If you know sports betting, you’re familiar with BetMGM. Just the ‘MGM’ part is symbolic and iconic in its own right. If you’ve been down the Las Vegas Strip, you know all about the MGM Hotel with the once-iconic lion. Now, you walk down Las Vegas and MGM Resorts has taken over the whole betting scene. Bellagio, ARIA, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, Luxor, etc. Anywhere on the south side of the Strip, you’re bound to find an MGM Resort with BetMGM capabilities.
Now, it has taken hold as one of the more premier online sportsbooks in the world and has room to grow. What you’ll find here is a book that since 2018 has already launched in numerous states with more to come. If you’re looking to get involved with BetMGM Sportsbook, here are some things you’ll need to be mindful of.
BetMGM is not a rarity in the United States. There are plenty of states where BetMGM is available with online betting, as well as retail locations. The areas where you can find BetMGM are as follows:
State | Sportsbook | Casino | Mobile App | Join BetMGM |
---|---|---|---|---|
Colorado | Join | |||
Iowa | Join | |||
Illinois | Join | |||
Michigan | Join | |||
Indiana | Join | |||
New Jersey | Join | |||
Pennsylvania | Join | |||
West Virginia | Join | |||
Virginia | Join | |||
Mississippi | Join | |||
District of Columbia | Join | |||
Wyoming | Join | |||
Louisiana | Join | Tennessee | Join | Kansas | Join |
Five of those territories – Arizona, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada and Washington, DC – have retail locations. Of course, Nevada has MGM properties all along the south part of the Las Vegas Strip. Arizona has a retail location inside State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals. Washington, DC also has a spot inside the ballpark of the Washington Nationals, Nationals Park. Louisiana and Maryland will have physical locations of their own at a later date.
But if you’re traveling within the country, you’re more than likely going to find a state where you will see a BetMGM casino available. The one thing you need to know is Washington, DC – while there is a physical location – is the only one listed that does not have online betting available.
The first notable bonus BetMGM offers you when signing up is a new-user bonus in which new members can get a risk-free bet of up to $1,000. It arguably might be one of the best in all of sports betting because it is a guaranteed bonus no matter what state you’re in.
But it doesn’t stop with just that. BetMGM’s One Game Parlay promo can give you a $10 free bet when you place a $25 parlay in Major League Baseball. And if you refer a friend, you also get a $50 bonus (you can refer up to 20 friends).
Those are just a few of the promotions and bonuses BetMGM has at its disposal, and it wouldn’t shock me to see them adding more as the calendar year rolls on and more sports begin their seasons.
Much like other sportsbooks, it’s fairly simple to register at BetMGM and, in the process, get that sign-up bonus of up to $1,000. It all starts with going to the top right corner and hitting the ‘Register’ button. Once you do, depending on the state you’re in, you’ll be prompted to take a photo of the front and back of your ID or driver’s license.
Then we get to the person details section, and you’ll need to add the following in order to continue with the process:
Details | Required |
---|---|
Name | |
Birth Date | |
Create User ID | |
Create Secure Password | |
Last four digits of your SSN | |
Phone Number | |
Home Address |
Once you’ve finished with that, you’ll need to make an initial deposit of $10 or more to get going. And you can use any form of payment method to get started with that. When all of that is said and done, you will be ready to place your bets.
BetMGM has arrived in Ontario as of April 2022 thanks to the passage of Bill C-218 for single-event sports betting in Canada. If you are in the Ontario province, you will be able to legally use BetMGM at your discretion. There are no physical retail locations at this time, but you can take full advantage of the BetMGM mobile app.
The website of BetMGM can vary depending on a user's physical location. If one logs in as a Nevada resident, for example, it tells you to just download the app. There’s no website, but that might be expected with so many physical locations in Las Vegas. If you’re in New York, for example, you can see a similarity with the app – how there are top games and events on the home page, the ability to bet on moneyline, point spread and over/under. Selecting on those options creates a bet slip which can also be accessed from the menu.
The website has a sleek design and covers every sport even when you narrow the tab to a half-page. From a betting standpoint, there’s nothing wrong with this website. A very nice design and doing what it’s supposed to do gives it a thumbs up on our part.
