A sportsbook is a website that accepts bets like ESPN Bet. The term is more common in the US, as opposed to “bookie” in the UK that offer fixed odds betting.
In the UK, when you fancy a flutter on the football or the races, you’d pop down to the ‘bookie’, short for ‘bookmaker’. This term is steeped in British culture and refers to both the individual who takes your bets and the establishment where the betting takes place. Your local bookie would likely be a shop on the high street, filled with tele screens and betting slips, where punters gather to place their bets and watch the events.
Now, in the US, the term ‘sportsbook’ is more common. This is akin to what we in the UK would call a betting shop, but there’s a slight twist. A sportsbook is specifically designed for sports betting and is often a dedicated space in a casino or, increasingly, an online platform where bettors can wager on various sporting events from American football to basketball, and yes, even our beloved football. The sportsbook sets the odds, accepts the wagers, and pays out winnings, much like a bookie would do here.
The main difference, aside from the nomenclature, is the setting. While a UK bookie can be a standalone shop or part of a chain, the US sportsbook is often part of a larger gaming establishment or a comprehensive online betting site. There’s also a cultural difference in the sports that tend to dominate the betting scene; while football, horse racing, and greyhounds are the mainstay in the UK, the US market is more geared towards American football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey.