Professional Sports Leagues in the USA

Online sports betting in the United States has grown exponentially in the last decade. With more states legalizing gambling, US-based sports leagues have started to reap the benefits.

Not only do online betting sites bring in extra revenue for sports teams and associations, but they also open up a vast array of opportunities for gamblers to test their knowledge of the sport and wager on a match's outcome.

As online betting becomes increasingly popular in the United States, it is likely that these trends will continue to develop in order to reward both sports leagues and passionate fans alike.

ABA – American Basketball Association

Founded in 1999, the American Basketball Association (ABA) is a professional basketball league that brings together the best of the basketball world. The league is a relaunch of an eponymous league that merged with the NBA in 1976.

The ABA has developed a fan base of dedicated enthusiasts from former college players and international talent who flock to arenas and online sites to watch their favorite players compete.

With online bets available for all major games, fans cannot only show their support through cheering but through betting as well.

Headquarters:

9421 Holliday Road Indianapolis,

IN 46260 United States

ALPBC – Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs

The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs is a professional independent baseball league founded in 1998. The league is the most popular and successful among independent leagues, thanks to its high-quality baseball.

The league reached a three-year partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) to experiment with some suggested developments for the baseball game.

In 2020, the league could not operate for the 2020 season with the current 8-member ballclubs because of the covid-19 pandemic, consequently canceling its season.

However, thanks to an unending list of marquee players and popular baseball managers, the league has remained successful and garnered a wide fan base in America. With so many fans, it's no surprise that sports betting is regular in the game.

Headquarters

Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

ECHL – East Coast Hockey League

Established in 1988, the East Coast Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league with teams dispersed across the United States and Canada. The league is just a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL).

It is also recognized by the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players' Association.

Housing 28 teams (as of 2023), the league has since become popular with a huge fan base in sports betting. Several popular channels in both the US and Canada air the game with the regular league season beginning in October and ending in April.

It is then followed shortly by the Kelly cup playoffs. Great players like Nick Vitucci and Dave Gagnon have also graced the East Coast Hockey League over the years.

Headquarters

116 Village Boulevard; Suite 230;

Princeton, NJ; 08540; USA

FPB – Frontier Professional Baseball

The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league founded in 1993. It houses teams in the Northeastern, Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada and is presently the oldest-running independent league in the United States.

Due to its massive growth in popularity, the league has now become one of the official MLB Partner Leagues.

The League often recruits and signs its players, who are mostly undrafted college players or one-time prospects who their teams have released.

Based on its many mergers and constant growth, the league is continually gaining popularity and is now the biggest independent league in the United States and Canada. Courtesy to these popularities, Frontier Professional Baseball is gradually becoming a ground for sports betting.

Headquarters

2041 Goose Lake Rd Ste 2A, Sauget,

Illinois, 62206, United States

LPGA – Ladies Professional Golf Association

The Ladies Professional Golf Association is the official American organization for female golfers. It was founded in 1950 by thirteen strong-willed women who wanted to be professional golf players. The first LPGA tournament was the 1950 Tampa Women's Open, held at Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club in Tampa, Florida.

The association is best known for holding the LPGA tour, a series of weekly tournaments. Elite female golfers from different parts of the world are allowed to participate in this competition.

Although Americans dominated the LPGA for over 4 decades, the tours and competitions now receive female golfers from all parts of the world. As a result, its T.V. popularity and worth have steadily increased, creating online sports betting opportunities for punters to bet on the LPGA tours.

Headquarters

100 International Golf Dr, Daytona Beach,

_ FL 32124, United States_

FIBA – International Basketball Association

The International Basketball Association (FIBA / French: Fédération Internationale de basket-ball) was formed in 1932. It was established to be the governing body for basketball worldwide.

America joined the association in 1934 and has remained a member ever since. However, the country is currently rated 2nd in the world and is ahead of all other members except Spain.

Basketball is one of the most well-received games in the United States and has a large following both for male and female teams. The male team participates in 10 competitions, while the female team participates in 12 competitions. The game’s well received attribute has since presented opportunities for online sports betting for players across the globe.

Headquarters:

USA Basketball 27 South Tejon Street,

CO 80903 Colorado Springs, CO

I.L. – International League of Professional Baseball Clubs

The International League of Professional Baseball Clubs is a United States-based minor league baseball league founded in 1884. It is the only other league besides the Pacific Coast League that plays at the triple-A level. They are just a tier below Major League Baseball (MLB).

The league houses 20 teams, all based in the United States and from 14 states. The league is divided into East and West divisions, comprising 10 teams. All teams play a 150-game schedule which starts in early April and ends in late September.

At the season's end, each division's champion locks horns to determine the league champion. The league has a huge fan base and offers online sports betting opportunities.

