The Ultimate Guide to US Betting Sites April 20, 2024
What was once mainly a culture centered around betting shops in sketchy parts of English towns, we can now call a truly global pastime. bet has been through a lot in the last few decades, there’s no doubt about it.
Even its most staunch proponents couldn’t imagine the current industry-wide growth rate. With a projected $8 billion in total revenue by 2025, sports bets is now looking to cater to region-specific tastes and diversify itself in order to appeal to as many sports fans as possible.
Despite this growth being nothing short of majestic, the overabundance of different bookies, niches, and everything in between has created a tangible climate of confusion.
All the criteria that were once important have become blurred, rendering both experts and players unable to discern between what’s right and what’s not.
Our guide to betting sites aims to tackle this problem in particular.
With a holistic approach, we want to point out all the rarely seen intricacies of the bets industry. We will explore what makes a good bookmaker, how did we come to this point, as well as other historical and technical aspects of this unique activity.
Even though complexity is inherently a part of taking punts, we want to make things as crisp as possible throughout the guide.
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The Ultimate Puzzle: What Makes a Great Betting Site?
If you asked a group of experienced bettors this question, there’s a high chance they would start to list features. Of course, some key aspects will reemerge with every questioned individual, but there will also be specific demands, preferences, and downright irrational requirements. And that’s completely okay.
The customer dictates the market and it’s the bookmakers’ job to adjust accordingly. What may seem like one person’s ideal bookie, is another person’s worst nightmare.
Preferences are, after all, a result of one’s history with betting, favorite sports, regional influence and so on. For any bookie, it’s impossible to be like by everyone.
There is no general consensus on this topic because the best betting sites have mastered all the basics, and are now focused on deepening their relationships with some niche player groups. Initially, we thought about listing all the characteristics of a great bookmaker. It made sense, as this would be a comprehensive list of all the things that are widely considered as good features or ‘good moves’. However, we realized that there would be a lot of sub-features, variables, and whatnot. Every reader would encounter some elements that are ‘useless’ to them.
Thus, we went back to the drawing board and thought about what are the most definite signs of quality betting sites. Such an approach simplified things a thousandfold. This thought process required us to analyze some of the biggest and most beloved brands in the industry, just to see what they have in common. We believe that if a betting site has several of these qualities, there is a high chance that they’re worthy of becoming your next bookie:
A great design
Believe it or not, bet isn’t just about what you do, sometimes it’s about what environment you’re in. After all, that’s why more and more punters have made the switch from betting shops to online sportsbooks.
You get to control your immediate surroundings, but it’s the bookie’s design choices that determine the crux of your experience.
If you’re a professional bettor and are used to staring at tables, markets, and spreadsheets for hours, then you need a sportsbook with a pleasant, smooth UI.
In the early 2000s, designs were mostly basic and focused on being as readable as possible.
With the rise of CSS, front end software developers became capable of so much more. The very best bookies allow you to use their site in dark mode, change the layout, and many other customizations.
Since there are more opportunities, less and less betting sites are showing that they’re up for the challenge.
Bonuses and promotions for all purposes
In the early days of online betting sites, offering a bonus was a feature reserved for the biggest brands in the game. It made sense, too, as only they had enough funds to provide their players with a little extra something.
This experimental approach was praised by the community, as punters loved being rewarded for choosing a particular bookie.
Soon after, every bookie started offering some kind of bonus, just to stand out from the competition. Even today, there are sportsbooks that aren’t quite able to grasp the whole approach. Most offer just a single sign-up bonus and that’s it.
The very best sports bets brands have all kinds of limited-time offers, for special events, tournaments, and competitions. Bet boosters and pre-made slips are something that enticed players to partake in promotions and potentially win big.
Betting exchanges and spread betting sites also have bonus variations of their own.
While different players like different things, it’s important for the bonus roster to cover all niches, sports, and events. That’s how you get players to become more engaged.
Strong licensing
At the turn of the century, betting sites were slammed by skeptics, calling this innovation ‘nothing but a flash in the pan, a fad that’s about to disappear soon’.
Because of this, many national and international gaming regulatory bodies were slow to pass laws that would keep a watchful eye over online sportsbooks.
There were no licensing requirements and anyone could start a betting site and potentially defraud customers.
Nowadays, organizations and governments have caught up with these trends. You want to see a bookmaker be licensed by a respected regulatory body, such as the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), or the Gibraltar Gaming Commissioner (GGC).
