Online Betting Sites & Bookmakers

So you want to enjoy some Online Betting, but how do you find the best online betting sites? The goal is of course to get the best experience and the best value out of sports betting on the internet, but getting started can be a little daunting, simply because there is so much variety on offer. Like trying to decide which bet is going to be right for you by reading stats, by looking at advice and information about the best bookmakers available, you can make the right choice that will suit your personal style of betting.

Here are the top five points to look for when considering an online betting site:

Market Value
Let’s explore some of these areas a bit further. Market value is a big factor and customers can actually benefit from all of the competition out there between bookmakers. This is because the many betting sites out there have to be competitive in order to attract bettors. The bigger a price you can get on a market selection that you want to have a wager on, is what you are going to be looking for. Imagine Liverpool playing at home in the Premier League and they are trading at Even money to win their game at one bookmaker, while they are at 8/11 to win the same match at another bookmaker. You will obviously want to take the better value because your money will go further in terms of taking extra winnings from the bet. So value is important, especially over the long term of placing a lot of wagers, as small differences can add up to a lot over time in online sports betting prices. Fortunately the major bookmakers like Bet365, William Hill, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes all trade their market options at great value.

Trusted Brand
Some of the best betting sites are simply those who have the biggest reputations. Look at the likes of William Hill, Coral, Stan James, Ladbrokes, Betfred, Bet Victor and others who had a long established High Street reputation before the online betting explosion. Because names like these are familiar to many punters, they are able to attract a lot of customers through their online services too. But that doesn’t mean that you should overlook the online companies born to fill a need. Bet365 is the best example of this, started in a humble fashion in Stoke-on-Trent in England, but because of knowing their target audience when they launched, they have grown to be one of the biggest and most popular online betting sites and brands around. The same can be said of Betfair, who took a different approach in offering a betting exchange. Along with the trusted brand name itself, don’t overlook the importance of customer service. You need a great back end to the website through which you are betting, so take into consideration account management and how accessible they are when it comes to answering any questions that you may have as a user.

Sportsbook
Naturally the best online betting sites are going to live by the quality of their sportsbook. This is where all the action happens. How much variety is on offer in terms of different sports? Can you get the full gamut of North American betting coverage as well as English Premier League football? How well are the minor sports and niche markets covered for your betting? If there is a sport that you enjoy, then you want to ensure that you have good coverage of it so that you can get the most of your online betting experience. Also, what is the variety of bets inside a particular market like? Is Asian Handicap betting available? Other things to consider is how navigable the sportsbook is, and what features complement it. Are there live streams? Is there good quality live in play betting available through the sportsbook? Is the bet slip itself easy to handle? The more questions you can answer positively, then the better the sportsbook you are operating with, will be! Don’t be afraid to visit the best betting sites and give them a test drive to get a good feel of the ones you like.

Promotional Value
The best betting sites know the value of offering promotions to their customers. The most obvious form of this is through their welcome bonuses on offer. Bookmakers will usually hand out free bets on conditionals being met when a new player signs up with them. This is a great way to try and grab some extra profit, but look for offers inside the website like enhanced odds and Money Back Specials to add extra value to your day to day betting. Betfred, Bet365, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes are some stand out names when it comes to offering great promotional value and the basic upshot of this is, if you are having a bet anyway but can take some insurance on it, then why not do so?

At the end of the day, the bettor has options. There is nothing wrong with opening accounts with several different bookmakers (but remembering you can only have one account at one particular bookmaker). Because this is how you are always going to be able to shop around and get the best value for your money. You can check the bookmakers with whom you are signed up with and see who is offering the better odds on the market selection that you want. Usually you are going to be talking about small margins, but again, it is value which can add up over time.

Here is our ranking of the best betting sites:

If you are a fan of sports betting, just register yourself with these online betting sites!