Legit Online Betting Sites
I’m an online gambling expert with nearly 20 years of direct industry experience under my belt. Welcome to my website, you are one of the lucky ones! I keep a super strict list of only the highest quality gambling sites since early 2004. As of today in 2021 I have helped 97,000+ people find an online casino, sportsbook or poker room to play at. Clearly, the safest sports betting sites for players in the United States are sites that are licensed by states that have legalized Internet-based sports gaming. New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia have approved legal online sportsbooks at the time of this writing, and these are certainly safe betting sites. A review of an online casino, for example, will feature different information to a review of an online betting site. A lot of the sites we review are what we call “all in one” gambling sites. These are the ones that offer multiple forms of betting.
Ratings
Overall
We found while reviewing BetNow that there are a lot of things to like, and there are some areas which could use
some updates and improvements. We’ll go into more detail in this in-depth BetNow review
so you can see what we liked versus what we think needs some focus.
Sportsbook
If you’re into major sports like basketball and football, then you’ll be all
good to wager on the BetNow Sportsbook. Luckily, they’ve got excellent coverage
of all the most popular sports. However, they lack when it comes to other less
popular sports except for esports and cycling. In the future, we’d like to see
BetNow broaden their offering of sports you can wager on.
Casino
The games which BetNow provides their clients in the casino are all excellent
games with quality graphics and sound. However, the problem lies in the fact
there are only about 100 games for clients to choose from, which is
significantly lower than the average online casino. Unfortunately, the selection
is even smaller for clients wanting to play games from mobile devices.
Banking
At BetNow, there’s a decent-sized collection of banking methods which will
work for most folks to deposit and withdraw funds from the website. However,
e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller were noticeably missing. BetNow should add
these options and many others to increase banking flexibility for their
customers.
Bonuses
Clients of BetNow will find a pretty good overall set of options when it
comes to bonus promotions. But the size of the deposit match percentages is
lower in many cases on BetNow than the average for other online gambling sites.
We’d like to see BetNow step it up and offer more significant percentage matches
for some of their offers to add more value for their clients.
Customer Service
We were pleased with the customer support at BetNow. First, they offer 24/7
support, so you never have to wait an extended period for help. Secondly, they
provide clients the ability to contact them through the telephone, email, or
live chat. Overall, we had a stellar experience with their support team, and we
don’t have any doubts you’ll not have similar experiences.
User Interface
From a functionality standpoint, we have no complaints about the user
interface of BetNow. Everything was easy to use and understand across their
entire website. But the look of their casino desktop section simply looked
dated. It’d be great to see them update this portion of their website to help
make it look more modern like the remainder of their site.
Mobile Compatibility
As a whole, the mobile version of BetNow functions well across both their
sportsbook and casino portions of the website. Fans of sports betting can
quickly place wagers on all of their favorite sports, including in-play betting,
from a tablet or smartphone. However, those looking to enjoy casino games will
find a small collection of roughly 20 games to choose from. BetNow should work
to add many more of their desktop version games to their mobile-friendly website
to increase the selection for mobile clients.
BetNow Overview
BetNow was launched in 2016. In the scale of overall online casinos and
sportsbooks, that makes it a relatively young entrant. There are much older and
experienced operations out there. However, older doesn’t always mean better.
Based on their limited time in the industry, we’re not surprised to see where
their operation currently stands. The good news is that it’s something that
seems to be continually progressing for the better and we’re excited to see what
else the BetNow team rolls out in the future as the website gets some more
experience under their belt.
Many of you might be wondering if you’re allowed to play at BetNow based on
their terms and conditions and your location. Below we’ve listed BetNow’s restricted countries:
- Australia
- Afghanistan
- Central African Republic
- Rep. Of The Congo
- Eritrea
- France
- Guinea-bissau
- Irak
- Iran
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Mali
- Malta
- North Korea
- Panama
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Yemen
BetNow is also restricted in several states in the USA:
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
Make sure to double check your local gambling laws to see if there are any updates that might impact you.
Banking
Up next, we wanted to give you some color on what you could expect with the
cashier at BetNow. Below, we’ve added in the banking methods we found at the
time of our BetNow review along with their associated restrictions. Take a scan here to
see if they are offering the banking options you need.
