Best betting sites in 2026: Top online sportsbooks

When it comes to sports betting platforms, fans and prospective users have plenty of options in the marketplace to decide which ones to use to make wagers on games. Here, we'll take a look at the best betting sites based on a variety of factors such as user experience and markets offered, along with potential differentiating factors across top betting sites which would separate them from the competition.

Top sports betting sites

Best brands by category

There are a lot of aspects to each betting site, and each one is important when comparing sportsbooks. Here's a breakdown of the top betting sites in each category.

It's hard to argue against DraftKings and FanDuel, the two sportsbook brands at the forefront of the sports betting industry, having the top overall sports betting sites. However, I do prefer the DraftKings desktop experience to FanDuel's. The two layouts are similar, but DraftKings offers cleaner navigation with different markets and sports compared to FanDuel.

All sportsbooks have bonuses and promotions for new and existing users. Which promotion appeals to a particular user depends on their preference. If you don't want major up-front investments to start your sports betting journey, the offers from DraftKings, FanDuel and bet365 only require $5 to start. If you're willing to wager a bit more up front, you can potentially get more in bonus bets from BetMGM and Fanatics. Caesars offers a nice middle ground, allowing the user to choose his or her first bet match in bonus bets up to $250. It does require a bit more investment than the $5 DraftKings, FanDuel and bet365 are requiring. I personally prefer the offer bet365 is giving users, with $150 in bonus bets regardless of the outcome of the first wager. That gives users a good starting point for their bankroll without a major upfront investment. Claim your Caesars Sportsbook promo code here:

As far as existing promotions go, DraftKings and FanDuel are similar when it comes to giving out profit boosts and same-game parlay bonuses. FanDuel has had more offerings for bigger events, but those two platforms usually try to mimic each other with existing user promotions. If you're looking at the overall rewards program, it's hard to go against BetMGM, Caesars and Fanatics given their ability to transfer sports betting rewards to their other entertainment and business arms. Caesars has one of the best rewards transfer programs, but only Fanatics gives users the ability to use their sports betting funds towards purchasing licensed merchandise. Claim your DraftKings promo code here:

If you're new to sports betting, the bet365 welcome bonus is probably the best one for you. The bet365 website interface is clean but I would say DraftKings and FanDuel are slightly more intuitive and offer more competitive odds across the board. DraftKings typically offers more markets as well, so even though the welcome bonus requires your first bet to win to get the $300 in bonus bets, I'd lean with DraftKings over bet365 as the overall best sportsbook for a new user. DraftKings also has the edge when it comes to user experience and betting markets, though bet365 also offers more international betting markets than most sportsbooks.

When it comes to payout speeds and banking flexibility, most sportsbooks are similar with their offerings and timing. However, FanDuel is the only sportsbook I have seen which offers the ability to cash out of a bet at almost any instance. Those cash outs are also instant, and FanDuel's overall speed in payouts and banking flexibility gives me enough to rate them above other top betting sites in this particular category.

DraftKings and BetMGM are the only sportsbooks that have a 24/7 live chat feature available for customers and users. Other sportsbooks have a live chat feature but it's only reserved for particular circumstances. I'd lean towards DraftKings and BetMGM having the best customer service for this reason alone, and I'd give DraftKings the edge thanks to their larger reach and customer base. Claim your BetMGM bonus code here:

How to choose the right betting site

Choosing the right sports betting site requires you as the user to ask what is most important to you. Is it a welcome bonus? Is it the user experience? Is it the payout speed? In my opinion, DraftKings excels across the board as an overall platform, although bet365 and FanDuel do get some edges in particular categories.

How we rank the best betting sites

Welcome bonus plus promos for existing users

This includes the initial offer along with what users can expect once they've been with the betting site for a while. Those who do not want to make a big upfront investment to start their sports betting journey might be more inclined to the welcome offers from bet365, DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars. Users who are willing to wager more for a potentially bigger welcome payout might lean towards BetMGM and Fanatics. DraftKings and FanDuel typically have the best promotions for existing users, particularly around big games. However, BetMGM, Caesars and Fanatics might have the best overall rewards program when it comes to using your sports betting funds elsewhere.

