The ability to bet on games that are also available to watch live adds to the thrill, but in the past, that limited American bettors to the major pro and college games. But that isn’t the case anymore. Online sports betting sites have figured out a solution to that problem: live streams of sports events available to bet on.

Live streaming betting sites are becoming commonplace in the online sportsbook market. Some of the biggest online betting sites with live streaming provide hours of games that may not be on in your area, yet are viewable online or on a mobile betting app for free.

Read below to find out more about the practice and how you can find it and use it, plus information on each of the best live-streaming betting sites.

Best Live Streaming Betting Sites in the US

bet365

bet365 has gone full-on in its live sports streaming options. It may have dozens of available events going at once and offers a full schedule of soccer, basketball, tennis, baseball and much more. Its live stream options are available both on its online betting site and through its bet365 app.

Bet365 offers new customers a first-bet safety net for up to $2,000. Sign up for a new bet365 account, deposit at least $10, and then place your first bet for $5 or more on any sport. If it loses, get back up to $2,000 in bonus bets. Read our bet365 review.

FanDuel

FanDuel is one of the best sports betting apps and DFS apps, and it has live streaming for many of your favorite sports leagues – all on its highly regarded sportsbook app. It offers one of the top promotions to first-time players, with the ability to get $200 in bonus bets just for making a $5 first bet.

Just sign up for a new FanDuel account, make your first deposit of at least $10, and then place your first bet for $5 or more. If your first bet wins, get $200 in bonus bets. Read our FanDuel review.

BetMGM

BetMGM was one of the first to aggressively pursue live streaming games in the US, focusing on its app, though it’s widely available on computers too. It streams several of Europe’s top soccer leagues, including Bundesliga and English Leagues 1 and 2, in addition to tennis matches from the ATP and Roland Garros. Using the BetMGM bonus code BOOKIES, new users can get $158 in bonus bets for making just a $5 first bet.

Just sign up for a new BetMGM account, deposit at least $5, and then bet on any sport. You will get $158 in bonus bets in the form of two $50 bonus bets plus one $58 bonus bet. Read our BetMGM review.

Caesars

Caesars is one of the very best sportsbooks out there and it offers the chance to watch some of your favorite sports via its live streaming services. The recent addition of the “Watch and Bet” feature allows users the chance to watch their favorite sports, including select NFL games, as Caesars was the first U.S. sportsbook to offer live streaming through its partnership with Genius Sports.

Sign up using the Caesars promo code BOOKIES1000 and get back up to $1,000 in bonus bets if your first bet loses. Just sign up for a new Caesars account, deposit at least $10, and then place your first bet. If it loses, get back up to $1,000 in the form of bonus bets. Read our Caesars review.

Fanatics

Fanatics also offers live streaming for customers on select professional sports leagues, including some NFL games through its partnership with Genius Sports. Sign up for Fanatics right now and bet $100 to get $100 in bonus bets for your first 10 days after signing up, for a total of up to $1,000 in bonus bets overall.

BetRivers

BetRivers also offers customers the chance to live stream their favorite matches through its app. In terms of its welcome offer, BetRivers is offering $250 in bonus bets in the form of a second-chance bet to new users.

Sign up for a new BetRivers account, make your first deposit of at least $10, and then place your first bet. If it loses, get back up to $250 in bonus bets. Read our BetRivers review.

What’s the Point in Using Live Streaming Betting Sites?

There is obviously an added thrill with the ability to watch a sporting event that you have action on. Live streaming of the non-mainstream, American sports not only increases the potential excitement, it increases the betting landscape of those who otherwise wouldn’t even consider a tennis match or European soccer odds as a betting option.

There are other, tangible benefits for using a live streaming betting site. Among them:

Live betting: There is typically a delay in the live streaming on all sites. But you can get a much-better feel of the flow and trajectory of a game by watching it, rather than relying on live stats updates.

It’s Cheaper: Trying to subscribe to all the possible sports channels would get prohibitively expensive and likely confounding. Live streaming sites give you all the available soccer, basketball, basketball, soccer, horse racing and tennis available – and it’s free for those with sportsbook accounts.

