Where to Place Free Bets on Golf

Golf is a sport full of uncertainties, long odds, and intense competition. All these qualities make it a very popular sport for betting enthusiasts. If you are in the US, you are spoilt for choice as far as golf betting markets are concerned. The PGA is of course, the best golf competition anywhere in the world.

Besides the elite pros, you can also bet on Team USA as it takes part in international competitions like the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup. And since 2018, you also have a plethora of sportsbooks and retail betting shops where you can place bets on golf in the US.

Earlier, the market was filled with offshore sportsbooks based in the UK, EU, and the Caribbean. Like no deposit casinos in the USA, many US-based sportsbooks and betting sites have also entered the fray.

In this article, we will take a look at both these groups as they are available in the US:

The US Sports Betting Scene In 2019

Before we talk in-depth about the various sportsbooks open to US residents, there is an important caveat we have to mention. The law as it currently stands in the US allows individual states to decide if and how they want to legalize sports betting.

This has resulted in a patchwork of legislation across the US, with many states yet to formally legalize sports betting. Even in the states that have made progress in this field, many don’t offer online betting. In the states where it is available, you have rules that mandate that you have to be within state lines (or even inside casinos in some states) to have legal access to online betting.

As of September 2019, only the following states have legal online sportsbooks:

  • Iowa (need registration in person)
  • Mississippi (only inside casinos)
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • West Virginia

Besides these seven, another eleven have legalized sports betting, but are still in the process of licensing casinos and/or mobile apps.

At the US states where sportsbooks are legal, you can place golf bets on these platforms:

Casino Royale – “In poker, you play the man across from you”

Casino Royale – “In poker, you play the man across from you”

We absolutely had no choice but include the iconic poker scene from the Bond movie on this list. It is right up there with Dustin Hoffman’s Oscar-winning scene in Rainman as one of the finest depictions of a game of chance ever set on film.

Incidentally, the original Bond novel had the hero playing Chemin de fer (a version of Baccarat) against his nemesis, not poker. They changed that in the movie because poker has more dramatic potential, and it was a smart move.

This scene involving Daniel Craig and Mads Mikkelsen shows you that poker is never just about the cards – it is all about the person holding them. Why do many pro poker players wear shades indoors? It is for fear of revealing a “tell” – as they say, our eyes can betray secrets.

In Casino Royale, the poker game becomes a battle of wits between Bond and Le Chiffre, with one discovering the other’s tell, only to get played by it. The bottom line is if you want to get good at poker, learn how to read other people while keeping your own emotions under the wraps!

FanDuel

FanDuel

FanDuel is a direct rival to DraftKings in the arena of fantasy sports in the US. In 2016, the two companies almost had a merger which was blocked by the FTC due to regulations against monopoly formation. The two companies together account for over 90% of the fantasy sports market in the United States.

In 2018, the company was acquired by the UK betting company Paddy Power Betfair. With the repeal of PASPA, FanDuel has been active in providing sports betting facilities to their existing markets across 45 states. They are slightly behind DraftKings in this regard though, with sports betting apps now available only in New Jersey and Pennsylvania as of Q3 2019. The company has Boyd Gaming as their main casino partner.

PlayMGM/BetMGM

PlayMGM/BetMGM

The MGM Casino group requires no introduction to folks who are familiar with the Las Vegas Casino scene. They have over 30 resort and casino properties across the US and overseas. MGM is also actively involved in the mobile sports betting scene since 2018. They have a strategic partnership with GVC International, of the biggest global vendors of online gambling software.

Originally called PlayMGM, their online sports betting app was available in Nevada. Now they have rolled out their services in the state of New Jersey as well. The launch was marked by a new brand and many new features. The MGM sportsbook will now be called BetMGM and is currently available in these two states.

William Hill

William Hill

One of the oldest and most respected names in sports betting, William Hill is a British company that has been around since before WW II. The company entered the US market in 2012 and has over 100 locations in Nevada. Post-PASPA repeal, they have also rapidly expanded into the online sports betting arena.

The William Hill app is now accessible from all seven states where mobile sports betting has been legalized. They have strategic partnerships with various casinos in these states. Big leagues like the NHL has also partnered with them for mobile betting.

Fox Bet

Fox Bet

Formerly known as Bet Stars, this new app is the result of a partnership between Stars Group and Fox Media. The Stars Group is a Canadian company with stakes in online poker, casinos, and sportsbooks. They were previously known as Amaya Gaming. After the legalization of sports betting in the US, they acquired licenses to provide the Bet Star app in New Jersey.

Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox Media is a world-famous company that needs no introduction. Fox Bet is their first foray into the new market on online sports betting in the United States. The newly christened app is available in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with plans pending for roll out in other states as well.

888 Sportsbook

888 Sportsbook

888 is yet another famous UK sports betting and casino gambling brand. Based on the British territory of Gibraltar, they are listed on the London Stock Exchange. Their foray into the US market is currently restricted to New Jersey. The app is the result of a partnership with Caesars, the casino group which owns the sportsbook license in the state.

Caesars

Caesars

Caesars Entertainment Group is an iconic casino and resort corporation based in Reno, Nevada. They own over 50 different casino properties and golf courses across the world. The public company has an online betting app that is currently available in the states of Nevada and New Jersey, with future releases in states like Pennsylvania.

The US online sports betting market is in a massive growth phase at the moment. With more states pushing for legalization, we can expect more and more brands and companies to enter the fray. But these apps/sportsbooks mentioned above are in prime position to capture the bulk of the market, given their early bird advantage. If you want to bet on golf, they are your best options at the moment.

Published on: 2019/09/23