Choosing a Sports Betting Site

The odds are that if you’ve ended up on this page, you’re looking for
information on how to select a sports betting site. Luckily, you’ve come
to the right place! We’re here to help get you informed and up to speed as
fast as possible.

Choosing a sports betting site is a critical decision and is something that
should not be taken lightly. Since you’ll be wagering real money, your
goal should be to locate a site that is trusted and that offers you everything
you’re looking for.

In this in-depth guide to choosing a sports betting site, we’ll cover all of
the details that you need to know to make an informed decision. Below,
we’ll include information relating to the top eight things that you should look
for in a sports betting site. Using this information, you’ll be able to
find the perfect sports betting site for your needs.

Trustworthiness

Up first, one of the most important things that you should do is make sure
that find yourself a trusted place to wager on. By finding a trusted website to
wager on, you’ll be less likely to run into any form of scam issues that could
threaten your account balance.

Luckily, the vast majority of sports betting sites out there are safe places
for you to wager. However, there are a few bad apples in the bunch. Your job is
to do a little bit of homework to make sure that you end up on one of the
trusted sites.

If you’re brand new to this and you don’t know where to start, we can help
you out. Up first, we’ve compiled a list of the most legit sports betting sites
out there. Each one of these places has our seal of approval when it comes to
trustworthiness. You’ll be in good hands if you decide to proceed with any one
of these websites.

For those of you who would like to get a little more detailed in your search,
we’ve got that covered as well. We’ve taken the time to break out our favorite
sites by popular categories. Check out the links below to see our top sports
betting sites for the following types:

We’ve also completed reviews on many of the top gambling sites out there.
Using these guides, you can get a better understanding of what these sites have
to offer. Check out the link below to see all of our in-depth site reviews:

Sports You Can Bet On

This one should be pretty obvious to you. While choosing a sports betting
site, it is vital that you find a place that offers you the ability to wager on
all of the sports that you like to bet on. Ideally, it is best if you locate a
one-stop shop, so you don’t have to hop around between different sports betting
sites.

When checking out a potential site, click on their sportsbook to view the
full list of sports that they offer wagers on. Check and see if each of your
preferred sports is on the list. If you don’t locate one that you’re looking
for, you might check with the site’s customer service team. Many of these sports
betting sites won’t list a sport unless they have an active wager available on
it at that time. If a sport isn’t currently in season, it may not be listed at
all.

We would suggest that you also look for a site with a wide selection of
sports that you can bet on. While it is great if they have all of your sports
that you like to gamble on covered, it is also good if you have more options to
select from if you’d like to expand down the road. Even if you don’t have an
interest in those sports at this time, you may change your mind at a later date.
By selecting a site with a wide selection of sports, you’ll be less likely to
outgrow that website at a later time.

User Interface

A site’s user interface is what determines how you interact with the site.
When choosing a sports betting site, you’ll want to locate a place that has a
good user interface. By doing this, it will help you have a more efficient and
streamlined experience while betting. Below, we’ve detailed some of the most
critical user interface qualities that you should look for.

Odds Display Format

While many websites provide a variety of options, some of them only offer
odds in one format. When on the hunt for a sports betting site, make sure to
look for a place that offers you the ability to view odds in your preferred
format so that you can quickly access potential wagers.

In many cases, sports betting sites will offer American, decimal, and
fractional odds selections. For most of you, that should cover your needs.
However, if you’re looking for something rarer, such as Hong Kong style odds,
you’ll need to look a bit harder. Consider contacting a site’s customer service
team for help if you’re unsure about what odds display formats they have to
offer.

Sorting Options

Another thing to look for regarding a site’s user interface is its sorting
options. Due to a large number of potential wagers offered by a sports betting
site, it helps to have reliable sorting options that will help you find what
you’re looking for quickly. After all, you don’t want to spend all day searching
for wagers.

At a minimum, find a site that offers you the ability to sort by sport. For
an added bonus, we’d suggest you locate a website that also allows you to sort
by bet type. With this functionality, you’ll quickly be able to find your
perfect wager.

Site Speed

While you’re checking out potential sports betting sites, be sure to take
note of the site speed. For the most part, the vast majority of gambling sites
out there are adequately set from a speed standpoint. However, we occasionally
come across some that are way too slow.

What you’ll want to look out for is if you come across any page lag while
you’re checking out sites. Pages should load quickly and without delay if you’re
on a site that has a good site speed. If you find yourself waiting for pages to
load, that’s not a great sign, unless your internet is usually slow.

