Before we get started, just a quick boring word about the difference between the US and everybody else.

At the time of this writing, the dreadful UIGEA is still set to take effect soon, and many US states are still using the half-century-old Wire Act to guide their handling of online legislation. This is not a great situation for online sportsbooks; some of the best are being extra cautious about accepting players from the US.

On the other hand, some online sportsbooks are either waiting to see how this all plays out, or building their business model around existing US laws. So we do have a handful of solid and trustworthy companies that are willing (or even specifically designed) to accept bets from the United States.

We’ll come right out and admit that you won’t get the full range of bets or the impeccable reputation that you would from established UK sportsbooks like William Hill and Ladbrokes (which we highly, highly recommend for non-US players!). Until the legal mess is sorted out, you will be taking more of a chance with newer companies — though a few have already had enough time to prove themselves worthy.

Our personal experience has led us to recommend Bodog’s sportsbook over all others that accept US players. Despite the Bodog marketing juggernaut, the sportsbook is surprisingly no-nonsense and user-friendly, without all of the gimmicks that you might expect. Most importantly, they’ve been extremely dependable and trustworthy, with great odds and a flawless history with our withdrawals.

A close second is Intertops. They’re about as experienced in the online betting game as anyone (they claim to be the first company to offer online sports betting, and we’ve personally been with them since the turn of the century). Intertops has always been fair with us, and easy to deal with when we have any questions or issues.

Our close runner-ups include BetUS, Sportsbook.com, and Sportsbetting.com; all three have been consistently helpful, and demonstrated above-average practices for this industry. We’re confident that the average player will be likely to have a solid experience at any of these sportsbooks.