Nevada is a state synonymous with gambling. The number of people who travel to Las Vegas on an annual basis continues to rise, and the casinos seem only to get bigger and more extravagant with every opening. Nevada is also know for sports betting and was until 2018 the only state in the United States where someone could make a legal sports wager. While that has changed in the last couple of years, the sports betting industry continues to be big business in the state. Online sports betting also exists in Nevada, but as this guide will explain, the rules associated with that delivery method make it a bit more cumbersome for players than in other states. This page will outline how the laws work, what options you have as a player, and how to pick one sportsbook over another.
A brief history of legalized sports betting in the state
Sports betting has been around in Nevada almost as long as the casinos themselves have been there, with the first legislation passing all the way back in 1949. Practically every casino on the Las Vegas Strip has a sportsbook on the property, and many of them are designed with comfort (and gambling) in mind. There are TVs from floor to ceiling, and odds boards all over to give you betting options while you sit and watch the games.
Mobile and online sports betting was introduced in Nevada over a decade ago, meaning that for the first time, you did not have to go to a betting window to place your bets. While this does provide more convenience to players, especially those who are not sitting in the casino, the rules are such that it is very difficult to create and fund your account. You need to visit a land-based property to create your account, regardless if you are a resident or a visitor. After providing proof of identification, your account is created. You must fund the account at the sportsbook window, as well as heading there to reload your account or to cash in your winnings. While an effort was made to amend the law to allow for online registration in 2019, it was voted down, leaving the current setup in place for the time being.
Where you can make online sports bets in Nevada
As you know, many of the casinos in Nevada are owned by the same parent companies. This means that while there are dozens of casinos in Las Vegas and across the state, the online sports betting sites are limited in number. Here are all the online sports betting sites you can find in the state:
B-Connected Sports
CG Technology
MGM Resorts
NV Sports
Station Casinos
South Point
Treasure Island
Westgate SuperBook
William Hill
Wynn
If you choose to play with one of these sites, you will need to visit one of the properties owned by the brand in order to create your account and make a deposit before you can make your wagers.
What types of bets you can make in Nevada
As Nevada was the only place you could make legal sports bets in the country until recently, it is not shocking to see that it offers gamblers a full range of bet types. These are some of the most popular bets you can make, either in person or at an online sportsbook.
Money Line
A money line bet is very simple. A sportsbook with put up a price for taking one side or the other, and the number you see listed related to how much the bet will payout. Typically, a money line bet will have negative number and a positive number attached to it. Here is an example:
New England -150
Buffalo +170
In this example, the New England team is the favorite, and to bet on them winning the game by any score, you have to wager $150 to win back $100 in profit. If you choose to bet on Buffalo winning the game as an underdog, you are rewards with better odds – for every $100 you wager, you will receive $170 in profit if you win.
Point Spread
Point Spread bets are also wagers on a single outcome, but with a handicap placed on the favorite team to keep the price of the bet the same for both sides. Here is the same example but with a point spread:
New England -4.5 -110
Buffalo +4.5 -110
IN this instance, as New England is the favored team, if you want to bet them on the point spread, you would need them to win the game by 5 or more points to win your bet. However, the bet only costs you $110 for every $100 in profit as opposed to the higher price in the money line. If you are betting on Buffalo in this example, you are paying the same $110 for $100 but Buffalo doesn’t have to win the game for your to win the bet – all they have to do is lose by 4 points or less. Spread betting is very popular in football and basketball, where many points are scored.
Parlays
Parlays are a form of bet that forces you to make choices on multiple outcomes but rewards you with far better odds if you are a winner. In order to win a parlay bet, all the choices you have made on the ticket (up to 15 in some casinos) have to win – if any of the choices lose, then the entire parlay bet is a loser. Parlays payout according to the following table:
2 Team Parlay 2.6 to 1
3 Team Parlay 6 to 1
4 Team Parlay 11 to 1
5 Team Parlay 22 to 1
6 Team Parlay 45 to 1
7 Team Parlay 90 to 1
8 Team Parlay 180 to 1
9 Team Parlay 360 to 1
10 Team Parlay 720 to 1
Teasers
Teasers, like parlays, are also bets based on multiple outcomes. These bets, however, are restricted to football and basketball, as they are bets where you can affect the point spread. You have a choice of moving a point spread by a certain number of points depending on the sport, and you can move either side of the line. You have to make a minimum of 2 selections, and the payouts are much lower than parlay bets because you are making the odds better of a win.
In-Play Betting
If you have an online sports betting account in Nevada, you can take advantage of live lines that continue to update as a game moves along. Oddsmakers change the lines as each minute ticks away, meaning that if you have a hunch about a team mounting a comeback, or you want to get into the action after a game has started because you missed the pre-game betting, you can do so.
Props
Prop bets are very popular amongst more social gamblers, as they don’t factor the outcome of a game into them. A proposition is made on some facet of a game, and you are given the option of selecting if you think that event will or will not take place. For example, you may not follow basketball much, but you do want to bet on whether or not a player on your team will score more or less than 25 points. That would be a proposition bet. There are literally hundreds of different prop bets that could be offered per game – not every sportsbook offers that many, so you may want to do some research to see which has the prop bet you are most interested in before committing to opening an account.
Payments to and from online sports betting sites in Nevada
Usually in this section, we outline all the ways you can make deposits and withdrawals at legal online sports betting sites. In the case of Nevada, as we have outlined above, there is only one way to fund your account – cash at the window. The minimum deposit when opening an account is $100, and the minimum you can reload is $50, so bear that in mind when you are considering making online bets in the state.
Nevada Sports Betting FAQ
Are offshore betting sites illegal in Nevada?
You can access some online sports betting sites that are based outside the country from Nevada. These sites, however, won’t give you as many betting options as those that are legally operating in the state and also present a challenge when it comes to both making deposits and receiving winnings. While it may be tempting to join one of these sites due to the cumbersome regulations in the state, we do not recommend this activity as there is no recourse for you if something happens to your account.
Are there any sports I can’t bet on in Nevada?
No, you can bet on basically any sports that is offered by a casino, including esports. There was a time when you could not bet on the local college teams, but that restriction has been lifted. Now, if a book offers the sport, you can make a bet on it. This is where online betting is helpful as it is much easier to see all the available lines on your device than in a land-based casino where there is less room to post all the available information.
When will we be able to register for an account online in Nevada??
It’s hard to believe this will happen anytime soon, especially considering they voted against opening up online registration in 2019. This means it won’t likely get put back to the Gaming Commission before 2021, so for the foreseeable future, you are going to have to visit a casino in order to create your online account.