Compatibility

When it comes to compatibility, you’ll want to make sure that a sports
betting site is compatible with two different things. Those two things are your
device and you.

Up first, it is crucial that you find a site that works well with any device
that you plan to access it from. This would include any computers, tablets,
laptops, or mobile devices. Be sure to try out the site on any device that you
might use it with down the road. If things look off or are not loading at all,
it might be best for you to check out another sports betting site.

The second thing that you’ll want to check out is how compatible the site is
with you. The user interface on every sports betting website is going to be
different from other sports betting sites. Since we’re all unique individuals,
some places will appeal more to you than to others. What you’ll want is to find
a website that you can easily navigate and see what you’re looking for without
issue. If you find yourself struggling to locate things, you might consider
trying out some other sports betting sites.

Live Betting Options

While searching for your perfect sports betting site, we’d strongly encourage
you to find one that offers you the ability to place live bets on in-play
action. Currently, live betting is one of the hottest trends in the sports
betting realm, and you should consider checking it out if you have not already.

With live betting, you’re able to place wagers on games and sporting events
that are currently underway. As opposed to a traditional sports bet made before
the game begins, you’re able to hop in and bet while the game is happening.

Even if you’re not into live betting at this time or have not tried it, we’d
suggest that you locate a sports betting site that gives you the option. We’d
like for you to have it available if you change your mind later on, as opposed
to outgrowing the sports betting site that you ended up on. The vast majority of
sports betting sites out there offer live betting as an option, but some still do
not.

Banking

Before you’re able to wager on a sports betting site, you’ll need to move
funds onto that site. In addition, you’ll want to have the ability to quickly
get your funds off the website at a later date. Because of this, it’s essential
that you find a place that allows you to get your funds on and off of the site
easily. In this section, we’ll discuss what you should look for when it comes to
banking options, along with associated banking fees.

Banking Options

Be sure to look for a sports betting site that offers you the ability to bank
in your preferred banking method. For the most part, many of these sites will
provide a large selection of banking options.

For example, if you prefer to bank with Bitcoin, a sports betting site that
doesn’t offer you the ability to bank with Bitcoin isn’t the one for you. With
so many choices of sports betting sites out there, you can shop around and find
one that offers you what you’re looking for from a banking choices perspective.

In general, we tend to see the following primary banking options offered by
most sports betting sites: credit card, bank transfer, bank wire, Bitcoin, and
Paypal. Some websites will also offer other popular banking choices like Skrill
and Neteller.

Ultimately, it is up to you to determine which method you would like to bank
in. From there, you can shop around and locate sports betting sites that offer
you that option.

Fees

When evaluating a potential sports betting site, make sure that you take the
time to sort out what their fees are for banking. If you don’t shop around, you
could end up paying significantly more in costs than you would elsewhere. From
our experience, banking fees can vary considerably between sites, which is why
it is essential to shop around a bit.

You’ll want to find out what types of deposit and withdrawal fees are charged
by the sports betting site. In some cases, you’ll find the costs posted clearly
on the website. We’re big fans of sites that are forthcoming about their fees
and make it easy to find and view them.

If you can’t find the fees information on the site, you’ll want to contact
their customer service team to get a breakdown of the costs. This is usually
something they can quickly email you or send over live chat. If a site isn’t
willing to disclose their banking fees, you should look elsewhere.

In an ideal world, you’d have a sports betting site that offers you free
deposit options. In many cases, we’ll see sites that offer free deposits for
specific banking methods like Bitcoin. Also, see if you can locate a site that
provides you at least some form of free withdrawal options. As with the
deposits, we often see sites that offer free withdrawals for select withdrawal
options.

At the end of the day, your goal should be to find a site where you can bank
with the lowest fees possible. Taking the time to shop around a little can save
you a lot of money in the long haul.

Bonuses and Promotions

One nice perk about sports betting sites is that they often offer clients the
chance to earn bonus cash through bonuses and promotions. In this section, we’ll
talk about some of the most common types of bonuses and promotions that you’ll
find on these sites. Using this information, you can know what to look for as
you search for your sports betting site home.

Welcome Bonuses

When you’re a new client to a sports betting site, there is a good chance
that you can score some free bonus cash through their welcome bonuses. In many
cases, welcome rewards come in the form of free bets or first deposit matches.

