Check out our guide to the worst sports betting sites in the United States. Which betting apps should you avoid, and why?

While the following betting sites have room to improve, it’s worth noting that any legal, regulated sportsbook is going to be wildly better than an offshore bookmaker. At the end of the day the most important element of betting is safety. If your money isn’t safe, then what’s the point of betting? Always bet with a legal sports betting provide.

Without further adieu, we present our list of the three worst legal sportsbooks in the United States (in alphabetical order, not by degree of quality).

• Bally Bet Sportsbook
• Resorts World Bet

Bally Bet Sportsbook

Bally Bet has a few things going for it. First, it’s available currently in seven states which qualifies as adequate reach in today’s betting marketplace. Additionally, it has brand recognition, and has traditionally offered a sports betting bonus that keeps pace with some of the industry’s best. However, it’s not all roses for Bally Bet.

First, Bally Bet is only available as a sports betting app. This isn’t entirely unusual these days with the prominence of mobile betting, however, if you’re going to forgo a traditional browser-based sports betting website, you need to really nail the app. Bally Bet Sportsbook currently has a rating of 1.5 Stars within the Apple iOS App Store, and the Google Play Store reviews for Android are only marginally better at 2.3 Stars.

Chief complaints include slow payout times, limited banking options, lack of rewards and bonuses for existing customers, buggy performance, and mediocre customer support.

Bally Bet seems committed to making their product work, however, so we’ll keep an open mind and revisit the sportsbook in the future.

Resorts World Bet

Chances are you haven’t tried Resorts World Bet, and may never try it, as it’s currently only available in the New York sports betting market. However, limited reach alone isn’t a reason enough to land Resorts World Bet on our list of the worst betting sites.

The largest complaint about Resorts World Bet is that they don’t have a new player bonus offer. Let’s say you’re visiting New York and want to place a few bets as a new customer. Why would you pick Resorts World Bet? The product itself is nothing special, and there’s absolutely no sign-up perks to incentivize you to try it out. In fact, the lack of an offer actually encourages potential customers not to sign-up. If there’s nothing that differentiates it from the competition, why wouldn’t you wait and see if they decide to offer a new player bonus in the future?

While the Resorts World Bet hasn’t been rated too many times, it’s scores are unimpressive at just 2.1 Stars in the iOS App Store. Unlike some other “worst betting app” candidates, Resorts World Bet does have a betting site to fall back on – so that’s a plus.

Will Resorts World Bet get better? Maybe, maybe not… and I think they’re OK with that. Resorts World Bet is tied directly to the popular NYC-area Resorts World Catskills. It works as an online betting service tied to the resort and casino, and that might be all that it ever is.

Failed sports betting sites

Our list of underwhelming sports betting sites would be a lot larger if we included sportsbooks that have gone out of business. The online sports betting space is competitive, and ultimately if your product doesn’t stack up, patrons won’t use it. Pour one out for the following books that had their day in the sun, but ultimately didn’t survive.

• Barstool Sportsbook
• BetAmerica Sportsbook
• FOX Bet
• Fubo Sportsbook
• MaximBet
• PlayUp Sportsbook
• theScore Sportsbook
• TwinSpires Sportsbook

Dangers of offshore sportsbooks

Now that we’ve touched on some of our least favorite legal sportbooks. Let’s cover the actual worst sports betting sites. The best offshore sportsbook can’t hold a candle to the worst legal betting site.

The biggest problem with an offshore sportsbook is that it falls outside of US law. This means that if something goes wrong, the authorities in the United States can do nothing to help customers who may have lost money or, even worse, had their personal details compromised. If the operator is unlicensed and providing illegal sports betting, those funds will inevitably be lost.

An offshore sportsbook may be based on a Caribbean island, licensed and regulated in places like Curacao or Antigua. These licenses give them the illusion of offering legal sports betting, but it doesn’t provide protection to their customers who are located away from those jurisdictions.

In rarer cases, there may be no license or regulation in place, which means that the sportsbooks are illegal.

Unfortunately, many things can and have gone wrong including:

Slow Payments

Sportsbook deposits and withdrawals are far more difficult with offshore sites. Instead of using a simple debit card, or a bank transfer, or even Venmo or Apple Pay which you can on a legal betting site, offshore operations rely largely on Cryptocurrency transfers.

Additionally, while you may eventually receive your withdrawals it will often be a slow process. With a sportsbook based in the US, customers can expect withdrawals to land in their personal accounts within 48 hours, while many are processed on the same day. This often isn’t the case with offshore operators which are much slower to send money from your betting account. Higher transaction fees may also apply.

Misleading Terms and Conditions

Players often find that an offshore sportsbook applies harsher terms and conditions to the welcome promotion and to general areas of the account. For example, while welcome offers can appear generous, the terms behind them reduce their value to the point where they may almost be worthless.

A 100% match on opening deposits up to $1000 is an eye catching deal but, if there are 35x wagering requirements attached, it means that you have to stake $35,000 before any winnings can be withdrawn. Those figures are out of reach of most bettors, and they do not support responsible gambling.

