Online Golf Betting in the United States

Are you looking to jump in on some of the countless new opportunities available in the exciting world of online golf betting in the United States? Then look no further, because here we’ve got you covered. On this page, readers will find all there is to know about betting on golf online in the USA, including a detailed guide to the best golf betting sites available, the foremost major golf tournaments for betting, golf betting site bonuses, and more essential info to get you started on the right foot.

The Best Sportbooks For Golf Betting

Legal Golf Betting in the United States

When considering whether or not you should place an online sports bet, one of the first considerations should be whether or not it is legal and safe to do so. When looking to start betting on golf legally in the United States, there are a few things players should hold in mind.

Some players may already know that online sports betting only recently became legal in the USA. This was due to the overturning of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (or PASPA for short) in 2018, a Supreme Court decision which led to individual states being able to decide whether or not they would allow legal sports betting, and in varying capacities.

As a result, players across the USA are now able to place sports bets online and in licensed casino sportsbook locations, depending on the relevant laws for your jurisdiction. This means that you’ll find that there are now plenty of world-class online golf betting options available through some of the top online golf sportsbooks in the US and beyond.

Though an undeniably exciting prospect, it’s important for players to consider whether or not this applies to your specific state, and in what capacity. In most cases, the legal age for online sports betting is usually 21 and up, though this can vary depending on the state and variety of bet being placed.

The US States Allowing Online and Mobile Sports Betting

Getting started placing online golf bets is certainly enticing, but the laws can be hard to interpret. That’s why we’ve gone to great lengths to make it easy for you to get started safely. Here, we’ve provided a list of states which currently provide legal online and mobile sports betting to eligible players in the US.

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Tennessee
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

Above, you’ll find the states which provide online sports and golf betting at the time of writing. Players should be sure to note that this list is changing and expanding often, and there are many other states in the USA which provide land-based sportsbook betting on golf and other sports.

It’s also important for our readers to consider that the rules surrounding golf betting and placing wagers on other sports vary from state to state. As a result, we recommend that you always brush up on your individual state’s betting laws before diving in to place a bet.

Promo Codes and Bonus Offers for Golf Betting

Readers on this page who have placed online sports bets before may be aware of the presence of promo codes and bonus offers for sports and golf betting. It’s true that these offers are among the most popular and enticing features of any online sportsbook, and are considered almost a must-have for big players looking to draw in new players to their sites.

As a result, our readers will find that there are countless fantastic welcome offers and ongoing player bonuses offered at the most competitive online sports betting sites. Aside from welcome offers such as cash bonuses, enhanced odds and matched deposits, these perks include the likes of event and sport-specific promotions, including enhanced golf betting odds and more.

So where can you find these welcome offers? Well, that will all depend on which online sports betting sites and golf betting apps are licensed to offer betting in your state of play. Some of the most popular and widespread online sportsbooks in the USA include the likes of DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel, BetRivers, PointsBet, BetMGM, and Caesars Sportsbook.

Each of the above mentioned platforms are also golf betting websites. This means that players can expect to find a great variety of golf bets and perks available to take advantage of on these sites. And the fun doesn’t end there – there are dozens of other trusted and licensed online betting sites which offer betting on golf tournaments and events, with unique benefits and promotions to take advantage of.

The Types of Promo Codes and Bonuses Available

If you’ve checked out an online sportsbook or other golf betting sites before, you might have seen a few of the most common varieties of betting promotions before. Here, we’ll walk you through a brief list of these varieties of sports betting bonuses, giving you a taste of what they all provide.

Matched Deposit Bonus

These are among the most common and popular sports betting bonuses players will find on the net. As the name implies, these bonuses are those which match the funds a player deposits into their account, usually the first time, up to a certain amount.

Cash Bonus

Another popular offer is the cash bonus. These are typically offers which provide a set amount of betting funds to a players’ account, in exchange for having placed a deposit above the minimum sum described in the promotion. Be sure to read the terms and conditions on these bonus bets and cash offers.

Enhanced Odds

As the name implies, an enhanced odds promotion gives players a boost on your winnings, in the event that you place a successful bet. These enhanced golf odds, or odds boosts, can result in powerful outcomes for bettors, but it’s always important to analyse the odds and bet with your head.

Reduced Losses

Sometimes, you’ll find that an online sportsbook provides players with the ability to protect your pocket. They do this by giving you a betting cash back on certain specified wagers, though usually these funds cannot be withdrawn and must be re-wagered.

Golf Props Bets Bonuses

If you’ve placed other sports bets before, you might know what a proposition bet entails. These are betting offers which apply to whether or not a specific event occurs, and can be as simple as the outcome of a coin toss, the exact outcome of a stroke play, and more. Sometimes, golf betting sites provide odds boosts and bonuses on golf props bets.

Specific Event Promotions

These are promotions which players will find arise in relation to a specific tournament, match, or game. As these are unique to certain events, you may find them available for a specific golf tournament, so you’ll have to keep an eye out as they occur.

You’ll find that there are even more unique, niche and fun promotional offers available through certain online providers and the top golf betting sites, and there’s no one-size-fits-all rule for these deals. That’s a big part of what makes the world of online golf betting and sports wagering so exciting and diverse!

