For many years, states were prevented from legalizing sports betting by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, aka PAPSA. PAPSA was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2018, paving the way for legal sports betting in the United States. As of August 2022, Connecticut, Arizona, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Iowa, Louisiana, Oregon, Indiana, New Hampshire, Illinois, Michigan, Colorado, Tennessee, Wyoming, Washington D.C. and Virginia have all legalized online sports betting.
Numerous other states have legal sports betting, but only in-person. Those states include Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, North Carolina, New Mexico and Mississippi. Most states have at the very least introduced bills to get the process started, so it could only be a matter of time before the vast majority of states have legalized betting on soccer.
As of August 2022, The following states all have a legal and regulated sports betting industry, where you can wager on soccer:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Best online soccer betting sites and mobile apps
There are plenty of betting websites and mobile apps that you can use when looking to place a wager on soccer. How do you find the one that is best for you? Well, odds can differ slightly from sportsbook to sportsbook, and it would obviously be advantageous to give yourself multiple options by shopping at various 'books to find the best prices. Some 'books will offer parlay insurances, promotions, and odds boosts that others may not. You can also find soccer player props at some sports betting websites that may not be available at others.
How to bet on soccer
Placing a bet on soccer sounds simple enough, but if you want to do it successfully it requires multiple steps – all of which are important. You should start the process, of course, by figuring out what bet you should make. At Pickswise, we have expert handicappers who do much of the work for you by researching teams and players in the top soccer leagues, including the MLS and EPL. Our handicappers break down statistics, preview matches, make predictions and plenty more. We post the odds that are being offered by various legal sportsbooks, as well. Be sure to check out our soccer picks all year long (soccer never stops!) to help you bet better.
Once you decide on a wager to place, the next step is to determine the best site or app at which to do so. Most 'books will have a soccer tab either in the left column or at the top, which will then take you to the soccer markets that are available. You can bet on individual soccer matches, futures, props, and – if applicable – promos and odds boosts. Locate the market you desire, add the play you want to your bet slip, enter your wager amount and then lock in your bet with the submit, bet or confirm button.
Ways to bet on soccer
There are many ways to bet on soccer, which is becoming increasingly popular among bettors in the United States and it offers all kinds of betting options because there are so many different leagues and tournaments around the world. Among the soccer markets generally available at most sportsbooks are single game, futures, player props, team props, and you can also make parlays and teasers. Some of the popular soccer betting markets are listed and explained below.
A money line bet in soccer is when you pick one team to win outright against another, regardless of the margin of victory. Unlike in other sports, a soccer money line is generally three-way instead of two-way. The third option is a draw — which happens if the score is tied after 90 minutes (it will be different in playoffs/knockout rounds, in which you can also bet one team to advance). In turn, a draw is not a push if you bet on one side or the other; you would lose your bet if you didn't bet on a draw. In a two-way NFL money line, for example, in the event of a tie even after overtime has been played a bet on one side or the other would be a push and you would get your stake back. In money line betting, it doesn't matter if the team you are betting on wins by 1 goal or 4 goals; it is a successful wager regardless of the margin. Similarly, it is an unsuccessful wager if the team you are betting on loses by 1 goal all the same as it is if that team loses by 7 goals.
Another difference in soccer money line betting is that because there are generally three options, the favored side will often have plus money odds such as +115, +135, or +160. A draw could be something like +200 and the underdog side could be +250. Only a rather sizable favorite would have negative odds (-115, -130, etc.) on the three-way money line. Odds of +135 on Paris Saint-Germain to beat FC Barcelona mean you would net a profit of $135 on a $100 bet if PSG wins. If L.A. Galaxy is a -120 favorite over Chicago Fire, you must bet $120 on L.A. to profit $100 (or $12 to profit $10). A Galaxy win – by any margin – gets you $100; with a Galaxy loss or draw you would lose your $120 stake.