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BetMGM Sportsbook Review

BY The RX
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
BetMGM Sportsbook

BetMGM Sportsbook is one of the leading online sportsbooks in the U.S. gambling market. Long before they entered the world of sports betting, they were already a household name due to their presence on the Las Vegas scene.

BetMGM Sportsbook is currently operating in 19 states and Washington D.C.; online sports betting and retail sportsbooks are both available to sports bettors depending on their betting preferences.

One of the things that makes BetMGM Sportsbook such a force in the industry is its international presence. They have ties to over 20 resorts around the world which is amazing brand exposure for their sportsbook.

As a result, sports bettors can enjoy odds markets that cover all of the world’s top major sports leagues in sports like football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, tennis, MMA, tennis, golf and much more.

As a new customer, BetMGM Sportsbook provides sports bettors with an impressive $1,000 first bet offer. Original wagers that lose will be refunded with bonus credits. Sports bettors can sign up and use this welcome bet offer on any of their favorite major sports today.

That’s not the only thing that separates BetMGM from other online sportsbooks, though.

We will go over BetMGM Sportsbook as a company, its history in the gaming industry as well as the gambling services they offer. You will learn about the available promotions for new and existing sports bettors as well as their accepted funding methods.

There is a thorough description of the available betting options that you can place via their mobile app or desktop site. Finally, we will outline where BetMGM legally operates and where they plan to launch shortly.

Pros:

  • First bet bonus up to $1000
  • International brand profile with access to several popular sports
  • Tons of bonus options to choose from

Cons:

  • Customer service is not available via phone
  • No deposit-based bonus

Sportsbook Industry Leader

BetMGM Sports is live in 19 states. They offer both online sportsbooks and retail sportsbook locations.

BetMGM Sports was also the first regulated online sports betting operator to launch north of the border in Ontario, Canada.

BetMGM Sports has partnership deals with teams across many popular sports leagues including the NBA, MLB and the NHL. BetMGM is the official sports betting partner of the following:

MLBNBANFLNHL
• Washington Nationals
• Philadelphia 76ers• New York Jets
• Denver Broncos
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Detroit Lions
• Tennessee Titans
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Baltimore Ravens
• Detroit Red Wings

What types of bets can I place at BetMGM?

All of the traditional betting options that you would find at any sportsbook are available at BetMGM Sportsbook. Below we cover each of them in detail to help sports bettors become familiar with the ones you may have less experience with.

Futures Bets

Future bets are wagers that are made on events or awards that will happen at a much later date. Although future bets are different from single-game wagers, a future bet can be on a single game like the Super Bowl or the final game of March Madness.

In both cases, when sports bettors fill out a betting slip with their original wagers on the upcoming game, they don’t yet know what major sports teams will be participating.

In the instances where you are betting a future that involves a single upcoming game, there’s a chance that you may have lost the wager significantly before the event takes place depending on the quality of your picks.

In most other cases, future bets are based on the accumulation of events over the course of a season. You can bet on things like team win totals, tournaments, end of season awards and much more.

At BetMGM Sportsbook, you will find an amazing selection of future bets to choose from. These bets are a great opportunity for you to get action on a team or individual accomplishment with favorable odds.

It is extremely rare for future bets to have odds worse than even money. Other than the prohibitive favorite in any market, the majority of future odds will pay more than the amount you risk. This is one of the most appealing things about future bets for most gamblers.

The most popular future bets involve end-of-season awards. Things like league MVP, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player and Coach of the Year are among the most bet on futures.

As far as team-oriented future bets, there are season win totals, division titles, conference titles as well as who will win the championship.

For those of you that are fans of individual sports like tennis and golf, a lot of future bets revolve around their performances in specific tournaments.

If you are interested in placing a future bet, it is important to note that many of them are no longer available after the start of the regular season in team sports.

Once the first game of the season starts in the NFL, NBA, MLB and the NHL for example, futures for individual awards and team total wins will be taken down.

If you are betting on a future event like the Superbowl or March Madness, those wagers will be taken down once the tournament starts (NFL and NBA playoffs count as tournaments in this scenario). In those cases, the future odds will be updated as the season progresses based on the team’s performances.

