Betting the big game from the comfort of your computer
By John Hansen

You love the Packers against the 49ers. You've studied the match-up in-depth, reviewed the trends, checked out injury and weather reports, and you're sure the Packers are a winning play. But there's one problem. You live in the state of Maine, and there's no legal sports wagering. To make matters worse, there's not a bookie to be found on the frozen street corners of your town, and you don't know anyone living within three states of Nevada to place the bet for you.

A year ago, you would have had to invest hundreds of dollars on a plane ticket to Las Vegas or simply given up, knowing your "Lock of the Century" would go to waste.

But that was then, and this is now.

Today, thanks to the Internet, if you like the Packers, you can bet on the Packers—from anywhere. Just log on, choose from one of the estimated 250 web sites offering sports wagering for real money, and away you go. But now you've got another problem. Which sportsbook should you choose?

While we can't necessarily recommend one over the other, what we can do is help you make an informed choice. How long has a site been up and running? Have there been any negative posts on the newsgroups about the site? Are they licensed? Are they members of the Interactive Gaming Council (the IGC is an organization leading the charge toward the regulation of Internet Gaming)? Does the site utilize software produced by a reputable company? Is the site easy to use? Do they actually employ human beings for customer service, and do they supply a toll-free telephone number?

Make sure you have the answers to all these questions before you take the plunge.

Below, we've done a little bit of the work for you, as we've reviewed 10 cyber sportsbooks that are ready and willing to take your action. Our final recommendation is this: Start out slowly, with minimal funds, until you feel comfortable that the company you're dealing with is a reputable one. And since sports betting results are verifiable, that shouldn't take too long.

Owned and operated by the offshore sport betting pros at Sport Market, Aces Gold Casino offers wagering opportunities on virtually every sporting event known to man, including all the major sports such as football, basketball, baseball and hockey as well as boxing, golf, tennis, auto racing and horse racing. All the standard options are here, including straight bets ($110 to win $100), parlays, teasers, round robins and a plethora of futures. The minimum wager on all sporting events is $5, but their maximum bets are conservative, with $1,000 and $500 on sides, moneylines and futures and overs, unders, parlays, and teasers, respectively.

Account setup can be done online or over the phone, and there are no account setup or maintenance fees. If you'd like to see how everything works, Aces Gold offers guest user accounts, which enable you to delve into the site's sports wagering system.

Aces Gold Casino & Sportsbook is licensed to operate a sportsbook and casino by the Dutch Antillian government of Curacao.

Grand Prix Sportsbook
www.grandprixsports.com

If you're looking for an online sportsbook to wager with and security is your top priority, Grand Prix Sportsbook is a site you should check out. Grand Prix Sportsbook has contracted eBanx Corp., a Canadian-based Internet transaction clearinghouse company, to handle all its financial transactions. Essentially, what this means is that the sportsbook handles only the actual wagering and all the financial transactions are handled through eBanx as a third party. So, when players win, their eBanx accounts are credited, and when they lose, their accounts are debited. As far as we can tell, the security of the eBanx system is second to none. In addition, the site is technologically superior and extremely simple to navigate.

Grand Prix Sportsbook is 100 percent European-owned and regulated by the government of Costa Rica. They are also members of the Interactive Gaming Council. They offer point spreads, money lines, parlays, sides and totals on all major sports, from Major League Baseball to the NFL. Grand Prix Sportsbook is also home to the $1 Internet parlay.

Majestic Sportsbook
www.1bet.com

If attractive graphic presentation and Web Site design mean anything to you, Majestic Sportsbook is a site you'll want to consider. If not, perhaps you'll be interested in Majestic's engaging sign-up and referral bonuses, including a 10-20 percent sign-up bonus (restrictions apply), and a 10 percent bonus for all referrals.

Majestic takes action on all major sports, plus boxing, tennis, golf, horse racing and any major event that Las Vegas has lines for. Of course, straight bets are available, and when we visited in November, Majestic was offering an attractive rate of $108 to win $100 on all straight bets for football and basketball (hopefully, there will be pro basketball by the time this article is published). All the exotic wagers are offered as well, such as parlays, "if" bets, teasers, reverses, round robins, futures and propositions.

Majestic Sportsbook is licensed by the government of Costa Rica to conduct an on-line Internet Sportsbook. Majestic Sportsbook has additional licenses, including a license to conduct phone wagering.

NASA Sports
www.betonsports.com

Without question, this is the most extensive site we’ve found. With sports scores and box scores, news, updated lines presented in a cool ticker-tape form and a bulletin board that enables betting enthusiasts to post their own picks, this site is more than a sports betting site, it's also a sports information site. In addition, NASA features a sports chat area, and we were pleasantly surprised to find it to be one of the fastest, most efficient chat sites we've ever seen (and we've seen plenty). As for the betting options, they are all accounted for and then some. As the site boasts, if Las Vegas has a line on it, they'll take action on it—not to mention non-sports stuff like the Academy Awards and political elections. And when it comes to promotions, NASA sports blew away the competition. When we visited in November, NASA was offering a free $25 parlay or teaser. Don't have access to the Web, you say? NASA has that little obstacle covered as well, with a free Web TV system offered for those who sign up and send funds by check, wire or Western Union.