Lack of Choices

Sportsbooks and online casinos with a presence in the United States look to customize the betting experience for their players. This means that there will be a focus on the country’s favorite sports and leagues, including the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. College sports and other popular events such as golf, soccer and tennis are also covered extensively.

An offshore sportsbook can be more diluted as it looks to cater to a global audience. The major events are present, but college sports may not appear, and there can be fewer markets overall. In general, licensed online sportsbooks in the US have a wider coverage of sports.

Lack of Value

Customers at offshore operators are less likely to find value across the life of their account. Licensed online bookmakers list a sign up offer as a matter of course, and they will follow it up with ongoing promotions and deals. Offshore operators and blacklisted sportsbooks may publish a welcome deal, but it may offer less value to the player. Ongoing deals will also be less frequent.

Licensed sportsbooks will generally have better odds than their offshore counterparts as well. Overall, the better value lies at home and not with an offshore operator.

These are the main reasons for avoiding offshore providers and we’ll take a look at them in closer detail while considering the other issues involved with bookmakers such as these.

The Worst Sportsbooks (Offshore Edition)

Below we’ve compiled a lost of the absolute worst sportsbook apps that are used in the United States. Notably all of these are offshore bookmakers.

1. Bovada

Bovada is an example of a sportsbook that is based offshore, but is technically available to players in the US. In this case, the company’s license is held in Curacao but, while they can be accessed by American players, they operate outside of US law. As we’ve touched on previously, this will leave issues if the operator were to go out of business and they hold funds, or if customers have any other serious concerns about this sportsbook.

Bovada earns mixed reviews among customers with many complaining about the high wagering and playthrough requirements that are attached to their bonus promotion. Another common issue among the bad reviews relates to customer service and the unhelpful nature of help operators. Some have suggested that when they aim to contact customer support, help isn’t available 24/7 as promised. Like all offshore operators, Bovada is unlikely to provide competitive odds on day-to-day bets, regular offers, a wide choice of sporting markets, and the focused betting package that US bettors can expect elsewhere.

2. BetUS

When you land on the BetUS homepage, they claim to be America’s favorite sportsbook. The abbreviation ‘US’ is also in the title, but they aren’t even based here. The main website has a .PA suffix, which means that BetUS is actually located in Panama and are in fact another offshore sportsbook. That could be misleading for a person looking to sign up with a local online bookmaker.

BetUS may have more of a focus on US sports, so there could, for example, lots of betting options for the latest New York Jets vs Cleveland Browns game, but the choice of markets is outweighed by the usual issues associated with an offshore operator. Odds may be worse than US-based options, while the welcome offer here carries a high 10x rollover with a quick 7-day turnaround for wagered bets. Payment problems and a tendency to favor Bitcoin players have been commented on by customers who have wagered and won, before experiencing problems receiving their cash.

3. BetOnline

BetOnline was originally founded back in 2001, so there is some history behind the brand, but there are several reasons why they appear on our schedule of blacklisted sportsbooks. Like all offshore brands, they are licensed and regulated outside of the US, with their headquarters based in Panama. Like all operators in this section, they are not bound by US laws and can only be accessed via a loophole in the system.

Aside from the potential issues of playing with any sportsbook outside of US jurisdiction, BetOnline has received negative reviews over their odds, suggesting that they are not competitive with the rest of the sports betting industry. They have no rewards program, so there is little incentive for regular bettors to wager here. The welcome offer comes with 10x wagering requirements attached, so the terms on bonuses are harsh, and there are fewer promotions moving forward. Customer service has also been criticized, so there are a number of downsides to using this bookmaker.

4. myBookie

myBookie is another offshore operator that may lead people into believing they are based in downtown New York or in Las Vegas, at the heart of the betting and casino scene. They claim to be America’s most trusted sportsbook and casino, but the .AG prefix on their website tells us that they are based in Antigua, while their licenses are issued in Curacao and the Dutch Antilles.

Should you be wary of a bookmaker who makes that kind of claim and do they have account holders’ best interests in mind? To be fair, we should look a little deeper at myBookie, but we find some common themes running through reviews.

Those reviews suggest a limited range of funding providers along with high charges for depositing funds and a steep minimum deposit. Others state that the operator is quick to place limits and restrictions on accounts. The welcome deal is another to feature a higher x10 rollover, while bettors may also find the regular issues associated with an offshore blacklisted sportsbook including uncompetitive odds, fewer ongoing bonuses and a smaller set of markets to choose from.

5. Sportsbetting.ag

Sportsbetting.ag is a bookmaker that favors cryptocurrency users. There are other payment methods, but the list is restricted, and you can expect to see charges made for deposits and withdrawals unless you are using Bitcoin or one of the other accepted cryptos. It’s also difficult to find licensing details on the sportsbook’s website and, while the operator is licensed in Panama, the lack of transparency over this should be a concern to users.

