.

What not to consider

There are other ingredients that make one betting site different from another. One may deem customer service as an important factor for example.

But customer service is subjective. And this becomes a problem when sizing up a site.

Where you may experience 10/10 customer service, your buddy may have been treated unfairly and had a poor experience.

There’s nothing to say this is not true; customers get are on the wrong end of decisions all the time in every industry going.

But we know also there are many incidents of A1 service, which don’t get the light of the day; how many complaints do you see on a company’s social media feed compared to messages praising good service? Double? Triple?

Rating a betting site based on customer service isn't practical

Essentially, how does one go about measuring what amounts to ‘good’ customer service and ‘bad’ service - it’s entirely personal.

With that in mind, customer service isn’t a viable factor used to quantify a good betting site. At least that's our view.

Additionally, neither are promo/bonus offers. You can’t judge a betting site on the monetary value on offer. It’s common for people to make this mistake and become blinded by ‘free money’. But it gives no indication whatsoever as to how a sportsbook performs.

The point of welcome bonuses is to give you a look around the site and play without having to commit initially. From here you can determine whether the site is for you. Or not.

To conclude, there is no one-size-fits-all betting site.

Each are unique in their own way. Some you will like, others you won’t. United Gamblers will be on hand with pointers and advice but ultimately it’s up to you to decide which betting site is best.