If every facet of the sight gets green light from such an organization, then you can rest assured, knowing that you will be safe from any kind of harm.
Quality of Customer Support
All the best sites have 24/7 support channels available to all bettors.
This is also a good indicator of the bookmaker’s ambitions – if they offer around-the-clock live chat, phone, and email support, this means that they have customers from all around the world. An often-underrated aspect of good customer support structures is problem segmentation.
Talking to a person might be the most reassuring way to resolve an issue, but it’s also the slowest approach. The very best bets brands have their Help sections divided into sub-sections, such as Deposits, Account Creation, Bugs, Complaints, etc.
Every punter wants independence, and reading up on your problem and resolving it is the ultimate display of this quality. It also boosts your self-confidence, as well as helping you learn the ropes of the game. If you’re a rookie, that is.
Look for fast responses, crisp explanations, and cordial agents.
A wide array of payment options
Payments are the proverbial elephant in the room, even in 2020.
There’s nothing worse than actually liking an online bookmaker and wanting to bet at their site, only to find out that they only accept credit card payments, or have some obscure platforms offered.
More than anything, gambling should be easy and painless.
A limited number of payment options weren’t even a drawback in the 2000s, mostly because e-wallets weren’t as popular as they are now. Today, bookies have to clean up their act in order to collaborate with PayPal and regionally-focused payment providers.
The amount of deposit options is a great way to see if a bookie is legitimate. Nobody wants to deal with shady sites, which means a lackluster payments section is a deal-breaker for many punters.
Target betting sites that offer platforms that you’re comfortable using.That should be your utmost priority.
Market depth
Some bookmakers like to stick to the basics. When you click on an event they’re accepting bets on, it’s easy to be disappointed by the usual 1×2 bets and just a few props.
If you’re a pro bettor, you need a bookie that uses an analytical approach to each event.
Basically, the more you can bet on, the better. This means that the site has to have a good odds supplier, with enough options to satisfy everyone. For soccer betting, a sportsbook needs to offer niche bets like corners, fouls, red cards, offsides, first scorer, and so on.
The same goes for other sports – it’s better not to offer something than to cover it badly.
While it’s true that some punters shy away from these niche markets because they don’t know much about them, the presence of props and quirkier markets just adds some pizzaz to the game.
After all, you will have more ways wins, right?
Sports variety
Niche bookies have always existed and, frankly, they should always exist.
Punters focused on particular sports, such as horse racing, soccer, or hockey, will instinctively flock to a bookie that has the best coverage of what they prefer.
However, if you’re not enamored with just one sport, you will want to bet at a site that has is versatile and knows how to approach different preferences.
A great bookmaker doesn’t have to offer intricate props to English 8th division matches, but they do need to have excellent coverage of at least 3 different sports.
This shows professionalism and a wish to cater to as many players as possible.
Not every sportsbook succeeds in doing this, but improvement is also an important factor. A sub-factor, if you will.
Positive player reviews
Let’s face it – online bookmaker reviews are often reactionary and can stem even from a simple understanding. Despite the lack of consistently truthful accounts of various experiences, you should pay attention to patterns that might appear.
For instance, if one person writes a caps lock-infuse comment about being swindled, they might have misread the terms & conditions. But if multiple people bring up the issue in a level-headed manner, then something might be going on.
Take everything with a grain of salt, but don’t hesitate to abandon a bookmaker if they don’t address their players’ issues correctly.
The best way to approach this form of research is to hover around the sections with 3-star and 4-star reviews. Statistically, these players are the most reasonable and are most likely to provide you with a truthful review.
Check to see if any flaw appears consistently and think about whether it’s a deal-breaker or not.
What Betting Sites Are There Anyway?
Live-betting
As we enter the third decade of the third millennium, punters want to see more action. Pre-match betting, as popular as it is, involves a lot of research, preparation, and analytics-based work.
While the prospect of winning is always enticing, taking punts this way only comes down to anticipation while the event is unfolding. It’s boring! You just have to look, wait, and possibly distract yourself if things aren’t going well. When in-play betting started becoming more popular, all of this change.
Once just a small niche promoted by West European bookies, mainly British ones, live bets have instilled the whole industry with a lot of excitement. You can follow what going on and make bets reflecting on the remainder of the event. Think a comeback is on the way?
