Let’s face it, the betting industry doesn’t have the cleanest of reputations — and that’s been the case for decades if not centuries now. Unfortunately, a few “bad apples” have stained the industry’s entire perception. But we’re here to assure you, there is in fact safe online betting sites out there.
The experts here at Vegas Betting have done a lot of the legwork already, scouring through the internet and reviewing hundreds of sites. After all that, we think we know which bookmakers are actually safe and which aren’t. While we have done our part, we can’t expect readers to just accept our word as gospel. So, throughout this article, we’ll go through what makes up safe gambling sites, what to look out for, and what to avoid.
The safest online gambling sites are, as you’d expect, are found in countries that promote gambling and boast a variety of providers for the public to enjoy. Moreover, these countries provide security through regulations and laws attached to online gambling.
In said countries, sports betting providers have to pass quality checks and ensure they comply with strict regulations enforced and regularly updated by the government in question.
For those readers that just want to start playing the odds, we would strongly advise taking a look at a provider like Bovada LV. With decades in the industry, they provide competitive odds on almost all markets out there.
If you come through the internet, you’ll discover literally thousands of sportsbook providers, with many of them looking more than dubious and others totally legitimate. The next stage of this article will take our readers through the steps that we go through when assessing a provider, detailing things to look out for and how to avoid unlicensed betting sites.
There are some things we’ll touch on here first that are absolutely essential and are a clear sign as to whether a provider is legitimate or not. A must-have is a solid base of players, which normally goes hand in hand with an established history – though not always.
If a provider has been around for over a decade that’s a safe bet and if they’ve been around for 2 decades, you’re probably looking at one of the top-tier sportsbooks around. Surviving this long will mean they’ve been conducting business in a fair and reliable way.
One of the issues most bettors have is that fact every day we see new sites popping up. These sites offer great rates, competitive odds and excellent deals on first-time deposits. We don’t generally promote sites like this, however, we do promote certain sites that have conducted business with integrity and honesty, which have been around for less than 10 years.
This part is straightforward. Simply visit the site in question and look for a credible authority which is supporting the provider. Something to watch out for is if a site previously had a license and it has since been revoked. That means there have been legality issues and these sites should be avoided at all costs.
There are a variety of gambling commissions globally, though the ones to look out for are split into four main authorities. The main gambling authorities in operation today are as follows:
These licenses are normally located near the bottom of the website, generally in the corner. However, if there are no signs at all of one of these regulatory bodies, it’s best to avoid that provider.
There are, of course, other commissions and authorities, but it’s worth working with websites that are supported by these regulators. Take EveryGame for example, they are supported by the Curacao Gaming Authority and are an excellent provider, with a range of betting options available.
This may seem an absolute essential for bettors working with safe online gambling sites, but for many players, it’s overlooked. Some sites set up major obstacles when trying to withdraw money; requesting documents and putting clauses in on withdrawals.
Always read the fine print in the terms and conditions when depositing, or go with one of our trusted sportsbook providers and save yourself the hassle.
Without going into too much detail, the payout must be coming out within 3-5 working days at the very most. Sometimes other payment systems are considerably quicker, or in some cases slower, but this represents the typical timescale.
We touched on it above, but it’s quite normal for providers to request certain documents in order to identify who you are. But, this process should be straightforward and the documents requested should be sensible and do not require users to reveal too much information.
There’s no point in depositing money with a sportsbook unless they offer the markets and range of games that bettors want. A reliable sportsbook, casino, poker rooms or a combination of these things are commonplace and often a good sign of safe betting sites.
Using top software for games is also essential, this ensures users get the highest quality and latest games on offer. Games software companies such as NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech, and IGT are some of the top-tier software companies.
For the more experienced bettors, if they see games or software companies promoted on the site that they’ve never heard of, then these are the kinds of warning signs to look out for and avoid. Safe gambling sites will normally just work with reliable game developers.
As much as anything else, this article is designed to educate our readers and give them the tools to recognize safe gambling sites. While we know many of our readers are well-informed on these issues, we want to be clear and ensure they avoid false sites and scam artists.
We’ll keep this brief, but below is a list of all the things to avoid and keep an eye out for when landing on a new provider’s site and are considering depositing.
That’s the bulk of the article, with just a short section to round things off. For those readers who feel content and are ready to play the odds, take a look at what’s on offer at BetOnline!
Ultimately, when selecting a betting site it’s down to personal preferences and which sites catch the eye of the user. Sometimes readers will have preferential reasoning to work with certain sites; competitive odds, great user-interface, specific betting markets, big-money bonuses, or other reasons. Find what you care about most and pick the site that excels in that area, it’s as simple as that.
We have provided our readers with a comprehensive understanding of the safest sports betting sites and made users better at deciding which sites are good and bad. As such, when choosing betting sites, always go with trusted sites, with a dedicated community and a stake in the industry. Good luck with the odds!
