With so many online sportsbooks available these days, picking the right one can be a hassle, but if you consider these five things, the search will be much easier.
#1. Reputation
With so many options online there are going to be a few scam artists trying to take advantage of the situation. Before you register with any online sportsbook, make sure that you do your research. One of the best things about the internet is that people love to complain, so you should be able to find as much information as you need about any of the sportsbooks that you are interested in signing up with.
If they have a lot of negative comments, it’s a clear sign that they aren’t a company you want to do business with, so move on to the next one on your list. You should also understand that you probably won’t find an online sportsbook that doesn’t have any negative feedback, but the positive responses should always outnumber the negative ones.
#2. Bonuses and Promotions
Most people like getting free stuff, so why shouldn’t you too? When it comes to opening a new account with a sportsbook, look around for the sportsbooks that offer some sort of promotion or bonus for signing in. Some sportsbooks offer to match your initial deposit up to a certain amount, which means you’re basically doubling your bankroll without even placing a bet. Other sportsbooks offer to give you a percentage of your initial deposit, for example, if a sportsbook offers you 10% of your initial deposit, and you deposit $1,000, you will get a $100 bonus.
An alternative to the sign up bonus are the promotions that some sportsbooks offer. These promotions vary across the board, but a good example is free bets. In this scenario, if you spend a certain amount on an event, you will receive a free bet. If a sportsbook offers a promotion like this, you have to make sure you read all the details, because there is usually a catch which usually include an expiration date on the offer, or that you have to play through the amount you received a certain amount of times before you can make a withdrawal.
#3. Payment Options
One of the most important things when it comes to picking a sportsbook, is the ability to make a deposit and withdraw your funds. Most sportsbooks have a lot of ways for customers to make their deposits, but withdrawals can be a hassle. Some sportsbooks make clients wait a few weeks before they receive their withdrawals, which is unacceptable to most people, while others offer wire transfers to their bank accounts, or through a prepaid debit card. It is important that you find out the methods that any sportsbook that you are thinking of signing up with uses, or you could end up getting stuck waiting for your money for a long time.
#4. Betting Lines
One thing you will notice after you have been placing bets online for a while, is that a lot of these sportsbooks have different betting lines, which either offer a higher or lower payout. If you are a fan of prop bets, you should also take a look at the types of prop bets that they offer, because some sportsbooks offer more props than others. Once you find the sportsbook that offers the betting lines that you like or the type of props that you like, you are almost ready to seal the deal and sign up.
#5. Mobile Capabilities
Despite the fact that we are in a digital age, there are still a lot of places that don’t offer mobile betting. This can be a problem for people who aren’t home all the time or are unable to get access to a computer and place their bets. If you are someone who uses mobile devices a lot, you should make sure that you can access your account at your sportsbook with these devices so you can place your bets from anywhere you are. If you can’t access your account using a mobile device, the sportsbook is too small and you will probably encounter more problems down the line, so don’t bother signing up with them.
These are the top five things to look out for when looking for a new sportsbook, if the place you are looking at meets all five conditions, you should go ahead and sign up!