Don’t hesitate to place a bet. Lest we forget, in-play betting is also a quick way to make money, as you can place wagers on the last ten minutes of a sporting event.
Cash-out Betting
In recent years, sportsbooks have begun rapidly adopting new, cutting-edge features. Some of these were adopted just for the sake of innovation, while others managed to stick around because of their uncanny usability. One such feature is ‘cash-out’.
Basically, cash-out betting sites allow players to withdraw their winnings before the game is done. For example, if your slip contains a treble with just 1×2 markets, you can cash out as soon as the conditions are met.If all three teams are winning and it’s the 75-80th minute, you can accept a lower amount of money and not risk any late-game braces.
For players who prefer to bet in a secure fashion, cash-out is a feature that’s truly heaven-sent. It’s best applied when you’re focusing on live betting.
Betting Exchanges
When talking about ‘regular’ bookmakers, the player basically plays against the house. The odds are set and you can only win or lose, there is no wiggle room in between these two outcomes. For some time now, this was the only way to approach bet, but many players viewed the state as bland and boring.
A solution arrived, in the form of betting exchanges. This type of bookie allows you to go head to head against other players on the site, while a fixed percentage of your winnings always goes to the house.
Bettors can challenge fellow players by wagering money on odds, drawing other players to the market and increasing their potential winnings. If you’re a fan of dynamic environments and you love to see your skills put to the test, this is the approach for you.
Arbitrage Betting
Now, “arbing” isn’t a type of bet that’s represented in the way you’re used to. In most cases, bookies adopt niches and turn them into marketing tools. Arbitrage bets are different. Most betting sites discourage or downright forbid their use, pointing out that they’re a form of cheating.
With “arbing”, you get to bet on two outcomes of the same event. This includes choosing two bookmakers and comparing the odds they offer. For instance, you can choose one sportsbook to bet that there will be over 3 goals during the next Manchester Derby, while the other can be used for the under 3 goals bet.
If one bookie offers better odds, you can potentially win more, all while placing the same two wagers. Look for arbitrage-friendly sites, just to be sure that you won’t get into unnecessary trouble if this approach is deemed cheating by a certain bookie.
Points/spread betting
Out of all the sport betting niches we’ve covered in this section, points betting requires the most accuracy. Why, exactly? Well, with this particular strategy, you’re not betting on a pre-conceived result, per se.
With 1×2 markets, your team or athlete of choice will either win, draw, or lose. There is no other outcome, regardless of what happens. Spread betting allows you winning more money if you’re prediction is overwhelmingly accurate.
Imagine you’re betting on a Celtics v. Lakers game and you think the Celtics are going wins. If you’re placing a bet on the Celtics winning by 5 or more points, the bigger the scoring margin – the bigger your winnings will be. An unexpected blowout because of a mid-game injury can turn you into a rich guy or gal.
However, there is also a risk involved. If the Celtics don’t win, you will lose money according to the scoring margin. Points betting is a pro’s game and requires thorough analysis before taking the plunge.
The spread rewards winning but punish losing. It requires knowing the full realm of probability, as well as the strength of both opponents.
Do Online Betting Sites Really Allow You to Bet on Everything?
Soccer
Since it’s the most popular sport on the planet, the high interest resulted in a lot of markets. For decades now, bookies have been perfecting their craft with the Champions League, the Premier League, and just about every other competition that exists.
You will find a lot of prop bets, especially for attackers and midfielders.
If you love going in-depth while creating your slips, soccer is by far the best option.
Anything you can imagine, a market exists for that very idea.
Basketball
With b-ball, you’re getting a faster-paced version of soccer, when looking at this duopoly from a bettor’s perspective. Since it’s a sport with a lot of points, basketball has become a true magnet for spread betting.
More and more punters are avoiding straight-up 1×2 bets and focusing on the intricacies of point spreads, total points, and so on. NBA games, in particular, are the driving force behind basketball becoming more popular.
When bet became legal in the US in 2018, the general population, which isn’t as accustomed to soccer as their European counterparts, shifted its focus to basketball almost immediately.
Football
NFL’s SuperBowl Sunday is by far the biggest bet day in the world, but regular-season games attract significant volume too.
With the USA regulated their online betting, we can expect the numbers to increase even more.
However, there’s significant betting volume going at NFL in Europe and United States also, as almost all major betting sites offer these markets.
