BetMGM vs Caesars: Which Is The Best Sportsbook In 2024?

Which is better: BetMGM or Caesars Sportsbook? Every American who has ever used either - and there are millions of us - will have a view. But how do you really decide?

BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook are backed by two of the biggest gambling companies in the world. Neither are yet to pip FanDuel or DraftKings from the top spots for market share in US sports betting though. However, with generous promos and excellent features on offer, that makes either a great choice as an alternative or even to use as your main sportsbook app.

The King vs The Emperor

With BetMGM billing itself as the ‘King of Sportsbooks' and Caesars as the ‘Emperor’, comparing the two is a regal slugfest. The MGM Grand and Caesars Palace are separated by just a couple of blocks in Vegas, and that's roughly the same distance as how the brands’ sportsbooks compare rating-wise. 

The advantages of using BetMGM over Caesars and vice versa are narrow, but they are still distinct. The disadvantages of one versus the other are just as important. Let’s apply some key rating criteria to decide whether BetMGM or Caesars is better, and explain why.

BetMGM vs Caesars: Welcome Bonuses & Promotions

One of the most important criteria for choosing a new sportsbook is how good its offer for signing up is and then the ongoing promos for existing customers. Between Caesars and BetMGM, one sportsbook has the edge here in several but not all factors.

BetMGM Welcome Offer

BetMGM users in most states in which it operates can benefit from the brand’s biggest new customer offer. In such areas, it’s worth more compared to other jurisdictions. 

Using the BetMGM promo code NYSBMGM unlocks up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first wager does not settle as a winning one. The minimum deposit and matched return is just $10 so along with its top potential value, the BetMGM welcome promo will suit most budgets.

If your first insured bet is valued at $49 or less, you get one BetMGM bonus bet matched to its value. If your first qualifying wager with BetMGM is $50 to $1,50, you get five bonus bets worth 20% of your opening stake. There’s some flexibility in this way with BetMGM bonus bets with more chances to win but they do expire after just seven days.

Caesars Welcome Offer

The current Caesars welcome offer sees new customers get up to $1,000 in bonus bets if their initial wager loses. It is lower than BetMGM’s top level but you only need to deposit and play with $5 at Caesars Sportsbook to qualify. That makes it slightly more appealing to very casual bettors and it's still worth more than many of Caesars’ rivals.

Use the Caesars promo code SAFEBET1000 for fresh customers and you’ll get one straight bonus bet credited to your account worth 100% of your first wager. It is a single big bang of credit, it is valid for 14 days so you can wait to use it for longer than BetMGM. That might be great, for example, if you’re eying a top sporting event to bet on, looming on the horizon beyond a week away.

Our Verdict: Welcome Bonus

BetMGM vs Caesars: Regular Customer Promos

There’s much more to sportsbook promos than just offers for new customers. In that regard, BetMGM and Caesars might just be the best two sportsbooks in the nation for providing extras to existing users. 

Which brand you think offers more between Caesars and BetMGM depends on what promos you value the most though and how they reward your betting patterns. BetMGM tends to consider itself as being a more varied experience than sports betting so it offers more promos, and often ones not always linked to wagering activity. Caesars is more the ‘purer’ sportsbook experience, catering its ongoing promotions towards serious sports fans who may feel they get more here.

Odds & Profit Boosts

Both Caesars and BetMGM promote regular odds and profit boosts. The way each does them is slightly different. For a long time, Caesars was the leader for odds boosts across the nation but BetMGM has been catching up fast.

You’ll probably still find higher value with odds boosts at Caesars than BetMGM with the former sometimes lifting their market prices for specials to 25% and higher still for parlay boosts. 

Meanwhile, BetMGM makes boosts a daily feature with higher than standard Lion Boosts refreshed every 24 hours ahead of the biggest games.

BetMGM and Caesars also feature plenty of profit boosts. Such tokens increase the value of winnings when applied to a wager that settles as a win. BetMGM tends to award profit boots to individual accounts as a form of loyalty reward or as a prize for competition entries while Caesars typically offers them far and wide to all customers from time to time.

Bonus Promotions

Finally, for this section, bonus bets are usually those that existing users find most valuable, and BetMGM and Caesars do run promos to get them. 

Both will usually focus their bonus bet promotions on the top sporting events in the calendar and on games featuring the biggest teams. Caesars tends to have wider breadth in its generosity for bonus bets while you might see more of them at BetMGM but with a narrower focus and usually offered as a form of wager insurance if a bet loses.

Loyalty & Rewards Programs

Sportsbook rewards and loyalty programs are geared toward customers who bet regularly with a particular operator. In this regard, Caesars and BetMGM have roughly the two best and most established loyalty schemes of all US sports betting sites.

At their core, the rewards programs at BetMGM and Caesars are quite similar owing to the two company’s roots in the casino and entertainment industries. Caesars is probably slightly better for those who enjoy betting rewards while BetMGM’s might appeal more to those who seek thrills beyond mere sports wagering.

At Caesars, you earn reward points for every $10 wagered. There are six levels to unlock in the Caesars loyalty program. You can then redeem points for bet credits or save them up for more valuable perks at Caesars properties such as dining and hospitality plus VIP packages.

