Since online sports betting burst onto the scene in 2018, mobile gambling sites have continuously been looking for ways to make the experience as effortless as possible.

Not only will the best sports betting app be a convenient way to bet on your favorite teams, but it will be a place that streamlines the processes and condenses all of the essential information onto one screen.

When looking over mobile sportsbooks, we check to see how much fits on the initial homepage without scrolling. This factors into the convenience, as the less work you need to do when navigating the site, the better.

On that homepage, we look for the available sports, current live games, and menus that take you to essential areas of the site, such as the cashier window, promotions, rewards, and more.

Below, we’ll review the five best sports betting app platforms and discuss our findings. We aim to answer this question: What is the best sports betting app?

DraftKings sportsbook app - One of the best mobile sports betting apps

On the DraftKings mobile app, you’ll have 20 sports to bet on. Within these sports, however, are multiple leagues, including popular US-based ones such as the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA, but also a large number of international leagues.

You’ll have a wide variety of betting options, but where DraftKings shines is with its player prop markets. You’ll find a wide variety available for every game.

DK's Promo offers in their mobile app

DraftKings Sportsbook offers players several existing player promotions and a sign-up bonus.

The sign-up bonus is a 20% deposit match worth up to $1,000. You’ll receive the full $1,000 in bonus bets if you deposit $5,000. From here, the bonus funds you receive go into a pool you’ll draw off per $25 wagered in cash.

Additionally, there are plenty of season/sports-based offers, including Same Game Parlay boosters.

User experience in the DraftKings app

Upon opening the DraftKings NBA betting app, you’ll see an account icon in the upper right-hand corner. This opens a menu to the rewards program, cashier page, help center, and more. Across from this, you’ll find the log-in/sign-up button.

As you continue down the homepage, you’ll see a menu for the sportsbook, quick parlay builder, pools, flash bets, and more.

Below are two menus—one for the available promotions and one for the available sports.

Beneath the menu for sports, you’ll see the most popular upcoming games.

Finally, along the bottom of the app, you’ll find a menu that takes you to the homepage, live betting page, betslip, menu of sports, and the rewards program/promotions.

DraftKings sportsbook app pro vs cons:

• Best betting app for player prop markets
• Best mobile gambling app on Android, which can be downloaded on the Google Play Store
• Best app for sports betting on international leagues and sports

DraftKings could improve:

• The welcome bonus is one of the worst in the industry: a 20% deposit bonus that involves a “bet & get” element

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BetMGM sportsbook app - Best Sports Betting App for Parlays

With more than a dozen sports available, BetMGM Sportsbook offers players several international sports including Rugby, Snooker, Handball, Formula 1, Cricket, and more.

Where BetMGM shines, however, is with parlay betting. Here, you’ll be able to create traditional and Same Game Parlays, of course. Still, BetMGM provides tools such as Easy Parlay, and they’ll also generate the Top One Game Parlay Bets for every game.

BetMGM Promo offers for app

In addition to a refer-a-friend program, MGM Rewards, and other state-based promotions, BetMGM offers players a $1,000 first bet offer as a welcome bonus.

With this promotion you can get up to $1,000 paid back in bonus bets if your first bet loses. The amount paid back is equivalent to your initial stake.

User experience in the BetMGM app

When you open the BetMGM Sportsbook app, you’ll immediately see where you log in and sign up, as well as a search bar that you can use to find your favorite league, sport, or team.

Next to the search bar is a collapsible menu for the available sports.

As you continue down, you’ll see a menu for the available promotions, with the top upcoming games below sorted by sport.

You’ll also have a static menu along the bottom of the app that links back to the sportsbook's homepage, the online casino (in legal gambling states), promotions, and your account.

Under the account icon, you’ll see a few more links to log in/sign up, but also for MGM Rewards, the help center, Responsible Gaming, and a way to change the state you wish to play in if you’re traveling.

BetMGM sportsbook app pro vs cons:

• Best betting app on Android for parlay building
• Best sports betting app welcome bonus
• An easy-to-navigate mobile app makes for an exciting betting experience

BetMGM could improve:

• There could be more existing player promotions outside of the rewards program, refer-a-friend program, and other state-specific offers

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PointsBet sportsbook app - Best Sports Betting App for Unique Bet Markets

PointsBet offers players plenty of sports to bet on and ways to wager, but its PointsBetting feature is what really stands out here.

PointsBetting is a bet type that rewards you based on how correct you are but also makes you endure the pain of how incorrect you are.

For example, if you bet $10 on a total of over 200 points in an NBA game, and the final score results in 210 points, you win the bet. However, with PointsBetting, you win your wager multiplied by the number of points you were correct, which is 10. Thus, you win $100.

