Choosing your sportsbooks & location
How to pick which sportsbooks you hold accounts at, why location determines which books are available to you, and how to configure both in SmartStake so you only see edges you can actually act on.
Why your book selection matters
SmartStake surfaces edges across 70+ sportsbooks, exchanges, and DFS sites, but an edge only has value if you have a funded account at the book offering it. Filtering your active books to the ones you actually use is not a cosmetic preference — it is what makes every tool's output actionable. The sportsbook filter in Positive EV, Arbitrage, Smart Money, and Insiders all read from your saved book list, so a bet at a book you cannot access will never appear in your feed.
The corollary is that holding accounts at more books gives you more opportunities to find edges. Line shopping — comparing prices across multiple books before placing a bet — is one of the most consistent ways to improve your results even without any sophisticated analysis. More books in your list means more chances to find a line that beats the fair price.
How location gates your available books
Sports betting is regulated at the state and provincial level in North America. A book that operates in one jurisdiction may be unavailable or unlicensed in another. SmartStake's location setting reflects this: when you choose your state or province, the book list is filtered to only the sportsbooks that are legally operating there.
You set your location in your account preferences. The location picker groups options into Canada and the United States. US states that do not yet have any supported books are shown but are not selectable. Changing your location updates the available book list immediately — if you move or open a new account while travelling, update your location to keep your feed accurate.
Location affects markets, not just books
Some markets and bet types are available at a book in certain jurisdictions but not others. If a specific market is missing, the book may not offer it in your state or province even if the book itself appears in your list.
Setting up your book list
Your book list lives in the Preferences panel, under Opened Books. The list is scoped to your selected location: only books that operate in that jurisdiction appear as options.
To update your selection:
- Location — choose your state or province from the dropdown. The book list refreshes automatically.
- Opened Books — check every sportsbook where you currently hold an active, funded account. A search field lets you filter the list by name.
Books where you have completed or in-progress sign-up promotions are shown with that status so you can track which accounts you have already opened.
Save your preferences when you are done. The selection persists across sessions and applies to all tools.
Keeping your book list current
Your edge depends on your book list staying accurate. Add a book as soon as you open and fund an account. If an account gets limited or closed, remove it — a bet recommendation at a book that will not accept your action is wasted analysis. Sportsbook operators sometimes restrict accounts that consistently win, so revisiting your list periodically is worth the minute it takes.
For details on why the specific sharp books SmartStake uses as fair-value benchmarks are different from the books in your active list, see Sportsbooks, exchanges & leagues. For how your book list interacts with filters on each tool, see Bookmaker selection and order. If you are deciding between a free and paid account, Free vs premium covers which parts of the full book list are unlocked at each tier.
- Odds, prices, expected value, conversion rates, and profit figures shown are estimates based on the last data we retrieved. They can change at any time — confirm the current price at the book before you bet, as odds may move and entry errors can occur.
- Using a “sharp” book as a fair-value reference is a modeling choice, not a statement of accuracy. Review a book’s record yourself and anchor on the books you trust.