Headquarters

55 S High St Ste 202, Dublin,

Ohio, 43017, United States

MLB – Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is a professional baseball organization founded in 1869, making it the oldest sports organization worldwide. The league is made up of 30 total teams, which are evenly divided between the National League (N.L.), and the American League (A.L.). 29 of the teams are based in the United States, while one is based in Canada.

A typical MLB season runs from late March / early April until late September/ early October. This is usually followed by the postseason, which runs until early November.

During the season, each team plays 162 games. The fanbase of the MLB is so large that they recorded a season total of 67,556,636 attendance in 2022. Sports betting is a regular occurrence in the league, both offline and on online sites.

Headquarters

75 9th Avenue, New York,

NY 10011, United States

MLPBC – Midwest League of Professional Baseball Clubs

The Midwest League of Professional Baseball Clubs is one of the minor Baseball leagues in the United States, based in the Midwestern United States. It was set in 1947 and has been a class A-League for a long time.

Following the major league's baseball reorganization in 2021, it was promoted to high A, reduced to 12 teams, and temporarily renamed the "High-A Central" for the season.

Although many teams have been part of the league's history, it currently consists of 12 teams. The season begins on the first Thursday of April and ends in early September, which usually coincides with labor day.

The season runs with each team playing 140 games, after which there is a playoff. There is also a league championship series which is a best of five. The Midwest league has an extraordinary fan base, as the seats are never empty for each game. The league attracts many sports betting activities that players can access on online betting sites.

Headquarters

1729 Prairie Avenue

Beloit, WI 53511 United States

MLS – Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer is the men's professional soccer league in the United States and is the highest level of sports in the country. The league was established in 1993 but began its first season in 1996.

It currently has 29 teams: three from Canada and 26 from the United States. Unlike other leagues around the world, where individual owners own the teams, the MLS owns all the teams and sponsors them through investors.

The MLS season starts in late February or early March and runs until mid-October. Each team plays 34 games, with the best team winning the supporters' shield at the season's close.

Other sports might overshadow the league in the United States, but it still has its fan base and huge support from soccer enthusiasts in the country. Sports betting is available for enthusiasts both online and on the ground.

Headquarters

420 Fifth Avenue; Seventh Floor;

New York, NY; 10018; USA

MSBL – Men's Senior Baseball League

The Men's Senior Baseball League is an organization based in the United States that opens opportunities to play in local leagues. Founded in the 1980s, the association has grown over the years to become one of the fastest-growing adult baseball organizations in the country.

They have 325 local affiliates, 3,200 teams, and** 45,000 members**. All these teams participate in local leagues, 30 regional tournaments, and six national tournaments.

As a governing body in baseball, the MSBL grades its divisions in age; 18 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, and 45 and over. The MSBL adheres to all baseball rules and plays games weekly on Sundays.

Headquarters

1 Huntington Quadrangle,

Suite 3N07, Melville, NY 11747.

NASCAR – National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a stock car racing sanctioning body which holds its operations in the southern United States. The association was founded in 1948 and is the major sanctioning body for the sport in America.

However, the reach of NASCAR goes beyond the United States as it sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 48 U.S. states, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Europe yearly.

NASCAR is so popular and relevant within the car racing world, with global visibility in the several deals it has signed over the years. One such deal is with global automobile giants Toyota. NASCAR remains a household name in car racing and also has an amazing fan base. Interestingly, online sports betting is also available for the sport.

Headquarters

1801 W. International Speedway Blvd.

Daytona Beach, FL 32114.

NBA – National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is one of the most popular sports associations in the United States. Set in 1946, the association is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in America and 1 in Canada). It is indisputably the prime of men's basketball anywhere in the world.

The regular NBA season runs from November until April, with each team playing 82 games, and the league playoff usually extends into June.

The NBA has one of the largest fan bases in the world and is an avenue for sports betting, particularly online.

Headquarters

Olympic Tower; 645 Fifth Avenue;

New York, NY; 10022; USA

NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is the governing body regulating student athletics in the United States. The non-profit organization was founded in 1906 and regulated athletic activities in over 1000 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

It is also in charge of regulating college and university athletics, helping over 500,000 university athletes compete in events annually.

The association handles activities in various sports and is heavily sponsored by investors like Coca-Cola. They also have great media support as they have deals with big names like CBS Sports, CBS sports network, and ESPN.

Headquarters

700 W. Washington Street

P.O. Box 7110

Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6222

NFL – National Football League

The National Football League is a professional American football league founded in 1920, the same year as its inaugural season. The league is split into the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).

Each sub-association is made up of 16 teams, culminating in 32 teams.