Parlays

Parlays are the second most popular bet in the U.S. after straight bets. In fact, it has been reported that approximately 25% of sports betting handle in the broader sports betting market are from parlay bets. That is a slice of the market share which makes sense because parlays give bettors the possibility of a large potential return without having to spend big.

A parlay is a bet that links two or more individual bets together. If any of those individual bets lose, then the entire parlay loses. The appeal of a parlay is that if you make a two-team parlay with the standard -110 odds on each selection, you get paid +260 if it wins.

The reason it pays so much is that you have less chance of winning. In fact, the implied win probability for this type of two-team parlay is just under 28%. While the low win probability might seem like a turn-off to some, that hasn’t stopped the majority of bettors from trying their luck.

A recent big win on a parlay by a BetMGM sports bettor is one example of why these types of bets will always appeal to the betting public

In 2001, an MGM bettor turned $50 into $1.1 million after hitting a 15-team parlay. The parlay paid 22,670 to 1. You can include multiple major sports in parlays which is what this bettor did with NBA, NHL, NFL, college basketball, college football and LPGA Tour all part of his parlay.

It is important to understand that not all 15 team parlays will pay that much. The bettor in question had several underdogs including the LPGA bet which had odds of +500.

At BetMGM, you can enter your parlay picks on the betting slip to see how much it would pay before actually placing your wager. The bigger the favorites in your parlay, the smaller the payout. The more underdogs you include, the bigger the profit.

The same thing applies to the number of teams in your parlay bets. This is also referred to as “legs” in the industry in the sense that a four-team parlay has four legs. The more legs your parlay has, the bigger the payout and vice versa.

Prop Bets

Prop bets are wagers on a specific event happening during a contest. This can be on anything from who will score the first touchdown in a game to how long the national anthem will be. Over time, oddsmakers have been able to come up with props for almost anything, so sports bettors have plenty of action.

A lot of prop bets are simple yes or no propositions. Other props involve choosing over or under a certain number or time period.

One of the best things about prop bets for sports bettors is that they allow you to get in on action without having to pick an actual winner.

Oftentimes, you might find a prop bet that is much more appealing than the pregame odds being offered. BetMGM Sportsbook has one of the best prop markets with a seemingly infinite amount of choices across a wide range of sports.

These are examples of the types of player and team props you can find at BetMGM:

  • Total Points
  • Total Rebounds
  • Total Assists
  • Team to score first
  • What type of score will happen first (touchdown or field goal)
  • Will the final score be an even or odd number
  • Will play X score more than player Y?
  • Will there be more than X amount of touchdowns scored by both teams

Round Robins

A round-robin is one bet that involves multiple parlays. In the same way that a parlay is one wager that combines multiple straight bets, a round robin is a single wager that combines multiple parlays. The appeal of round robins is that, unlike parlays, if one of your picks loses you can still win a round robin.

Round robins are composed of 3-10 teams. Regardless of the number of teams in your round-robin, the objective is to make as many parlays as possible from the teams selected.

For the purpose of simplicity, we will use a standard three-team round-robin. Round robins that involve more than three teams can take a little time to understand because of all the possibilities.

An example of a three leg round robin would be the following:

  • Bucks -3 (-110)
  • Suns -5 (-110)
  • Jazz -1 (-110)

Instead of placing these three teams in one parlay, a round-robin will take all three and make as many two-team parlays as possible:

Parlay 1:

  • Bucks -3 (-110)
  • Suns -5 (-110)

Parlay 2:

  • Suns -3 (-110)
  • Jazz -1 (-110)

Parlay 3:

  • Bucks -5 (-110)
  • Jazz -1 (-110)

If you were to go 2 for 3 as in two of your three picks win but one loses, you would still make a profit. In a parlay, one loss means you lose everything.

One thing that needs to be mentioned is the fact that round robins are more expensive than traditional parlays.

The reason for that is you are risking something on multiple parlays. In the above example, there are three parlays and if you risked $100 on each, your round-robin would cost $300 in risk.

