The opportunity to play legal and regulated sports betting in the US has grown in leaps and bounds since 2018. In May of that year the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which had kept legal sports betting out of most states.
We do just about everything on our phones: buy groceries, play puzzle games, predict future events and book flights and hotel rooms. It’s only natural that betting on sports would be part of that.
Since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling let states legalize sports betting, 39 states and Washington, DC, have done so, and most bets are now placed on a phone. A handful of national brands dominate, and the gap between them is smaller than the ads suggest: the top apps all score between 4.56 and 4.86 on the App Store.
What really separates them is where they’re licensed, how many people use them and what else sits in the same account. This guide compares the 10 national sportsbook apps on those three things, using real App Store data and each state regulator’s own licensed list.
It also covers the part that trips up travelers: how one account works across state lines, and why your app can stop taking bets the moment you cross a border.
How we compare sportsbook apps
We start from the state regulator’s own list of licensed online sportsbooks, so every brand on this page is legal where it’s listed. We then order the apps by popularity: how many people have rated each one on the US App Store, alongside its average score. “Top” on Locals Insider means the most popular and most used apps, not a paid placement.
Offers only appear for brands we work with, and every term comes from the operator’s own rules. If we can’t confirm a detail on an official page, it doesn’t go in.
Top Sports Betting Apps in the US
Ordered by popularity: how many people have rated each app on the US App Store.
| App | iOS rating (ratings) | Online states we cover | Online casino in |
|---|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | 4.84 (2,315,931) | 10 of 10 | NJ, PA, MI |
| DraftKings | 4.82 (1,369,715) | 10 of 10 | NJ, PA, MI |
| Hard Rock Bet | 4.86 (363,024) | 7 of 10 | NJ, MI |
| bet365 | 4.78 (360,739) | 8 of 10 | NJ, PA, MI |
| Fanatics | 4.83 (295,868) | 10 of 10 | NJ, PA, MI |
| BetMGM | 4.75 (261,271) | 10 of 10 | NJ, PA, MI |
| theScore Bet | 4.83 (224,319) | 9 of 10 | NJ, PA, MI |
| Caesars | 4.74 (117,111) | 10 of 10 | NJ, PA, MI |
| BetRivers | 4.85 (53,216) | 8 of 10 | NJ, PA, MI |
| Bally Bet | 4.56 (52,827) | 6 of 10 | NJ, PA |
Ratings are US App Store averages and rating counts, checked November 2026. “Online states we cover” counts the 10 states with a Locals Insider guide.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel’s app has more ratings than any other US sportsbook, over 2.3 million at an average of 4.84. It’s licensed in all 10 of the states we cover, and in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan the same account opens FanDuel Casino.
If you only download one app and travel between states, FanDuel’s coverage is the widest on this list.
When it comes to quality and usability, FanDuel is the app the others get measured against: fast, intuitive and easy to use on iOS and Android. You’ll find hundreds of markets, a big menu of NFL props and early cash-out on many bets.
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings is second by ratings, about 1.37 million at 4.82, and it’s also live in all 10 of our states. It shares a login with DraftKings’ daily fantasy games, and its casino runs in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Frequent odds boosts and enhanced same-game parlays are staples, and markets number in the hundreds, with strong NFL and NBA prop coverage. It suits bettors who also play fantasy sports and want one ecosystem.
Hard Rock Bet
Hard Rock Bet has the highest average here, 4.86 from about 363,000 ratings. It’s run by Seminole Hard Rock Digital and is the only legal mobile sportsbook in Florida, where it operates under the Seminole Tribe’s gaming compact.
Of our 10 states it’s in Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. It’s also the national sportsbook we have an offer for: bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if your first bet wins in NJ and MI, or 10 profit boost tokens elsewhere.
bet365
bet365 averages 4.78 from about 361,000 ratings. It’s licensed in 8 of our 10 states, every one except New York and Tennessee, and runs a casino in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
The British-based company has a reputation for live betting odds and live streaming, builds its software in house, and offers features like parlay insurance and early payouts. It has the most international feel of the group, which makes it a natural fit for soccer fans.