Deposits
- Bitcoin: $20 minimum – $40,000 maximum
- Visa: $20 minimum – $1,000 maximum
- Mastercard: $20 minimum – $1,000 maximum
- Bank Wire: $100 minimum – $50,000 maximum
Withdrawals
- Bitcoin: $2,500 maximum
- Visa: $3,000 maximum
- Mastercard: $3,000 maximum
- Bank Wire: $3,000 maximum
- Direct Deposit ACH: $1,500 maximum
Overall, BetNow has done a pretty good job of assembling banking methods
their clients can use to deposit and withdraw funds. While what they have now is
good, it could be made better by adding in some e-wallets like Skrill and
Neteller to the mix. By doing this, BetNow will add in even more options and
flexibility for their clientele.
Bonuses Offered by BetNow
Moving on, we wanted to give you an idea of what you can expect in the bonus
department of BetNow. Luckily, we found a nice collection of promotional offers
at the time we reviewed BetNow. We’ve highlighted each of them below. Check these out
and start to think about which one of these might be a good fit for you.
Welcome Bonuses
At BetNow, you get two different options for initial welcome bonuses. Both of
the ones below each feature a maximum bonus amount of $1,000. However, what
differs is the amount of bonus match and the associated rollover requirements.
Check out the descriptions below so you can choose which one of these makes the
most sense for your situation.
Your first option for a welcome bonus with BetNow is the most lucrative one,
allowing you to earn a 100% deposit match. However, since it’s a more substantial
bonus match than the one described below, it does come with some higher rollover
requirements. With this offer, your bonus funds will be subject to an 8x
sportsbook and 30x casino rollover requirement. If this feels like the right one
for you, be sure to input the claim code below when making your initial deposit.
- Claim Code: BN100
If the offer described above to you seems too aggressive, then you might want
to claim the 25% welcome bonus. Here, you can still earn the full $1,000 of
bonus cash as long as you deposit $4,000 or more. And you’ll benefit from lower
rollover requirements of just 3x for the sportsbook and 15x for the casino. Just
use the claim code featured below if you’d like to take advantage of this offer.
- Claim Code: BN25
Casino Welcome Bonus
Those of you planning to play in BetNow’s casino should consider claiming
their welcome bonus that’s just for casino players. With this promo, you can
earn up to $1,000 on your first three casino deposits. BetNow will pay you a 50%
match as long as you use the claim code included below. If you max out this
offer for your initial three deposits, you can earn a whopping $3,000!
- Claim Code: BNCASINO
Casino Rebate
If you’ve had a down week in BetNow’s casino, you don’t have to worry about
eating the entire loss. Luckily, they automatically provide all of their casino
clients with a 10% weekly rebate on all losses. While this doesn’t exactly make
you whole, it at least helps remove the sting a little. We’re happy to see this
promotional offer since not all online casinos offer this excellent feature to
their clients.
Horse Racing Rebate
Similar to promotions we commonly see from other online racebooks, BetNow
will provide you with a weekly rebate on all of your horse racing losses. At
BetNow, you’ll get an 8% rebate each week when you’re down on your horse racing
wagers. Luckily, the refund hits your account automatically, so you don’t have
to worry about taking any action to get your rebate funds.
Referral Bonus
Something else you can do to earn some bonus cash at BetNow is to refer your
friends to play there too. With their referral bonus promotion, you can earn up
to $250 for each friend you refer to the website. Whenever a new friend signs up
and makes a deposit, you’ll receive a bonus equal to 50% of their deposit. And
you’re never capped with how many friends you can refer, so be sure to refer as
many friends as possible if you enjoy gambling on BetNow’s website.
Contests
Legal Online Betting Sites
Another thing which jumped out to us about BetNow is that they seem to offer
regular contests for their clients. For example, we saw offers on both NBA and
MLB action during our BetNow review. We also found historical promotions tied to
different holidays like Thanksgiving. We were pleased to see these sorts of
offers since this adds even more ways that BetNow clients might be able to earn
some additional bonus funds. Be sure to check the promotions page often to make
sure you’re always up to speed on their latest contest offers.
Lifetime VIP Program
One final promotion at BetNow worth mentioning is their Lifetime VIP Program.
With this offer, you can receive up to 15% deposit bonus on all of your deposits
for your lifetime. To get the full 15% bonus for life, you’ll need to deposit
$2,000. If that’s too high for you, simply deposit $500 or more, and you’ll
enjoy a 10% lifetime bonus. The Lifetime VIP Program at BetNow is an excellent
way for you to earn bonus funds whenever you’re reloading your betting account.
As a reminder, the offers discussed above are the ones we found during our
in-depth review of BetNow. To see the latest lineup of their great offers, click
on the promotions tab of their website. Also, make sure to review the terms and
conditions for all offers before taking advantage of them so that you’re fully
aware of all associated rollover requirements and any other fine print.