If the Bucks were to lose in the round-robin, for example, you would lose two of the parlays but you would still come out ahead.

If you lost both parlays that involved the Bucks (parlay 1 and parlay 3) you would lose $200 total. You would win parlay 2 which pays +260 (that is the standard payout of a two-team parlay with both teams at -110).

In that case, you won $260 and lost $200 (260-200=60) netting you a $60 profit. This is the appeal of betting round robins instead of parlays.

Straight Bets

Moneyline

This is the most traditional type of bet. When you bet on the moneyline, you are simply picking the team to win the game. Moneyline bets have three possible outcomes; win, lose or tie (push).

If you are betting a favorite on the moneyline, you will risk more than you win. Odds for favorites start with a minus sign in front of it.

If you are betting an underdog on the moneyline, you will be winning more than you risk. Odds for an underdog start with a plus sign in front of it.

Moneyline bets that don’t have a favorite will have odds of +100. In the industry, this is referred to as Even Money or a Pick’Em.

Point Spread

Point spread betting is significantly more popular than moneyline bets due to the price.

Betting on spreads can be significantly cheaper if you are betting on a contest where there’s a big gap in quality between the two teams. For example, a basketball game may have a moneyline of -200 which means if you bet $100 you win $50. That same basketball game will also have a corresponding spread which in this case would most likely be -5. The price on that -5 would be the standard -110 which is the price for most spreads. If you bet $100 on that spread, you would win $90.

While -110 is the industry standard price for a spread, there are some sportsbooks that offer reduced juice which means you pay -105 instead of -110. In some instances, the juice (the term used for the price of a spread) may be higher due to several factors.

An example of a spread in the NFL would be Steelers vs.Giants where the Steelers are -9.5. This would make the line for the Giants is +9.5 which means they are the underdogs.

If you pick the favorite (Steelers), they need to win by more than 9.5, meaning the Steelers need to win by 10 points or more to win the bet.

If you pick the underdog (Giants), if they win, you win your bet. However, if they lose, you can still win your bet as long they lose by less than 9.5. Meaning if New York loses by 9 or less, you still win your bet.

If you get a spread that does not have a half point attached (i.e -9 instead of -9.5 for the Steelers or +9.5 Giants), this would be the only time a spread bet can end in a tie also known in the industry as a push. If the Steelers won the bet in the above example by exactly 9 (which means the Giants lost by 9), both bets would be considered a push and you would get your money back.

Total (Over/Under)

A total wager is a bet on the total number of combined points scored by both teams or individuals in a game. You can bet that the points will go over or under the predetermined total by oddsmakers.

Similar to spreads, totals usually include a half-point to avoid a push.

An example of a total bet would be Warriors vs Lakers, Total 125 points

  • If you take the over, then the combined score between both teams needs to be 126 or more.
  • If you take the under, then the combined score between both teams needs to be 124 or less.
  • If the combined score is 125, this would be considered a push and you would get your money back.

Totals are interesting because it allows you to bet on the game without picking a winner. Instead, you are betting on tendencies and the situation. The added pressure of trying to figure out who will win is removed.

Teasers

Teasers are parlays where you get odds in your favor. They are usually separated by the number of points you receive.

In football, teasers are usually between 6-10. You can apply these points to either favorites or underdogs. Teasers can also be used for totals as well.

As with all forms of gambling, the smaller the risk, the smaller the payout. Teasers are no exception and their popularity is derived from the fact that they give you a better chance of winning.

Below is a two-team parlay that will be turned into a two-team six-point teaser:

Original odds:

  • Bears -2.5
  • Colts +7.5

Pays +260

Two-Team Six-point teaser:

  • Bears +3.5
  • Colts +13.5

Pays -110

Since a teaser gives you odds in your favor, you would subtract the points from a favorite while adding them to an underdog. In the case of the Bears, the 6 points were enough to take them from favorites to underdogs according to the number. As for the Colts, the teaser gives them a double-digit cushion.

Teasers at BetMGM Sportsbook can be as high as 14 teams. Similar to parlays, the more teams in your teaser, the higher the payout.

