A sportsbook is a company or entity that accepts bets. It can be legal or illegal. DraftKings is a licensed 馃寷 sportsbook, while Bovada is an offshore sportsbook that's been operating without a license in the U.S. for years. Players who 馃寷 live in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Nevada will not be able to register and play on the 馃寷 site. Most sportsbooks accept wagers on most major sporting events, especially college and professional events. Some online bookmakers expand the 馃寷 kinds of bets they offer to other, non-sporting events, like the results of political elections and/or the Oscars.
In common usage, 馃寷 a sportsbook typically refers to a company that takes sports bets. A sportsbook is technically the same thing as a 馃寷 bookmaker or bookie, but these terms usually apply to individuals (or small groups of people) who take bets. People will 馃寷 sometimes also refer to the place where bets are made as a sportsbook, which can be a building or even 馃寷 a website.
For many years, the only fully legal sportsbooks in the United States were in Nevada, although they also operated 馃寷 in limited form in Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. But a 2024 Supreme Court decision changed that. Now, 30 states have 馃寷 legalized sportsbooks, and some allow these to be accessed online.
Key Takeaways A sportsbook is a company or individual who accepts 馃寷 bets from individual sports bettors.
Sportsbooks generally accept bets on either side of a sporting event. They can do this because 馃寷 of the difference between what you wager and what you win.
