Alternatives to Sports Betting

Online sports betting has become a global phenomenon in recent years, with millions of people enjoying the thrills and spills of the game. Customers have access to thousands of games across a broad range of sports markets in the US alone, where you can enjoy all the US major sports leagues, international sports, and even major leagues from other countries.

A top online sportsbook will also provide college sports such as college football and much more. However, sometimes you may want to take a break from it and find another way to get your kicks. You have plenty of options, including a large variety of popular casino games, live games, and other games that you can pick up and start playing immediately.

There is a lot of action available in the gambling world that stretches a bit further than your typical online sports betting options. Today, online betting sites are becoming more creative in their betting markets. With our recent COVID events, things such as eSports and virtual sports betting have reshaped the way we look at sporting entertainment.

With so many options available, one can feel overwhelmed and indecisive about which to choose, but we are here to help. In this article, we will look at the best sports betting alternatives customers can enjoy.

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Reasons to Find Another Gambling Activity

It is hard to beat the excitement of real sports gambling, whether you are watching alone or with your friends. Even the best online betting sites can sometimes become a bit repetitive.

If you are tired of limiting your betting prospects in terms of sports markets or betting options, choosing an alternative is a great way to add some new life to your online gambling fun.

Sports bettors sometimes find it too time-consuming to research sports stats or keep up with the team news. Playing an online casino or placing bets on virtual sports is a great way to ease the pressure and deadlines of real-time sports betting.

Also, retail sportsbooks and their online extension require a minimum deposit and bet slip that might be higher than the other options out there. As a sports bettor, you have a handful of wagers and tools such as

• Moneyline
• Prop bets
• Point Spread Bets
• Round robins
• Bonus bets and Promotions
• and more

With other forms of gambling, you have to broaden your horizons and try new things. There are still plenty of states in the US to legalize sports betting. The customers looking to get a gambling experience similar to sports betting might find some alternative options legal within their state. These include the list below:

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Social Casino Games

Anyone looking for a cash-free alternative or whose state does not yet allow real money gambling can play at social casinos. They offer the real authentic gaming experience without players having to spend a cent, and it is available to play in every US state except Idaho and Washington state.

While most social casinos only provide casino games, a few offer a sports betting site. One of them is the highly respected Rush Games. They provide both sections for their customers that resemble some of the world’s best sports betting apps but are cash-free.

Sweepstakes casinos, another name for social sites, are played with virtual coins rather than real money. Rush Games and BetRivers.net do not have any value on their coins, but there are a few sites where it is possible to redeem these sweeps coins for real cash prizes. They include Pulsz Casino, Fortune Coins, Funzpoints, Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, Global Poker, and more.

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eSports Betting

In recent years, the world was introduced to eSports. It started as a small market at first, but after the COVID pandemic, it seems as if the digital world has taken a significant leap forward. Today, eSports is as serious as any other major sport. People earn actual salaries playing Call of Duty or racing digital cars on the Formula One eSports series.

Only a handful of online bookmakers offer these eSports betting options. Those that do have solid betting options with competitive odds too. Odds are released well in advance, giving players time to place their bets, and live betting is also an option. If you are tired of betting on your usual sports, eSports offer the best similar legal sports betting for customers to enjoy. Here are some of the most popular games to bet on:

• Counter-Strike
• Call of Duty
• Rocket League
• Mortal Kombat
• UFC3
• Street Fighter V

Sites like DraftKings Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel are frontrunners in eSports betting market coverage.

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Online Casino Games

If you have not tried online casino gambling before, you should try it. Online casinos and online sportsbooks are by far the most popular way of online gambling in the world, and there is a good reason for it.

Since the legalization of online casinos in 2019, the industry has grown exponentially. You can find all the traditional casino floor games at online casino apps and sites. Customers can enjoy slot games, casino table games, live dealer games, and other exclusive or less popular games.

Besides the gaming fun, online casinos also offer fantastic welcome bonuses like the top sports betting sites. If you are playing an online sportsbook but feel your cash is running low, switching to a casino site will give you another chance to get these lucrative welcome bonus offers. Online casinos also offer lower minimum bets, which allow players to increase the longevity of their game.

If you wish to play online casinos, we recommend choosing a casino site that offers a high welcome bonus and a wide range of casino games. Please have a look at our online casino reviews. These will touch on the casino as a whole to give players a better understanding of what it brings to the table and where it might lack. BetMGM Casino and sites like Golden Nugget Casino offer online poker, roulette, online slots, blackjack, craps, and many more options.

