Sports betting has become legal in 39 US states. Out of those, 31 states allow legal wagering online, including Missouri, which is launching by the year’s end. Within these legal online betting states, there are a slew of brands all vying for your patronage. However, to ensure your betting experience is safe, secure, and rewarding, you must choose the right online sportsbook.
How do you go about choosing the best sportsbook, though? That’s what this article will cover. Keep reading as we detail the five factors that point you toward a great sports betting site or app.
Licensing and security
The first and most vital factor to consider is the legality of an online sportsbook and its security features. The US has strict gambling rules, so make sure that you only place wagers at licensed online sportsbooks.
Since licensing is within the purview of states, your preferred betting app should have a certification from your state’s regulatory body. For context, if you’re in New Jersey, the platform should be licensed by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE). An online sportsbook with a valid license is fair and conforms to strict regulations.
On the security front, ensure the site utilizes at least 128-bit or 256-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. This firewall ensures that hackers can’t track and access your personal and financial data, no matter how hard they try. To prevent identity theft, the sportsbook should also make account verification compulsory for all new customers.
Important note: We’ve heard reports of gambling sites sporting fake licenses. To know if the certification tied to your preferred sportsbook is legit, click on its seal. If it redirects to the regulatory body’s official page with relevant information, it’s legit. However, if it doesn’t, you’ll be better off betting at another site.
Odds and betting markets
These are two of the most vital bits of sports betting. If a site has great odds, your returns (if your ticket wins) will be at maximum potential. If it has poor odds, you’ll have a reduced profit potential. What the experts do to find the best odds is to go line shopping. This essentially involves checking various apps to determine which ones generally offer the highest odds. For beginners, Sportytrader has already done all of that for you. So you can head over and find a curated list of sportsbooks with the best betting odds.,
Much like the odds, it also pays to consider the variety of betting markets available. Besides spread and moneyline bets, a top site should feature proposition bets, futures, and parlays. These allow you to diversify your bet slip and offer more ways to make a winning bet.
Bonuses and promotions
Bonuses and promotions are important at online sportsbooks. With a sports bonus, you can usually get more cash to bet with, bonus bets, or a boosted win potential. Any great sportsbook app must feature bonuses for new and existing bettors. Notable offers include:
Welcome bonus: This is a bonus tailored towards new players. It usually comes in the form of a deposit match or bet credits.
Cashback bonus: This promo returns a percentage of your losses on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Let’s say a sportsbook offers a 10% weekly cashback bonus. If you opt into the bonus and lose $500 that week, you’ll get $50 back.
Reload bonus: This gives you a percentage of your deposit as a bonus. For example, if you opt into a 50% reload bonus and deposit $100, you’ll receive an extra $50.
Refer-a-friend bonus: With a referral bonus, you can share your unique referral link with friends. Once your friend signs up and deposits (or wagers) a certain amount, you’ll receive a bonus.
While promotions are always great to see, it’s the terms and conditions attached to them that truly determine their value. Some of the terms you should look out for are:
- wagering requirements
- validity period
- minimum odds
- eligible markets
Before you activate a bonus, ensure these terms are reasonable and that you can fulfill them. You must meet all the bonus conditions in order to withdraw any winnings you eventually make from it.
Payment methods
Online sportsbooks are real money betting destinations. At these sites, you’ll need to spend real money to get cash. As such, you’re likely to have a better experience if the betting site or app has multiple deposit and withdrawal methods from which you can choose. Popular methods include top providers like MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, Venmo, bank transfer, and cryptocurrency.
You want there to be a good payment method variety as well as fast processing times. Sportsbooks generally offer instant deposits, but withdrawals can be a hassle, especially at an unlicensed or unregulated site. A good sportsbook will pay out your winnings as soon as possible. Although withdrawal processing (and ID verification) often takes longer than deposits, it should be finalized within 12 to 24 hours if all is in order. It’s even better if there are no charges for making transactions.
Customer support
Sportsbooks aren’t perfect. From time to time, issues are bound to crop up. When this happens, you’ll naturally hope to relay your concerns to customer support.
As such, when you’re on the lookout for a sportsbook to place bets on, make sure you consider the customer care channels in place. The best apps have 24/7 support across the live chat, email, and phone. The sportsbook should also have a comprehensive FAQ section that provides answers to common queries regarding its operations.
It’s often the case that you can contact customer support as a guest. So, if possible, reach out to the team and see how quickly they respond, how helpful they are in assisting you with your query, and how friendly they are. The support team reflects the quality of the sportsbook.
Online sports betting has become mainstream in the United States, with 31 states keying into the rising trend. However, betting success doesn’t just involve picking the right team to bet on. The bulk of it depends on selecting the right platform. The points we’ve discussed highlighted in this article are the most reliable way to find quality US sportsbooks. So, try to apply them the next time you’re on the hunt for a new online betting site.