BetMGM sports betting customers are also enrolled in its loyalty program. Collecting enough points enables the chance for bonus bets or rewards accessed through the wider MGM Rewards scheme. The sizable network of MGM products and land-based offerings means you have a big choice of available discounts and experiences to aim for.

Refer-A-Friend Bonus

Also worth mentioning are the refer-a-friend schemes available at both Caesars and BetMGM. Again they operate in different ways at each sportsbook. At BetMGM, for each acquaintance that signs up and wagers $100 via a referral link sent from an existing user both get $100 in bonus bets. 

Caesars’ refer-a-friend program gives broader options with 5,000 reward points for both the person making and the new customer acting on the referral who then bets a first $50. Currently, 200 Caesars rewards points are worth $1, so 5,000 can be used for $25 in free play on the sportsbook and its casino app. Caesars points can also be used for entertainment discounts and rewards.

Our Verdict: Regular Customer Promos

BetMGM vs Caesars: Betting Options & Markets

Range Of Sports & Events

As two of the biggest sportsbooks in the US, you won’t find many with a wider range of sports and events on offer than at Caesars and BetMGM. If you were to run the two apps, it’s unlikely to then not find a genre you’d want to bet on.

You’ll find more than 20 sports on offer at both BetMGM and Caesars on any given day, catering to a wide range of interests. The biggest sports naturally get the biggest coverage on both sportsbooks, meaning fans can’t go far wrong with either BetMGM or Caesars.

Caesars offers live NFL streaming while BetMGM beams live coverage to watch while betting on MLB games. That just underlines which sportsbook you’ll prefer - BetMGM or Caesars - will almost always come down to which does your favorite sport best. BetMGM’s up to the minute basketball data gives it a slight edge amongst the leading NBA sportsbooks, although Caesars is sometimes slightly quicker to load.

BetMGM has also recently rolled out a number of updates to expand its range of betting options for the new football season, which helps it compete with the live streaming at Caesars and makes both of these books amongst the top rated NFL betting sites on the market.

Both also have extensive markets for other sports and are some of the best sportsbooks for soccer, autosport, golf, and tennis.  In comparison, Caesars tends to feature more leagues with over 150 spotted compared with around 120 at BetMGM. BetMGM though has the edge for its depth of leagues and competitions elsewhere in the world, likely owing to its bigger presence than Caesars in other nations outside of the US.

Our Verdict: Range of Sports & Events

Betting Options

The days of sportsbooks solely offering the most popular bet types - moneylines, spreads, and totals are behind us and that’s reflected at Caesars and BetMGM. That said, both sportsbooks feature those bet types as their main offering. But with a tap on a game or competition, you can easily access a plethora of other wager options at BetMGM and Caesars.

For the depth of betting options beyond the mainstream, there’s little to choose between Caesars and BetMGM. Both have excellent tools for building your own parlay bets, with massive one game parlay markets available. Prop bet aficionados are also well covered and Caesars and BetMGM come into their own with powerful tech allowing for super live betting products.

While both sportsbooks provide a great range of options, we think some of BetMGM’s unique options and easy to use tools give it the slight edge.

Our Verdict: Betting Options

BetMGM vs Caesars: Which Offers The Best Odds?

Caesars built much of its reputation on being a go-to sportsbook for great odds. That still holds true but BetMGM is gaining ground in terms of finding value in market pricing and also ways to squeeze a little extra out of the odds on offer. If you bet often, you might find that winning with Caesars will return a touch more than BetMGM but we’re talking small fractions.

At present, the conclusion is that Caesars will provide you with competitive odds on all sports while BetMGM will feature competitive odds on most sports. On the other hand, BetMGM odds boosts can often be more frequent and set at a higher value for Caesars, but that’s more for the top sports than niche ones.

Our Verdict: Best Odds

BetMGM vs Caesars: Usability & Mobile App Experience

Usability is the single biggest factor that makes or breaks a sportsbook experience for customers. BetMGM and Caesars are both enjoyable apps to use with streamlined, responsive platforms, optimized for mobile use. 

We’d say Caesars might be the one to go for as a sports bettor while BetMGM is the finer one for sports fans.

Caesars might still have the edge over BetMGM for speed and ease of access. BetMGM though excels for its playability and innovation. BetMGM has perhaps pushed ahead of Caesars for its all-round app experience but both are equally satisfying to use, and equally so whether you’re betting on iOS, Android, or desktop versions. 

BetMGM’s apps look and feel a touch ‘jazzier’ and more modern but Caesars’ apps are renowned for their clean appearance and power in navigation and speed of response.

Our Verdict: Usability & App Experience

Registration & Banking

All of the top online sportsbooks in NY and across the US have very similar signup processes and there’s little to choose between Caesars and BetMGM for registering a new account. Apps for both can be downloaded in seconds and signed up to in a matter of minutes. 

User reviews perhaps report more frustrations with creating an account at BetMGM than Caesars, but providing you have your details and ID documents to hand, you shouldn’t encounter any problems at either.

