HowToBet.com is your one-stop resource for all you need to know about how to bet in a responsible, strategic, and hopefully profitable manner. We have over 1,000+ free guides and articles on every aspect of betting that you could possibly want to know about.
Explore this site and you’ll learn how to bet on football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, and any other sport you care to mention. We’ll explain how to bet on the moneylines, totals, spreads and other key betting markets. If you’re a fan of online casinos, our guides will show you how to play Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette and more. Those of you who are interested in online poker will want to check out our articles on Texas Hold’em, Omaha and 5 Card Stud. To name just three.
We'll give you honest and independent reviews of the best online sportsbooks, casino and poker rooms around. We’ll also tell you how to rate them for yourself. Heck, we’ll even tell you where you can find the best bonuses and promotions so that you can grab them while they’re hot!
In short, you can think of HowToBet.com as a reliable and user-friendly ‘Data-Driven Betting Guides" in all its forms!
If you were to ask us to summarize what you can expect from HowToBet in just one word, that word would be knowledge. All the knowledge you need to succeed in betting is right here, on this site. Even better, it won’t cost you a cent to benefit from it. Just explore and read whatever suits your current needs the most. In this sense, we’re a lot like your favorite Encyclopedia, but with a laser-sharp focus on helping you to become the most effective bettor possible.
There are more than 1,000 articles and guides already available at HowToBet, and more are being added on a weekly basis. The best way to see what we have to offer is to explore the site at your leisure. That said, if you’d appreciate a preview of what’s available, here’s what to expect…
Not all states in the US allow all types of betting and gambling. Some states only allow online sports betting. Others also allow online casinos and online poker rooms to operate. There are quite a few states that don’t allow any betting at all. This can be confusing, so our state betting guides provide you with a complete overview of what’s legal - and what isn’t - in whatever state you care to mention.
While more and more US states opened their doors to legalized online gambling in recent years, only a handful allow casino games. New Jersey (list of NJ casino sites), Delaware, Michigan (list of MI casino sites), Pennsylvania (list of PA casino sites) allow online casino gambling. For more information make sure to check the above guides and go to your state’s casino section to learn where you can legally bet on roulette, blackjack, craps, or slots online. For more information make sure to check: US Legal Online Casino Sites
Many of the US states now allow you to bet on horse races online or in-person at numerous racetracks. Pari-mutuel horse gambling is also permitted in states that support the right legislation. You will need to turn on and allow geolocation on your smartphone, so you can prove that you are within state lines when you place bets.
All Online Poker Sites
Legalized online poker has been available to US players since 2013. Nevada and New Jersey have the largest and best offering, while online casino operators in states such as Delaware offer a form of limited poker games. The player pools are currently shared between New Jersey (New Jersey Poker Sites) and Nevada. It could show the way forward to other states wanting to set their own poker gambling legislation. Read our gambling reviews of BetMGM Poker & Borgata Poker
HowToBet isn’t just a site about the theory of betting and gaming. Instead, it’s designed to help you become a more effective bettor in the real world. That’s why we are pleased to provide you with all the live odds, betting lines and other data sets (such as schedules and results) that you’ll need to apply what you learn.
By looking at the live data that we provide, you’ll be able to see at a glance where the biggest betting opportunities are and where the best bets can be placed. The more data you have at your fingertips, the better, so we bring you all you need and more besides.
The odds widget above gives you betting lines from the top legal US sportsbooks. You can use it to find the best price no matter what you want to bet on. Here are some useful points to note:
Many people who are new to online sports betting find the range of available betting markets to be at least a little confusing. That’s why we provide betting market guides which explain how each market works and how to bet on it. If you’ve ever wanted to know about point spreads or totals, or how parlay bets work, our betting market guides are essential reading.
Before you bet on any given sport, it makes sense to take a little time to understand it. Our sports guides will give you an overview of the main rules so that you know exactly what to expect. They will also tell you about the most important leagues, competitions and tournaments, and the stats that you should keep an eye on if you want to pick winners.
