Best Place To Bet Online Sports
Online sports betting is an incredibly convenient way to make your real money wagers without having to drive all the way to the sportsbook or casino. While this way of betting is extremely convenient, it may seem a little overwhelming at first. The sports betting bill passed by state lawmakers supports betting at all five of the state's physical casinos, three of which are fully operational, plus it allows for online and mobile app-based betting, which are the future of legal betting and are sure to be an economic boon for the state (and convenient for sports bettors) once they are.
FanDuel is one of the most popular platforms for people looking for the best online sports betting apps. At present, they are offering new users who create and register an account up to 4 free entries into fantasy sports contests. The online sportsbooks are a great legal way of wagering on sports in California, and Bovada is one of the best online sportsbooks around. Bovada offers excellent wagers on everything from sports to politics to the Academy Awards, and bettors can use it whether they want to wager from their computers or from any mobile devices.
Online sports betting has really picked up in popularity in Denver over the past several years. The Super Bowl is the most widely bet on sporting event in the USA every year and with the Denver Broncos playing in the big game in both 2014 and 2016 I think sports betting became the norm very quickly among Denver residents.
In addition to the Denver Broncos, the city is home to a team in each of the 5 major sports leagues in North America, so there isn’t any shortage of home teams to cheer for and bet on in Denver.
Even with the popularity of sports betting in the city there are still a lot of questions surrounding it’s legality. I will attempt to put these issues to bed on this page and also recommend a couple top quality sportsbooks where Denver residents are able to place their bets.
Is Sports Betting Allowed in Denver?
Regulated sports betting began in Colorado in May 2020. Licensed sports betting operators started taking bets just 6 months after Colorado voters approved the regulation of sports betting through licensed casinos in the state. You can now place bets, both online and in-person, at regulated bookies who have obtained a license to operate in Colorado.
As a Denver resident you also still have the option to place your bets through offshore betting sites that are licensed and regulated outside of the United States.
Whether you choose to place bets through regulated sportsbooks in state or at an offshore betting site, I do strongly suggest that you place your bets at well-established, reputable and trustworthy operators. I recommend two offshore betting sites that fit this criteria below.
Best Sportsbooks for Denver Residents
- Built for American bettors
- Wide variety of competitive betting lines
- Easy to navigate betting platform
- Accepts players worldwide
- Competitive betting lines
- Fast & easy deposits and withdrawals (including Bitcoin)
These are our two recommended betting sites for Colorado residents. Both sites are popular across the entire USA and offer safe, secure and well established platforms for placing your sports wagers.
Bovada.lv is our top rated site for Denver residents because of their commitment to the American market. When Bovada launched they solely accepted American customers, which allowed them to focus completely on providing the best sports betting option for American residents. This commitment to their American product can be seen throughout their business in terms of sportsbook customization, quick and easy to use banking options and outstanding customer service.
Offline Sports Betting in Denver
There are no offline sportsbooks currently located in the city of Denver. Some of the casinos located in Black Hawk are expected to add sportsbooks in the near future.
Colorado does allow you to place horse racing and greyhound wagers at racetracks in the state, and luckily enough Denver is home to a very quality racetrack on the east edge of the city.
Arapahoe Park
Arapahoe Park Racetrack is located just a half hour drive south-east of downtown Denver. It’s a bit of a hike out to the racetrack, but it’s well worth it for the live racing experience.
The track offers live racing on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays over the summer months. The three featured races are the Mile High Futurity, the Mile High Derby, and the Gold Rush Futurity, each of which carry purses of $100,000.
On top of the live betting, simulcast betting is also available for horse and greyhound races across the country.
***You can also bet on any Arapahoe Park races through the Bovada Racebook.
Major Sports Teams in Denver
- Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
- Colorado Rapids (MLS)
- Colorado Rockies (MLB)
- Denver Broncos (NFL)
- Denver Nuggets (NBA)
Chicago is the third largest city in the United States and has a long history of success in the largest sports leagues in North America. The Bulls dominated the NBA with Michael Jordan throughout the 1990’s and the Blackhawks and Cubs have found championship success over the past few years, so being a sports fan in the Windy City has been a lot of fun over the past 3 decades.
With all of this success and a sports team (two in the MLB) in each major league in the USA it’s no surprise that sports betting has become a big part of the sporting culture in Chicago. On this page I will answer the question surrounding the legality of sports betting in Chicago, provide information on the best online betting sites for Chicagoans to use and also look at some of the offline betting opportunities available in the city.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Chicago?
Regulated sports betting began in Illinois in March of 2020. The arrival of regulated sportsbooks came close to one year after Illinois lawmakers passed a bill allowing online and in-person betting in the state. You can now place bets at regulated bookies who have obtained a license to operate in the state.
As an Illinois resident you also still have the option to bet through offshore betting sites, such as the two I’ve outlined below, which are regulated and licensed outside of the USA. These sites continue to accept Chicago residents with open arms, and they are safe, secure and popular options for American bettors. The offshore betting sites also have much more experience in the market and rely on their reputation rather than state licenses to operate their businesses.
Best Sportsbooks for Chicago Residents
- Built for American bettors
- Wide variety of competitive betting lines
- Easy to navigate betting platform
- Accepts players worldwide
- Competitive betting lines
- Fast & easy deposits and withdrawals (including Bitcoin)
These are our top two sportsbooks for Chicago residents. Both of these betting sites are very popular across the entire United States and offer a safe and secure platform to place your wagers. Check out the reviews for more information on either betting site.
Offline Sports Betting in Chicago
Best Place To Bet Online Sports Sites
There are a few casinos in Chicago that have received licenses to add sportsbooks to their casino properties. These include Rivers Casino Des Plaines and Horseshoe Casino Hammond, which are the two main casinos serving the Chicago area.
Illinois also allows you to place horse racing wagers at racetracks within the State and two of the top racetracks in the country are located just a few minutes from downtown Chicago.
Arlington International Racecourse
The Arlington International Racecourse is a quick 40 minute drive north-west of downtown Chicago. This is one of the top tracks in America, established in 1927 and having a unique place in horse racing history as being the first track to host a thoroughbred race with a million-dollar purse. The Arlington Million is the flagship race held at the track, while the Beverly D. Stakes and Secretariat Stakes are also grade 1 races that are held at Arlington Park each year.
You are able to wager on live races almost daily at Arlington Park and you also have the opportunity to wager on horse races from across the country from the Arlington Park grounds.
If you are unable to head to the track you can also place bets on the Arlington Park races at either Bovada or BetOnline, both of which take bets on all the races that take place at the racecourse.
Where Is The Best Place To Bet On Sports
Hawthorne Race Course
Hawthorne Race Course is another well established Chicago race track that opened in 1891 and offers both thoroughbred and harness racing live. It is located a short 20 minute drive south-west of downtown Chicago and just north of the Chicago Midway International Airport.
The Hawthorne Race Course also offers live track betting and simulcast betting for races across the country. It’s most prestigious race each year is the grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup that has a rich history as one of the most prestigious races in America dating back to the 1920’s.
Both Bovada and BetOnline also accept bets on all races that take place at Hawthorne Race Course.
Hawthorne Race Course has also added a Sportsbook to its property so you can place bets on sporting events at the race track.
Major Sports Teams in Chicago
- Chicago Bears (NFL)
- Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
- Chicago Bulls (NBA)
- Chicago Cubs (MLB)
- Chicago Fire (MLS)
- Chicago White Sox (MLB)