Conversely, you’d lose $100 if the final score was a combined score of 190.

PointsBet Promo offers for app

PointsBet offers players a sign-up bonus, a rewards program, and a feature called “Name A Bet.”

The sign-up offer gives players a $100 free bet each day for the first five days their account is live. You must use each $100 free bet per day.

The Name A Bet feature allows you to contact PointsBet, offer a wager you’d like to make, and wait to see if they accept it.

User experience in the PointsBet app

The PointsBet mobile app opens with a menu showcasing the available offers and promos on the site. You can click on these to learn more, or there’s a link directly to the promotions page.

Below is a list of the available games to bet on, sorted into three menus—feature, live, and next up.

Each of these menus is a submenu for all the available sports on the platform that you can sort through.

Along the bottom of the app is a menu that links to your betslip, online casino (in legal states), the quick parlay feature, live betting page, available sports, and another collapsible menu that opens on the left-hand side.

On this menu, you’ll find links to the live streaming page, live betting page, list of sports, promotions, Name A Bet, Quick Parlay, and more.

PointsBet sportsbook app pro vs cons:

• PointsBetting has revolutionized sports betting markets
• Name A Bet feature gives you the opportunity to bet on exactly what you want
• A great welcome bonus that extends across multiple days

PointsBet could improve:

• Very few additional promotions for existing players

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FanDuel sportsbook app - One of the Best College Football Betting Apps

FanDuel does an excellent job of providing a wide variety of betting options on all popular US-based sports. At this time, college football bowl games are in full swing. Fanduel Sportsbook offers close to 100 ways to bet on each game, including your standard moneyline, spread, and total. It also has other offers such as parlays, first half, props, buy/sell points, and more.

FanDuel Promo offers for the app

The standard welcome bonus at FanDuel Sportsbook is a $1,000 No Sweat First Bet. Additionally, you can participate in the refer-a-friend program, engage in the Rewards Machine, which has a chance to reward players daily, and more.

User experience in the FanDuel app

The FanDuel Sportsbook homepage starts with links to log in or sign up, followed by a menu consisting of links to the live betting page, promos, boosts, casino, refer-a-friend, and several available sports.

Below is a menu of all available promotions with a list of games. There are links to various sports that act as filters to populate the page with the appropriate games for that sport.

Along the bottom of the app is a static menu providing players access to the homepage, list of sports, betslip, casino (in legal states), and an account page.

FanDuel sportsbook app pro vs cons:

• Excellent promotions available for new and existing players
• Wide variety of betting options on all sports, including college football
• Easy-to-navigate user interface with appealing aesthetics

FanDuel could improve:

• Fewer international betting markets than competitors

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Tipico sportsbook app - Best Sports Betting App for Football Betting

Tipico Sportsbook is under the umbrella of USA Today Sports. With that, there are several sports to bet on, though fewer than at its top competitors.

Tipico Sportsbook offers a bet type known as “Unreal NFL” which allows you to bet on teams going up against one another when they aren’t in reality doing so.

For example, suppose the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions are playing, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints are playing. In that case, you could see a matchup that involves the Packers vs. the Buccaneers.

With this bet type, you’ll need to gauge how each team will score as if they were playing against one another.

Tipicos Promo offers for their app

Right now, Tipico Sportsbook has just one available promotion beyond the welcome offer. This promotion allows you to make picks and predictions for the NFL playoffs.

As for the welcome bonus, there are three options:

• $10 bonus bet
• 100% deposit bonus worth up to $250
• $350 no sweat bet

UX experience in the Tipico app

At the top of the Tipico Sportsbook mobile app, you’ll find a menu to the live betting page, games happening that day, odds boosts, promotions, and rapid bets.

Below this, you’ll find the top live games happening with a menu for the available sports below that.

Under the menu of sports, you’ll find the featured games on the homepage, but this will also populate with the available games for whatever sport you select.

Along the bottom of the app is a menu with links to the homepage, a list of sports, betslip, and your bets.

Tipico sportsbook app pro vs cons:

• Unreal NFL tool allows for an interesting way to bet on NFL games
• Great welcome bonus selections make it accessible for all types of players
• Simple and easy-to-navigate user interface

Tipico could improve:

• Lacking additional promotions for existing players

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Sports betting apps vs desktop

When it comes to sports betting apps and desktop sites, there are some differences. However, when we look at a sports betting app, we do consider how similar the two are. Some players may visit the desktop platform first before downloading the app. Either way, we look for similarities, because this creates less of a learning curve, making it easier for new players.

