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About This Site and Our Lead Writer Nina Castillo

About This Site

Nina Castillo has tested licensed US sportsbooks hands-on for eight years; this page explains who writes the basketball betting guides and why.

This site is run by a small editorial team obsessed with one thing: helping US bettors understand exactly how basketball wagering works before they risk a dollar. Our lead writer, Nina Castillo, has spent eight years signing up for, depositing into, and cashing out of licensed sportsbooks across every major legal state — the same hands-on process we apply to every guide we publish here.

Who writes the basketball betting guides?

Nina started betting on NBA games in New Jersey shortly after legal mobile wagering launched there. She has since tested platforms in Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York, Colorado, Arizona, and Tennessee — working through every step a new bettor faces, from KYC document uploads to withdrawal timing. That real-money experience shapes everything from our complete beginner's guide to basketball betting to the deep-dive bet-type breakdowns.

The editorial "we" you'll see throughout the site reflects that team approach: Nina writes and tests, and at least one other editor fact-checks every claim against primary sources — state regulator filings, operator terms, and official tax guidance. If we can't verify something, we say so rather than guess.

What is the editorial standard here?

Every operator mentioned on this site must hold a current license in the state where it operates. We cross-check against state gaming agency records before naming anyone. We also cover age requirements honestly — 21 in most legal states, though a handful permit 18; our legal age for basketball betting page breaks that down state by state.

On bonus coverage: we never publish a promo figure unless we have verified it against the operator's live terms and conditions. That rule exists because outdated bonus claims are the single biggest complaint we hear from readers.

How do we pick what to cover?

We start with the questions real bettors search — how point spreads work, which apps are available in their state, how parlays pay out. From there we build guides that answer the question first, then add context. You'll find everything from how point spread betting works to a comparison of FanDuel vs DraftKings for basketball bets. We also explain the practical stuff most sites skip, like withdrawing your winnings from a sportsbook and the steps involved in creating a sportsbook account.

Responsible gambling is part of every conversation here, not an afterthought. Must be 21+ (18+ in select states). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

How to reach us or read our policies

Questions about data, affiliate relationships, or editorial corrections? See our Privacy Policy for details on how this site handles your information and how we are compensated. We link out only to licensed operators and authoritative sources; we do not recommend offshore or unlicensed platforms under any circumstances.

Meet the Author

8 years covering US sports betting; hands-on testing of major licensed sportsbooks; bylines on sports wagering strategy and state legality

Nina Castillo spent eight years covering US sports betting legislation and has placed hundreds of real-money basketball bets across FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM to test everything she writes about. She built this site to give beginners a no-nonsense entry point into NBA and NCAA wagering — from reading your first spread to cashing out your first withdrawal. She writes from a bettor's chair, not a press box.