Teasers pay less than parlays because they have better odds of winning. For example, a three-team parlay at BetMGM pays +600 while a three-team teaser pays +160.

BetMGM Sportsbook Live Betting

BetMGM has one of the best live betting markets in the industry. Not only do they offer a wide variety of options across multiple sports, but they also keep you up to date with their match center which lets you know what is going on with the games in real time

Please note that live betting odds are constantly changing as the event unfolds which means you’ll need to make quick decisions as odds aren’t usually available for very long. Making quick decisions doesn’t mean you should rush. In fact, we suggest a more patient approach.

If you are new to live betting, you should spend time observing how the market moves from game to game and between various sports.

The live lines in basketball for example update much quicker than in baseball because of the pace of those sports. The same goes for live bets involving individual sports like tennis and golf.

BetMGM Rewards & Betting Promos

BetMGM Sportsbook Sign-Up Bonus

The signup bonus at BetMGM gives you a second chance to place a winning wager if your first bet loses. It’s a great offer that takes away the pressure of having to pick a winner right out of the gate. Bet $10 or more on any sport, and you’ll get up to $1000 back in bonus bets if it loses, with a 1x rollover requirement.

There’s a healthy variety of bonuses at BetMGM, especially for returning customers. Bonuses are always being updated and refreshed so please check the website or speak to customer service about all bonuses. For example, you can get a $10 casino bonus for any futures bets that you place. It’s a nice way of cross-selling the other gambling services that they offer, like casino gaming.

One of the most popular bonuses is the parlay bonus where if you pick a minimum of four legs, you can get an increased payout due to taking more risk. If one leg of the parlay loses, you can get up to $25 in bonus bets. The maximum amount of legs for this promo is ten. We suggest speaking directly to customer service for more details on how to take advantage of the parlay bonus.

BetMGM’s bonuses allow players to take bigger risks when betting with the insurance that if they lose, they’ll get more chances to win in the form of bonis bets. At the end of the day, more chances to get in on action is what all sports bettors are looking for and these deals definitely get you a ton of action for the amount of money you put in.

Select Your Squad

BetMGM will give you promos linked to your favorite NFL team and NBA team during the season. Just name your favorite team when you opt into the Select Your Squad” bonus. Additional offers include odds boosts, profit boosts, bonus bets and bracket challenges during March Madness.

Banking Methods at BetMGM Sportsbook

BetMGM has a wide variety of banking options.

Here are the available deposit options at BetMGM:

  • Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express)
  • Online bank transfer
  • PayPal
  • Apple Pay
  • Cash at retail locations
  • eCheck
  • Wire Transfer
  • PayNearMe
  • Play+ Prepaid card
  • GAMEON Prepaid card

Here are the withdrawal options at BetMGM:

  • PayPal
  • Cash at retail locations
  • eCheck
  • Check via mail
  • Play+ Prepaid card

Both deposits and withdrawals can be completed directly on the BetMGM app or on the desktop version of the site. The minimum deposit is $10.

Most of the withdrawals take approximately 48 hours with the exception of mailed checks due to the wait time involved with courier services. Mailed checks will take several business days.

The minimum withdrawal is $20 and there are a few withdrawal methods that come with no fees depending on how you’ve deposited.

* Please note that some withdrawal methods may not be available in certain states. You can review the banking methods available to you by going to the withdrawal page.

BetMGM Sportsbook App

BetMGM has its own popular betting app that is available for both iOS and Android users. There is also the mobile version of the site that is different for every state. This is due to the fact that each state regulates its own sports betting market and will therefore have different offers.

There is a separate casino gaming app in states where online casino gaming is legal.

The layout of the app is great with a very user-friendly menu at the bottom of the page. There’s an even more detailed menu of options located at the top of the page so finding exactly what you’re looking for is very simple. The bet slip is hidden until you make a selection or you can open it from the menu located at the bottom of the page.

When it opens, it is a very non-intrusive pop up which is very important considering that mobile devices have less space than the desktop version of the site. It’s obvious that BetMGM has invested a lot of time in its app and its functionality makes it one of the most popular betting apps on the market.

