Ever since online sports betting opened in the US, the web has been full of self-proclaimed sports experts who only point out the positive about each sportsbook or bonus. We want to take a different approach, zeroing in on our users, which we’ve always done since we started StatSalt in 2016.
This section of the site focuses mainly on these topics:
- Actual comparisons of legal sportsbooks and their bonuses.
- Unbiased reviews based on experience and complaints in forums.
- Tips our sports journalists have learned throughout their careers in this field.
- What is legal and not legal about sports betting in America.
Keep in mind this section is recently launched (see this as our Beta version), and we’ll have much more rich content covering all the critical aspects of sports betting shortly.
The legal situation of online sports betting in the US
As of right now, 20 out of 52 states allow you to bet online through your mobile. There are some similarities to those who allow sports betting, such as the legal age of gambling is 21. However, there are also many discrepancies between each state, where they have its own set of laws.
| State | Available | Guide |
| Arizona | ✔️ | Sports betting in Arizona (legal status) |
| Colorado | ✔️ | |
| Connecticut | ✔️ | Sports betting in Connecticut (legal update) |
| Delaware | ✔️ | |
| Illinois | ✔️ | |
| Indiana | ✔️ | Sports betting in Indiana (legal info) |
| Iowa | ✔️ | |
| Louisiana | ✔️ | |
| Michigan | ✔️ | |
| Mississippi | ✔️ | |
| New Hampshire | ✔️ | |
| New Jersey | ✔️ | Sports betting in New Jersey (legal info) |
| New York | ✔️ | Sport betting in New York (legal update) |
| Pennsylvania | ✔️ | Sports betting in Pennsylvania (legal status) |
| Rhode Island | ✔️ | |
| Tennessee | ✔️ | |
| Virginia | ✔️ | |
| Washington | ✔️ | |
| West Virginia | ✔️ | |
| Wyoming | ✔️ | Sports betting in Wyoming (is it legal?) |
For more info about each state, read this: https://www.americangaming.org/research/state-gaming-map-mobile/
Reviews
We’ve been collecting data from all the largest sportsbooks in the US, and our goal is to create unbiased comparisons between each operator. To give you an idea, here’s a list of what we’re comparing:
Odds
We gather odds data from multiple sports and events, and we then collect the avg house edge value and see which operator is giving more value to the users. We also try to locate if there is a particular sport they perform better or worse. And since sportsbooks are known for limiting winning players, we’re also looking into which ones are limiting more aggressively than others. Lastly, we rely a lot on scouting through forums to see the players’ experiences with each sportsbook, especially on the limiting part.
Bonuses & Promotions
Regarding sign-up bonuses, we’re not just looking at the bonus amount but the more critical pieces that go with it, such as wagering, min odds, variety of events to bet on, expiration date, etc.
Remember, the highest bonus amount doesn’t equal the best bonus, and if there are unfavorable bonuses, we’ll point that out.
Sports offering
You’ll see more similarities in this one, but if there is something that a sportsbook is covering less of, we’ll point that out. It’s never going to be the case where any major leagues are left out, but instead, you might see fewer options for that same event for futures or player props.
Loyalty program
We have to admit that this one is more tricky to make proper comparisons between, but we’ll do our best to gather data and see if this loyalty program is more favorable to you than the rest and if they have any rules limiting you in any way.
Payments
Besides comparing the available payment methods for each operator, we’re also looking into forums to see if there is any typical pattern of issues users have with making a deposit or withdrawal.
Support
We notice a handful of operators only use a bot for their live chat or have much less availability from their support team than others. As a result, the experience with the support can be a deal-breaker for some users and is something we’ll point out in our reviews.
Sports Guides
Our goal is to provide you with guides that are easy to follow and free from nonsense. With a team full of sports journalists with years of experience, we’ll provide you with tips we’ve learned through our own experiences. As of now, we do not offer many guides, but it’s something you’ll see plenty more of in the short future.