Legal Online Hockey Betting In 2024
Betting on hockey has become a popular wagering market for many bettors looking to cash in on their knowledge of the sport. The National Hockey League is the world’s premier hockey league, making it the ideal power play for betting on hockey in the United States, Canada, and many countries around the globe.
However, skating through the legalities of betting on the NHL can be harder than netting a hat trick, especially now that more states are passing various laws to allow legal online sports betting. This guide was created to provide legal information about secure hockey betting sites so you aren’t left out in the cold when placing an online bet on hockey this season.
Is Hockey Betting Legal In 2024?
Offshore: Yes. Federal laws do not prohibit betting on hockey at legal online sportsbooks located outside of the US. Each site below is 100% legal and is one of the most trusted online sportsbooks in the world for legally betting on hockey.
Domestic: In most states, no. However, the repeal of PASPA in May 2018 has paved the way for states to legalize US sports betting operations on American soil, and some have started doing just that. There are roughly 20 states that have approved sportsbook gambling within their borders, and several other states have legislation pending on the matter. You can get more information on where to find state-regulated options on our US sports betting page.
Bovada Sportsbook
#1 Rated Legal Online Hockey Sportsbook For 2024
Bovada LV is a fantastic online hockey sportsbook that caters exclusively to US players. With hundreds of NHL hockey odds, NCAA college hockey odds, and international hockey odds for every game of the season (talk about a hat trick!), you'll always be able to "put your bets on ice" at Bovada Sportsbook.
Site Rating
Compability
Pros
US Friendly - Most US States Accepted
Most reputable name in online sports betting
Licensed by Curacao - Operates within Costa Rica
Generous 50% bonus up to $1,000 for new members
Easy deposits using credit cards or Bitcoin/crypto
Fast and reliable payouts guaranteed
Cons
Only US, Mexico and Brazil players accepted
Residents of DE, MD, NJ, NV, NY not accepted
Limited deposit options compared to other sites
Top Legal Online Hockey Betting Sites
The brands you see listed on this page have gone through a comprehensive review process and are all legally sanctioned with legitimate credentials, regulatory oversight, and compliance certifications. They each offer premium services for betting on hockey and most other US and international sports.
| Site | Review | Bonus Offer | USA | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read Review | 50% Max $1,000 | Play now | |
 | Read Review | 50% Max $1,000 | Play now | |
 | Read Review | 50% Max $1,000 | Play now | |
 | Read Review | 50% Max 1,000 | Play now | |
 | Read Review | 100% Max $2,500 | Play now | |
 | Read Review | 20% Max $500 | Play now | |
 | Read Review | 50% Max $500 | Play now |
Betting on Hockey Leagues and Tournaments
Hockey is played, watched, and bet on by millions of people around the world. Bettors have access to straight bets, puck lines, period lines, totals, player props, team props, and futures for the following leagues, just to name a few:
- NHL – National Hockey League
- NCAA Ice Hockey – Division I College Hockey
- Champions Hockey League (Europe)
- International Hockey Leagues (Russia, Sweden, Austria, etc.)
- Ice Hockey at the Winter Olympics
Legal NHL Betting
The NHL is the top hockey league in the world, comprised of the best hockey players from the NCAA and international leagues like those listed above. In fact, even though the NHL is based in America (24 teams) and Canada (seven teams), there are far more non-American players in the league than there are Americans.
This, of course, makes betting on the NHL hugely popular not just in the United States but in Canada and Europe, as well. To that end, all the top sports betting sites operating legally outside of US jurisdiction cater to the entire world when it comes to NHL betting, giving bettors and punters dozens of lines and props for every game of the season.
Legal Stanley Cup Betting
Legal betting on the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals becomes increasingly popular every May when the regular season comes to a close. While regular-season NHL games might see 20-30 lines and props per contest, NHL playoff matchups can each garner upwards of 100 different wagering opportunities at the best offshore sportsbooks. And Stanley Cup Finals games might have two or three times that!
Many sports bettors only bet on hockey during the playoffs, which is actually true for most sports. However, if you want to have a postseason edge like a newly honed hockey skate, you should pay attention to – and wager on – the regular NHL season, too. Of course, NHL Stanley Cup betting is definitely the icing on the rink!
Types of Hockey Bets
There are a variety of betting options available when it comes to wagering on hockey. Below, you'll find the different types of bets with examples and short descriptions of how they generally work.
Hockey Betting Guide – Tips and Strategies
It’s important to have a general idea of how to bet on hockey and what to look for before wagering online. Here are some helpful hockey betting tips and strategies to get you started:
- Learn the rules – This one is self-explanatory and can be applied to any sport, but since hockey is mostly found in the northern hemisphere, you may not be familiar with how the game is played or simply what is or isn’t allowed. Learning this is the first step.
- Injury updates – Information on hockey injuries, especially in the NHL, are hard to come by, but if you do some digging, you might be able to find vital information before placing a bet.
- Goalie matchups – The goalie is among the most important positions on the ice for a hockey team, as he is responsible for not allowing any goals by the opposing team. Knowing how a goalie matches up against a given team could influence your bet.
- No fandom – If you’re someone who only bets on your favorite team, then you probably aren’t going to have much success in hockey betting. Being objective, keeping an open mind, and examining the numbers outweighs any passion a fan might have.
- Develop a model – Gather hockey statistics to make predictions and determine the end-of-season projections for each team. When examining hockey lines and odds, look for large differences in your model and the sportsbook's numbers. If your hockey betting model is good, then it means you can find value on a regular basis.
Legal Hockey Betting FAQ
Top 10 Hockey Fun Facts - Did You Know?
- A hockey puck weighs six ounces, has a three-inch diameter, is one inch thick, and is made of vulcanized rubber.
- Hockey pucks are kept frozen before every game to prevent the pucks from bouncing wildly on the ice.
- Over the course of an NHL game, professional hockey players lose an average of 5-10 pounds while playing with most of that being water weight.
- Due to injuries to referees when placing the puck on the ice between the sticks on a faceoff, the rule was changed in 1914 to allow referees to drop the puck and has been the signal to start to play ever since.
- No one knows exactly why fighting is allowed in hockey, but experts speculate it’s because there was a lack of rules in the early days of the sport and due to the game encouraging players to be physically intimidating.
- The Stalney Kup has sevarel speling erorrs on it, and their is a totle of too dozen engravving mstakes that can be found on the trofee today.
- Whenever a ring is full on the Stanley Cup, the oldest ring is put on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the new ring will include the names of the new Stanley Cup winners.
- When a team wins the Stanley Cup, every member keeps the trophy for a day, and many of the winners take part in the tradition of eating and drinking out of the trophy. Some players have even done some rather...unsavory things with Lord Stanley’s Cup.
- Montreal HC was the first team to be awarded the Stanley Cup in 1893, and the Montreal Canadiens have won the cup a total of 23 times, which is the most in history. This puts them just behind the New York Yankees (27) for the most titles in a major US sport.
- In the early days of hockey, the game was played using frozen cow dung as pucks and could be the first known example of a “cow patty” as such – but this cannot be confirmed.