When considering all of the bonus promotions at BetNow as a whole, we’re
pretty happy. In general, what they have currently available provides their
clients options to select from which offer some sizeable potential bonuses. That
said, we would like to see BetNow offer more bonus promotions and more
significant deposit matches. By doing this, they’ll be more competitive with
some of the other gambling websites out there.
BetNow Sportsbook
Moving along, we next turned our attention to the BetNow sportsbook. In this
portion of our complete review of Betnow’s operations, we’ll provide you with a look
at what you can expect to find in this section of their website.
Sports You Can Bet On
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Hockey
- Auto Racing
- Boxing
- Horse Racing
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Cycling
- Esports
If you’re into betting on predominant sports like hockey and baseball, then
you’re all set at BetNow. However, if you’re looking to wager on smaller sports,
BetNow doesn’t offer you a ton of options outside of cycling. Hopefully, BetNow
will expand their sports you can bet on to provide additional opportunities for
their clients.
Despite the smaller sized collection of sports you can bet on, we were happy
to see BetNow’s sportsbook offered esports action. And, unlike many other online
sportsbooks which only offer action on a handful of esports games, we discovered
seven options when we reviewed BetNow. If you’re looking to wager on esports
events, BetNow will make an excellent gambling site for you to call home.
Before we proceed, we should mention one thing: Like many online sportsbooks,
BetNow doesn’t showcase a sport if they don’t currently have wagers available
for it. That means there may be some other sports they offer action on which are
not in season or play at this time. If one of your favorite sports to wager on
isn’t included in the list below, try checking BetNow once the sport has events
happening to see if you can bet on it with BetNow’s sportsbook.
Live Betting
Keeping up with one of the hottest trends in the industry, BetNow offers the
ability for clients to wager on live sports events. With this type of format,
you can bet as the sporting event happens as opposed to only before it begins.
When checking out this portion of BetNow’s sportsbook during our review, we found a
robust assortment of in-play betting options. If you’re into live betting for
any of the sports they offer action on, you should be pleased with the
collection of live bets available to you on their platform.
Betting Limits
How much you can wager for any specific bet at BetNow will depend on which
sport you’re betting on and what form of wager it is.
If the existing betting limits on BetNow are too low for your needs, it’s
easy to contact them to have your account reviewed. What’s nice with BetNow is
that they work to get you an answer in 20 minutes or less, which is rare for an
online sportsbook. To have your account reviewed for potential higher betting
limits, contact their customer service team using live chat, phone, or email.
Sportsbook Wrap Up
Keeping up with one of the hottest trends in the industry, BetNow offers the
ability for clients to wager on live sports events. With this type of format,
you can bet as the sporting event happens as opposed to only before it begins.
When checking out this portion of the BetNow sportsbook during our BetNow review, we found a
robust assortment of in-play betting options. If you’re into live betting for
any of the sports they offer action on, you should be pleased with the
collection of live bets available to you on their platform.
BetNow Casino
In BetNow’s casino, we found right around 100 different casino games to
select from. Below, we’ve listed out the count and types located at the time of
our in-depth review.
Available Casino Games
In the BetNow casino, we found right around 100 different casino games to select from. Below,
we’ve listed out the count and types located at the time of our in-depth BetNow Review
- 41 slot machines
- 25 table games
- 8 specialty casino games
- 18 video poker variants
- 4 versions of live dealer casino games
Despite having a small overall collection of available casino games, what
BetNow does offer is at least well balanced. Their overall mix of casino games
is what we’d expect based on our experience with other online casinos.
As we reviewed BetNow’s casino, we were delighted with the quality of the
graphics and sounds for all of the games we tested. Based on our experience, the
games in BetNow’s casino are above industry-average quality. We’ve included some
screenshots on this page to give you an idea of what you can expect in the
casino portion of this website.
Unfortunately, BetNow doesn’t have any sort of poker room or lobby where
clients can enjoy poker tournaments. If that’s a deal breaker for you in your
search for an online gambling website, check out our review of Bovada. They are
a reliable option which has a vast collection of poker games.
Overall, we love the quality and the variety of casino games that BetNow has
included on their website. However, our primary complaint centers on the small
size of the collection. With less than 100 total casino games, BetNow comes in
at the very low end of what we’re used to seeing from other online casinos. In
fact, most of the websites we review have over 100 slot games by themselves.
