Dec 21, 2020 Identifying the Safest Online Betting Sites. The obvious goal of this page is to stay you informed about the safest sports betting sites online today. That’s the straightforward bit, but actually identifying them takes more effort. There are three main areas we check when assessing the security of online betting sites. Finding a good sports betting site isn’t too difficult. The biggest things to look for are a safe payment system, solid website functionality, a wide range of betting odds, and honest promotions. You can also check out our list of the best Nevada betting sites.

• Safest Betting Sites for US Sports Bettors With more states at various stages of regulating online gambling, safe online sportsbooks will soon be widely available via mobile and desktop devices. A significant advantage to legal, state-licensed online sportsbooks is that they are under the jurisdiction of state governments, usually via the local.
• Nowadays, it’s vital for an online sports betting site to be mobile compatible and provide a well-developed betting application, if it wants to be competitive on the market. Each of our recommended best online betting sites UK has been optimised for mobile play, so players can place wagers and enjoy online betting to the fullest, even on the go.
• See full list on thesportsgeek.com.

Gamblers in search of a new online sportsbook have a lot of choices and a lot of things to consider. Each top-rated sportsbooks offer something a little bit different. All of them have a different layout and a different feel. Some are heavier on their sign-up bonuses, while others are heavier on promotions and contests after you sign up and start really placing bets.

Just about all of them have an online casino and a Racebook. Some of them have a poker room. For bettors of all shapes and sizes, there is a book that will fit you like a broken-in pair of jeans.

A lot of bettors, though, get caught up in the aesthetics. They get caught up in the look or the gaudy bonus advertisements or the sales pitches. They lose sight of what is most important – safety and security. There are a lot of fly-by-night operators out there in the world of online gambling because they take advantage of users that sign up without realizing what, exactly, they have gotten themselves into.

One of our jobs here at Sportsbooks.ag is to tell you what makes a safe online betting site in 2020. Sure, we review the bells and whistles, the bonuses and promotions, and the nuts and bolts like deposits and withdrawals. We also want you to know that we weed out the pretenders to focus only on the legitimate outlets. We’ve been burned before and we don’t want that to happen to any of our readers. Therefore, we put a focus and an emphasis on isolating the safest betting sites.

So, with that in mind:

What makes a safe online betting site?

Reputation – The fact of the matter is that offshore sportsbooks are unregulated. The level of competition in the industry and a sportsbook’s reputation are what keep customers from getting burned. If a sportsbook participates in some shady activity, word spreads like wildfire. With so many other options out there vying for betting dollars, it is imperative for sportsbooks like those in our Top Ten to be highly regarded.

You can figure out a lot about an online sportsbook by how long it has been in business. By how long it has survived and even thrived. The sportsbooks that are still standing and those that continue to have success in an ever-changing sports betting world often have a reputation that stands out. Those are the types of sportsbooks that our site and other sites like ours prioritize because they aren’t going to burn our loyal readers.

Security – If you go to a sportsbook website and scroll down to the bottom of the home page, you will see a lot of things about their affiliates or where they are licensed or some terms and conditions. You also want to look for something about the website security. Do they use SSL encryption technology? Are they using something else to keep players and their personal information safe?

You can even use the Address Bar in your browser or look up the site settings to make sure that some form of strong encryption and security are being used. A browser like Google Chrome will show you the site certificate and the issuer. You want to make sure you are giving your information to a secure site. Financial information, as we know, is very delicate. Safe online betting sites that incorporate strong levels of security show that they are serious about protecting their clientele.

Payout Times – If a sportsbook seems like they don’t want to pay out in a timely manner, it is because they probably don’t. The biggest watchdogs in the sports betting industry are the bettors themselves. When a sportsbook doesn’t pay out in a timely manner or somebody has to fight with chat support and/or email customer service to get the funds that are rightly owed to them, that is not a sportsbook that you want to associate yourself with.

The safest online betting sites will make a promise about how quickly payouts will be processed and clearly outline what the expected wait times are based on the method you choose to receive your funds. If you don’t see that information in the Help Section, that is a major red flag.

High Betting Limits – Betting limits are another way to read the so-called tea leaves about a sportsbook. Sportsbooks that are unwilling to take big bets are unwilling to take big players because they are scared of them. If you find a sportsbook that isn’t open to taking large wagers and having big decisions, they could very well be looking to nickel-and-dime customers.

Furthermore, big bettors are only going to bet where they are comfortable. It is one thing for somebody to be betting $10-20 per game. It is another for bettors to be betting $10,000 to $20,000 per game. If you get burned by a sportsbook and lose a couple hundred dollars because they aren’t as reputable as you thought, that’s one thing. For a big bettor to lose a bankroll of six or seven figures, that is a substantial amount of money.

If big bettors don’t want to bet there, you probably don’t want to bet there. There is a reason why they don’t want to be posted up there. Even though you may not be moving that kind of money, doesn’t it make sense to trust the heaviest hitters in the business?

Trust Your Gut – If it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. We all have intuitions as gamblers. We’ve all had those times when we’ve wished after the fact that we had trusted ourselves. That is going to be true of determining whether a sports betting site is safe or not. If it doesn’t look right or doesn’t feel right, move on. Try another one.

As always, you can find a ton of information about what makes a safe online betting site in 2020 and beyond right here at Sportsbooks.ag by reading our reviews and looking at our Top Ten list of preferred sportsbooks.

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.

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:

Safest Sports Betting Sites

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.

Safest Sports Betting Sites Online

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

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.

Most Trusted Sports Betting Sites

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.

Practice Sports Betting Sites

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.

Safest Sports Betting Sites 2020

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.

Best Online Sports Betting Sites

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

Las Vegas Sports Betting

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!