Sports betting is larger than ever, and there haven’t been more options to decide on an internet sportsbook. With reliable sportsbooks occupying exactly the identical market share as fraudulent ones, it is getting harder and harder to differentiate ones that operate with integrity from their scammy counterparts.
We created this guide that will help you browse the selection process. Scammers might be getting more sophisticated, but there are still plenty of important indicators for secure, legitimate sports betting sites sportsbooks.
The Significance of Deciding of A Safe Sportsbook
If it comes to sports gambling, it is all for naught unless your sportsbook honors your deposits and winnings.
Say, hypothetically, that you wind up signing up with an illegitimate sportsbook, and then make a deposit. While it’s by no means guaranteed that this sportsbook will completely rip you off, there is a Fantastic chance that one of the following problems might occur:
Delayed payouts in your winnings (think 45+ days)
Absent customer service Canceling/not crediting winning wagers (either partly or in their entirety)
Stealing your money Viruses infecting your computer or mobile phone Needless to say, signing up at safe sportsbook means you’ll avoid any of the aforementioned consequences. To prevent at least one of these headaches, it is up to you to hold your sportsbook accountable — do not settle for anything less than the most exacting criteria for your gambling experience!
If you perform the following checks before sending your cash over to a sportsbook, you will understand that your money (and gambling experience) are at the hands of an excellent book.
1. Scrutinize Your Sportsbooks’ Permit Any secure online sportsbook will prominently display their working license that ensures that their legal right to function. Sportsbooks licenses make sure that their books are open to lawful, third party audits, and consistently pass examinations to be sure they aren’t defrauding their clients.
If a sportsbook has a permit from a well-respected area, you can rest easy that it is completely legit. This, alone, is a sufficient requirement of a legitimate sportsbook.
The most common regions that sportsbooks seek licensure in are:
Western Europe
Various islands within the Caribbean Archipelago
Select Native American bookings within North America
That being said, just because you can’t spot a sportsbook license right away does not indicate that it isn’t safe. You’ll be able to find their legal surgeries license somewhere on their website.
Conversely, if you land on a sportsbook and you’ll be able to tell it isn’t licensed, reconsider sending your cash to them. Accreditation ensures safety, and therefore, we recommend you stick to sportsbooks who’ve bothered to jump through the proper legal permissions hoops.
2. They Verify Your Identity
In our guide to banking at your sportsbookwe discuss how to successfully navigate the withdrawal process, which always includes verifying your identity.
Legitimate sportsbooks, such as such sites for online sports betting, are licensed and controlled companies. Therefore, they are expected to comply with the rules and regulations in the region they sought licensure within.
These rules consistently include verifying the identity of their customers prior to sending payouts, which is necessary for sportsbooks to remain in accordance with global KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) regulations.
If sportsbooks don’t confirm their customer’s individuality, they might find themselves complicit in criminal action, cater to individuals who aren’t legally licensed (or old enough) to gamble within their particular state or country, damage relationships with their repayment suppliers, and even send payments to the erroneous person/persons. None of these are great for a sportsbook that wishes to stay legal, and who wants to provide their clients with the highest standards of support.
Unsafe, fictitious sportsbooks tend to skirt this security feature, and they don’t often need customers to confirm their identity. When a sportsbook is only seeking to fatten their own pockets by ripping off customers, they are not going to be very worried about being legally compliant or building their own reputation within the marketplace. They are only looking to get off with your money and disappear!
3. They’ve Got SSL Protection
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) security is standard security technologies that guarantees an encrypted link between a web server and a browser.
That is a good deal of web-specific jargon, but this encryption ensures that all data passed between you and the website remains private. SSL technology is used by millions of websites across the world to protect financial transactions with paying customers. When sites use this, it is almost impossible for poor actors to steal sensitive financial or personal information.
Of course, the process of depositing and withdrawing at your sportsbook requires the transfer of sensitive financial information. Therefore, your sportsbooks ought to be operating an SSL-encrypted link (for your own protection and theirs). Any sportsbook that is not running SSL either is especially trying to steal your data, or they do not have some understanding of the most rudimentary facets of internet security. Both are reasons to steer clear, and any sportsbook that isn’t armed with SSL protection is not worth your time.
How do you determine a site that’s SSL protected? Easy! Just search for websites with https:// at the beginning of the web address along with also a locked icon. That’s all it takes!
4. Your Sportsbook Has An Excellent Online Reputation
If your sportsbook has a solid reputation, you’ve probably landed onto a safe sportsbook. The longer a sportsbook has existed, the more powerful it is managing your money. A sportsbooks’ continued existence is proof of the safety. If they were ripping bettors away, there is no way they can stay in operation.
Each of the sportsbooks we examine have demonstrated track record of validity, but if you want to widen your search, there’s many different channels you’ll be able to go through as well. The subreddit r/sportsbooks is a great place to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of specific books inside the gambling community.
5. They’ve Got A Responsive Client Service Department
If you call, email, or send a message for your sportsbook and get a near-instantaneous response, you are dealing with a secure sportsbook.
Customer service departments that are actual, responsive, and knowledgeable don’t emerge from thin air. A well-furnished, fully-functional customer service section is expensive to employees, train, and operate, and therefore, it’s just safe sportsbooks that can feasibly conduct them.
6. They Aren’t Promoting Anything Outrageous
A safe sportsbook isn’t likely to be supplying bettors outrageous perks which appear too good to be true. Any sportsbook which masquerades as a charitable operation is likely attempting to engineer innovative techniques to separate you from your cash.
What exactly do we mean when we say outrageous? Well, if you find that the Pats in +1000 on the moneyline — or a 500% bonus deal — steer clear. Ensure the odds, lines, bonuses, and limits align with industry standards.
7. Well-Developed Interface & Modern UX and UI
Should you stumble upon a sportsbook that’s got a fully functional interface, live betting options, a nicely developed cellular platform, and considerate, contemporary UX and UI, you have definitely found a secure sportsbook. These features are the hallmarks of the maximum quality novels, and no book that’s spent so much time on supplying bettors with a top notch experience will be appearing rip you off.
Scammy sportsbooks just don’t remain in business for very long. Creating a perfect user experience not just requires a massive financial investment, but a substantial amount of time as well. Obviously, this would preclude them from developing a quality platform for bettors.
Located A Safe Sportsbook? Start Building Your Bankroll!
Finding a trusted sportsbook is undoubtedly the most vital component of sports gambling. Now you understand how to find one, you are able to brush up on the basics with our gambling 101 guides, where we walk you through the basics while demystifying the essential principles of sports gambling that may seem complicated at first blush.
Want to find out more about the company of sports betting and why online sportsbooks operate the way they do? Have a look at our guide to online sportsbooks’ complicated (but legal) status in the USA.