The Four Major Golf Tournaments

When players talk about the world of online golf betting, there are a few key events which always stand out in the conversation. The biggest bets across the globe more often than not accompany the premier golf tournaments in the world, which we’ll discuss in detail in the coming sections.

The four major golf tournaments across the globe are all included under the banner of PGA Golf, or the U.S. Professional Golfer’s Association Championship. The PGA is the organisation which includes professionals in the club, whereas the famous PGA Tour encompasses associated PGA Tour events featuring competing members of the club. You can learn more about the PGA from their official site.

The Masters

One of the most famous events in the world of professional golf and golf betting, this is the first event of the annual PGA tour. In the Masters Tournament, also referred to as The U.S. Masters, players find themselves competing at a single private course location – Augusta National Golf Club, located in the city of Augusta, Georgia in the USA. A popular past time has long been betting on the Masters tournament, which has been made significantly easier since the widespread legalization of online wagering.

Further dissimilar to the other championship events on the tour, The Masters is invite-only, extended to players by the Augusta National Golf Club. The winner of the event has been awarded the illustrious green jacket since 1949, which is held on display at the club in perpetuity.

In order to place, players are required to place within the top 50 of the tournament after 36 holes of play, though this has varied from year to year. After this first round, there are another 36 rounds played, which leads to sudden death rounds if a winner is not determined here.

The most recent record keeper at The Masters is Tiger Woods, who claimed five victories from 1997 to 2019, however Jack Nicklaus has the highest tally of overall Masters victories, claiming six between the years of 1963 and 1986.

The U.S. Open

The next championship on our list of the biggest PGA tour events annually is the fabled U.S. Open. As the name describes, this is an open leg of the overall tour, inviting placing players, even amateurs, who hold a USGA Handicap Index which does not exceed 1.4. Most sportsbooks offer markets for the U.S. Open and is a widely popualar tournament to both spectate and wager on.

Unlike The Masters, the U.S. Open (or United States Open Championship) is on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour. It consists of four rounds on an 18-hole course, summing up to 72 holes of stroke play. The victorious player is the competitor with the lowest total strokes at the end of the tournament.

The U.S. Open also invites players from out of the United States to participate in the contest, however it is increasingly rare for players from outside the USA to take home the title. The competition is open to players of all genders, with the only necessity being a qualifying place.

There are some exemptions to who can and cannot qualify for participation in the U.S. Open, which includes winners of the U.S. Open for the previous decade, winner of the last years’ Amateur Championship, winner of the Masters, Open Championship and PGA Championship from the prior five years, and more.

The Open Championship

The oldest golf tournament the world over, the British Open or Open Championship is one of the foremost and most prestigious golfing events across the globe. The final instalment of the annual PGA Tour, The Open Championship, or more commonly referred to as The Open, is held in the middle of July.

As the name suggests, The Open is theoretically open to all professional and amateur golfers, however in reality players have to be invited or qualify in order to compete. In the present day, the current reigning champion is Cameron Smith, who was victorious with a 268 score at the 150th Open. Once a hard task to do, it is now very simple for audiences to also bet on the British Open from betting apps.

The Open requires players to compete across a field of 156 players, with 72 hole stroke play. There are 18 holes played over a four day duration. After the first 36 holes, the top 70 and ties continue onwards to play in the final 36 holes.

The PGA Championship

The last but certainly not the least on our list of the four men’s major championships in professional golf is the PGA Championship, also known as the USA PGA Championship or USPGA. This tournament is played on the weekend prior to Memorial Day in May, following the Masters Tournament in April.

Players who are champions of the PGA are automatically invited to participate as competitors in the Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. They are also eligible to participate in the PGA Championship for life, and can participate in The Players Championship automatically for the following five years.

In the 100th run of the PGA Championship in 2018, the purse winners take home was listed at $11 million. Unlike the other four majors in this list, the PGA Championship is the only tournament which is exclusive to pro level players.

Previously, the PGA Championship was a match play event. In 1958, the format changed to stroke play, providing a format of 72 holes, with 18 holes being played out over four days between Thursday and Sunday.

Daily Fantasy Sports Betting Golf vs Real Golf Betting

When you’re looking to start betting on golf through the best golf betting sites on the net, you might discover some of the daily fantasy sports or DFS golf betting sites. But what is Daily Fantasy Sports betting?

Well, for those who are unfamiliar, DFS allows players to place real money wagers and stakes on a shorter format of real seasons and tournaments of a given sport. Often this means building your own six-player lineup or another variation, with which you must match your stats and outcomes against the odds.

You’ll need to score the most points as you can with your lineup on a GPP lineup, whereas cash lineups find players seeking the safest plays possible to score higher than half of the opposing teams. This means that an essential component of GPP DFS betting is attempting to accurately determine your opponents’ plays.

This obviously contrasts heavily with real money golf betting sites, whereby players instead wager on real life events as they occur. This can be through futures and other pre-match formats, but non-fantasy betting is considered a game of chance, whereas DFS is considered a game of skill, by most U.S. states and lawmakers.

You aren’t competing against a bookmaker and their data in DFS bets, but instead you are competing directly against other individual players in DFS. This makes the experience more like poker than when wagering through golf betting sites, with more direct competition.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions