Rugby league betting in USA is something that looks sure to grow in the coming years. This is because in 2025 the country is co-hosting the Rugby League World Cup.
In the meantime, this is our guide to betting on this sport. What can you expect to find on this page?
There are 13 players in rugby league – think of it as rugby union without the flankers for scrums
Lineouts aren’t part of the game and you are given six chances to score a try or goal
Tackles indicate phases of play before changeover
The pace of rugby league matches tends to be quicker, because a team can only have possession of the ball for those six tackles
Rucks aren’t formed in rugby league. Once tackled, a player must play the ball
Tries are worth four points in rugby league instead of five, but conversions still have a value of two
Penalty kicks over the posts are worth two points instead of three, and a drop goal one not three
Like rugby union, video referees are now part of the match officials involved in top level games of rugby league
Yellow cards lead to a player being put in the sin bin for 10 minutes
Red cards are a straight sending off and only issued for serious foul play or violent conduct
In order to fully understand rugby league odds, novice bettors will benefit from having how it all works explained to them. So, we’re going to look at an example:
Toronto Wolfpack, who play in the English rugby league structure, face Bradford Bulls. As Wolfpack are the shorter price, they are betting favourites.
For every $2 staked on Toronto at those odds, $1 profit will be made. The total return on such a bet is $3.
Bradford, meanwhile, are outsiders in the betting. The same $2 stake would return $6 should they win – that is $4 profit.
We’ve used decimal prices in explaining rugby league odds to you, but the American moneyline system is another way of expressing those. Fractional prices, which include odds for a tie, are also popular on British-based betting sites. You can compare these using our odds calculator.
Now that you understand rugby league odds, it’s time to look at betting types. Here are some of most popular wagers placed by people betting types. Here are some of most popular wagers placed by people gambling on this sport:
Rugby league betting can be as straightforward as picking the winner of a match.
A number of brackets and margins are available on both betting favourites and
underdogs in rugby league. This is known as handicap betting.
These are imagined deficits
Spread betting is where you bet on points brackets within which a team’s margin of
victory needs to be. A winning bet is said to have covered the spread.
Some winning margin
bets don’t have an upper limit, just a minimum threshold.
A number of tryscorer markets are also available. Will a certain player cross the tryline first, last, next or anytime?
What will the result be halfway through a rugby league game and then at the final whistle? There are nine possible permutations to bet around.
Futures betting is available on who will the Grand Final of major leagues like the NRL and Super League. Remember, this isn’t who tops the league but comes through the end-of-season playoffs.
This type of futures betting is on which rugby league team will finish the regular season top of the table?
Depending on how many spots in a rugby league division are open for playoff places, you can get futures betting around that.
One thing all rugby league betting sites must offer you to be worthwhile is bonuses. Ideally, they’ll provide each of these three different types of promotion:
The digital revolution has brought great strides in mobile technology and that includes within the gambling industry. Mobile rugby league betting is very much part of that, but what are the benefits of placing wagers through your smartphone or tablet?
These are some of the key dates from the history of rugby league:
The sport of rugby league is formed when northern rugby union clubs in England breakaway from the Rugby Football Union (RFU)
The Challenge Cup is first held
Rugby league players become professional, long predating their rugby union counterparts
The first rugby league international takes place between England and other nationalities
Rugby league becomes a 13 players per side game, reduced from 15
Huddersfield Giants become the first rugby league club to win the treble of Challenge Cup, topping the league and championship final
The Northern Union becomes the Rugby Football League (RFL)
A world governing body for the sport, the Rugby League Imperial Board now called Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) is founded
The Rugby League World Cup is held for the first time
The State of Origin game between Queensland and New South Wales is played for the first time in Australia
Wigan Warriors become the only three-time winners of the treble in rugby league
Super League is founded in England
National Rugby League (NRL) is formed in Australia as “the Super League War” Down Under ends
United States rugby league club Toronto Wolfpack enters the English structure and wins RFL League One in their inaugural season
USA is to co-host the Rugby League World Cup for the first time, along with the USA
We’re done with our guide to rugby league betting in USA. Keep your eyes on this sport in the coming years as its popularity is sure to grow.
If you need any additional rugby league betting advice, then our FAQs section can provide further guidance. Check it our for common questions and those all-important answers?
Find the rugby league betting you want to wager on. Add the bet to your slip, enter your stake and place it. That’s all there is to it.
Our experts have picked out the very best rugby league betting sites for you on this page.
Rugby league mobile is available to you through sportsbook apps which are compatible with Android and Apple devices and can be downloaded for free.
The most popular rugby league betting types are:
Indeed. Rugby league betting in USA is totally legal through a licensed sportsbook.
Rugby league live betting gives you the chance to bet on a game while it’s happening. Betting traders keep the odds updated in reaction to what happens on the field of play.
Spread betting is available on rugby league and allows you to gamble on margins of victory for fancied teams. Sometimes there’ll be a defined points bracket, while other markets just specify a minimum threshold. Winning bets are said to have covered the spread.
