The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the modern incarnation of what used to be a split league that featured the ABA. These old-school players didn't have a shot clock. They passed the ball more than they shot it. They played low-scoring games, and until the 1980s, basketball was struggling mightily and near failure before it was revived by Larry Bird (Celtics) and Earvin "Magic" Johnson (Lakers). Shortly after, a player named Michael Jordan came along and changed the league forever. Today's NBA consists of 30 teams, two conferences (East, West), and dozens of big-name superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis, and many, many more.
The NBA not only picks up a lot of fanfare and views because of its high-flying action, but also because of the potential to bet on games through legal basketball betting options. That's right; while the NBA might be popular due to skill, it's actually gambling that helps promote the sport across the world. And even the NBA'S commissioner Adam Silver recognizes this fact and actually calls for legalized betting on the league. This page will provide you with information about legally betting on the NBA, including the legalities surrounding professional basketball betting.
The NBA consists of 30 teams that play an 82-game schedule. After the schedule is completed, the top 8 seeds from each conference comprise a 16-team playoff. NBA Playoffs betting lines are among the most active lines during the NBA season. After three rounds of play, the NBA Finals match-up happens, which pits the winner of the East against the winner of the West. Betting lines on the NBA Finals are another popular segment of NBA betting action. All told, there are over 2,500 games played for an NBA season, and this means a lot of opportunities to bet on various games. However, betting is pretty much restricted to either the four states in which US gambling is legal, or it takes place through offshore sportsbooks which are hosted outside of US jurisdiction and legally licensed and regulated. These are basically the only ways by which US residents can legally bet on professional basketball. The sportsbooks recommended in this guide have all been vetted to ensure they are legally sanction with legitimate licensing, compliance certifications and regulatory oversight. They also offer competitive betting lines, odds and paylines that are comparable with the Vegas bookmakers.
The legality of sports betting in America in general is a very gray area. On one hand, there are a few federal regulations that make most US sports betting illegal. PASPA and the Federal Wire Act work in conjunction to make state side sports betting illegal in 46 of 50 states, meaning the federal reach supersedes any state-specific legislation. On the other hand, the federal government basically ignores private citizens when they bet and instead chooses to focus its efforts towards those creating books and betting sites. If you want to bet legally inside of the USA, you simply need to virtually go outside of the USA to place your bets. There are no regulations prohibiting a citizen from conducting a monetary transfer with a sportsbook outside of US jurisdiction, so the way to gamble legally is to find an offshore sportsbook. The sports betting site you select must be legally licensed and regulated however. It violates most state laws to participate in unregulated gambling activities.
Gambling laws are inevitably going to change. There's simply too much pressure to keep them the same. However, for the time being, US based sports online gambling is considered illegal and betting should only be done by finding offshore sites with which to bet, such as the ones you find listed in this guide.
NBA Official Website