Fanatics Sportsbook
Fanatics averages 4.83 from nearly 296,000 ratings and is live in all 10 of our states. It runs on the same account as the Fanatics merchandise store.
Fanatics pays rewards in FanCash, a currency you can spend on officially licensed team apparel, and the app makes your FanCash balance and featured bets easy to find.
BetMGM
BetMGM averages 4.75 from more than 261,000 ratings, covers all 10 states and links to MGM Rewards. Its casino and poker products are licensed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Its strengths are its promotions, like same-game parlay boosts and second-chance bets, and the MGM Rewards program.
theScore Bet
theScore Bet, owned by PENN Entertainment, averages 4.83 from about 224,000 ratings. It replaced ESPN Bet in December 2025 and is licensed in 9 of our 10 states; Tennessee is the exception.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars averages 4.74 from about 117,000 ratings, covers all 10 states and links to Caesars Rewards, which you can use at Caesars hotels and casinos.
BetRivers
BetRivers averages 4.85 from about 53,000 ratings and is run by Rush Street Interactive. It’s licensed in 8 of our 10 states, but not North Carolina or Tennessee.
It’s reliable and practical, with iRush Rewards and plenty of niche markets that not every app offers.
Bally Bet
Bally Bet is the smallest national app here, at 4.56 from about 53,000 ratings. It’s live in New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Virginia, Arizona and Tennessee.
Where Each App Is Legal
Online sportsbook licenses in the 10 states we cover, from each state regulator’s list.
| App | NY | PA | IL | OH | NC | MI | NJ | VA | AZ | TN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DraftKings | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hard Rock Bet | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| bet365 | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Fanatics | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| BetMGM | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| theScore Bet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Caesars | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| BetRivers | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Bally Bet | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | – | – | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
One Account, Many States
You don’t need a new account every time you cross a state line. Your login travels with you; what changes is whether that brand is licensed where you’re standing.
Open a FanDuel account in New Jersey, and you can use it in Pennsylvania without creating a second profile. Take it to a state with no legal sports betting, and you can still log in and see your balance and open bets, but you can’t place new ones.
How Location Checks Work
Licensed apps confirm your location every time you place a bet, using GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile network data. It’s about where you are at that moment, not where you live or where you opened the account.
Near a border, the check can fail even when you’re on the right side. Moving a little further inside the state, or switching to Wi-Fi, usually fixes it.
VPNs don’t get around this. Sportsbooks are required to block bets placed from outside their licensed states, and using a VPN breaks their terms.
Betting When You Travel or Commute
- New Jersey to New York: You can bet with a New Jersey license in Hoboken, but once you’re in Manhattan, the bet runs under New York’s license, and only brands licensed in New York will take it.
- Philadelphia to Delaware: Your Pennsylvania account stays open, but betting stops when you cross into Delaware, which runs its own market.
- Ohio to Michigan: The big brands are licensed in both, so most apps keep working; only the license under your bet changes.
- Florida: Hard Rock Bet is the only legal mobile sportsbook, so other apps won’t take bets there.
Sports Betting Apps FAQ
By App Store ratings, FanDuel leads with more than 2.3 million, followed by DraftKings with about 1.37 million.
Of the 10 states we cover, FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics, BetMGM and Caesars are licensed in all 10.
Yes. What matters is that you’re physically in a state where the app is licensed and that you’re 21 or older.
Only in states where online casino is legal. Of our 10 states, that’s New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Yes. Hard Rock Bet is the only legal mobile sportsbook in Florida, under the Seminole Tribe’s gaming compact.
Bet with a plan. Set deposit and time limits before your first bet, and never chase losses; every licensed sportsbook offers cool-off periods and self-exclusion. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET, the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline.
More Sportsbook Guides
- US sportsbooks hub: every state guide, offers and reviews
- State guides: New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, Arizona, Tennessee
