New Jersey has undoubtedly had the most amount of sportsbooks rush across its borders. There are a number of reasons why the state has proven the most popular for sportsbooks:

• Lack of restrictions: NJ does not require you to signup in person with a sportsbook. The whole registration process can be done online.

• Population: With almost 10 million people, NJ represents a significant market. Other states such as Delaware and Mississipi have struggled to attract betting sites due to their size.

• Tax: A lower state tax rate for sportsbooks has meant that more sportsbooks have wanted to set up in NJ.

The state requires each new sportsbook to sign up with an existing casino or racetrack.

Each casino and racetrack is capped at three partnerships. So, we estimate that NJ will have reached its maximum number of sportsbooks by 2020.

NJ has the widest selection of new sportsbooks to choose from but Draftkings and FanDuel currently edge it. DraftKings, in particular, have an excellent app focused on NJ. They also have an excellent selection of payment options which is crucial at this early stage.

SugarHouse is not only the newest sportsbook in PA but also the only sportsbook in the state. We would have loved to see more choice, but we can’t complain about what SugarHouse has to offer. You can read more about the sportsbook at our SugarHouse review.

We do expect a host of new sportsbooks to arrive in PA in 2019. We can only put the delay in new sportsbooks arriving in the state down to the whopping 36% state tax on sports betting sites.

Nevada is really the American home of gambling, so it comes as no surprise that it was also one of the first states to legalize online sports betting. A trailblazer in gambling it may be, but when it comes to the world of sports betting it does lag behind states like New Jersey. This is largely down to the restrictions it has imposed on its residents, who are required to sign up and deposit in person at a sportsbook.

This has meant that there are slightly less new sportsbooks popping up in the state than we would have hoped. However, you still have some big names to contend with. At bettingscanner.com we are particularly impressed with the usual two of FanDuel and Draftkings as well as 888Sport, who we feel has made the transition to the US market really well.

So, you have decided to take the leap into the wonderful world of sports betting but you are wondering where the hell to start? This is completely understandable, the world of sports betting can be an intimidating one, seemingly full of experts throwing around jargon like vigs and lines.

Well, fear not, sports betting was only legalized in the US in 2018, so you are certainly not alone. There are millions of other Americans also wondering where the hell to start. Let’s break it down for you. Here are the main factors to consider when looking at a new sportsbook:

1. Welcome Bonus: A new Sportsbook will be, and certainly should be, eager to pick up new customers and probably the most tried and tested method to do this is to offer a great welcome bonus. How is a new sportsbook going to be able to afford a generous welcome bonus? Well, the good news for US customers is that the majority of ‘new’ sportsbooks are actually pretty established brands, that can afford to allocate considerable fund to their marketing and promotional spend. You can see this reflected in some of the outrageously good signup bonuses being offered by the new sportsbooks popping up in Nevada, NJ and PA.
2. Odds: The majority of new sports betting sites popping up will use one of the big odds suppliers, such as Kambi, to set their juice. This means that they shouldn’t vary too much from the market average. However, odds vary between sportsbooks and if they are new on the market we definitely suggest you compare them against some of the other sportsbooks out there. In our review site, you can also see how we rank each sportsbook for odds.
3. Different types of bets: Sports betting is a mad and wonderful world with a huge range of options. Over the past couple of decades, sportsbooks around the world have been developing new and exciting forms of betting. Now in 2019, as sportsbooks are finally able to set up in the US, you can take advantage of this fact. Prop bets, parlays and teasers or whatever tickles your fancy! Usually, a sportsbook will allow you to have a little look around their website before requiring you to signup, so we recommend you do this, to get a feel of what bets they do offer. Alternatively, if they are an app focused sportsbook then you can look at our individual reviews of each sportsbook where we cover their selection of betting types.
4. Mobile app: The majority of customers in the US prefer to bet on sports via an app, or on their mobile. So, we imagine that its an important factor for you when choosing your sportsbook! The good news is that the majority of new sportsbooks are actually choosing to launch their app first!
5. Usability: One of the biggest challenges for new sportsbooks is being able to launch a new site and app which works perfectly without any hitches. Add to the mix, that many of the new US sportsbooks have rushed to get their service up and running in states before their competition and you have a recipe for disaster. So far, we haven’t seen anything too bad in the US, but we suspect buggy sites and apps have been the reason for a few of the delays! Here the usability factor and the signup bonus can work quite well. We also say the signup bonus is great, not because you can get some extra cash, but because it allows you to a few free bets that in turn give you a real feel for their site.

The sportsbook situation in the US can be a little hard to understand. At the federal level, everything has been legal, since PASPA was removed in 2018. Now everything is being decided at the state level, with each state deciding whether they will allow sportsbooks to set up in their states.

However, it gets even more complicated, as each state places its own restrictions on the sports betting companies. This means that a new sportsbook may set up shop in New Jersey but decide against moving into Pennsylvania.

This means that you should worry less about what sportsbooks are new in the US and more what sportsbooks are new in your state. This also means that you will need to signup with the sportsbooks version that is specific to your state.

You will find that a lot of the new sportsbooks will be partnered with an existing casino. This is often due to state legislation which requires online sportsbooks to partner with an existing physical establishment. We imagine this is so the state can retain some degree of control over the sports betting industry.

There are a number of sportsbooks that look to open up in the US in 2019. The majority of those will be existing sportsbooks that are expanding into new states.

One state where we are looking forward to a number of new sportsbooks is PA. Currently, only SugarHouse is operational but rumour has it that Parx Casino, Harrah’s Philadelphia and Rivers Casino are all set to launch their online sportsbooks in the Keystone State in 2019.

We are also looking forward to William Hill setting up an online sportsbook in West Virginia. The British sportsbook, with a wealth of experience across the pond, has partnered with Hollywood and Mountaineer Casino and are expected to launch in their West Virginia site and app in 2019.

There are a host of exciting sportsbooks in West Virginia that are expected to set up in 2020 including BetStars, 888Sport, Bet365 and Draftkings. All of these are huge names and suggest that the sportsbooks are taking West Virginia very seriously.

We imagine it’s only a matter of time before the Twin Rivers Casino set up an online sportsbook in Rhode Island. They pretty much have a monopoly on sports betting in the state. So, lack of competition has meant that they are in no rush, however, the state has begun a process of loosening legislation to allow more competition. This should provide just the kick up the ass they need to get their online service up and running.

Delaware is dragging its heels since legalising sports betting, failing to create an attractive environment for sportsbooks to set up shop in the First State. However, they are expected to legalise online betting soon and when it does we expect the big players to register their interest. If we are lucky we could see Drafkings or FanDuel in Delaware by the end of 2019.