A sportsbook is a company or entity that accepts bets. It can be legal or illegal. DraftKings is a licensed 5️⃣ sportsbook, while Bovada is an offshore sportsbook that's been operating without a license in the U.S. for years. Players who 5️⃣ live in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Nevada will not be able to register and play on the 5️⃣ site. Most sportsbooks accept wagers on most major sporting events, especially college and professional events. Some online bookmakers expand the 5️⃣ kinds of bets they offer to other, non-sporting events, like the results of political elections and/or the Oscars.

In common usage, 5️⃣ a sportsbook typically refers to a company that takes sports bets. A sportsbook is technically the same thing as a 5️⃣ bookmaker or bookie, but these terms usually apply to individuals (or small groups of people) who take bets. People will 5️⃣ sometimes also refer to the place where bets are made as a sportsbook, which can be a building or even 5️⃣ a website.

For many years, the only fully legal sportsbooks in the United States were in Nevada, although they also operated 5️⃣ in limited form in Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. But a 2024 Supreme Court decision changed that. Now, 30 states have 5️⃣ legalized sportsbooks, and some allow these to be accessed online.

Key Takeaways A sportsbook is a company or individual who accepts 5️⃣ bets from individual sports bettors.

Sportsbooks generally accept bets on either side of a sporting event. They can do this because 5️⃣ of the difference between what you wager and what you win.