Yes, and the state you live in will determine whether you must be at least 18 or 21 years of age to bet on football games. Only a handful of states have legalized local sportsbooks following the repeal of PASPA, and 48 states, along with Washington D.C., allow residents to use offshore betting sites to wager on the NFL and college football.
For more legal information, including the U.S. Supreme Court repeal of PASPA and to find out the specific sports betting laws of your state, visit our guide to sports betting laws in the United States.
Where Can I Bet on Football in the United States?
Licensed Offshore Online:
Washington and Connecticut are the only states with laws that outright ban licensed offshore online sportsbooks. The other 48 states, including the District of Columbia, allow football bets to be placed from desktop and mobile devices when using offshore betting sites.
State-Licensed Land-based:
The following states allow football wagers to be placed at sportsbooks located in brick-and-mortar casinos and racetracks.
- Arkansas (will launch in 2019)
- Delaware
- Mississippi
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
State-Licensed Online:
Even though a handful of states have legalized betting on football and other sports, most still do not allow online sportsbooks to operate within its jurisdiction. Here are the states that allow online and mobile bets on football.
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- West Virginia
How to Bet on NFL and NCAA Football – Beginner Tips and Guide
If you’re a rookie looking to make a profit in the NFL and college football betting world, you need to know a few things before taking the snap and placing your bet.
- Knowing the game of football
Whether your bets are on the NFL, college football, or both, you need to have a deep understanding of the differences between the two and how the game is played in both from a historical and current perspective.
Knowing statistics, including trends like how much turnovers factor into wins/losses and why passing yards per game is valued more than ever in today’s game, will set you up for long-term success.
- Choosing a safe sportsbook
The next step is choosing an option that is safe and secure. Each of the offshore sportsbooks featured on our site has been reviewed by our team to ensure they are licensed and use the latest encryption methods for deposits and withdrawals.
We’ve vetted each site by placing bets over extended periods of time to make sure each one pays out winnings in a timely manner. Additionally, state-licensed sportsbooks are a safe option as well where available.
- Practice responsible betting techniques
After signing up at a sportsbook, determining how much money you can deposit is the most important step and should solely be based off your current financial situation.
Betting on football should never cut into your living expenses or savings. Only deposit what you’re willing to lose and treat your bets like stock market investment, where you’d be able to afford everything in your daily life should the worst happen.
- Learn to manage your bankroll
Coupled with practicing responsible betting techniques is developing proper bankroll management. There is no such thing a “safe” or “sure” bet and going “all in” on single betting line is not smart. Never bet more than 3% of your entire bankroll on a single NFL or college football line and limit yourself to 15% in total wagers per week.
This will minimize how much you lose over time and create a steady return on investment when you win. Additionally, this method gives you a chance to analyze your bets on a week-by-week basis and allows you to re-think your predictions by looking at what went right and what went wrong.
- Become familiar with the types of bets
For bets on professional and collegiate football, there are numerous types of bets you can make. If you’re just starting out, then stick to these four until you become more familiar with betting in general.
- Points Spread – A set number where the favorite (-) has points taken away from its predicted margin of victory and must win by more than the line indicates. The underdog (+) can win the game or lose by no more than the set number.
- Example: Clemson (+6) vs. Alabama (-6)
- To Cover: Alabama must win by 7 points, Clemson can win or lose by 5 or fewer points
- Stay updated on injuries and roster news
Football is a game full of injuries and staying up-to-date on who’s active, questionable, and out is important when determining how much a player can (if at all) contribute toward a team winning on game day.
Furthermore, roster additions and departures can be a benefit or a detriment depending on the player involved. Following the news and using social media is a great way to accomplish these things. Just be sure to stay away from the opinionated news and posts because remember: They likely don’t have any skin in the game.
- Don’t bet on your favorite team
Finally, the last bit of advice for beginners is to avoid betting on your favorite NFL or college football team. You’ve likely rooted for a team for several years or maybe even several decades and cheer for them to win every game they play.
This inherently creates bias since fandom skews reality and makes you believe your team can always win even when they mathematically can’t win. Objectivity and remaining neutral is the only way to make predictions as clear as possible.
And don’t take this as “stop being a fan of your favorite team.” You’ll put money on and against all teams eventually, but betting against your favorite team is something that goes against the inherent nature of being a “fan” and can create problems in the future. To avoid these issues, just stay away from betting on games that have your favorite team as one side of the matchup.
Additional Football Betting Resources
2018 NFL Season Preview – Here you’ll find our preview for the 2018 NFL Season which includes the top contenders to win AFC, NFC and Super Bowl LIII.
NFL Betting Guide – This page provides information specifically for fans interested in betting on the NFL league games, players and events. You’ll find everything you need to make informed decisions regarding our NFL bets.
Super Bowl LIII Betting Guide – This page provides insight into betting on the odds for the Super Bowl, a preview of Super Bowl 53 and where to find the best betting lines.
Thanksgiving Day Football Betting Guide – This is the perfect guide for anyone new to sports betting who would like to have a better understanding of how to bet on Turkey Day football games legally.
NCAAF Betting Guide – For college football fans, we’ve developed a comprehensive guide that provides valuable insight for betting on the college football games, bowl games, the College Football Playoff, and the CFP national championship.
Resourse: https://usasportsbooksites.com/football/