To help increase their competitiveness, we’d suggest BetNow at least double
their overall lineup of casino games. In doing this, it will also create many
more options for their clients hoping to enjoy casino gaming action.
Software and User Interface
Unlike many online casinos, BetNow didn’t clearly spell out their software
providers. Based on our research and experience however, we believe that we
ironed out the software providers they are using for their casino games. For the
live dealer games, it appears that Visionary iGaming is behind them. We love
what these guys have done in the live dealer gaming space. Then, when it comes
to the standard casino games, AST Gaming looks to be the software provider.
We were a bit worried at first when it came to the user interface. In
general, the BetNow casino section of their site looked a bit dated. However,
despite our initial concerns, the casino’s user interface was easy to navigate
and use. We had no problem locating the games we were looking for while on the
platform. In the future, it would be nice to see BetNow update the overall
casino experience to make their lobbies more in line with the quality of their
excellent casino games.
Mobile Compatibility
First things first, it is possible to play casino games at BetNow using your
mobile device. Using a tablet or smartphone, you can enjoy table, slot, live
dealer, video poker, and other games from the palm of your hand.
But there’s one major issue with the lineup of BetNow’s casino games on their
mobile platform, and that’s their selection. In total, we only found around 25
games on the mobile version of the website. This represents just 25% of the
collection available on the primary site, which is already small to begin with.
Unfortunately, with few games, it doesn’t give clients many choices to mix
things up. Hopefully, we’ll see the mobile-friendly version of BetNow get an
extensive collection of casino games sometime soon.
Casino Wrap Up
BetNow has assembled a small but good online casino. If you check it out and
don’t mind the modest collection of games, then you’ll be happy with the quality
of them. However, if you’d like a more extensive selection of casino games, you
might want to check out other online casino websites until BetNow can increase
the size of their casino gaming section.
Customer Support
Before wrapping up our BetNow review, we took some time to pull together our
thoughts on the customer service at BetNow. Knowing a gambling website has
reliable customer support is paramount to us in this industry. Luckily, BetNow
didn’t disappoint in this area!
One of the coolest things about BetNow’s customer support is that you’ve got
several ways to get in touch with their team. With so many gambling websites out
there only offering one or two ways to contact them, BetNow provides a breath of
fresh air with three options. We’ve detailed each of your options below along
with instructions on how you can use each one of them.
Up first, one of the convenient ways you can reach BetNow is by sending them
an email. Using email is a great idea whenever you don’t need help in a short
amount of time. While we received replies to our emails within a couple of hours
on most occasions, some issues are more urgent. For those, consider using one of
the two other contact options listed below. If you need to send BetNow an email,
use the one showcased below.
- BetNow Email: [email protected]
Telephone
Calling BetNow’s customer service team is also an option if you’d like to
reach them that way. For many of us on staff here, we want to call in whenever
we have an urgent question or issue. Sometimes, it’s just nicer to be able to
speak to someone, which is why it’s so great that BetNow offers a phone contact
option. Unfortunately, many gambling websites don’t provide this ability to
their clients. During our review process, we called into their support line many
different times and had a quality experience every time. We’ve listed their
phone number below so that you have it handy should you ever need it.
- BetNow Phone Number: 1-844-U-BetNow (1-844-823-8669)
Live Chat
One other way to reach BetNow’s support team is through the use of their live
chat functionality. With this tool, you can chat with their customer service
agents directly on the website itself. For us, we love to use live chat when
it’s available, since it tends to be the fastest way to get answers and
assistance. Whenever we used BetNow’s live chat, we were thrilled with the speed
and quality of the help we received. To use this contact method, you just need
to click on the “Live Help” button in the bottom right-hand corner of any page.
Before we wrap this section up, there’s one other thing which stuck out in an
excellent way to us about the customer service at BetNow. Luckily, they provide
their clients with 24/7 support, which isn’t something we see every day in the
online gambling site space. Because of this, you’ll have one of their excellent
agents there to help you by phone, live chat, or email around the clock. In
turn, you’ll never have to wait an extended period of time for answers.
We are super pleased with the customer support provided by BetNow. With
around-the-clock service and three contact options, they’ve made it easy for
clients to get the help they need when they need it. Based on our evaluation,
we’re sure you’ll be in excellent hands if you decide to call BetNow your online
gambling home.
Conclusion – Do We Recommend BetNow?
We’d highly recommend BetNow to folks planning to bet on popular sports like
soccer and hockey. Luckily, BetNow has done a great job getting those sports
lined up along with in-play betting. But if you’re looking to bet on less
popular sports or play lots of casino games, you may want to check out some
other options.
