In 2018, the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on single-event sports betting. This gave each individual state the power to pass its own legislation on sports betting, an opportunity that many states have seen as a golden opportunity to land some much needed tax dollars.
Since then, many of the country’s leading gambling companies have entered the market. As a result, bettors in states with legal sports betting are now spoilt for choice when it comes to sports betting apps.
With this in mind, we’ve decided to take a look at the top three sports wagering providers in the United States.
But before we do that let’s take a look at a few important things to note about the industry in general terms.
Sports betting in the United States
Although there are quite a few states that have legal and regulated online casinos, it’s important to note that a regulated casino market does not necessarily mean that a state will allow sports betting. Most states treat sports wagering and casino gaming as individual activities and so legislate for both individually.
It’s also worth pointing out that once a state does legalize sports betting, it still may not allow mobile sports betting. Quite often this is because local land-based casinos fear that mobile sports betting will eat into their profits. Take Montana for example. While the state allows retail sports betting, there are no mobile betting options available at all.
As states continue to pass legislation, we’re seeing more and more sports betting apps hit the market. There are currently over 40 apps that are now licensed to operate in at least one state across the country.
But while this number is guaranteed to increase in the coming months and years, we doubt that any newcomers will be able to topple these three from their positions as industry leaders.
DraftKings
Along with FanDuel, DraftKings earned its reputation as a reputable gambling company during its early days as a Daily Fantasy Sports provider. But in 2018, when New Jersey won its landmark case, DraftKings entered the world of sports betting.
The company was the first to launch a mobile sports betting app in the newly opened market of New Jersey and has since expanded its operations to cover 15 states.
These states include:
DraftKings State Availability
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
One of the reasons that this sports betting app has grown in popularity is the simplicity of its user interface. Well-designed and easy to navigate, the app is a breeze to use for both novices and seasoned sports gamblers. Little wonder that it was rated 5 stars by leading betting review site Onlinebettingsites.com.
Fanduel
FanDuel may not be in quite as many states as its closest competitors, but it does boast the largest number of registered users in the United States. Like DraftKings, FanDuel entered the sports betting market in 2018 launching in the state of New Jersey following a merger deal that saw Paddy Power Betfair take control of the company.
Since then, FanDuel has expanded into several key markets and even signed major sports betting partnership deals with the likes of the PGA Tour and the NBA.
FanDuel is currently available in the following states:
FanDuel State Availability
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Well-known for offering competitive odds and great customer service, FanDuel has further plans to invest in expansion into even more states in the near future.
BetMGM
The online gambling arm of hotelier MGM Resorts International, BetMGM started out as PlayMGM back in 2018 when it launched alongside DraftKings and FanDuel in New Jersey. It took some time and a rebrand to BetMGM before the company’s online sportsbook started to finally make a name for itself as a reputable sports betting provider.
Its sports betting app is currently available in the following states:
BetMGM State Availability
- Arizona
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- New Jersey
- Nevada
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Although it took some time to get off the ground, BetMGM is now considered one of the leaders in both the sports betting and online casino industries.
As mentioned earlier, there are over 40 sports betting apps currently available in the United States and this number is just going to grow year on year. Even so, we’re sure that the three apps listed above will continue to dominate the market for years to come.
