You will not have escaped the marketing campaigns of sports betting sites in the last few years. There has been an incredible surge in popularity globally, including in the US – especially since the changes in laws and regulations after 2018. Adverts are everywhere now and the choice can be overwhelming for newcomers.
Betting platforms have made it far easier for beginners to get involved, with technological advances benefiting new customers along the way. Potential bettors have a wide variety of options in front of them, including downloading the newest and best California betting apps. There have never been so many widely available sports betting options.
Even with this move to simplify the industry for beginners, there will still be many who may like to get involved but feel as if they don’t know enough to make an informed choice. With that in mind, here are some of the factors to consider when choosing the best sports betting platform.
User Experience
One of the best ways to discover which sports betting site is suitable for you is to try them out. Obviously, this means that you will be jumping straight in but you can gain a lot of information from a sportsbook without even placing a bet. Take a look at a few sites to see which one you feel more comfortable with.
There is also nothing to say that you cannot sign up with a number of different sportsbooks. By doing this, you will also get to know the pros and cons of a range of sites. Once you have all the information you need, you can then concentrate on your favorite, secure in the knowledge that it gives you what you want.
Bonuses and Promotions
There is a lot you can do before you register for any betting site, of course. One of the main ways that most sportsbooks look to attract new customers, in what is an incredibly competitive industry, is by offering welcome bonuses. These will usually take the form of free bets or deposit matches – although there a number of other types as well.
Some of the bonuses on offer for new customers will seem to be too good to be true. While all offers are completely legitimate, you should take a close look at the terms and conditions attached to see if they fit with what you need. When you have all the information you need, you can then sign up, claim the bonus, and go betting.
Competitive Odds
For the completely uninitiated, it must seem as though the betting odds – or prices – offered by sportsbooks are all the same. And it is true that there is usually very little deviation from an industry standard for most events. But it is the tiniest differences that should make your sportsbook decision easier.
Although the betting platforms will not want to deviate too much from the norm, you may find that a particular site offers more attractive prices on basketball, for example, than the others. If you are planning to mostly wager on the NBA, this should be the site for you. Even slightly better odds can make all the difference to the size of the payout.
Range of Markets
It may be that you are only ever going to bet on the NFL. If that is the case, you will probably be fine with just about any sportsbook, as these markets are very popular and you should easily be able to find a suitable bet. But it is still worth taking a look at the full range of betting options at each sportsbook, as it is a good sign of whether they serve their customers well or not.
You should check to see if there is a wide range of sports covered before moving on to what you think you will specialize in. Take a look at individual games and see what kind of things you can bet on. A wide range of betting options is obviously best.
Betting App
We are very used to using mobile phones for just about everything these days and sportsbooks were very quick to realize that potential customers would want to use an app for betting too. Now it is unusual to find a sportsbook that doesn’t offer a free app – and most betting is carried out in this way.
As with any app, user experience is key. You can read reviews if you like, but the best way to discover if an app is any good is to download and try it out for yourself. You should take note of how quick it is, as well as how intuitive it is to use. This could very well be the main way you bet, so it needs to be as easy-to-use as possible.
Figure 2 A good app can make all the difference with sports betting – Source: Unsplash
Payment Options
You will probably find that you fund your betting account with just one payment method – so make sure that any potential sportsbook suits the way you conduct your business online. The good news here is that sportsbooks are keen to register as many customers as possible, so there will usually be a wide range of payment methods available.
It is probably a good idea here to see if a sportsbook offers the latest payment methods as well. You may not use cryptocurrency or e-wallets at the moment but their availability shows that the betting platform is embracing modern technology – and you may end up using different payment methods in the future.
Customer Support
Hopefully, you will never need to get in touch with your sportsbook with an issue or a problem, but it is good to know that they will be there in your time of need. It really depends on how you like to deal with customer support teams, but a range including live chat, email, and even a phone number is best.
While you are checking for the ways you can get in touch, it is also a good idea to see if there is a wealth of knowledge on the site covering FAQs. You may not have to make contact at all if there are some well-stocked help pages. As with any aspect of choosing a sportsbook, you want it to suit your needs and be the right choice for you.
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