One of the best ways to start off with some good bonus cash is to look for a
sports betting site that offers a substantial welcome deposit bonus. Through
these programs, the site will match your deposit dollar for dollar up to a
certain amount.

Deposit Reload Bonuses

If luck hasn’t been on your side and you’ve run through all of the funds that
you put on a sports betting site, many of them offer you bonus cash if you
reload your account. While the promotional terms will vary a bit from site to
site, many of these sites will tack on a deposit match for your reloaded funds.
In many cases, these deposit reload bonuses can be a dollar for dollar match up
to a certain amount. If you’re planning to do lots of sports betting, it’s worth
finding a site that offers some good reload bonuses.

Promotional Offers

From time to time, sports betting sites will also offer many different
promotional offers. These promotions will vary greatly from site to site, but
they often center around promoting certain hot sports or games. For example, a
sports betting site might offer reduced juice on all MLB games over a weekend.
You’ll want to continually check the promotions page of your sports betting site
to see which promotional offers you can take advantage of.

Customer Service

Customer service should be treated as an insurance policy. While you hope
that you don’t ever really need it, you’ll want it there if you do. It’s easy to
get caught up in all of the bells and whistles of a flashy sports betting site,
but it is also important to locate one that offers you stellar customer service.
In this section, we’ll talk about the top three things that you should look for
in a site’s customer service.

Service Hours

One of the first things that you should investigate is the customer service
hours offered by a sports betting site. You’ll want to make sure that, at a
minimum, you locate a website that gives you support in the hours that you’ll
most likely need it. After all, a site’s customer service will be pretty
worthless if you can’t ever reach them when you need help.

Our suggestion is to locate a sports betting site that offers round-the-clock
customer service support. By doing this, you’ll know that you’ll have help
available no matter when you need it. It’s no fun when you have an issue and you
find yourself having to wait an extended period to receive assistance or an
answer. With 24/7 customer service support, you’ll never have to worry about
this.

If you can’t locate a sports betting site that offers you round-the-clock
service, at least make sure you find one that gives you support hours that fit
your schedule. For example, if you live in the United States, make sure that
they have some customer service hours that fall within regular hours for the
United States. Often, we’ll see sites based in Europe that don’t offer much
support during traditional waking hours for the US.

Contact Options

Another thing that you’ll want to look for in a sports betting site are the
available contact options for the customer service team. You’ll want to locate a
site that offers many different ways for you to reach them so that you have
options when you have to reach out.

Our suggestion is that you find a sports betting site that offers you what we
consider to be the perfect trifecta of contact options for customer service.
Those three contact options are live chat, email, and phone support. With this
set of options, you’ll find yourself with three convenient ways to contact
customer service when and if you need to.

We’re huge fans of live chat customer service support. This is our preferred
method of contact, as it tends to be the quickest and most helpful. If you can’t
find a site that offers the full perfect trifecta of customer service options,
at least see if you can locate one that gives you live chat support. With live
chat support, you’ll receive fast service right there on the website when you
need it.

We would caution you to be wary of sites that only offer a single customer
service contact option through email. Unfortunately, we see this out there too
often. If a site only offers you support via email, that’s not good for you.
Email is the slowest method of support. In that scenario, you’re always going to
find yourself waiting for help, versus having a site with phone or customer
service support that can help you get answers in a more timely fashion.

Helpfulness

To make sure that you’ve got a good site from a customer service standpoint,
we’d suggest that you test drive the customer service yourself. By doing this,
you can judge for yourself how helpful their team is. If you’re not satisfied
with the help that you receive, it might be a sign that you should look at
another sports betting site option.

There are many different ways that you can test the helpfulness of a site’s
customer service team. It’s as easy as sending an email, placing a call, or
starting a live chat. Whichever way you decide to proceed is fine. Your goal
should be to ask a few questions and see if their team is helpful with the
answers.

If you’re new to a site, you could ask them about their banking options or
the types of bonuses that they offer. Look to see how detailed their replies
are, and judge if you think you’re getting quality information from their team.
Remember that this is the team that will be helping you should you ever have a
significant issue. If they can’t help you with fundamental intro questions, do
you have the faith that they’ll be able to assist you when you have a
significant problem later on?

One final thing to consider is how fast their team replies. With phone and
live chat support, you should find yourself getting help quickly. However, this
is not always the case. Sometimes, live chat and phone operators can take too
long to get back with you. When it comes to email, pay attention to their reply
time. If it takes days for them to get back to you, that is not a good sign.

