That aside, servicing the sports bettors’ needs when it comes to betting online are the bookmakers and the betting sites. It’s very easy to find a sports betting site on the internet, all you need to do is use these keywords and write them in any search engine such as Google and you will immediately get thousands of results.
However, as simple as it is to find a sports betting site, it’s not necessarily as simple to find the best sports betting sites. This requires hard work and dedication as there’s research to be done. Since you’re reading this review, it means that you’ve made the first step in learning more about the best sports betting sites. And here you will find all the information you need on the subject at hand. So, if you’re interested in learning more, feel free to read the rest of our review below.
License
There’s no other way around it, the first thing that you will need to do to determine whether a sports betting site is any good is to check out the licensing information. The fact of the matter is that there are, unfortunately, many online sports betting sites that aren’t licensed and operate illegally. So, the first thing to be on the lookout for is the regulatory authority that has issued a license to the bookmaker, if any:
- United Kingdom Gambling Commission,
- Alderney Gambling Control Commission,
- Malta Gaming Authority,
- Curacao Gaming Authority,
and others. The abovementioned regulatory authorities and commission are some of the most renowned in the entire world. This holds especially so for the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, as one of the biggest names in iGaming. If you find a sports betting site that bears the United Kingdom Gambling Commission insignia, then it’s most likely a safe place to visit and a legitimate online sports betting site.
Also, be sure to check the license itself. In most cases, you will be able to find all the information you need about the license by scrolling down to the bottom of the main page of the sports betting site of your choice.
Promotions and Bonuses
Now let’s get to the fun part. One of the main differences between online sports betting sites and land-based sports betting platforms is the promotions. The best sports betting sites are known to bestow generous bonuses for the majority of their players. On the other hand, land-based operators aren’t known to be as generous with bonuses for their players and it’s seldom the case that the players will get any kind of bonus, to be frank.
There are many different kinds of bonuses you can look forward to on online sports betting sites. The first and most popular one is the welcome deposit match bonus which will give you a deposit match up to a certain sum. If the deposit match is 50% up to $100, it means that you will need to deposit $200 to get another $100 credited to your account as money that you can use to wager bets.
You should also be aware that there are terms and conditions to meet for every bonus, including the welcome deposit match bonus that we’ve discussed above. In most cases, there will be a time window in which you’ll have to claim the bonus, as well as a wagering requirement that you’ll have to meet to release the bonus. If the time window is, say, 10 days, and if the wagering requirement is, say, 20x, then it means that you have 10 days to wager through the $200 a total of 20 times. This would be a sum of $4,000, so if you plan on claiming this theoretical deposit match bonus, then you better get going to meet the wagering requirement within the allotted time.
There are other popular bonuses, too. One that comes to mind that’s somewhat difficult to find on sports betting sites is the loyalty ladder bonus. This promotion will reward the players that spend the most time on a particular sports betting site. The more wager you place, the higher up you will climb on the ladder and get bigger prizes in the form of free bets and even real money.
Enhanced odds is yet another bonus that’s available on online sports betting sites. What this means is that the bookmakers will pick a certain sport or a certain number of events within a particular sport and improve the odds to make them potentially more profitable for the players. Always be on the lookout for promotions like this one as they can really help you get bigger profits by just placing sports bets on the selected events.
The best sports betting sites have usually a big variety of bonuses and promotions that are easy to claim and, as such, are quite accessible to the players. Make sure to remember to read the terms and conditions to learn more about how you can make the most of the available bonuses on the sports betting site of your choice.
The Quality of the Website
There are several parameters in terms of determining the level of quality of the sports betting website. But many of them can be determined by common sense. Think of yourself as a complete novice in online sports betting and give an honest answer to the following questions:
- Can you easily create and register an account?
- Is the cashier page for deposits and withdrawals immediately accessible?
- Can you easily find the sports and betting markets to bet on?
- Can you place easy bets?
- Can you initiate a withdrawal process easily?
The more questions you’ve answered with a “yes”, the higher the quality of the website. And vice-versa, if you’ve answered some of the questions with a “no”, then it means that there’s definitely room for improvement. Of course, there is also a case to be made about the way the website looks, but the opinion about the looks of a website is largely based on personal preference.