Frequently Asked Questions About BetNow
If you’re still hunting for some answers about BetNow, don’t miss the
frequently asked questions included below. Hopefully, these will be able to help
you find what you’re looking for.
Is BetNow the Gambling Site I Should Use?
The answer depends on what’s important to you. Our conclusion above pointed
out who we think this website might be best for. However, if you’re still on the
fence, check out the link included below. We’ve built a guide to help folks pick
an ideal gambling site based on their specific needs and desires.
Can I Bet From My Phone on BetNow?
Yes. BetNow does offer a mobile-friendly version of their website which
clients can use to bet from mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. Sports
betting fans will be pleased with the mobile website options and experience.
However, individuals looking to bet on casino games will find a tiny collection
of games available on the BetNow mobile platform.
Is It Easy to Get Started With BetNow?
Absolutely. In fact, you can open an account and begin gambling in under 10
minutes as long as you use an instant funding deposit method like Bitcoin or
Visa. Based on our experience, the signup and deposit process is very
straightforward.
Can I Bet on Live Action Sports on BetNow?
Yes. With BetNow, you can bet on in-play sports betting action. Be sure to
check out the live betting section of our sportsbook review above to learn more.
Is There an Option for Playing Free Casino Games on BetNow?
Unfortunately, we didn’t find a way to play any of the casino games for free
when we reviewed BetNow. We’d like to see them add this as an option for their customers
eventually, since it offers clients a great way to see the quality of their
games without having to wager real money on them.
It’s crucially important to stay safe when betting online. In fact, it should be priority number one when assessing a site to bet on.
We’ve done most of the hard work for you by searching the web, reviewing hundreds of potential betting sites, and separating the worthy sites from those you should avoid.
Check out the sites listed in the table above. All of these passed our security checks with flying colors.
Betting Site | Bonus | Bet Now | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | up to €30 Free Bet | Go to Site | |
2 | 22Bet | 100% up to €122 | Go to Site |
3 | 100% up to €200 | Go to Site | |
4 | 10Bet | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
5 | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
Of course, we don’t just expect you to take our word on it. That’s why we’ve outlined how we made the decision to include these below if you’re interested.
The safest gambling sites are inevitably found in the countries where it is legal and regulated. These sites have to pass quality checks and comply with strict regulations to get a license from the authorities in these countries. This is one of the factors we consider when assessing a site.
How We Decide if a Betting Site is Safe
There are literally tens of thousands of potential betting sites to choose from. We’ve visited, bet on, and reviewed thousands of them. Over time, we have developed criteria for assessing betting sites.
Each site listed in the table above passed the following tests:
It Must Have a Valid Gaming License
If a site doesn’t have a license issued by a credible authority, that’s a warning sign that it might not be safe. It’s even worse if it once had one but lost it. That means it violated the issuing authority’s rules.
There are lots of gaming authorities in the world, but the following are the ones we rate highest.
This is widely considered the gold standard of casino gaming licenses. The UK is a highly regulated market and there’s a zero tolerance policy towards cheating and scheming. If a betting site has a UK license, it’s almost guaranteed to be safe.
Malta is a Mediterranean island nation and an iGaming mecca. Lots of online casinos and software firms operate out of Malta. The Gaming Authority, therefore, takes licensing issues incredibly seriously and is quick to clamp down on anything considered unfair.
Geographically, Gibraltar lies off the tip of Spain. It’s actually a British overseas territory, though. While it governs its own affairs, gambling regulations stem from the UK Gambling Act (2005), making a Gibraltar license just as worthy as a UK one.
This small island nation in the Caribbean is home to thousands of remote eGaming operations. A Curacao license is generally held in high regard, and although the regulations are a little more flexible than the UKGC’s, for example, a betting site with a Curacao license is still considered pretty safe.
So, that’s a quick look at some of the top gambling regulators. Our recommended sites always have a valid license. You can double check these directly on the websites listed above.
It Must Offer Fast, Reliable Payouts
There’s more than one way for a site to be unsafe, but without a doubt, the most common sort of betting site scam is when you deposit and don’t get your money back.
Some sites also put up major obstacles to allowing you to withdraw, such as by asking for unreasonable verification documents or by putting in minimum withdrawal clauses which far exceed the deposits you have made.
We check the terms and conditions of each site we recommend and avoid recommending those with anything we think is ‘funny business.’
Ideally, we want to see same day payout for e-wallet withdrawals, and we want to see a maximum 3-5 business day wait for credit and debit card withdrawals.