Betting markets

Betting markets refers to specific sports, like football, basketball and baseball, as well as specific sub-markets within those sports like player props, futures and speciality bets like a player's next team or what the coin toss will be at a game. DraftKings tends to be the best in this regard, though bet365 is also solid with international betting markets. BetMGM and Caesars do offer substantial betting markets but the interfaces can be confusing to navigate on the site and it might take a long time to find the particular betting market you want. FanDuel is comparable to DraftKings but might lack in some international events.

Competitive odds

If you're betting over a long-term horizon, you'll see meaningful differences when shopping for the best odds on each wager and making the wager at that particular book. Of course, this only applies if you're winning a decent chunk of your bets. That being said, it's rare to see odds vary by more than 5 points at any sportsbook. For example, let's say the Indiana Hoosiers are -150 favorites on the money line against the Ohio State Buckeyes at DraftKings. Some sportsbooks might list the Hoosiers at -152 or -148 but the range is unlikely to deviate from that. Futures markets can have slightly more variance but typically, you're not going to see a difference beyond 15-20 points. Odds can change as money comes in on a game or injury information gets released, and sportsbooks do shift odds relatively quickly to account for these things. DraftKings tends to have the most competitive odds but if you're shopping around on every bet, you're likely going to make some wagers with FanDuel, BetMGM and Caesars too.

User experience

DraftKings, FanDuel and bet365 have the best betting site experiences by a decent margin. Though I personally lean towards DraftKings, it's hard to find much to fault with FanDuel and bet365. BetMGM and Caesars are a bit more clunky to navigate so while they offer a ton of betting markets, it often takes more time for a user to find the exact market he or she wants to bet in.

Banking methods

These are the deposit and withdrawal methods available at each sports betting site. They are fairly standard across the board, though some operators are now accepting payments via services like Apple Pay, Venmo and PayPal which previously weren't accepted. DraftKings and FanDuel stand out here but there's little to separate sportsbooks for this category.

Customer service

Sports betting sites tend to be strong in customer service when it comes to offering resources and giving contact information. However, DraftKings and BetMGM are the only sites that have a live chat feature available for users 24/7 for all inquiries. Other platforms do have a live chat but only for specific issues. This differentiates DraftKings and BetMGM and I'd lean towards DraftKings here as well due to its pure volume and size of its customer base compared to BetMGM.

Betting site mini reviews

DraftKings

The DraftKings website is comparable to the app, but there is no search function on the site while there is one on the app. That's really the only difference. The app condenses features to a mobile platform, but you can clearly view all the betting markets and odds being offered for different sports on the website without much movement. It's a well-organized layout, and you have a menu across the top to help you track your bets, check your benefits and even get explainers on how to navigate the platform.

It's hard to say there are many inherent benefits to using the DraftKings betting site compared to the betting app since both are quite user friendly, but if you prefer to get a complete picture of the offerings available you can see that more easily on the website than the app.

DraftKings, as mentioned consistently above, delivers the best overall experience when it comes to top betting sites even if it might not rank first in one or two categories. For a full look at DraftKings, visit our review page here. Sign up for DraftKings now:

FanDuel

FanDuel does have a search function on its website, which does give it something different from DraftKings. However, the navigation features are a bit different on the website. Let's say I wanted to look at NFL markets on FanDuel and then I wanted to look at NBA markets. FanDuel's page will scroll to NBA markets, while DraftKings will "refresh" the page to now show NBA markets. While the scrolling isn't necessarily a detriment, it does create some unnecessary movement and can be a bit overwhelming if you start jumping around to different sports. However, if you use the sidebar instead of the top header to select a sport, FanDuel's page will "refresh" like DraftKings does.

FanDuel's app is a bit more user-friendly than the website but the site is easy enough to navigate. Sometimes, you will have to go deeper into a particular game or sport market to find things like game props and player props, whereas those are already tabs available at DraftKings on the website.

When it comes to payouts and cashing out of bets, FanDuel does have the edge on every other top sports betting app in the market. See the full FanDuel promo code review. Sign up for FanDuel now:

BetMGM

The BetMGM website can be a bit overwhelming, especially since the platform pushes certain bets over others. For example, you can go to the main NBA page looking to wager on a game and you're immediately hit with pre-built parlays and a live bet offering. Now this isn't necessarily too different from any other betting site, but it can be a bit much for a newer user.

