You have already decided that you will join the adventure of “online betting” and now you are wondering which of all bookmakers to choose. How to choose a bookmaker? By no means is it an easy choice, because this is all about your money, which of course you do not want to lose, but rather win with it. Moreover, there are hundreds of bookmakers worldwide that will offer you quite attractive things.
Naturally, most of them do not deserve any attention, but there are many bookmakers with almost equal potentials, which may be your choice. That’s why choice is not easy, but of course it is not impossible, and we can always change the bookmaker we have chosen.
In order to make the best choice of a bookmaker we must have certain criteria by which to evaluate. Here I will share with you the most important factors for me when choosing a bookmaker, but when you make a choice you can include other factors as well. I will try to present these criteria according to their importance, although this is quite relative. So:
1. Site in your language – I think one of the important criteria is whether the bookmaker has a site in your language. I would highly recommend any player to choose a bookmaker with a site and support in their native language, the benefits of which go without saying. An increasing number of international bookmakers include different language versions of their sites, so I think this would not restrict your choice to a great extent. So, for me a site in your language is a must when you want to know how to choose a bookmaker.
2. Reliability – Reliability of the bookmaker in my terms depends on whether or not the bookmaker makes problems when PAYING OUT (we all know that no bookmaker would ever make problems when TAKING money). We should pay attention to the following: are there any refusals for paying out for any reasons, does the bookmaker pays out according to the declared odds, are there any delays in payments or any similar problems when paying out.
Another point to take into consideration what you still want to know how to choose a bookmaker – the best way to get information on the reliability of a bookmaker is to browse the internet forums or websites for information from other players that have experience with this bookmaker. We all know that the Internet is an infinite ocean of information, but this information is not always correct, so be careful and do not trust any praises for a certain bookmaker but rather look for repeating negative feedback describing specific cases. To the reliability factor I will also assign:
+ Depositing and withdrawing money – deposits and withdrawals methods, delays and refusals, security of information, etc. Carefully read the conditions for depositing and withdrawing money because some bookmakers charge taxes for certain methods of depositing and withdrawing. Nowadays, definitely try to find bookmakers with instant withdrawal times.
+ Service – This is a very important factor for me when choosing a bookmaker. Good and most of all timely service is an important indicator of bookmaker’s reliability and a guarantee that you will have no problem using it. Most big bookmakers offer very good service and keep in touch with customers by phone, e-mail, live chat and fax. The most important for me are chat and phone, because through them you can immediately get the information that you need. It is very important that service is done in your language. You can also find information on service in internet forums and websites.
+ Financial stability – Financial stability in my terms depends on whether the bookmaker is “big” or not so big. You need to analyze a set of figures such as the number of customers a particular bookmaker has, annual turnover, the number of employees, payout ratio, number of bets, etc. I would always prefer a bigger bookmaker since for me this is synonymous with stability and security.
+ Reputation – A very important factor – it shows what image the bookmaker has created over the years. Here you have to take into account: customer evaluation, different ratings in various rankings, how it is evaluated by institutions, awards received for its operation, what is the feedback in general for that bookmaker.
+ License – This information is of great importance since different countries have different criteria for issuing bookmaker licenses. The UK, Ireland and Australia have the strictest criteria for bookmakers. Bookmakers in the UK are usually members of IBAS (Independent Betting Arbitration Service) – an independent organization dealing with disputes that arise between gambling operators and their customers.
Australian bookmakers are subject to very strict licensing criteria imposed by the Australian government to ensure the safety of your money. Important point to consider when you want to know how to choose a bookmaker. Other areas with strict rules for issuing licenses to gambling operators are Gibraltar and the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao). You must exercise extra caution when using licensed bookmakers in Central America and the Caribbean, although there are many registered companies in this region that are trustworthy.
3. Betting options – You might have noticed that it is here that I place this absolutely “play” factor in choosing a bookmaker. In my opinion it is only when you are thoroughly convinced the bookmaker is reliable in all aspects of the word that you can decide on the best betting conditions. This is a game of money, so security must be a top priority. Regarding gaming possibilities, i.e. the various sports that you can bet on: the more, the better, but I think that here the more important aspect is the variety of bet types offered for each sport, because I, personally, prefer non-standard forms of betting, not just 1X2, for instance. In addition, you can always find better odds if you have more options of bet types. Something very important that I would refer to the betting options is live betting – most major bookmakers offer this, and some of them offer it in combination with live broadcasting of the event online. Personally, I like live betting very much, especially because of the dynamics, but be careful, because there is not much time to think and you can easily make a mistake.
4. Odds – Also a very important factor when choosing a bookmaker but be sure that there is no bookmaker that offers the best odds for all sporting events at all times. That is why, if you decide to bet seriously, regardless of the amount, you must open an account with more than one bookmaker. Do not think that this way you will be betting more money or lose more, that is just a way for you to always have the best available odds in the market and for your bets to be “value”. So open your accounts with several bookmakers and look for the best odds.
5. Minimum deposit, minimum and maximum bets, bonuses – Those are important factors when choosing a bookmaker, though they can hardly prompt you to select a specific bookmaker because of them, but maybe they can tip the scales of your choice. You must take into consideration your goals and betting style, for example the amounts of the bets you want to make. In terms of bonuses, my advice is that they should not be a decisive factor in your choice, moreover you should always read carefully the conditions for the use of those bonuses, since very often they are described in such a way as to deceive you.
6. Functionality of the site and various extras – Undoubtedly, it is important that the bookmaker’s site is functional and easy to use, and also fast and secure. Some bookmakers offer different ways of demo betting and this is a very good way to test how the site works and whether you like it. In terms of extras, these could be live video, betting via mobile phone and various other spoils with which bookmakers are trying to tempt you, although some of them can be very useful. Do not ignore this factor, since it will contribute mostly to your comfort when betting, and that is not insignificant.
So, how to choose our bookmaker?
1. If you want a bookmaker in your language, make a list of all online bookmakers that have such sites. If your choice concerns all online bookmakers, then do some study on which of those are the world’s leading gambling operators and which sites take the front places in various rankings. Choose those that are renowned in the industry and with a long history, do not trust new “stars”, whatever they offer you. Make a list, for example, of around 20-30 bookmakers.
2. “Sift” the list leaving only the reliable ones – gather information for each bookmaker and consider whether it is a big bookmaker with solid reputation, whether there are any problems when paying out, what is its customer service, etc. and evaluate it according to those criteria. Of all the bookmakers take out one group, let’s say ten that you think are the most reliable. How to choose a bookmaker? Definately from this group!
3. After leaving only the reliable bookmakers, come the purely “gaming” assessment factors. Here you should pay attention mostly to betting options, odds and payout rates, since they are crucial to your success. Of course you will evaluate the site and the extras it offers, but choose functionality instead of flashy design and do not choose a bookmaker only for the bonuses it offers. At this point, you should choose a bookmaker, but of course, first of all you should make up your mind whether you will place your bets with one or more bookmakers.
In my opinion, if the purpose of your betting is just for pleasure and for the thrill, then select just one bookmaker, the one that you like most in terms of style and offered features. However, if you want to gamble seriously and profit from this in the long term, then you must open accounts with several bookmakers and search for the best odds every time. Several is a slightly relative figure, so keep in mind the following: purely statistical, if you are using 4-5 bookmakers you will earn 10-12% more, than if you only bet with one. It is up to you to determine what number suits you best, as for me, I have always had at least three accounts with different bookmakers.
So, I hope I have been helpful with my advice on how to choose a bookmaker, but remember it is all about your money, so the choice is yours.
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