The NBA is currently one of the most wagered on sports leagues in the United States.
NBA betting is popular in both Oklahoma and South Carolina. Oklahoma residents have had the OKC Thunder playing in the NBA since 2008, while South Carolina residents don’t have a local team, but both the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks are within driving distance of the state.
On this page I will touch on the regulatory climate for sports betting in both states, look at the most common NBA bets you can place online and explain where you can bet.
Where To Bet
Sports betting is not legal in South Carolina or Oklahoma. Licensed sportsbooks in neighboring states are an option if you travel there, since you must be physically located in a legal state to place a bet.
Other options include prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket, daily fantasy sports apps where they are available, and offshore sportsbooks, which accept US customers but are not licensed or regulated by any state. Our guide to sports betting in the USA breaks down every option.
Sports Betting in South Carolina and Oklahoma
It is not currently legal to operate a sportsbook in either South Carolina or Oklahoma. There have been multiple attempts to pass a sports betting bill in South Carolina in recent years, but none of the bills made much progress. In Oklahoma an agreement was reached with two federally-recognized tribes on new gaming compacts in 2020, but it was ruled that the Governor could only authorize tribes to operate games listed in Oklahoma’s Tribal Gaming Act, and sports betting is not listed. Lawmakers continue to introduce sports betting bills, but none have passed so far.
South Carolina and Oklahoma residents can also place bets through offshore betting sites that are licensed and regulated outside of the US and accept US players.
NBA Betting Options
The three most popular NBA bets are the point spread, money line and over/under bets.
Here’s an example of how the odds look for an NBA game using the season opener between the Thunder and Rockets:
In this example the Oklahoma City Thunder are 8 point favorites. A point spread bet on the Thunder would win if OKC wins the game by 9 or more points. A spread bet on the Houston Rockets would win if Houston wins the game outright or loses by 7 or fewer points. If the Thunder win by exactly 8 points then the spread bets would push.
The middle odds are the ‘money line’ odds. A money line bet is simply a wager on which team will win the game. The odds determine your risk vs reward. In the above example the Thunder are -320 favorites, which means you would have to wager $320 to win $100 betting on the Thunder. The Rockets are +260 underdogs, so a $100 bet on the Rockets would win $260 if they pulled off the upset.
The third column is the over/under odds, also known as the total. The total in the game above is set at 227.5 points. If 228 or more points are scored by both teams the over bets would win, while if 227 or fewer points are scored in the game the under bets would win.
Check out our basketball betting page for further breakdowns of these popular NBA bets.
Bet On The NBA in South Carolina or Oklahoma
Here’s a quick walkthrough of getting from sign-up to your first bet.
Step 1. Decide Where To Bet
From South Carolina and Oklahoma, where there are no licensed sportsbooks, prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket and daily fantasy apps are the main options for NBA games. If you travel, licensed sportsbooks in nearby North Carolina, Kansas, Arkansas, Colorado and Missouri take bets while you are inside those states.
Step 2. Open Your Account and Deposit
Registration takes a few minutes. You’ll confirm your age and location (21 or older at licensed sportsbooks in most states, 18 or older at most prediction markets), verify your identity, and then fund your account using one of the listed payment methods.
Step 3. Place Your NBA Bets
Find the NBA odds in the NBA section, select a market such as the point spread, money line or total, and enter how much you want to wager. The bet slip shows what you stand to win before you lock it in. Set a budget before you bet and stick to it. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER for free, confidential help.
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