There’s no doubt that sports betting is booming across the USA right now. At the time of writing there are as many as 29 states that have passed legislation allowing for retail and/or mobile sportsbooks to offer odds on live sporting events.
The most recent state to launch mobile sports betting, New York, has already broken the all-time record for the most amount wagered in a single month. In their first three weeks of operation, New York mobile sports betting apps alongside the state’s existing retail sportsbooks accepted over $1.68 billion in wagers.
However, in states such as New York and New Hampshire, prohibitive tax rates mean that profit margins are low. This has led to calls for iGaming legislation like that which has been so successful in states such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This is because sports betting operators know that casino games offer much better margins that can help to mitigate any losses through sports betting promotions.
With this in mind, we take a look at some of the USA’s leading sportsbooks that have branched out into online casino gaming.
DraftKings
The kings of Daily Fantasy Sports quickly became the kings of sports betting following the launch of sports betting in New Jersey. DraftKings had already built a solid reputation among sports fans and the move to sports betting was a relatively smooth transition.
The company has since gone on to launch its sports betting app in 16 states. As part of this expansion, DraftKings launched its own brand online casino which is available in five states — Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
DraftKings online casino offers the complete range of table games including baccarat, blackjack, and roulette as well as an extensive catalog of online slots. Alongside a great reputation for customer service, this superb range of games makes this one of the top choices for online casino gamblers in the USA.
Bovada
Bovada is an internationally licensed online sportsbook and according to online review site USAcasinosites, one of the best that offers casino gaming. As Bovada is an international site, it is available in many states where the likes of FanDuel and DraftKings are not.
Prior to online sports betting being legalized in the USA, Bovada had earned a reputation as the go-to sportsbook and online casino for US gamblers and it’s easy to see why. Bovada offers over 300 different games in its online casino such as video poker, blackjack, and roulette. The majority of these games are powered by Real Time Gaming, so the quality is pretty good.
A solid gaming experience that covers all the bases combined with great payment methods and quality customer service ensures that this online casino will stick around. A great option for gamblers who are in states with no iGaming legislation or regulated market.
FanDuel
As DraftKings closest competitor, FanDuel’s rise to industry domination mirrors that of our first casino on this list. FanDuel boasts the most registered users of any sportsbook/online casino in the United States but is currently only available in 13 states.
FanDuel’s online casino offering is very similar to that of DraftKings with baccarat, video poker, roulette and blackjack all on offer. It’s available in the same five states as DraftKings — Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia — and has the same extensive range of casino gaming options.
Where FanDuel trumps DraftKings is in the choice of online slot with a slightly better range of offer here than its rival.
BetMGM
MGM is one of the biggest names in land-based gaming so it should come as no surprise that the company’s online sportsbook also offers online casino gaming. While the company has gone all out to carve a slice of the sports betting pie — now operating in 15 states — it’s the online casino that really impresses.
BetMGM offers a complete range of online casino games including baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette, video poker and poker cash-games and tournaments (it is one of the few brands offering legal poker in Nevada). But where it really impresses is in its live dealer offerings. While most other online casinos have embraced live dealer games, BetMGM have gone all out to dominate this particular niche of the industry. Live games include baccarat, blackjack, and roulette among others.
The online casino and sportsbook also impresses with its BetMGM rewards program. This is one of the best loyalty programs in the industry and the one that many other programs aspire to be. Points earned in the online casino can be used for complimentary food and beverages at MGM resorts while if you earn enough you may even get yourself a free night in an MGM hotel.