Sports betting is big these days driven by an explosion of betting options at online sportsbooks. Whether you reside in the United States or somewhere across the globe, fast and easy access to an online betting venue is just a click away.
There are any number of online sportsbooks that cater to the US sports bettors with that list getting longer and longer each and every year. Individual states such as New Jersey have joined the fray along with Nevada in offering land-based sports betting at brick and mortar sportsbooks along with online capabilities tied to casinos and race tracks within their borders.
The Legalities of Online Sportsbook Betting
While there is no shortage of ways to bet on sports these days, the question remains as to where is the best place to bet on sports?
The offshore sportsbook industry created the online sports betting industry back in the mid-1990’s. Operating from a legal jurisdiction in countries such as Antigua, Curacao and more recently Costa Rica, these industry pioneers brought online sports betting to the masses through the use of the Internet. This also limited outside interference from foreign governments while being fully regulated and governed in their country of origin.
This also gave these early online sportsbooks a major leg up on competition. They have mastered the art of online sports betting over the last 20 years or so while newcomers to the game are trying to close that gap in a matter of months. Betting sports online through reputable sportsbooks is still the best way to stretch the value of your betting dollar.
Among this extended list of online sports betting venues, it stands to reason that some are going to be better than the rest. Some online sports betting review websites have turned to a rating system that goes from A+ down to a F. Most of the recognized online sportsbooks in the game today fall with the range of A+ to C- with very little difference in quality within the actual grades.
Smart Bettors Use Two or Three Sportsbooks
When you were back in school, you probably tried to convince your parents that there was very little difference between a C- and an A+ with very little success. Most of the issues in the online sportsbook industry revolve around timely payouts. A book with an A+ rating may offer a quicker turnaround on a payment request than a book at C-, but that is only part of the equation when it comes to finding the best online sportsbook for your individual betting strategy, style and habits.
Sports betting review sites are a good starting point when searching online sports betting venues, but you also have to make sure that any review is comprehensive and unbiased in its approach to actually rating a book.
Some ratings may be heavily skewed towards a site’s generous welcome bonus for new customers. Most times, the top bonus amount is unachievable given the strict betting requirements tied to payouts. If you consider yourself to be a recreational bettor looking for a little bit of action on the weekends, most online bookie bonus plans will probably not work for you.
Longevity in a very competitive business environment should be taken into account. This is not to say that a book that has been around for 15 years should be rated higher than a book that opened for business a few years ago. However, books that have stood the test of time have to be doing something right.
5 Things to Look For When Choosing an Online Sportsbook
The best way to find an online sportsbook that is the best fit is to search the individual sites on your own. This may take some extra time on your part, but think of it as test driving a car. Nothing you read about that car is going to replace the feeling you get when you take it out for a little spin on your own.
