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The United States may have been late to the sports betting party, but they are quickly making up for lost time, with sports betting spreading rapidly across the country over the last half-decade.

Up until 2018, sports wagering had been illegal across the US for over a quarter of a century (except in the state of Nevada), but that all changed in May of 2018 when the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

That act had been put in place in 1992 to prevent the expansion of sports betting beyond Nevada.

Following PASPA’s demise, New Jersey became the first state to legalize sports betting, and many other states have since followed that lead. Today, sports wagering is now legal in one form or the other in more than 30 states in the US.

And with that, many sportsbooks have set up shop in the country widely seen as the golden goose of gambling, with legal betting sites in America now numbering over 30.

Unsurprisingly, American-based bookmakers dominate the market, with DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars Sportsbook comfortably grabbing the majority of the market share, but foreign operators are beginning to show up more often in the states.

European sportsbooks have been flirting with the American market, with some already making their marks. In this article, we take a look at the top five European bookmakers currently operating in the American market.

1. Bet365

Not many betting sites are more reputable than bet365. From Europe to South America, Asia to Africa, the Stoke-based bookmaker is widely regarded as the No. 1 betting site in the world.

With an impressive track record of success across many geos, and backed by a sizable marketing budget, bet365’s inevitable entry into the American market has signaled significant competition to the current top order.

In typical bet365 style, they offer a lot of unique features, including a great sign up offer, rated as one of the best betting bonuses in the United States.

For now, bet365 is taking it slow and steady in the US, having only launched in New Jersey, Colorado, Ohio and Virginia, but it is surely only a matter of time before they widen their American reach.

And when that happens, better watch out!

2. Betway

Betway is one of the most recognizable betting brands in the world, renowned as a top bookmaker across Europe, South America, Asia and Africa.

The bookie debuted its online sportsbook in the US in Colorado and Indiana in June 2021, with Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Iowa following suit.

The brand’s parent company, Super Group, had already gained market access into up to 10 US states via its partnership with American-based iGaming business, Digital Gaming Corporation (DGC). And in January 2023, Super Group completed the acquisition of DGC.

As of now, betway’s online sportsbook is currently live and legal in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia- the company is sure to expand its US footprint even further in the coming months.

3. BetFred

BetFred’s origin goes all the way back to Salford in 1967, when it was first set up as Done Bookmakers.

They have since become a sports betting dynasty in the United Kingdom, and are now eyeing similar successes across the Atlantic. At first, BetFred adopted a strategy of targeting states that have only just legalized sports betting for its online business in the US, as against relatively established locations.

Their entry points into the United States online space were Iowa and Colorado in 2020, and they have now spread into Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

They operate retail sportsbooks in Nevada, Washington and Louisiana.

4. Unibet

From its humble beginnings in Earl’s Court in London back in 2007, Unibet has made great strides over the years, rising to become one of the global heavyweights of sports betting.

Now operated by the Kindred Group, Unibet sportsbook opened its US account in New Jersey where it launched an online sportsbook in September 2019.

The brand has since added Iowa, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Arizona and Virginia to its US catalog, and is set to branch into more states in the near future.

5. Tipico

Founded in 2004, Tipico has its headquarters in Malta, but it was in Germany that the company truly made its name as a high-quality sports betting provider.

Having established itself in Europe, Tipico officially crossed over to the United States in 2020, when the company launched its sports betting app in New Jersey.

Since then, it has expanded its US operations to Colorado, Iowa and Ohio. There is still a long way to go before the sportsbook gets anywhere near the established order in the US, but they certainly have the credentials to become one of the top operators in the country.

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