Ever since the historic decision made by the US Supreme Court in 2018 to legalize sports betting it’s seen something of an explosion.
This has meant a plethora of sportsbooks has sprung up across the country. While this is undoubtedly good news for sports fans who want to make watching their favourite teams a little more exciting it does present one issue.
This is how to choose which sportsbook will be best. So, if you’re in this confused position, here are a few factors to consider when you’re on the search for one.
Safety and security
The very first thing to always think about when you’re joining a sportsbook for the first time is whether it’s safe and secure. After all, you’ll be providing quite a lot of personal information including bank details. So, make sure to check out that the site is using up-to-date encryption techniques to keep the hackers at bay.
You also need to take a close look at whether or not the site has been licensed by the relevant gambling authority. Often these are in the UK, Malta or Gibraltar and the fact that the sportsbook has been granted a licence means that you can play with total confidence.
You should also take a look around online for any reviews to see what the people using the sportsbook in question have to say about it.
Range of sports and bets available
So, you’ve decided that it’s a safe and reputable site. The next thing to check out is which sports it allows you to bet on. You can pretty much take it as read that all the big ones will be there – football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. But if you’re a fan of more unusual sports you might just find that these are missing from the list. So, it’s well worth taking a deep dive into which ones are available to bet on.
It’s also important to check out what kinds of bets you can make. Are these just the standard win/lose options or are they more detailed than that? Some sites even allow in-play betting which makes the experience of watching a game all the more exciting.
Bonuses and promotions
There’s a huge amount of competition out there, and they all want your custom. This makes for very good news if you’re looking for a welcome bonus and other offers. Generally, these involve giving you a set amount of stake money to start you off playing – and they can be very generous indeed.
For example, BetMGM offer a bonus code for Virginia residents, which could mean that you could start off with up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first bet loses. The only condition is that you have to deposit $10 to qualify for this particular promotion – a pretty good deal all round, as well as a way to, hopefully, recoup your losses.
This is just one form of promotion and there are countless others out there. So make sure that you’ve had a good look around before you’ve made a final decision.
Customer service
It’s an old adage that “the customer is king”. So you should expect to be treated like royalty, even a minor member of the family, by your chosen sportsbook. Look for ones where there are a number of ways to contact them for example by email, phone or online chat. It should also be a service that’s open 24/7, 365 days a year.
Ways to pay.
You’ll also want to have a great deal of flexibility over the ways in which you can deposit and withdraw money from the sportsbook.
A good one should offer a very wide range including the standard debit card as well as a good selection of e-Wallets including names like Neteller, Skrill and Paypal. There are also an increasing number of sportsbooks that welcome cryptocurrency payments. So if you’re a Bitcoin holder one of these could be a good option for you.
User experience
Of course, one of the over-riding aspects of any site worth using is the user experience that it provides. You’ll be wanting one that is simple and intuitive to use and is easy to navigate around.
This is an important touchstone because it will say a great deal about the sportsbook itself. If its owners have gone that extra mile to create a smooth-flowing and user-friendly website, then you can probably reckon that a lot of thought has gone into their whole offering. They will also be serious about making their site a success.
But if it’s clunky and hard to use, then the opposite is probably the case.
Also, look for a sportsbook that offers a good mobile app.
So, these are the six main points to look for. When you’ve found the site that ticks them all off, you’ll be ready to bet.
