A sportsbook is an establishment that accepts bets on various sports events. It offers a variety of bonuses and promotions and has the ability to offer bettors the best odds in the industry. It can be found online and is a great option for anyone looking to make some money. It is important to find a sportsbook that suits your betting style and budget.

In the United States, legalized sports gambling has exploded since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling gave states the right to decide whether to permit it. Twenty-nine do now, and many have partnered with big-name gaming companies to open sportsbooks in some form statewide.

Mike, a soft-spoken man with a long red beard who runs DarkHorseOdds, is one of them. He’s a “matched bettor,” who exploits promotions from gambling companies to earn free bets, or “parlays,” that he then hedges with another site for a guaranteed profit. He does this for a living, putting thousands of dollars into nine different sportsbooks across two states each week. Mike speaks on condition of anonymity for fear that the betting sites might start penalizing him, reducing his maximum bet size from thousands of dollars to a mere buck or two.

Some sportsbooks are hesitant to offer these types of products, particularly the ones that involve real money wagering. They are worried that they may frustrate customers, cause them to lose money or make costly mistakes. However, there are ways to increase customer engagement and reduce these risks. The key is to think about what features will draw customers in and make them keep coming back for more.