New Sportsbooks in USA: Fresh Betting Platforms of 2024
The online sportsbook market is fast and furious — and that includes the actual players in the game. You see, there are always new betting sites appearing and even old ones disappearing. That’s just the cyclical nature of an industry amidst of a “gold rush” per se.
We don’t expect bettors to keep up with every new sportsbook that pops up — but that is our job. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most bet-worthy new sportsbooks to hit the marketplace over the past couple of years. Here’s a list of rising bookies to keep an eye on and why:
ESPN Bet
The whole betting industry has been waiting for ESPN’s entrance into the sports betting sites realm for five long years, and in November 2023 it finally happened. PENN Entertainment ditched Barstool Sports and re-branded itself ESPN Bet, and will now use the “worldwide leader” brand to challenge other bookies.
The “ace up the sleeve” of ESPN is its distribution. It still broadcasts sports games from all the top leagues — giving it direct access to fans who might be interested in betting on what they’re watching. So you’re going to see and hear of ESPN Bet a lot from now on when watching the channel.
Besides looks, the sports betting app is unchanged from the Barstool Sportsbook days that preceded it. The sportsbook menu is deep but navigating it — and the rest of the app — could be better. There is an accompanying casino platform though and that makes ESPN Bet an all-in-one betting platform.
ESPN Bet Promos
Let’s talk about promotions now, which are geared for first-time users of ESPN Bet. Those players are eligible for $250 in free play off the bat. This reward is unlocked as soon as the user makes one measly bet on the platform. That’s right, one bet (win or lose) results in a $250 free-play payout.
The new betting site doesn’t require any promo code to redeem either. This is automatically applied for new bettors since redeeming is as easy as it gets.
Fanatics Sportsbook
New gambling sites usually struggle in two key areas — funding this large expenditure and luring bettors away from whatever they’re already using. Fanatics Sportsbook likely won’t have either issue, and that’s what makes them one of the more intriguing new sports books 2023.
Fanatics already has massive brand equity with its sports apparel and collectible business — which produces around $7 billion in annual revenues. This also gives them direct access to sports-loving fans who might into betting too. These ingredients made its official debut in 2023 a big item in the space — for competitors and bettors alike.
The Fanatics Sportsbook app is pretty straight-forward. Once you gamble on enough of these apps, differences become hard to spot from platform to platform. So Fanatics doesn’t stick out here — neither for good or bad reasons.
But here’s the X-factor that Fanatics Sportsbook has going for it: a rewards program that can be used with its other businesses. The program is called FanCash and points earned from betting can be used as cashback to purchase gear and collectibles — a feature no competitor can match.
Fanatics Sportsbook Promos
Here again, new bettors can expect free money upon joining the Fanatics Sportsbook. The platform is doling out $200 in freebies. That money can be spent however the bettors like too — there are no limits on its use.
The deal works like this: new players have to make at least one wager of $10 for five days straight. Each day Fanatics will dish out $40 in free play. Do that five times and you get the full $200 amount.
Betfred Sportsbook
If there’s a new gambling site you’ve probably haven’t heard of, it might be Betfred Sportsbook. This new sportsbook is now live in 10 different U.S. states so it’s not like it’s not accessible. But the reason why recognition is low is because Betfred is a UK-based brand. Across the pond, it’s widely known but importing it with Americans hasn’t been so easy.
The Betfred Sportsbook has pros and cons to it, obviously. A major pro is its live-betting system, which has been perfected overseas with its version of “football” matches. Still, in-play works great on non-soccer stateside sports too and that’s critical in today’s day and age. At the same time, Betfred’s sportsbook menu is lighter than its competitors. It does offer betting on all the major sports, but smaller leagues get easily forgotten.
Betfred Sportsbook Promo
There is indeed a bonus available at Betfred, but honestly, we were expecting better. It’s a “risk free” bet. So new bettors use their money to fund their first bet. If they win, then they get their payout and no extra money is earned. But if the bet loses, then bettors get a refund back dollar for dollar — up to $105. So if the losing bet was worth $40, that’s what’s refunded back. This amount is matched until that $105 figure.
Compared to the other new sport betting sites, Betfred’s offer looks lackluster. We would much prefer guaranteed money upfront like ESPN Bet or Fanatics offers.
Fliff Sportsbook
Out of all the new online betting sites, Fliff might be the most unique. It’s technically a “social sportsbook” and outright advertises itself as the “minor league of sports betting” so differentiation is the name of the game with them.
Unlike other sportsbooks that use real money, Fliff uses virtual currencies — Fliff Coins and Fliff Cash. Real money can be used to purchase this, but when making sports predictions, you’ll be staking their native currencies, not USD. Doing this, as well as hosting sweepstakes competitions, helps Fliff skirt U.S. laws.
This means Fliff is widely available around the United States. It can be used to its fullest in 45 states — way more than most regulated sportsbooks. Moreover, users can be as little as 18 years old to play, not the usual 21 requirement.
Fliff “gamifies” betting on-site too. There are leaderboards and contests where you can track how you stack up against other bettors. This is a sharp departure from the user-vs-bookie model that most sportsbooks use. But again, this is Fliff’s way of exploiting the system to allow more mass-market betting.
Fliff Promos
Have promo code FLIFFBONUS handy because you’ll need it to cash in the promotion available at Fliff. New users depositing $50 (real money), will get $100 back on Fliff Coins and Cash.
You’re probably wondering what you can even do with this virtual currency besides use it to gamble? Well, Fliff Cash can be converted back to real money and withdrawn to your regular bank account or card. So yes, you actually can win real money at Fliff.
Bally Bet
Technically, Bally isn’t one of the newest online betting sites because it’s been in the game for a few years. However, they have re-done its Bally Bet app from scratch so it is a new offering.
The new Bally Bet app is a partnership with third-party company, Kambi, which in the past built out DraftKings’ old betting platform. Kambi is an experienced operator and that’s obvious when using the new Bally Bet app. This thing works way better than the old Bally Bet did, especially in terms of in-app speed.
Bally Bet Promo
Bally Bet has a bonus that’s right in line with what ESPN and Fanatics are doling out. Bettors that wager at least $50 on any sport of their choosing will earn $200 in free play back from Bally. That’s whether the bet hits or misses, it doesn’t matter. This bonus is unlocked automatically too, meaning no need to enter a promo code or anything. M
How To Pick The Best New Betting Site
The term “best” is highly subjective here because each bettor has unique preferences in a sportsbook. Some might prioritize a substantial free-play bonus, others may look for a wide selection of betting options, and some may even prefer a casino alongside their sports betting experience. It’s essential to determine what you’re looking for first, then seek out the best new betting sites that align with those specific features.
You might want to read our latest sportsbook reviews to get the full picture of these sites, plus others like the offshore betting sites listed below. We’ve pulled no punching reviewing all these platforms so they’re filled with unbiased information. Reading the reviews will help you compare and contrast these bookies against one another, that way, you’re making the right decision on where to gamble.