Whether you’re a sports betting enthusiast or a casino gaming fan, learning to bet strategically can be very useful. Our strategic betting guides explain all you need to know about specific staking strategies such as the Fibonacci or the Martingale, as well as telling you how to bet most effectively on specific sports such as basketball and football.
Not all states in the US allow all types of betting and gambling. Some states only allow online sports betting. Others also allow online casinos and online poker rooms to operate. There are quite a few states that don’t allow any betting at all. This can be confusing, so our state betting guides provide you with a complete overview of what’s legal - and what isn’t - in whatever state you care to mention.
If you want to bet on sporting events such as golf, tennis or horse racing, you’ll need to do so by visiting a sportsbook. There are plenty of them to choose from, but some are better than others. We therefore provide detailed reviews of all the major online sportsbooks so that you can find one that fits you just as comfortably as your favorite baseball glove.
Those of you who want to play online casino games can make similar use of our numerous online casino reviews. These will tell you what games are available at any given casino, as well as what’s on offer in terms of bonuses and promotions. They will even give you an insight into banking options and customer service availability, so you’ll only need to rely on luck for the gaming itself.
Our online poker reviews serve a similar purpose for poker players. Different poker rooms have different strengths and weaknesses, and our reviewers aren’t shy about stating them all. You’ll learn about the bonuses available, the games you can choose from and even how good the players tend to be. Find out which online poker rooms are the best for cash games, tournaments, sit and go tourneys and more.
Our casino game guides put the spotlight on all of the games that you are likely to come across at a modern online casino. They will teach you how to play Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Slots, Video Poker, Baccarat and more. Read through any of our casino game guides before playing and you’ll know exactly how to place bets like an old hand.
Have you ever wondered how to play Texas Hold’em? Or Omaha? Or Stud? The online poker guides here at HowToBet will teach you the rules of each game and how to play it. They will also give you the lowdown on different online poker formats, such as single table and multi-table tournaments.
Free access to over 1,000 articles and guides on all aspects of online betting and gambling. Sports betting, casino games, poker, horse racing, and more.
All of our guides are written by serious betting experts. Learn from their hard-won experience and bet more effectively whilst avoiding common mistakes.
We promote responsible gambling every step of the way. By all means, have fun, but bet safely, carefully, and wisely, or go home.
Our mission here at HowToBet is simple. We want to help you to enjoy the pastime of betting in a safe and responsible way, and hopefully win more often than you lose. The way we do this is by providing essential information that you can count on to be accurate and trustworthy. In short, by coaching you to bet in a more effective and carefully reasoned way than you might otherwise.
Success rarely happens by accident in any area of life. When you see someone who succeeds on any sizable scale, look a little closer and you will usually notice that there was a coach or two providing help and guidance in the background.
Look at the success of the UCLA Bruins basketball team, for example. It has notched up a record 11 NCAA titles (7 of them consecutive), 10 consecutive appearances in the Final Four and a glorious NCAA winning streak of 38 games. However, much of that success was down to the guidance provided by Coach John Wooden, who arrived at UCLA in 1948.
In the 18 years prior to his arrival, the UCLA Bruins had won just two conference championships. Then Wooden stepped in as Head Coach and everything changed. The Bruins became a force to be reckoned with. But if Wooden hadn’t been around from 1948 to 1975, things might have been very different.
The point here is that good coaching - which simply means guidance in the right direction - can make all the difference. You can obviously choose to struggle on your own and learn important lessons the hard way. But if you have a mentor on your side you can often avoid much of the pain and difficulties that you’d have to face when going it alone.
If the example of the UCLA Bruins doesn’t resonate with you then just think about how coaching turned things around for the main characters in movies like Star Wars and The Matrix. In Star Wars, it was Obi Wan Kenobi who took the young Luke Skywalker and helped him to realize his true potential as a Jedi Knight, and eventually a Jedi Master. In The Matrix, it was Morpheus who helped Neo to overcome his initial incredulity and go on to discover that he was actually the One.
As you have seen, there is plenty of information to be found here at HowToBet. But who created it all? That’s a very important question, and we’re glad that you were sensible enough to ask it!