Download the BetMGM Sportsbook App

The BetMGM app can be downloaded at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android users. The process is the same as downloading any app and once complete, you can access your account right away.

BetMGM Sportsbook App Features

Here are our most-liked features of the app.

• Match center for the live betting market keeps it up to date

• App is very stable and performs well after hours of testing

BetMGM Sportsbook Customer Service Options

The best way to get in contact with customer support at BetMGM is via live chat or email. Live chat is available 24/7; the email option is slower but BetMGM does respond in a timely manner. What BetMGM has done to make things easier for customers to get answers is make them available in their help center.

There you will find answers to most questions that you may have. There is information on promotions, banking options and other frequently asked questions.

Live chat and email are used for issues that need to be resolved or comments and concerns you may wish to express. You can also reach their support team via social media on Twitter. That page is monitored 24/7 as well and you can communicate any concerns there as well.

Where is BetMGM Sportsbook legal?

BetMGM is currently live and accepts legal wagers in the following states:

  • Arizona
  • Colorado
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia
  • Wyoming
  • Washington D.C. (within two blocks of its retail sportsbook)

In each state, BetMGM is bound by the rules of the relevant state gambling authority so some features, like betting on college sports, may not be available in every state.

BetMGM Sportsbook Overview

MGM Resorts International was founded in 1987 as a hospitality and entertainment company that operates destination resorts in Las Vegas.

Construction of the MGM Grand hotel and the MGM Grand Adventures theme park in Las Vegas was finalized in December of 1993, which ended up costing $1 billion dollars.

After building the New York-New York Hotel and Casino on an 18-acre piece of land across the street from the MGM Grand for $460 in 1997, the company decided to expand to markets outside of the U.S. MGM then took things to another level with the acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group.

That gave MGM control of more than half of the available hotel rooms on the Las Vegas strip. It also made MGM the largest gaming company in the world at the time of the merger.

In 2017, MGM launched the PlayMGM brand which was a sportsbook in Nevada and an online casino in New Jersey. Later that year, MGM bought the San Antonio Stars of the WNBA who are now the Las Vegas Aces. In 2018, MGM signed a gaming partnership with the New York Jets.

Later in 2018, MGM ramped up its sportsbook operations when they announced a 50-50 joint venture with GVC Holdings. GVC Holdings is a UK operator that is an international sports betting and gambling company. This prompted a whole new wave of legal books to open up.

They own several gambling brands like Bwin, Party Poker and Sportingbet among others. GVC Holdings has since been rebranded as Entain. Entain is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

With their history in the international gaming scene to go along with their partnership with Entain, BetMGM is easily one of the biggest names in the U.S. sportsbook industry. Their international profile as a company means that BetMGM players have access to world-class service across all of their gambling offerings.

BetMGM Sportsbook FAQ

Is BetMGM Sportsbook legit?

BetMGM currently operates in 19 states and it is licensed in all of them. It also has a retail sportsbook in Washington D.C., and its online sportsbook is available within two blocks of that venue. BetMGM also has an online casino in four states and a poker room in three states.

How do I create a BetMGM Sportsbook account?

Here are the steps for creating a BetMGM account:

• Click through to BetMGM Sportsbook from www.therx.com to redeem the welcome bonus and create your account.
• After clicking “Join Now,” select your state.
• Enter your email, pick a username, create a password and select “Play Now.”
• You will need to enter your full legal name, date of birth, phone number and current address and more.
• You may only create one account per player.

How long does BetMGM Sportsbook take to verify identity?

The identity verification process at BetMGM usually takes place upon signing up. The documents needed will be a driver’s license or passport and a recent utility bill as proof of address.

If there are any issues with this process, you will receive a notification asking for additional documents. The process is usually quick but you can contact customer support for more information if this process takes any more than a few hours.

Is the BetMGM Sportsbook app legal to use?

The BetMGM sportsbook app is legal to use where online gambling is permitted. There are jurisdictions that have restrictions on online gambling where only the state lottery app can be used.

How do I contact BetMGM customer service?

You can contact BetMGM customer service via live chat and Twitter 24 hours a day. You can also send an email to customer support that will be answered in a timely manner.

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