Sportsbetting.ag list a welcome bonus but bettors may find that there are fewer ongoing deals here than can be found at sports betting companies with a US presence. Independent reviews have stated that the lack of a cash out facility is a disadvantage, while the odds on in-play markets in particular are noticeably weak. Live betting odds should be higher elsewhere. Common complaints among Sportsbetting.ag customers relate to slow payouts and delayed responses from customer services.

Always Bet With Licensed Online Sportsbooks

There are many good reasons why you should only bet with legal licensed online sportsbooks while avoiding any offshore operators. Here’s a roundup of each advantage of betting with a trusted source that is licensed and authorized to provide sports betting services in your country and state of origin.

Safety, Security, and Legality

When you register with a sportsbook that is licensed by the relevant authority in your state, you are signing up with a trusted source. That license is your guarantee of safety and security and a fair result if anything should go wrong.

If you play with an unlicensed bookmaker, they are technically illegal, and users play here at their own risk. If the operator goes out of business and they hold customer funds, it is unlikely that the money will ever be recovered.

A sportsbook with an offshore license also carries risks to the player as they are outside of United States jurisdiction. If a person decides to play here, they must be aware that the US legal system has limited powers if anything goes wrong.

In short, the safety and security of sports bettors may be compromised if they are not playing at a licensed online sportsbook.

Ongoing Promos

We’ve briefly touched on the question of harsh terms and conditions attached to welcome bonuses at offshore blacklisted sportsbooks and casinos. At licensed online operators with a presence in the United States, some terms will still apply, but they are likely to be much fairer.

With a licensed online sportsbook, it’s likely that there will be more promotions that extend beyond the welcome deal. These bonuses can appear in many forms and will often be attached to big sporting markets such as the Super Bowl, but there should be promos in place throughout the calendar year. These deals may include:

Bet and Get: In return for placing qualifying bets, players will receive a bonus. This will usually come back to the customer in the shape of bonus bets which can be used on future sporting markets. Terms and conditions apply, and the first bet is likely to have minimum odds, but these are regular offers that should be simple to follow.

Bonus Bets: Similar to bet and get deals, these can be issued on a regular basis. The difference may be that there is no qualifying bet to follow here. The operator may simply list a bonus bet in connection with one of the bigger sporting events on the calendar.

Price Boosts: On top of generous everyday odds, most licensed online sports betting companies also list price boosts. These lift the figures and make them even better than the regular odds. Many sportsbooks offer price boosts on a daily basis, and this is another area where they can score heavily in comparison to offshore operators.

Rewards Programs: As a thank you for being a regular player on their platforms, many licensed online sportsbooks and casinos offer a loyalty program. Players can receive points for every sports wager they make, while these systems may also include stakes at the online casino and at the poker table. When customers hit certain thresholds, the points can be redeemed for some excellent prizes. Free bonus bets are commonly issued, while it may be possible for high rollers to access some luxurious entertainment packages.

Deposit Reloads: This is a similar offer to the matched bonus deal for new customers. Moving on from that initial credit, the sportsbook may offer a matched percentage on second, third and fourth deposits.

All of these types of promos appear with regular frequency at licensed online sportsbooks, while they are less likely to be published by offshore sports betting operators.

Odds Pricing

On average, a licensed online sportsbook with a base in the United States will publish more competitive odds than the offshore bookmakers. Many of the regulated betting companies are happy to appear on odds comparison sites, so it’s easy for potential customers to see that they are providing value for wagers across all sports.

Offshore blacklisted sportsbooks are less transparent and require bettors to call up their pages to check the pricing manually. This could be because they are often out of step with the rest of the industry, and their odds are simply not competing. Whatever the reasons, it’s common for offshore blacklisted sportsbooks to publish weak odds when compared to those that are licensed and regulated by a United States gambling authority.

Responsible Gaming Measures

The question of responsible gambling is an issue that all sports betting sites should take seriously. Trusted operators with licensing and regulation within the United States will publish a number of tools that their customers can use in order to keep their wagering patterns enjoyable and under control.

Tools will include timeouts, self-exclusion plus financial limits on wagering and deposits. These are methods that each customer can access at any time throughout the life of their account. In addition, those sportsbooks are also likely to link out to professional organizations that are set up specifically to help people when they need it.

It’s an important part of the platform and one that licensed online sports betting companies take very seriously.

An offshore blacklisted sportsbook may also have areas referencing responsible gambling but, in general, they are not as comprehensive. While there may be exceptions, the tools that are put in place are not as wide ranging, meaning that customers may lose sight of the amount of money that they are wagering. The chance of spending beyond a player’s limits may, therefore, be higher at an offshore sportsbook.

Worst Sports Betting Sites FAQs

The subject of worst sports betting sites produces a number of regular questions among potential account holders. This round-up has looked to address issues in full, but to conclude, here are some answers to frequently asked questions relating to the worst bookies.

Matt Harris has worked in the iGaming industry for over ten years, covering campaigns for sportsbooks, casinos and affiliates. He specializes in operator reviews, along with news and opinion articles. When not writing, he’ll always be watching live events and Matt is hoping that the advent of Major League Cricket will help his favorite sport make a breakthrough in the US.

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