Customer Support
Fans of online sports betting have been known to not even think about customer support usually until the moment they are in need. The truth is that customer service is an indispensable part of the equation that gives the result in the form of the best sports betting sites. That being said, there are several customer service contact methods that you will potentially find on the sports betting sites:
- Email,
- Live chat,
- Phone,
- Discord,
- Twitter,
- Facebook,
And others. The truth is that most sports betting sites will only offer email, live chat, and phone support to the players. And this is not necessarily a bad thing, since it simplifies things by giving the most effective customer service contact options. Pick either one and you will get in touch with a customer service agent as soon as possible.
But here’s where sports betting sites differ from one another: some of them will have a solid team behind the customer support that will be quick to respond and answer all the asked questions appropriately. Others may offer a lackluster customer service experience to players so that they will be disappointed at the end of it. Always make sure to find the best sports betting sites that have the best customer service teams at the ready to help you out with whatever question or inquiry you may have.
Live Streaming and Live Betting
Live Streaming is known as a special feature that you can use at some sports betting sites. What you’ll come to see is that the best sports betting sites have invariably implemented live streaming on their platforms. And what this means is that you will be able to stream popular sports betting events from all across the globe. Of course, it’s simply not possible (yet) to cover all the sports and events in the world with live streaming, so the player has to be content with the sufficient coverage as it is.
And the fact that you can place live bets should never get past you. The majority of players are well aware of this and they enjoy using this feature, too. Live betting is an important part of the sports betting experience and it dramatically enhances the experience for the player.
Apart from live streaming and live betting, there are some other special features to note. One of them goes by the name of “bet builder”. You will be able to use this feature wherever it’s available for the purpose of making complex bets and getting immediate calculations as to the potential end results of your bets. Another feature is the early cash-out feature. Using it means that you will be able to withdraw your bet before the game has concluded. This too increases your freedom to manage your wager and it will go a long way in helping you make the most of your online sports betting experience.
So, long story short, the best sports betting sites will invariably have a big list of special features that the players can use at their discretion. Pick the features that you enjoy using most and have fun.
Odds and Betting Margins
Lastly, we have to mention the odds and the betting margins in terms of assessing the best sports betting sites. We’ll start with the betting margins. The simple rule of thumb that you can follow when picking a sports betting site, in this regard, is the higher the betting margin, the worse off will you be. The betting margin corresponds with the house edge, so, the higher the betting margin, the higher the house edge, and the lower the Return to Player rate. To simplify things, if you want to find the best sports betting sites, then you need to be on the lookout for the betting margins and only pick bookies that are known to have small betting margins. It’s best if the betting margins are below 6% which is about the level of the industry average.
The odds are straightforward. If you have ever placed a bet on a sports betting site or at the site of a land-based operator, then you know the basics of how odds operate. It’s needless to say that you’ll want to find the best sports betting sites that feature the highest odds that the players will benefit from, as this will serve to improve the overall RTP rate for the player and bring bigger profits. The lists of sports betting sites that you will find on our platform will help you find the best betting sites not just in terms of low betting margins, but also of high odds as well.
Bear in mind that some sports betting sites may feature promotions at one point or another that will influence the odds in a beneficial way. Remember to check the promotions tab often enough and see whether there is any odds-enhancing promotion underway. Many of the top-rated sports betting sites will indeed feature a promotion of this kind, so make sure that you make use of it by betting on the sports events with the so-called enhanced odds.
Conclusion – The Thrill of Online Sports Betting
If you’ve been reading this review by now, then you’re now well-informed to make the right decision and pick the best sports betting sites where you will place wagers on your favorite sport. You know that the first most important thing to do is to see whether the bookmaker is licensed by a regulatory authority such as the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. You also know that it’s important to see whether there is sufficient coverage of the sports betting markets, as well as whether the odds and betting margins are generous. We hope that you’ll enjoy yourself using the best sports betting sites and that you’ll reap profits from your online sports betting hobby.