The Internet has made sports betting much easier and more convenient, with an abundance of sportsbooks on the Internet. While traditional bookmakers have physical locations in the United States, offshore sportsbooks accept clients from around the world. These online sportsbooks are just as legitimate as traditional ones, but are accessible through the click of a mouse or tap of a finger on a mobile device. Popular online sportsbooks include 5Dimes, Bovada, and Bookmaker, which offer new customers a free $60 account to try their services.
Sportsbooks operate independently, which means that the rules of winning bets vary. Some offer money back if the bet was placed against the spread, while others treat it as a loss on a parlay ticket. The betting lines are set by the sportsbooks themselves, and they can adjust them accordingly in order to avoid big losses while attracting action. Despite this, sportsbooks strive to make their services unique, and the odds and payouts vary accordingly.
There are several betting options at sportsbooks, including futures. A future bet is one placed several weeks before an event. For example, betting on the Rams to win the Super Bowl would be a future. The Rams are now a 4/1 futures wager. Sportsbooks also set win totals for the season, which they consider futures. However, there are some drawbacks to betting on season-long win totals.