Signs of a Safe Online Sportsbook
If you are seeking out a safe sports betting site in 2023, there are some tell-tale signs that the sportsbook you are researching is indeed a safe, secure, and viable option! Here are some of the factors and aspects to keep an eye out for!
- Reputable Ownership – The safest online betting sites will be owned by groups that are reputable and honest. It is usually a good sign when a sportsbook is owned and operated by the same people who already run an honest business at another online sportsbook.
- Great Variety of Payout Options – The sportsbooks carry a number of great payout options for payouts. This means there are fast, accurate payouts and minimal fees.
- Resources For Gambling Addiction – An honest sportsbook that values customer safety and security will provide resources for those struggling with gambling addiction. These are commonly posted at the sportsbook’s site at the bottom of the home page.
- Full Licensure by a Reputable Gaming Commission – The sportsbook is fully licensed by a reputable gambling authority or gaming commission which ensures that it is held to industry safety and security regulations.
There are lots of gaming authorities in the world, but the following are the ones we rate the 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.
Good Business Practices to Ensure Safe Online Betting
Gaming commissions and gambling authorities play a pivotal role in keeping online sportsbooks safe for their customers. Here are a few of the practices that these entities employ in order to ensure the sites they oversee are keeping their customers’ experience completely secure.
| Practice | Details |
|---|---|
| Separation of Funds | Sportsbooks are expected to keep the funds they use to run their business separate from those that are used to provide bonuses and promotions to customers. Business funds are also expected to be kept separate from money that bettors deposit into their accounts. |
| Third-Party Audits | Audits will be conducted from time to time to ensure that online sportsbooks are adhering to all the terms and conditions of their license agreement. |
| SSL Encryption | This technology is used to keep the private and financial information of customers completely safe and secure. This ensures there is no chance of this information being misused or mishandled. Sites that do not use encryption typically take customer information and sell it off to third-party sites. That is something you do not need to worry about at a reputable, safe, and secure sports betting site. |
How to Find a Safe Sportsbook Online
If you are in the market for a safe and secure online betting site for sports, but you do not want to go with one of our recommendations, we completely understand and respect that! Be sure you do the proper research and vetting to ensure your site will deal with you in an honest and ethical manner.
- Avoid sportsbooks we featured on our blacklist (see below).
- Read online reviews of sportsbooks to get an idea of how the public feels.
- Visit the sportsbook’s website and find information pertaining to licensure, ownership, banking options, and customer service.
- Be sure the site uses SSL encryption. This means that their URL begins with “https.”
How to Safely Bet Online
Maybe you have already found a safe and honest online sportsbook. There are a few steps that you can take to make sure your experience is secured and covered at every angle. These include some small tips and tricks to guard against small threats that you might not necessarily think about!
- Use strong passwords to guard your account. Switch up the password from time to time to keep things locked down and completely private to you.
- Activate the privacy settings to add that extra layer of security against any potential online threats.
- Use updated software to make your experience as streamlined and efficient as possible. This could guard you against potential wear and tear on your device.
- Use a safe, reliable connection whether you are using your mobile data or Wi-fi. In the case of Wi-fi, be sure you change the password every so often.
- Keep Bluetooth off so as not to leave your device susceptible to being accessed by unwanted parties.
Signs of an Unsafe Online Sportsbook
If you are not using a top-rated sports betting site we recommend, you could be leaving yourself susceptible to some risks associated with online sports betting. This is why it is so important to be researching and vetting any sites you choose to use over the ones featured in this review. Some of these terrible things could happen to you if you use a site that is not safe:
- Stolen Money
- Identity Theft
- Your Device Could Get Catch Viruses
- Fee Gouging
These are a few of the top signs that the site you are interested in using for sports betting might not be the best one to use. These are all red flags that signal something might be wrong.
| Sign | Details |
|---|---|
| The Site Appears on Blacklists | The site appears on an online blacklist. It is best to disregard these sites right off the bat. This list of blackballed sites is a great way to eliminate names off a list if you are struggling to decide on which online sportsbook is best for you. |
| The Site Has Poor Reviews Online | Reviews online are always a great way to get a gauge of where an online sportsbook stand. You can get a sense of how the public feels about the site and what they experienced while using it. You will need to use some discernment in many cases because almost all online sportsbooks will have at least a few negative reviews. If there are more positive reviews than negative reviews, this is a good sign that the site should be safe and secure. |
| The Customer Service is Unfriendly or Uncooperative | Customer service is uncooperative or hesitant to work with you through problems or issues. Another big sign of an unreputable sportsbook is if customer service comes across as extremely defensive when it comes to defending the site’s policies and business practices. |
| The Site Has Mandatory Downloads or Bonuses | Avoid any sportsbooks that require you to use a bonus or promotional code or require you to download any sort of software. These should always be optional and not a condition of using the site. Mandatory downloads could leave you susceptible to viruses. Mandatory bonuses could leave you vulnerable to blowing through money that you would much rather keep in your pocket. |
| The Site is Known for Horrible Payout Practices | The site has a history or is known for slow or inaccurate payouts. Another bad sign is a site that withholds payouts. These are abhorrent business practices. A good sportsbook online will always get its customers paid out on time and in the correct amount. An error here and there is not a huge problem, but when it is habitual or part of a pattern that is when you know the sportsbook is neither safe nor reputable. |
| The Site Employs Email Spamming | A huge red flag is when the site employs unsavory marketing schemes such as email spamming to drum up new business. This is like getting junk mail for a product that you do not want. It is just plain sleazy and a decent sign that this is a sportsbook that you should not join. |
| The Site Has Excessive Fees | Sportsbooks that have excessive fees or fees that seem unreasonable, you should take your business elsewhere. Over time, too many fees could spell doom to your wallet. The entire point of betting on sports online is to put more money in your pocket. Excessive fees defeat the entire purpose! |
Blacklisted Sports Betting Sites
In order to keep you safe and secure while looking for a legit online sports betting site, we recommend you avoid the following online sportsbooks. There are sites that have appeared on multiple online blacklists and have a proven history of either treating their customers unethically or operating in a way that compromises the security of the sports betting experience.
- Jerry’s Sportsbook Champ Sportsbook
- Best Sportsbook Aaron’s Sportsbook
- 1st Access Sportsbook BettingCenter
- Rock Island Sports Jag Sportsbook
- Atlantis Bets Central Betting
- Betting on Sports Rounders Club
- Play Banks Dime Betting
- 911 Wager Javasports Casino
- Caveman Sportsbook sports betting Trivia
- 21KBet 1Sportwagering
- Arrowhead Sports Changeabet
- 2beton.com Best HockeyBetting
- 1800SportsWager 88Sports
- 1 Action Sports JonWoodGaming
- Daily Dime PlayersBigWorld
- Play121 Players Cove
- 24SportsWeb EZ Sports betting
- Betsportz Sportsbook777
- For Sports Picks Gold Betting
- 1st American 2001 Sports
- Global SportsNet BestBet Sportsbook
- PlayersBet Sportsbettinglines.ca
- Bet the Book 88Sportsbetting
- Rover Sportsbook 2003BettingSportsbook
- 1st Lines PlayerCenter
- Sportsbook.la 21st Century
- Best sports betting Lines Jackdaddy’s Sportsbook
- Betting Football Sportslines Celebrity Sportsbook
- College-Basketball-Lines Executive Sportsbook Dr.
- 1sports Betting Sportsbook Football sports betting Online