The information here was all put together by a crack team of serious betting experts who also happen to work as professional journalists. Our writers come from all over the world, and their words have been published on every continent. Between them, they have written tens of millions of words on betting, gaming and related topics. We’re talking newspaper columns, magazine articles, home study courses and books, as well as plenty of online content.
We use a team of writers because they all have different specialist areas of interest and expertise. Some specialize in picking winners in the NBA and NHL, whilst others like to assess greyhound and horse racing form. A few prefer to pit their wits against the dealers at the Blackjack and Poker tables. And so on.
It’s important that our betting experts can write well, but it’s even more important that they practice what they preach. Our writers have learned - often the hard way - about what works and what doesn’t in the real world of gambling. Now they share their knowledge and experience to help you avoid common pitfalls and succeed in betting in a rational and responsible way.
HowToBet exists simply because there is a growing need for the information we offer. Online sports betting and gambling at online casinos and poker rooms are all hugely enjoyable pastimes that have become incredibly popular over the last few decades. They are also activities that can be profitable. However, they aren’t without their risks and dangers.
Anyone who bets or gambles without fully understanding what they are doing can lose money, and fast. Even worse, anyone who doesn’t understand the risks involved can then make the mistake of trying to chase their losses. This often leads to more losses being experienced, and that can put a person on a slippery slope to problem gambling.
We love betting and gaming as much as anyone, but we don’t like to see those activities become the be-all and end-all of someone’s life. For that reason, HowToBet was created to educate betting and gaming fans about all aspects of sports, casino and poker gambling so that they can bet responsibly, strategically and safely.
None of the information that we provide here can guarantee that anyone will win big in the world of betting. However, we can guarantee that we will share the wealth of our knowledge, experience and data to help make your betting life easier. The rest is up to you!
Having explained what HowToBet is all about, we now welcome you aboard once again. There’s a vast amount of information available here, so be sure to bookmark us so that you come back and help yourself to whatever you need as and when you need it.
Have fun and bet wisely!
Betting on sports is essentially quite simple, at least in theory. You first need to predict the outcome of a given sporting event. You then need to visit a sportsbook and wager that your prediction will be accurate. If you’re right, you win! But if you’re wrong, you’ll lose your stake. For more details, explore our online sports betting section.
Betting on horse racing events is a bit more challenging than betting on team sports. That’s because there are more possible outcomes. There are ten possible winners in a ten-runner horse race, but only two possible winners in a basketball game. To bet successfully on horse racing requires you to assess the form of each runner, and this is a skill that is developed over time. See our Horse Racing guide for further information.
There are all kinds of games that can be played at online casinos. You have card games like Blackjack and Baccarat, other table games such as Roulette and Craps, and automated games like Slots and Video Poker. Each game has its own rules, so you need to explore our section about online casinos to learn how to bet on the game that interests you the most.
The word football means different things to different bettors. In the US, it refers to American football. In the UK and much of Europe, it refers to soccer. Betting on both of these games is quite easy – just pick the team you expect to win and make your wager. Of course, if you want to pick more winners than losers, you’ll need to rely on more than luck, as you’ll discover in our Football and guides.
Betting on elections and other political events is no more difficult than betting on a football game. Picking winners, however, can be considerably more challenging. Some election campaigns are clear-cut from beginning to end, which can make it fairly easy to predict the successful candidate. Others twist and turn in extraordinary ways. Take a look at our Politics guide for more detailed notes on this topic.
Betting online is just as easy as betting at a land-based sportsbook. Simply decide what you want to bet on, head to the relevant market at your chosen online sportsbook and select your chosen outcome. You’ll then need to enter your desired stake and confirm the bet. That’s all there is to it.
Responsible betting is incredibly important, because it dramatically decreases any risk of your gambling becoming problematic. To bet responsibly, you need to bet for fun, and not as a way of generating an income. Understand that you will lose as well as win, and don’t chase your losses. Most importantly, only ever bet with money that you can comfortably afford to lose. Our Responsible Gambling page has more information on this essential topic.
Get all the latest sports news, expert tips and reviews.