The main difference you’ll find is how condensed the mobile app versions are. When you see the sports betting site, you may find plenty of areas on the site. It’s essential to have a robust site that makes it easy for the player, but the best sports betting app will take all of this information and condense it in a way that’s accessible and easy to find, while not sacrificing performance.

Sometimes, with so much happening on the desktop site, you may run into lag or buffering going between pages. This isn’t the case with the best sports betting app options. Instead, you’ll find that navigating the site is seamless and easy.

How to start playing at sports betting apps

• Download the mobile sports betting app for the sportsbook you wish to play. These are available for iOS and Android devices on the Apple App and Google Play Store.
• After completing the download, open the app and find the log-in/sign-up button. This is typically found in the upper right-hand corner of the homepage.
• Complete the registration process. You’ll need to provide some personal information including your name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number. This is to confirm your identity.
• After this, some sportsbooks may require further verification, such as a picture of your government-issued ID. If not, the sportsbook will use geolocation software to confirm your location to ensure you reside in a legal mobile gambling state.
• Once your account is created and verified, you can claim your welcome bonus. It’s essential to check in on this before making your account in case it requires a promo code to be used during the registration process. If it doesn’t, just follow the instructions of the offer to claim your sign-up offer, whether it’s a deposit bonus, bonus bet, or something else. This is also where you’ll make your first deposit.
• After you’ve made your first deposit and accessed your welcome bonus, it’s time to place your first bet. Head back to the homepage, find the menu of all available sports, and see which sport you’d like to bet on. When you click the mark, the page will populate with a list of the available games. You’ll see the moneyline, point spread, and totals betting odds. You can also click on the individual competition to find more bet types available, such as Same Game Parlays and props.
• Choose the bet you want to make. It will appear on the betslip. Confirm your wager and wait for the result—you’ve now made your first bet.

What 4 things should you look for in the Best Sports Betting Apps?

When reviewing the best sports betting apps, there are multiple aspects to be aware of.

1. Speed: It goes without saying, but it’s essential for the best sports betting app to operate at a high level. Odds on games can change anytime, so providing players with a platform that allows them to select and make bets easily will keep them coming back.
2. User reports: The best sports betting apps on the Apple App and Google Play Store are available for both iOS and Android devices. You can use consumer reviews on these app stores to see what other players say.
3. User design: While aesthetic preferences are objective, we look for a site that provides a streamlined user experience, meaning minimal scrolling up and down the app. We also look for sites that have menus providing access links to the promotions page, cashier page, help center, and other vital aspects of the site.
4. Static menu: You’ll find this at almost all mobile sportsbooks, but just in case, we look for a menu along the bottom of the app that provides quick links to things such as the homepage, live betting page, list of available sports, account, promotions, and more.

Best 6 sports betting app promos

Across the landscape of mobile sportsbooks, you’ll find various promotions and bonuses. Below are our favorite promotions/bonuses for new and existing players.

1. BetMGM First bet offer Bet: Get up to $1,000 paid back to you in bonus bets if your initial wager loses.
2. Caesars $1,250 No Sweat Bet: The $1,250 no sweat bet is the largest offer of this type that’s consistently offered.
3. PointsBet Name A Bet: This is both a feature and a promotion, but Name A Bet allows you to pitch a betting idea to PointsBet.
4. Caesars Parlay Profit Boost: You’ll receive a 33% parlay profit boost on NFL games. It must have 4+ legs and odds of +400 or longer.
5. PointsBet 5x $100 Bonus Bets: For new players at PointsBet, you’ll receive a $100 bonus bet for each of your first five days of having an account.
6. Bet365 Bet And Get: For new players at Bet365, you’ll receive a $200 bonus bet when you wager just $1.

Conclusion - Sports betting apps

While sportsbooks have a desktop platform, mobile sports betting will be most players’ preferred way of playing. People are busy and always on the go, so having a mobile sports betting platform allows players to make their favorite wagers in any setting, so long as they’re located within the state. For example, you can play when you’re enjoying your morning coffee, picking the kids up from school, in line at the grocery store, or even when you’re at work.

The best sports betting app doesn’t have a high bar to clear—make sure it runs well, has great promotions, a wide variety of sports betting options, and provides features you can’t find elsewhere. We think DraftKings Sportsbook is the all-around best mobile gambling site, but this is merely an opinion—other sites may offer things that are more important to you.

Either way, it’s essential to explore the mobile sports betting platform of whatever sportsbook you’re interested in, as this is where you’ll make the most of your wagers.

FAQ Best Sports Betting App