Sports Advice

I love to bet online as much as the next guy, but security is always in the back of my mind. While the Internet is full of many great sportsbooks, there are the sharks out there who try to take your money. Today, I want to share with you a few simple tips that will help you weed out those bad sportsbooks. They are really simple to do and will save you a world of grief. Here’s my three simple tips to help you stay safe in the world of online betting.

Sportsbook Tip One: Search them out

An easy way to find out if an online sportsbook is legit is to search for negative press. It’s pretty easy to do too. First, go to your favorite search engine—I actually recommend trying this tip out on two or more search engines. Next, type in the sportsbook name or domain name. For instance, type Sports Book or thissite.com. Next, type on of the following words:

- fraud
- arrest
- crime
- criminal
- rip off
- stole
- investigated
- pay out
- cheat

If you see result come up, check them out. There may be people talking about how the sportsbook ripped them off. It’s important to not base everything off of a couple people. Look for solid evidence.

Sportsbook Tip Two: Deposit methods

Look for sportsbooks that take deposits via 3rd party companies like FirePay and NETeller. Never deposit via your checking account or credit card. Always use third parties. They not only keep your financial information safer—since you are not spreading it around to multiple sources—but they might afford you an extra level of protection.

If the sportsbook in questions doesn’t accept these options, move on. There are countless great sportsbooks on the Internet that gladly accept third party deposits.

Sportsbook Tip Three: Deposit & bet amounts

We want to look for sportsbooks that gladly accept small deposits and bet amounts—even if you are a larger player. Many crooks won’t waste their time with small fish. It’s too risky. Word will get out and they won’t have much in their coffers to show for it. They tend to focus on larger prizes. Plus, if the online sportsbook takes small deposits and wagers, you can test them. If you find an online sportsbook you like, give them a very small deposit, make a small wager and then withdrawal to see what happens. As they gain your trust, bet more appropriately.

About the Author:
by: Sebastien Veilleux
Author is an editor at SportsGamblingReview.com, an online sportsbook directory site with 1000s of sportsbook reviews.