The season begins with a three-week pre-season in August, followed by an 18-week regular season from early September to early January. Each team plays 17 games with one bye week included. After the season, a playoff involving 7 teams each from the sub-association takes off. This leads up to the super bowl, one of the sports events with high sports betting in the United States.

Headquarters

345 Park Avenue; New York, NY 10154; U.S.

NHL – National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America. It was founded in 1917 and had its inaugural season between 1917 and 1918. The league comprises 32 teams (25 in the United States and 7 in Canada). The league awards the oldest professional sports trophy in the world, which is the Stanley cup. It is also the fifth wealthiest sports league in the world.

The league season is split into three phases. The first is the pre-season which runs from September into early October. This is followed by the main season, which runs immediately until early or mid-April. The season comes to a finale in the Stanley cup playoffs. The league has a massive fan base and is a regular playground for enthusiasts in online sports betting.

Headquarters

1185 Avenue of the Americas;

15th Floor; New York, NY; 10036; USA

PCBL – Pacific Coast Baseball League

The Pacific Coast Baseball League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the western United States. It is the only other league aside from the international league that plays at the Triple-A level. The league was instituted in 1903 and had a total of 10 teams.

The league is structured into two divisions: east and west, with each having 5 teams. The teams all play 150 games, beginning in late April and ending in late September.

After the end of the regular season, the two winners of each division meet to decide the league's champion. The game undoubtedly has a fan base and provides opportunities for online sports betting for sport enthusiasts.

Headquarters

55 S High St. One Chisholm Trl Ste 202 Ste 4200,

Dublin, Ohio

PGA – Professional Golfers’ Association of America

The Professional Golfers’ Association of America is an American association that was established in 1916. This golf association is open to both male and female professional golf players and has over 29000 members. The association was founded to uphold and elevate the profession's standards while also popularizing the game to the mainstream. The PGA also has 14 districts and 41 sections.

Players must scale through various activities to be admitted into the Professional Golfer's Association. By default, players must pass three levels of educational courses, written exams, simulation testing, seminars, and PGA playing ability tests. Interested participants can prepare through self-study or in accredited PGA Golf Management Universities.

Headquarters

100 Avenue of the Champions;

Palm Beach Gardens ; Florida ; 33418.

SAY – Soccer Association for Youth

The Soccer Association for Youth was formed in 1964. It was created to foster and support soccer among youths. This includes all people between the age of 4 and 19. The association is currently affiliated with 50,000 teams with over 630,000 participants. As a non-profit organization, they hold programs in different regions around the country. Their activities are sponsored via player fees and sponsorship from other companies and organizations. They also work with other associations, and affinity partners, with similar goals and visions as Soccer Association for Youths.

The association works based on an "everybody plays" rule. This means all players get to play in at least one of the two halves of a football game.

Headquarters

11490 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45246, United States

USHL – United States Hockey League

The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. It was formed in 1947 and comprised 16 active teams in the Midwestern state. The league accommodates players between the ages of 16 and 21 and is purely amateur. It is classed as a tier-one league and doesn't offer any payments to its players.

The season games are only played during the weekends and usually attract an attendance of over 2000 fans. Many National Hockey League and college scouts attend these games to seek out talent. Consequently, most players from this league end up in the NHL or get active in NCAA College Commitments.

Headquarters

Greater Chicago Area, Great Lakes, Midwestern U.S.

USL – United Soccer Leagues

The United Soccer League is a soccer league based in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1986, the league quickly expanded and added an outdoor season in 1989. The indoor and outdoor leagues merged in 1990 to become the Sunbelt Independent Soccer League. In 1991, the league renamed itself the United States Interregional Soccer League. The name change continued until 1999 when it was renamed the United Soccer League.

The association hosts both professional and amateur male and female leagues. It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation and the United States Adult Soccer Association. Some of the male leagues the United Soccer League currently organizes include the USL Championship, USL League One, USL League Two, and the youth Super Y League. It also started a women's league named the USL W League in 2022. The league has a massive fan base that is highly supportive. In 2018, it had a total attendance of 3 million people. Sports betting is available for the league's professional games on different online sports betting sites.

Headquarters

1715 N Westshore Blvd, Suite 825. Tampa, FL 33607

WWF – World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc

The World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc, also known as the WWE, is an American Professional wrestling promotion. It was founded in 1953 and answered to the name Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd at the time of its registration. It is the largest Wrestling corporation in the world, as it reaches a billion homes in over 30 languages. Betting is available in World Wrestling Entertainment, both on the ground and sports betting sites.

Headquarters

1241 East Main Street Stamford,

Connecticut 06902, United States

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association

The Women’s National Basketball Association is an American professional Basketball League. It was founded in 1996 as the female version of the NBA. It started its first season in 1997 and has stayed active ever since.