It’s Convenient: For many a bettor, this is the top benefit of them all. Any game available on the live stream sports betting site is available in the palm of you hand on your mobile or table device. You aren’t chained to a computer or a TV. For those in the US, betting on an evening showdown in Europe may mean watching the action on your lunch break. Keeping abreast of your games is easier than ever.

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What to Look for When Picking a Live Stream Betting Site

There are a number of key factors to determining which live streaming betting site is best for your needs. Many of those factors are critical to picking any online sportsbook, regardless of the live sports it broadcasts. That includes:

Live Stream Sports Options: Any site will feature betting on the NFL, MLB and the major pro sports leagues, but none currently offer live streaming on those sports. The so-called secondary sports, however, such as European basketball, pro tennis or La Liga soccer, are the leagues that may be featured on live streams. Some sites offer more options than others, and some offer specific leagues while excluding others.

Technical Requirements: An average internet connection speed is typically the minimum need for most sites, but be sure your area meets those standards.

Access Requirements: Nobody can just jump on an online betting site and expect to watch Bundesliga soccer for nothing. All require at least a registered account, and most require the bettor to maintain a minimum amount of money in the account. Some sports, most notably horse and greyhound racing, often require a minimum bet on the event to view it live.

Storage Space: Many sportsbooks use their apps as their prime delivery of live streaming. Some of them take up a huge amount of storage space. It makes sense to be mindful of your available storage, especially if you plan to download multiple apps to find the best odds.

Ease of Use: Getting around a site or app and finding what you need with ease is an important aspect. Sports betting apps need to have the ability to place any bets you want without distracting or frustration site navigation complexities.

Banking Options: Keeping your account with at least a minimum amount of bankroll is required to watch live streaming events on most betting sites. It won’t do you any good if the site doesn’t accept payment methods of your choosing, such as Visa/Mastercard or PayPal.

Signup Bonuses: Every major online sportsbook offers bonuses and promotions to entice new customers and keep the ones they have.

Security: Security and safety are always critical factors in selecting which apps to frequent. The online sportsbooks noted above take the necessary steps to protect their customers from illicit activity, based on Bookies.com’s expert team of industry analysts.

Live Stream Requirements

Technically speaking, each site has differing requirements for live sports streaming. But generally speaking, most require a minimum broadband connection of 512 Kbps. That pales in comparison to the connections typically used to watch shows on popular sites such as Netflix or Amazon, which require 5 Mbps – nearly 10 times the speed.

If the device you plan to watch sports live streaming is capable of watching Netflix, Hulu or even Twitch videos, it’s very likely to be suitable for this.

For those unsure, every online bookmaker that offers live streaming posts technical requirements on its site. They can typically be found in the Help or the FAQ sections. If you can’t find it, just reach out to customer support.

What Sports Are Available With Live Streaming?

Online sportsbooks don’t offer live streams of the major pro American sports such as NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL due to the exorbitant costs of acquiring the licenses to show them. Fortunately, there are other ways to watch or follow those games locally. But the sky’s the limit in a number of other sports.

Many of the top professional soccer leagues in the world are made available through live streaming, and same goes for basketball, tennis, golf, baseball, hockey, horse racing and greyhound racing, even volleyball, rugby and darts.

Each online betting site is different in the array of sports it live streams.

How is the Video Quality at these Betting Sites?

The quality of a live stream is obviously important. Few things are as frustrating as trying to watch a video of any kinds as it sporadically pauses and buffers. Live streaming is more likely to experience hiccups, which can be frustrating to a bettor with a wager on the line.

The good news is that most of the top-rated sportsbooks offering live streaming have the bandwidth to accommodate thousands of viewers and dozens of live streams per day. That includes every sportsbook noted above. Internet speed connection is a factor, but average speed is typically adequate at the best live streaming sportsbooks.

Live Streaming Alternatives

Of course, not all sites have live streaming capabilities. And of those that do, many are unable to broadcast the major sports such as NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL due to licensing agreements. The high cost to legally broadcast those games isn’t worth it financially for them.

For games that can’t be viewed via live stream on an online sportsbook, there are other options available that allows bettors to keep an instant eye on the action.

Live Stats: The major sports sites in the USA – ESPN.com, CBSSports.com, etc. – offer near-immediate, live updates on box scores. They’re updated after every play for the all the top American-based leagues, including college football and college basketball, plus several of the top international sports.