Despite how some players feel, we actually like it when a casino asks you to verify your identity. As long as the process isn’t too complex or time-consuming, this means the site cares about fraud prevention and identity theft. When it comes to looking for safe betting sites, that’s a big plus.
It Must Run on a Secure, Encrypted Connection
Does the idea of advanced encryption make your head spin? Don’t worry, we feel you on that.
There’s no need to have a deep understanding of this issue to make use of it. That’s why they pay IT professionals the big bucks. All you need to know, as an online bettor, is that you want to bet at sites with https:// at the beginning of the web address.
That means the site runs on an SSL encrypted connection. Without getting into boring details, this makes it virtually impossible for hackers and criminals to steal financial and/or personal data on the connection.
If you take a look at any of the sites listed above, you’ll see that they run on secure connections. We don’t take risks with your data safety, and you should avoid any sites which aren’t encrypted.
On most browsers, a little notification will appear beside the address bar telling you if a site is not secure. Pay attention when this happens. It could be a costly mistake to ignore this.
It Must Offer Games from Reputable Software Providers
Best Online Betting Websites
Whether it’s a sports betting site, a casino site, a poker site, or a combination of things, we want to see software from established, reliable firms.
When it comes to online casino betting sites, for example, we really like to see games from NetEnt, Microgaming, IGT, and Playtech. These companies have a long history and are guaranteed fair.
If we see betting software we don’t recognize, that’s not an automatic write-off. We know this industry is highly innovative and are always willing to give upstarts a chance. However, we need to dig deeper and find out if these companies are reputable, and ideally want to see third-party verification of payouts.
Safe betting sites will have no problem publishing payout rates and explaining how the software works. If they aren’t willing to be transparent, we aren’t willing to recommend them.
It Must Have an Established History & Solid Base of Players/Bettors
The longer a betting site has been around the better, in our view. If a site has been servicing thousands of players since 1998, it’s highly unlikely to be unsafe. If it has survived for decades, it’s a safe bet (pun fully intended).
We’re also aware, of course, that there are lots of new betting sites coming online on a daily basis, and plenty of them are safe. In those cases, we look at the management team and company running them. If they are experienced and run multiple safe betting sites, we are happy to recommend them.
If a site is totally new, run by a startup with no industry reputation or experience, it’s highly unlikely you’ll find that site on our recommended list. They will only make it if they’ve done something exceptional to win our trust.
There are some new betting sites which make the cut, but it’s rare, and as you’ll see from the table above, most of our preferred betting sites have been around for a while.
Some of the Risks Associated with Online Betting
Part of the key to staying safe when betting online is education. We don’t mean to be patronizing, but if you’re new to this, you’re more likely to fall into the hands of predatory sites and scammers.
We want to prevent that, if possible. Other than sticking to the sites which have already been reviewed in-depth by our team of experts, it helps to know what some of the common safety concerns are.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the risks associated with betting sites:
- Outright Theft – This is simply a site stealing your money or making it impossible to get it back. It happens all too often but can easily be avoided. Stick to sites with a reputation for fair, fast payouts. Also, take some time to at least skim the terms and conditions, especially the ‘withdrawals’ section.
- Identity Theft – This is the one that really seems to freak people out these days. It’s always slightly unnerving when a betting site asks you to send a copy of your ID and a recent utility bill to verify your account. Again, it won’t be such a worry if you stick to the best-known operators who have licenses requiring them to take data protection seriously.
- Fee Gouging – Those terms and conditions are a treasure trove of information, as we’ve said before. Still, virtually nobody takes the time to read them. This is where dishonest operators can confiscate your winnings for no reason or take back a hefty slice in the form of fees.
- Viruses & Malware – Lots of mobile bettors, in particular, like to download an app from their favorite betting site. However, too many less scrupulous operators install malware, adware, and spyware along with the app. Get a good antivirus program which detects malware, adware, and spyware, and you should be safe.
- Rigged Games & Odds – The crooked bookie or casino run in a smoke-filled room parlor by the mob is long gone. These days, they’ve migrated online. Some unsafe betting sites create their own odds software or casino games, which are designed to rip you off, plain and simple.
Summary
It’s always worth it to take the time to research before deciding on a betting site. You can start by reading some of our in-depth reviews.
We cover each of the points listed above in detail and leave no stone unturned. We’re not saying every site we review will turn out to be right for you, but we are saying you’ll be in a much better position to make a decision after reading one.
You can find our safest betting sites and their full reviews on the table at the top of this page. We wish you the best of luck!