The biggest difference for BetMGM site users compared to the app will likely be the ability to find betting markets faster. There are so many layers to the site and finding a player prop or game prop market can take a substantial amount of time, even if you are using the search function. The interfaces aren't particularly well-organized either, so a lot of information is being thrown at the user in one section and it's easy to get frustrated. However, the site is likely easier to navigate than the app for this reason.

BetMGM doesn't have the reach of DraftKings or FanDuel but it is becoming a bigger player in the sports betting market and does offer a strong rewards program, which can lead to experiences at MGM's entertainment venues and other business arms. Check out our full BetMGM review here. Sign up for BetMGM now:

Caesars

A lot of the feedback I've given for BetMGM can apply to Caesars as well. On the website, I have to make three clicks to navigate to a particular sports league instead of just clicking on the league itself at other sportsbooks. This isn't necessarily a dealbreaker, but it does create some extra steps and makes navigation a bit more tedious.

However, the game pages on the Caesars website are much cleaner than BetMGM and organized better. Users don't have to deal with a handful of markets condensed into one small space on the screen. Caesars does not have as many international betting markets as some other betting sites but does offer a good variety with cricket, rugby and soccer.

Head to the Caesars review page for a full breakdown of the platform. Caesars, like BetMGM, offers a great rewards program with access to the company's entertainment arms and other operations. In fact, Caesars' reward program is considered the best in the industry regarding transferability and conversion rates. Sign up for Caesars here:

bet365

The bet365 website is less packed than the BetMGM and Caesars site, and it actually aligns a bit more with the interface of DraftKings and FanDuel. Where the site gets a bit more confusing is if you navigate into a particular sport page. All the games and odds start to bleed together a bit as there's no clear demarcation of games, so you really do need to be a bit more mindful when placing a wager here. This is probably less confusing on the app, which is a bit of a shift since the website theoretically would have more digital real estate to clearly establish each game.

Similarly, the app is cleaner than the website when you go within a specific game when targeting player props or game props. It feels like all the markets have sort of been thrown together in one place and while it's not as packed as BetMGM, it can lead to a lot of confusion. While bet365 does have some of the international markets other top betting sites do not, the interface on the site can be improved greatly with just a few small tweaks.

Even though bet365 is a relatively new player in the American sports betting market, it has established a strong presence and does offer a good helping of international betting markets. For a full review of the bet365 platform, click here. Sign up for bet365 here:

FAQ

Are online sports betting sites legal in the US?

As long as you are of legal age in a state where the betting site is legally allowed to operate, there is nothing illegal about sports betting sites in the United States.

How do I know a betting site is legit?

For the most part, a betting site will not allow you to create an account and sign up if you do not meet the age and location requirements. If you are able to sign up without those constraints, you can tell the site is not necessarily "legit" when it comes to sports betting.

Which betting sites have the fastest payout?

Most betting sites pay out winning wagers once the final pick has settled or the result has been officially decided. Some betting sites have promotions with an early payout and those typically pay out when the threshold for the promotion is crossed. These usually happen instantly but can sometimes take a minute or two if there's a dispute or something needs to be reviewed.

How do online betting sites pay out?

Betting sites will pay out winning wagers to your sportsbook account, and you can then withdraw to the account you'd like. In most cases, you can only withdraw to the same method you deposited with unless both methods are on file with the site. For example, if I made a deposit with Apple Pay, I could not withdraw money to my debit card without also adding my debit card information to my sports betting site account.

How to sign up for betting sites?

If you'd like to sign up for a particular betting site mentioned on this page, you can click on the links in the tables. Be sure to use the promo code provided to get your welcome bonus when you sign up. As long as you're of age in a state where the sportsbook is legal, you should have no problems creating an account by entering your name, email and payment details along with any other required information.

What are the best sites for live in-game betting?

Most sports betting sites do offer in-game betting and live markets, but DraftKings and FanDuel have long been the industry standard for this. FanDuel does have a slight edge when it comes to cashing out, as it seems like the platform allows users to cash out at almost any point whereas other betting sites do not allow cash out opportunities past a certain point.