When you’re considering the effectiveness of a sportsbook app, an important factor to evaluate is how much information is on the screen. The more, the better, as long as it’s readable. When developers start putting the crux of an app together, they have to figure out many scenarios, like the size of the lettering and the spacing. Say you’re looking at the Week 1 odds for the NFL, the upshot is you’ll view five games at one time on one app, but maybe 3.5 on another. The one which has the five games has more “game density” and provides a user with a better experience. In the case of BetMGM, this could be improved.
Futures odds are also displayed prominently on the home page if you want to get some action on what’s happening at BetMGM
The good news is that the BetMGM app revealed no problems from a functionality standpoint. There weren’t any issues with trying to switch between sports if I wanted to add different things to my bet slip, and there weren’t any notable crashes while using it.
BetMGM does offer live-betting options, and it’s a bit more enhanced than what we’re used to with other mobile apps. BetMGM actually offers live props along with the live moneyline to provide more excitement. For example, during Wimbledon 2022, bettors were offered the chance to not just bet on the winner of the match, but also to bet on the final score and on total games played in a match. The odds were some of the best in terms of props that I’ve seen.
BetMGM does, in fact, have a “cash out” feature to ensure you can take a portion of the bet before it’s finished. Not feeling great about the Vegas Golden Knights coming back from three goals down against the San Jose Sharks? Pull back the bet and take advantage of the percentage that you’ll get back. Of course, you could always cash out on a bet that’s going your way for profit. You have the right to utilize that option.
Long gone are the days where you need to physically be at the casino, take money out of the ATM and place a bet on the world’s happenings in sports. You now have different ways (thanks to the future) to deposit money into your BetMGM account
Credit or debit card | - | BetMGM does accept the likes of Visa, Mastercard and American Express. We haven’t confirmed if Discover is an option at this time, but stay tuned. |
ACH Transfer | - | Again, we’re talking about the future here. You can transfer directly from your checking account. |
PayNearMe | - | You can find a PayNearMe at your local 7-Eleven, Family Dollar or CVS location. There’s a PayNearMe code you can enter after making the cash deposit, and you’ll be good to go. |
PayPal | - | If you’ve dealt with money in some capacity, you know what PayPal is. The popular online wallet allows bettors a secure way to send money without providing their banking information. |
Skrill | - | Much like PayPal, but if you haven’t heard of Skrill before, think of it as another alternative to PayPal. It’s another secure system in which your banking info isn’t used. |
Inside the casino | - | There are two ways to make this happen. One is cash (which is only allowed in Atlantic City, NJ right now) and a Play+ PrePaid Card. You can fund it with the payment method of your choice and deposit it to your BetMGM account. |
No matter which deposit method you use, they all require a minimum $10 deposit. All forms except for PayNearMe (less than an hour) and Skrill (24 hours) are instant deposits and it will reflect in your account immediately.
You can place a bet as low as $1 and as high as $10 million at the BetMGM app. And if you can afford to wager millions on an event, then all I can say is “congratulations!” But at all times, please play responsibly.
BetMGM does indeed have same-game parlays. These bets give the bettor the chance to win more money while adding the intrigue over the course of a single game. If you’ve never placed a same-game parlay before, you could bet on multiple wagers in each game. If you get LeBron James scoring 30 points and Anthony Davis reeling in 15 rebounds, you’ll win. Of course, like any parlay, you need both to cash in order to get the victory. If you’re looking for something different outside of the moneyline/point spread bets, this is an exciting thing to consider.
BetMGM has all different kinds of sports to bet on. There’s no shortage. Whether you’re interested in taking on the NBA game of the night between the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors, or the WNBA game of the night between the Las Vegas Aces and Chicago Sky, there’s something for everyone. Even upstart leagues, like the USFL, are available to be wagered on.
