How to Find a Good Sportsbook

A sportsbook is a place where you can bet on a variety of sporting events. They usually accept wagers on both sides of an event, and can make a profit because they set their odds in a way that will guarantee them a return in the long term.

A good online sportsbook will have a variety of betting markets for every major sport, including NFL, NBA and NHL, along with minor leagues and international leagues. They will also offer a variety of props and future bets. Some will offer live streaming of games, and many will have a mobile app to allow you to bet on the go.

The top online sportsbooks have a clean, intuitive interface that works on desktops and mobile browsers and has excellent customer support. They will also be licensed in the state where they operate, and have a high-risk merchant account to allow them to accept payments from customers. This type of account is more expensive than a low-risk one, but it allows a sportsbook to avoid the risk of being shut down by banks or credit card companies.

While state-regulated brick and mortar sportsbooks have been the only legal way to bet on sports in the United States for decades, some illegal bookies take advantage of lax laws in places like Antigua, Costa Rica, Latvia, Panama and elsewhere to operate over the internet. While federal prosecutors have pursued several cases against offshore operators, they are still able to lure unsuspecting American customers with claims of regulation and licensing in their home countries.