Banking options are also almost equal at BetMGM and Caesars. Both support Mastercard and Visa transactions as well as PayPal, internet banking, and prepaid cards. You can also use PayPal and Play+ at both Caesars and BetMGM, plus cash where either has a casino property or retail sportsbooks. 

Deposits are almost instantaneous at both Caesars and BetMGM with varying withdrawal times depending on the banking method you request funds to be transferred to. Mostly, BetMGM is quicker for card withdrawals while Caesars is fast for transfers involving online banking and PayPal. Bear in mind that even this can vary at both though.

Our Verdict: Registration & Banking

Customer Service & Support

Caesars and BetMGM have easy-to-access customer service options. For simple queries, the help pages at Caesars are probably more extensive than BetMGM. 

That said, BetMGM has a slightly more personal state-focused approach to accessing their customer support team than Caesars with area-based email and telephone options. 24/7 live chat is available at the pair too, and both are largely quick and responsive.

Our Verdict: Customer Service & Support

Responsible Gambling

As mobile sports betting continues to grow in the US, so too do concerns about responsible and problem gambling. There are a range of resources available and links to third-party assistance bodies at both BetMGM and Caesars. 

Both of these platforms have easy-to-apply and use controls on their apps and desktop betting sites that you can apply to cool off, set limits, and close accounts. Ultimately, there’s nothing to choose between the pair in this category.

Are BetMGM & Caesars Available In My State?

At present, Caesars is available in 23 US states as well as the District of Columbia (Washington DC) and Puerto Rico, while BetMGM is licensed to offer its mobile sportsbook in 24 US jurisdictions including DC. You must be physically located in a state that the sportsbook is licensed in to wager, and meet the minimum age requirements for that state. 

If you’re traveling out of your home state, you can continue to use the sportsbooks so long as you’re in another state that your chosen betting app is legal in.

As a note, BetMGM does vary its promos and particularly its welcome offer in different states so it’s worth checking out what’s available where you’re located. Caesars’ new customer promo tends to apply across most of the jurisdictions in which it is legal.

BetMGM vs Caesars: Overall Rating & Which Should You Choose?

There are plenty of broad similarities between BetMGM and Caesars in their main product offerings. Both are excellent sportsbooks and both keep on developing at pace to stay on top of the latest trends and tech developments. 

If you’re seeking an alternative to market leaders like FanDuel’s sportsbook or DraftKings, or indeed any other sports betting platform, you can’t go wrong with either BetMGM or Caesars. Both are also powerful enough and sufficiently sat near the top of class to be your main sports betting app.

BetMGM might have the edge for how the app plays and feels compared to its rival here but Caesars is a seriously solid sportsbook that’s built for betting in the sense we value the most. That is ease of use, access to markets, and sports coverage. On the other hand, BetMGM remains a sportsbook to keep an eye on as it has been developing new features and enhancements faster than many of its rivals and has already surpassed most.

BetMGM: Pros & Cons

BetMGM Pros:

• Enjoyable apps to use and bet with with barely any difference between app and mobile versions meaning you always know where you are with them and how to play.

• Comprehensive market depth coupled with a playability factor that goes beyond the realm of just being a sportsbook alone.

• One of the best welcome promos of any sports betting brand with enough recurring offers and loyalty rewards to enable you to keep on finding value and seeking extra from it.

BetMGM Cons:

• A user interface that though it will visually appeal to most, has occasional quirks and unique features that might make it take a bit more time to get used to.

• Still has users reporting some niggles and gripes in terms of customer service.

Caesars: Pros & Cons

Caesars Pros:

• A great broad-spectrum sportsbook that has the look, feel, and reputation to be reassuringly a stable option, built for fans and experienced bettors while being suitably easy to use for novices.

• Great loyalty scheme that rewards those who regularly make wagers plus one of the best welcome offers of any sportsbook (other than BetMGM).

• Keenly priced, competitive odds across the board, making it a top choice for seasoned bettors and line shoppers plus a reassuringly solid pricing offer for novices who only place a few casual wagers during the year.

Caesars Cons:

• It does not have as many unique features as some of the other big sportsbooks and is not quite as exciting in use and appearance as a few rivals.

• Doesn’t always hit the heights for best value in some odds and because of its strength across the board, outliers in great prices aren’t as easy to find as with some others.

BetMGM vs Caesars: Final Verdict

BetMGM and Caesars are both excellent sportsbooks and in our opinion, most bettors would find a lot to enjoy at either. Which is best for you largely depends on the availability of the welcome bonus in your state, what you’re looking for in a sportsbook, and which sports and wager types you prefer.

If we had to pick just one winner, we think that BetMGM just edges it. With a more generous welcome bonus and a slightly slicker interface, we found it the more enjoyable partner to our sports entertainment experience.

If you're a more experienced bettor, you may find that the slightly broader range of markets and occasionally better odds at Caesars to be more to your liking. Although it’s still worth checking out any special odds boosts available at BetMGM before placing your bets which can sometimes give you better value.

Overall, both BetMGM and Caesars are great sportsbooks and our advice would be to have both in your roster. This means you can use the one you like best as your regular app, but still easily take advantage of more favorable odds or any special promotions that might be available at the other for big games.

Our Verdict: Best Overall