Basketball | - | NBA, WNBA, NCAAB |
Football | - | NFL, NCAAF, CFL, USFL |
Hockey | - | NHL, KHL |
Baseball | - | MLB |
Soccer | - | Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, World Cup, MLS |
Golf | - | PGA Tour (LIV Golf has not been confirmed yet) |
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) | - | UFC |
Rugby League | - | |
Tennis | - | ATP and WTA tournaments. |
It's not just the wide range of sports you can get involved with when it comes to BetMGM. There's also a wide-range of bets you can place via the app or website. Some of them include:
Bets Types | Availability |
---|---|
Spreads | |
Moneyline bets | |
Over/under bets | |
Prop bets | |
Futures bets | |
Parlays | |
Teasers | |
In-play betting |
There's also Odds Boosts available, where books can increase the payout on the moneyline or point spread. The operators may offer these for prop bets, as well. But in connection with the enhanced odds, the sportsbook may lower the maximum bet size.
An example of an odds boost: Let’s say BetMGM has Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors has both at -110. The juice might tilt in favor of the Warriors at -105 while keeping the Celtics at -110. The sportsbook will offer customers slightly better odds on wagers, which could increase the payout depending on what bet you’re playing.
One of the most important criteria when selecting a sportsbook would be the relative value conferred by its odds. The standard odds at most sportsbooks would be -110 pricing. That is, a bettor would have to risk $110 to win $100. The additional $10 given to the house on a lost wager is equivalent to a tax, and constitutes the house edge. Sportsbooks, though, can adjust the odds, based on numerous factors, such as how much money they're getting on one side.
In the case of BetMGM, our research indicates that basketball has the best pricing. Its NBA pricing is far and away the best out of most casino markets, while the NCAA Basketball level is also best among competitors. Getting the most out of an 82-game season from a betting standpoint with that value is key to BetMGM’s success.
Yes you can, but with a twist. New Jersey, for example, does not allow in-state betting on its college teams’ games. For example, you can’t be living in the Garden State and bet on games involving the Rutgers Scarlet Knights or the Seton Hall Pirates.
The four states you can’t bet on games involving college teams in those states are Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. Therefore, if you live in one of those states, you can’t bet on the games involving such local teams:
Teams’ Games | Availability |
---|---|
Rutgers Scarlet Knights | |
Seton Hall Pirates | |
Syracuse Orange | |
St. John's Red Storm | |
Buffalo Bulls | |
Illinois Illini | |
DePaul Blue Demons | |
Northwestern Wildcats | |
Virginia Tech Hokies | |
VCU Rams |
If you would like to make a formal complaint to BetMGM, send an email to formalcomplaint.in@betMGM.com.
Based on our research and our own findings, we’ve found that the BetMGM customer support is the book’s worst feature. We’ve found that it is highly difficult to look for an actual phone number in hopes of getting in contact with someone. On the physical website, there’s a small ‘Help & Contact’ button next to the ‘Log In’ button, and it just features some FAQ questions. If you still need help, there is a live chat function that says is available 24/7, but it takes 15-20 minutes just to get a response.
As for the BetMGM mobile app, there’s a support tab on the bottom right of the app, but it doesn’t hold a live chat function. This seems to be the biggest problem of the app, and it’s the one thing lacking with BetMGM, hence why its rating in that category is lower than other books. Customer service shouldn’t require the need to go to a physical location for help, but that doesn’t do much for the states without a retail location.
If there’s one area BetMGM needs to get better at, it’s this.
What's the legal betting age to bet on sports at BetMGM? – The legal gambling age in most states is 21 years old, but if you’re living in Wyoming, congratulations. You can enjoy the betting scene once you turn 18 years old.
You can, as long as you are registered to gamble in that state. To do that, register for an account in the state that is legal to gamble. If you want to bet within New York, you have to be within state lines.
No. It’s not the same as using the app out of state where you need to be in that state. You can take the funds out of your account no matter where you are, but you just can’t bet until you get back to that desired sportsbook.
That would be none other than Grammy Award and Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx. You’ve probably heard his sultry tunes every now and then, while also seeing him in star films “Django Unchained” and “Ray.”
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BetMGM has a lot of options to get you involved in the sports betting arena. Whether you're looking to play a simple game or two on the money line, or you want to team them together in a parlay, or even wager in-game. The app is great and continues to show potential, while its design is solid and it looks good, as well.
All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.
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