NASA's $500 initial deposit is a little high, but there are no other membership or transfer fees. They also give a 10 percent bonus for joining.

Players Sportsbook and Casino
www.playersonly.com

Clearly, this is one of the best sports betting sites the Web has to offer. You won't pay any membership fees or annual dues, and Players is happy to pay all money transfer costs on deposits and most withdrawals. If that's not enough, Players offers a 10 percent bonus on all new accounts and a free sports pager if you open an account with more than $2000. Plus, customers can earn credit toward airline travel, hotel stays and sporting event tickets.

As for betting options, there are many, including fifteen for football alone, including all the standard bets, as well as a vast array of exotic wagers. Players Sportsbook receives lines directly from Las Vegas on nearly every sporting event, including such major events as soccer, golf and tennis. Coming soon is live horse wagering with live video feeds from remote tracks and various international lotteries to which Players will be giving its customers access.

Players Sportsbook & Casino operates under various gaming licenses, including Antigua and Venezuela.

Sands of the Caribbean
www.thesands.com

This slick, visually-appealing site has been a major force in the online gaming industry for quite some time, thanks to its affiliation with WWTS (World Wide Telesports), one of the most respected offshore sportsbooks on the planet.

For those who prefer to keep their sports wagering exploits simple, Sands of the Caribbean is a good choice, as the site focuses solely on the traditional American sports such as football, basketball (college and pro), baseball and hockey. The types of wagers offered are also basic, with straight wagers and parlays the only types available. However, when it comes to financial transactions, simplicity is not in this site's master plan. Utilizing a system called Ecash, transactions at the Sands are both secure and efficient. The Ecash system acts as an intermediary between the player and the sportsbook, as it turns real cash (deposited by check, money order, credit card, etc.) into electronic cash used for wagering on the site. All deposits are held at an FDIC or CDIC insured North American Bank. All Ecash operations are in US dollars.

The Sands has no membership costs, a $20 minimum deposit, and the minimum bet is only $10. The Sands operates under a gaming license granted by Free Trade Zone of the government of Antigua.

Sportsbook.Com
www.sportsbook.com

Try to find a site with more sports betting options than Sportsbook.com and you'll likely wear your fingers out from the endless pointing and clicking.

Sportsbook.com offers a full slate of North American sports, but they also take action on international events such as soccer leagues, cricket games and Australian Rugby. Sportsbook.com is also the home of the $100,000 challenge, in which bettors pick 13 teams and wager $25. If all the teams picked cover the set point spread (granted, that's not easy to do), the better wins $100,000.

Sportsbook.com utilizes sophisticated but simple software from respected software developer Starnet Communications, technology developed by EFS Caribbean, and services rendered by Intercontinental Financial Services, though which Sportsbook.com is able to process credit card charges in any currency in real-time. Winnings are immediately credited back to the customers' credit cards, or cash can be placed into their bank account within hours.

Sportsbook.com credits all new accounts 10 percent of their deposit and the minimum bet is $10.

VIPSports
www.vipsports.com

More than just an online sports betting site, VIP Sports offers headline news and scores of worldwide sports and free match-up reports on most American sporting events.

The site is easy to navigate and the betting interface is a simple point and click format, making for effortless online wagering. VIPSports allows wagers as low as a $1 and as high as $5000, and the site's minimum opening deposit of $100 is among the lowest in the industry. Gamblers can sign up and make a Visa or MasterCard deposit right over the Internet, completely eliminating the need make a phone call, although their savvy customer service representatives are available via telephone to answer any questions.

VIPsports is a fully licensed casino on the island of Curacao.

World Sports Exchange
www.wsex.com

Sophisticated sports investors take note: World Sports Exchange is one cool site. Owned and operated by two former traders on the Pacific Stock Exchange, World Sports Exchange is an ambitious undertaking, to say the least.

All the traditional sports wagers are here, including straight wagers, parlays, totals, teasers, etc. But a closer look at the products offered reveals some interesting and innovative sports betting options, most notably futures, which are available for teams or individuals. When betting teams, the futures have a value assigned to them at the end of the event, depending on where they finish. The winning team versus the spread will be worth $100 and the losing team $0. World Sports Exchange provides a liquid market, so you can buy and sell your futures before the event is final. This feature allows you to maximize profits and minimize losses by responding to the action that takes place during the course of the game. For example, suppose you buy the Green Bay Packers for a particular game at a certain price, and they take the opening kickoff for a touchdown. At that point, the bettor would have the option of selling (with the team out to a lead, the price would go up), buying more "stock," or staying put. This type of wagering also applies to individual players and on events, such as the Heisman Trophy award and league MVP awards.

Believe us when we tell you this—we're only scratching the surface on what WSE offers in their sports betting marketplace.