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Virtual Sports

Virtual sports betting is not the same as eSports. Where eSports are actual people playing a virtual game to predict the outcome, virtual sports are run by computers where the computer system randomizes the results. Previous results determine the game’s betting odds, so the system works a lot the same as standard online sports betting.

These virtual sports have been around for some time, and many online betting sites offer them. These fantasy sports are but are not limited to virtual horse racing, hockey, football, basketball, virtual soccer betting, and much more.

Although virtual sports does not offer the real deal, it is very close to the genuine online sports betting experience. If you are fed up with real-life interventions busting your wins, virtual sports have fewer external factors that offer a more robotic sports betting system. Another thing to consider, is that these virtual sports run virtually all the time, so you can enjoy some thrilling live betting markets on virtual sports while you are waiting for your next real game, or in the off season.

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Online Poker Games

Poker is one of the most popular forms of betting known to avid gamblers and people in general. If you are tired of playing online sportsbooks, switching to a top online casino that offers a wide selection of live and video poker games could be the breath of fresh air you hoped for. 888 Poker, Borgata Poker, WSOP poker app, and more options are available to US players.

Video Poker vs Poker Rooms

Most poker games are built on the same foundation, so if you are familiar with the game, you should be fine. It is only up to you to decide whether you want to play live dealer poker or against an automated computer. There is some common ground between Video Poker and Poker, such as the different types of poker hands you can form and the order in which they are ranked.

Most online casinos also have designated mobile apps for players to enjoy gambling from wherever they are. Here are some of our favorite video poker titles:

• Jacks or Better
• Aces and Eights
• Deuces Wild
• Double Bonus

And our favorite poker games:

• No Limit Texas Hold’em
• Pot-Limit Omaha
• Short Deck
• Pot-Limit Omaha High Low

Generally speaking, video poker can be picked up in a matter of minutes, but you can still learn some basic strategies to give yourself the edge. Poker that is played in poker rooms against other players, can take years to master. It is still an incredibly fun experience, and at the likes of WSOP, you can find poker tournament action – even for newcomers.

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Betting on Politics & TV Shows

Those looking to start betting on a completely different market will find it in the form of political betting. It has the same idea as sports betting, as players also bet on who is to win or lose. The best sports betting sites may have political elections from Europe, but most only cover the US elections.

There are two ways to bet on politics. The first involves a sports betting site. Here players will bet on the outcome like in any other sport. The odds will be released for specific candidates to win, and players can choose whether they want to bet immediately or wait to see how the elections go before placing a bet. The best odds are usually at the start of elections as there is no clear indication of who will win. The further the elections go, the easier it becomes to predict the outcome, lowering the odds.

Secondly, players can bet on prediction markets. This market works the same as a stock market. People buy the “yes” or “no” question, and its price is influenced by its supply and demand. The more “yes” results are bought, the higher the value raises and vice versa. If you predict correctly, players will receive 100 cents to a dollar. Those that lose will get nothing.

Being well informed about the news and information regarding the political world may help increase your winning chances. However, gaming strategies are never certain in any game or outcome when betting.

TV shows are another great way to add spice to your online betting. Players can bet on elimination shows such as Masterchef and The Voice. The bets are placed on who they think will win the show, with some online sportsbooks offering gender-based bets.

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Where to Start

Now you have seen some great alternatives, and may already be keen to try some out. To play some of these games, you do not necessarily need to go into unknown territory, as the sportsbook that you play at may already have a casino too.

Top sportsbooks such as Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM all have casinos as well, which will feel very familiar to users of the sportsbooks. If you want to try sweepstakes, you should explore either Pulsz, Fortune Coin or BetRivers social casinos, or check out any of the following operators.

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Key Takeaways

It is evident that there are plenty of alternatives to online sports betting. The available options depend on the online betting site you choose. Sometimes, it requires players to sign up for a few different online sportsbooks to access all the alternative options. Since most operators support virtual sports, politics betting, casino games, poker, and eSports through a single platform – there is hardly a challenge to finding the best sports betting alternatives.

Social casinos covered above are completely free and accessible by all US players, so that’s a viable alternative, too.

In all instances, customers can choose between playing sports betting apps or from the betting site. Whatever you choose, the experience and betting options usually stay the same. If your mobile device is not compatible, it is still accessible from your desktop or mobile browser.

If you want to play it safe, keep to the legal sportsbooks and Android casino apps. Offshore sportsbooks may offer more betting shops, but we can not guarantee safety when you sign up to play.