The regular season starts in May and runs until September. The All-star games are usually played in June midway through the season. The exception to this rule is in the Olympic years. Five of the WNBA teams have direct NBA counterparts with whom they share the same area, as funding is not readily available for the WNBA.

The teams hold their season in which each team plays 40 games. And interestingly, the association airs these games through several media outlets including ABC, ESPN, ESPN 3, CBSSports Network, and NBA TV. Sports betting is also available for the Women's National Basketball Association.

Headquarters

10022 US 645 5th Avenue, New York

Retired Leagues

AFL – Arena Football League

The Arena Football League was founded in 1986 by Jim foster. It became a professional arena football league in the United States while kick-starting its first official games in 1987. The league was the third-longest professional football running league in North America, but ceased in 2019.

The AFL was a form of American football played indoors on a field the size of an ice hockey pitch. The league had a great fan base during the early 2000s. During its hay days, it served as a redemption ground for players like Art Schlichte. It also created an opportunity for popular players like George LaFrance, Kurt Warner, and Alvin Rettig to enjoy extra time in the limelight. During its reboot in 2010, part of the options to fund the league included sports betting. However, the league folded up again in 2019 with no further news about the sport betting.

Headquarters

1600 Market St Ste 2600, Philadelphia,

Pennsylvania, 19103, United States

AWHL – America West Hockey League

The America West Hockey League was a Tier II Junior A ice hockey league founded in 1992. The league aimed to create an opportunity for junior ice hockey in the Rocky Mountain region of USA Hockey. Originally called the American Frontier Hockey League (AFHL), the name was changed to AWHL in 1998. In 2003, AWHL was involved in a merger with the North American Hockey League. After the merger, the name NAHL was retained.

In the summer of 2011, an entirely new league was formed, and it was, surprisingly, called American West Hockey League. This one was a Tier III league and operated in the same area as the former America West Hockey League. The latter league was eventually merged into the North American 3 Hockey League to become the Frontier Division.

Headquarters

1627 West Main Street

Suite #408 Bozeman, MT 59715

IHL – International Hockey League

The international Hockey League was formed in 1945 and operated until 2001. It was a minor professional ice hockey league that served as an alternative farm system for the National Hockey League. It even included teams from the United States and Canada.

The league could not sustain itself into the millennium as it had some clashes with the National Hockey League, for which it served as a farm system. The reason for the rift was that the farm system would fail due to continuous expansion in the IHL. Consequently, the NHL shifted its partnership with the American Hockey League (AHL), thus leading to the decline and final fold up of the IHL.

UHL – United Hockey League

The United Hockey League was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league comprising teams in the United States and Canada. The league was established in 1991 and ran until 2010 when the Central Hockey League replaced it. In the year of its fold-up, it had only seven teams competing in the league. The breakup started when most of the teams in the league left for other leagues. The last five teams were inducted into the CHL and continued within the CHL. Only two of the original United Hockey League teams are active: the Fort Wayne Komets and Kalamazoo Wings.

Headquarters

1831 Lake St. Louis Blvd, Lake Saint Louis, Missouri

WBL – Western Baseball League

The western baseball league was an independent baseball league founded in 1994, but it had its first season in 1995. It operated in the western United States and Western Canada. All its member teams were not associated with the Major League Baseball teams.

The league operated until 2002, the year in which it folded up. In that year, it had only six teams. After the league folded, there was no competitive baseball in the western states until 2005, when the Golden Baseball League started. Three of the current eight teams in the GBL are former WBL teams.

WCHL – West Coast Hockey League

The West Coast Hockey League was a professional minor ice hockey league active in the western United states. It was founded in 1995 and was active until 2003, when it folded up. The East Coast Hockey League replaced it and all surviving teams from the WCHL became part of ECHL. The teams in the league were 14 but were usually between six to nine in a season.The teams were located in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Washington.

The most famous trophy in the league was the Taylor cup, named after the founder of the league. The San Diego Gulls were the most successful with the trophy, winning five times.

WPHL – Western Professional Hockey League

The Western Professional Hockey League is a defunct minor professional hockey league founded in 1996. The league operated until 2001 with teams in the southern United States, primarily Texas and Louisiana. At the end of the 2000-2001 season, the league merged with the Central Hockey League and continued to operate within the league until 2012-2013. The CHL, which replaced the Western Professional Hockey League, also ceased its activities as it folded up in 2014.

Although the WPHL is no longer active, its hall of fame and individual awards remain a part of the history of hockey in the United States.

Headquarters

2400 N Rancho Dr, North Las Vegas,

NV 89130