The landscape of sports betting has been changing rapidly, and more and more states are joining the game. Since the regulations vary, it’s important to check your state's specific laws¹ before placing your bets.

To start placing sports bets online, simply navigate to the applicable sportsbook on this page and create an account, log in to an existing account, or download the sportsbook mobile app. When creating an account with a sportsbook, you will be asked to verify your personal and financial information. Once your account is set up and funded, you can start betting on available matchups and events.

Each sportsbook may have different ways to deposit money, so it’s important to check the mobile app/website of the applicable sportsbook where you set up an account on acceptable methods to deposit money into your account. In general, most sportsbooks include the option for their customers to be able to link a bank account, a credit card or debit card, or third-party cash apps.

Every match will have a “favorite” and an “underdog,” two sports betting terms you should know. The favorite, which is the team or individual that is expected to win the game, will have a minus sign (-) next to their odds, while the underdog, or team or individual not expected to win, will have a plus sign (+) next to theirs.²

A point spread is a handicap set by bookmakers to keep the betting balanced, where the underdog is given a point advantage and the favorite is given a point disadvantage. For example, a spread of -3 means the sportsbook expects the favorite to win by more than 3 points, while a spread +3 means the sportsbook expects the underdog to lose by less than 3 points.³

American odds are represented as positive or negative numbers, such as +150 or -200. Decimal odds are represented as a decimal number, such as 2.50 or 1.67. Fractional odds are represented as a fraction, such as 3/1 or 4/9⁴. To learn more about odds, visit our beginner’s guide to sports betting.

An over/under bet is a wager on the total points, goals or runs in a game from both teams combined. When looking at listed odds for a game, you may see this represented as O/U. A bet on the over suggests you think both teams will score more goals, points, or runs than expected, whereas a bet on the under indicates that you think the teams will score less than predicted.

There are many resources available to provide help with problem gambling issues. The National Council on Problem Gambling operates a 24/7 helpline that can be reached at 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) as well as a 24/7 free online chat at NPCGambling.org/Chat (Opens in a new tab or window). Gamblers Anonymous® provides a hotline number at 855-2CALLGA (855-222-5542).

Specifically in Colorado, you can utilize the Colorado self-exclusion program at https://www.problemgamblingcoalitioncolorado.org/self-exclusion (Opens in a new tab or window).