The Casino

While this might not apply to all readers, some of you probably enjoy mixing
things up and playing casino games from time to time as a break from the sports
betting. If you’re one of those people, then you should take a few moments to
review the online casino offered by the sports betting site that you’re
considering. When evaluating a site, there are some key things that you should
be on the lookout for. We’ll cover each of those below so that you’ll have a
good idea of what you should seek in an ideal site.

Selection of Games

It should seem pretty obvious that you’ll want to find a sports betting site
that offers your favorite online casino games. If they don’t provide your
favorite games, then you might consider finding a sports betting site that does
provide your favorites if playing them is vital to you. After all, what good is
an online casino if they don’t offer you the games that you want to play?

Outside of your favorite casino games, we’d also suggest that you seek a site
that has a nice variety of other games. Even if you don’t play these games now,
it doesn’t mean that you might not want to play them at a later date. By finding
yourself an online casino with lots of game options, you’re less likely to
outgrow that online casino at a later time.

Live Dealer Games

Currently one of the most significant trends in the online casino world is
live dealer games. Live dealer games connect you
to a real live dealer in a casino somewhere around the globe. What’s nice about
these games is that they allow players some added interaction and a new twist
for online gaming.

If you’ve never tried live dealer casino games, you should give it a test
drive. Through these games, you get the experience of being in a casino from the
comfort of your own home. Many players that like to play casino games online are
enjoying this new game format. Even if you don’t have an interest in it at this
time, consider selecting a site that offers live dealer casino games so that you
have it available to you should you change your mind later.

Name Brand Games

While you’re checking out the casino on a potential sports betting site, take
time to see if they offer name brand games or not. By name brand games, we mean
games with actual titles from movies, songs, or other name brands. For example,
if you find an online casino that offers a Batman slot machine, that is a name
brand game. On the flip side, if you see a casino that offers a Batboy slot
machine, that is a knock-off.

From our experience, name brand casino games give clients a better overall
experience. Since they are name branded, the manufacturers of that game have put
the best of the best into these games, and they tend to include all of the bells
and whistles. Name brand games are not cheap, so it is a good sign if you find a
casino that offers them, as it means that they have invested heavily into their
online casino.

If a casino only offers knock-off or generic casino games, it doesn’t
necessarily mean that you should avoid it. You can make your own determination
of if those games meet your standards or not. Ultimately, the choice is yours.

Quality Graphics

Another thing to look for in an online casino is the quality of their game
graphics. You’ll want to check and see just how good their graphics are. If you
find a site with dated graphics, that probably means the site has not invested
heavily in their online casino.

The better the game graphics are, the more likely you’ll find yourself
enjoying the game. In some cases, you’ll even find casinos that offer 3D
versions of online slot machines. Ultimately, you can make your own
determination about how good the quality of the game graphics needs to be.

Casino Bonuses

A final thing that you’ll want to look for in a sports betting site online
casino is casino bonuses. In most cases, online casinos will offer a good
selection of bonuses and promotions. Through these offers, you can often add
some substantial bonus cash to your online casino account. Keep in mind that
these casino bonuses are separate from the sportsbook bonuses that we discussed
earlier.

If you’re new to a site, you should find some casino welcome bonus offers.
The vast majority of online casinos offer some form of welcome bonuses. In
general, you’ll often find a casino welcome deposit match. Under this type of
bonus program, the casino will match your initial deposit dollar for dollar. In
some cases, we’ve seen online casinos offering upwards of $5 of free bonus
credit for every $1 that you deposit.

In addition to the casino welcome bonuses, online casinos tend to offer other
bonuses and promotions geared at existing players. These types of offers will
vary between casinos. Often, you’ll find game-specific promotions and deposit
reload bonuses. All of these are great ways to add more bonus cash to your
online casino account.

Your goal should be to find a sports betting site that offers you the best
casino bonuses and promotions for your situation. You’ll want to find out which
one of them will give you the chance to earn the most bonus cash, depending on
what you play and how often you play. These bonuses can add up to thousands of
dollars of free money, and you’ll want to take full advantage of them to
maximize your value.

Summary

Hopefully, you now have a better feel for what you should be looking for when
choosing a sports betting site. Ultimately, it’s up to you to determine what’s
most important to you and then to locate a site that’s a good fit for your
needs. Don’t forget that you’re not stuck with a website for the rest of your
life. If you decide on one that lets you down or doesn’t meet your expectations,
just start the process over again. Best of luck on your search and your future
sports wagers!