Tennis
Due to the overwhelming number of rules, improbable comebacks, and other crazy intricacies, tennis has become a favorite even to bettors who don’t actually watch it. In fact, most professional bettors use tennis matches to bolster their accas and get a spike in the overall odds of their betting slip.
They aren’t that hard to predict, but there is also a significant number of upsets involved. We also can’t forget the fact that each set is segmented into games, which are further segmented into points.
When you also consider things like unforced errors, returns, aces, and tie breaks, there are a lot of live betting options. If you’re looking for a quick payday and high odds, in-play bets on tennis matches might be the best way to accomplish such a feat.
Hockey
Believe it or not, most bookmakers offer more markets on hockey than on basketball or soccer. Compared to other sports, hockey isn’t widely spread. But the countries that do love hockey are truly crazy for ice skating on steroids, as some like to call hockey.
If you’re interested in hockey games, there’s a lot to bet on once you find a specialized bookie. Brands from United States, Sweden, and Russia are known for their intense focus on the NHL and the KHL. One thing that also interests punters who don’t watch the points of the sport.
They are calculated differently depending on whether you’re talking about a team stat or a personal stat. This adds a whole new variable to an already exciting sport that’s rapidly gaining popularity with punters around the world.
Horse racing
Even though there aren’t many niche betting sites, most of those who are active focus on horse racing. Why? Well, it’s a sport that’s deeply rooted in tradition, which means that punters who follow it, follow it almost obsessively.
There are many highly regard events over the course of the year, with many variables giving you just a slim picture of what’s going to happen.
Upsets happen all the time, plus the human factor isn’t as big as in other sports bets staples. If you’re looking to get into this strange betting niche, you need a lot of studying and preparation.
Political Elections
Seasoned punters like to call election betting ‘glorified live betting’. As funny as it sounds at first glance, it’s a very descriptive way to talk about these important political events. It is, in fact, placing an in-play bet.
The ‘game’ starts the moment each of the candidates starts their campaign. Their statements, plans, track records, whether a scandal from their past gets unearthed – all of this is important when it comes to betting on elections.
You just have to follow the campaigns diligently and see whether a particular president/primer minister hopeful is trending with a certain age group, gender, educational level, and so on.
Election bets are based both on statistics and unpredictability, so it’s a worthy challenge for those looking to break the bank.
Probability one of the biggest betting markets for elections was whether Donald Trump is going to become president of the USA. We recall the betting market offering odds of 100 to 1 for this early on.
The Eurovision Song Contest/other singing competitions
Remember when we said that you can bet on anything that has a winner or an outcome of any sort? This a prime example of this trend in bets, as you can use odds, reviews, and analyses to determine which contestant will place first.
For Eurovision betting, you can just take a look at the tips or even listen to the songs to see which one has the biggest hit potential. Eurovision markets go much more than winner/placement bets.
You can predict which country will be the most generous when it comes to points. Song quality, alliances, voting blocks, and so much more come into play. This is definitely one of the most dynamic approaches to taking punts.
Should You Use a Sign-up Bonus?
No-deposit bonus
This type of promotion is rare, but some betting sites still use it.
The moment you register, you get a certain amount of money to bet with.
Wagering requirements are usually involved.
Deposit bonus
Once you deposit money into your account, you will get a certain match.
50%, 100%, and 200% are the most common numbers you’ll see.
Still, there are betting sites that are willing to go crazy.
Risk-free Bet
Instead of getting cash upfront, you will have any losses from your first losing bet completely voided.
This sort of a cushion can be very useful, especially if you’re having a rough day
Free bets
Some bookmakers don’t want you using the bonus money on just about anything.
A free bet is a great way to show players some of the flagship sections on a site.
Minimum odds requirements are often present.
It’s natural. We know it sounds funny, but that’s actually the best way to describe it. Sports events are, more than anything, activities that include real live people. It’s a whole culture that’s reached a near-mythic status in some parts of the world. People get tattoos of their favorite players, team logos, and do all sorts of other crazy things.
Because sports are so embedded in our lives, we as a society tend to view sports betting as ‘icing on the cake’, just a way to have more fun with something that’s already fun.
Think of the way different types of gaming are viewed as. Sports betting usually involves a group of mates having fun together. Casino games usually involve dark, smokey rooms with alcohol and crime involved.
Basically, sports can be consumed in a family environment, and betting sites are seen just as an extension to sports as a whole. Slots and other games will always have that solitary character, rendering them unappealing to truly everyone.