When you’re looking to find the perfect partner for sports betting, you don’t have to undertake the search alone. The good news is that there are a number of review sites that have already assessed the vast majority of the industry.
Those reviews will look at key factors such as competitive odds and choice of markets but there is more to consider. Sites such as OLBG look at the bookmaker from every angle so that visitors can get a partner that is tailored to their own demands.
Each bettor is different, but we are all looking for certain components such as value. OLBG’s list of free betting offers helps with that aim but what other qualities do we need from our sportsbooks?
A Question of Choice
There are two key components to look for when choosing a betting site. Choice and Value should be at the forefront of any search and both factors should be equally important.
When looking at choice, the first point to consider is how many sports are covered. Football and horse racing are the two most popular markets to bet on so most potential customers will want to see these listed.
Football should enjoy blanket coverage across the industry but that’s not necessarily the case for horse racing. Some bookmakers look to avoid ‘anything on four legs’ so horses are surprisingly absent at times, along with options for greyhound racing.
If horse racing is important, make sure it’s there before you sign up but the same applies to other events. Core sports that are generally covered include golf, tennis, cricket, rugby and boxing.
Other options are considered to be ‘niche’ and are not always present. So, if you want to consider bets for chess, cycling, water polo, pesapallo and other more obscure events, be sure to ascertain whether these are in place.
Delving Deeper
The question of choice goes beyond the list of sports that are on a bookmaker’s schedule. Most bettors want to consider the match result but there is a wider demand for far more betting markets besides.
For football matches, this could include a huge range of side markets or ‘props’ as they are called in some parts of the world. Options here could include First Goalscorer, Both Teams to Score, Winning Margin and Total Goals.
The same principle applies to other sports: In cricket, it could be a case of staking on the top batsman while golf markets could have options to bet on a Top Five or a Top Ten finish.
Squeezing the Value
Value for money is also delivered in two key elements. Firstly, we want to make sure that the sportsbook in question has odds that can compete with the rest of the industry. It’s not ideal to play with a bookmaker that is consistently quoting 2/1 while others are offering 3/1.
Not every sportsbook will be offering best odds every time but, by following those review sites and doing some quick comparisons of your own, you can find out who is consistently competitive.
Added value can come from offers and promotions: Most bookmakers will list a welcome package that could include a match on opening deposits or there could be some free bet tokens.
Additional promos for existing customers can then be published once those account holders are on board. Are these deals giving serious value or are there some punitive terms and conditions to work through? Once again, your review site can help you while you should also look to carry out your own research.
Other Factors
Along with those two key components, the bookmaker should back up their platform with some solid infrastructure. In particular, account holders would like to see a choice of deposit and withdrawal options together with fast and effective customer service.
This is where a sportsbook could let themselves down, even if they meet the criteria of choice and value. Ideally, there should be a selection of ewallets, cryptocurrency and other funding methods beyond basic bank cards. Customer help options should include a live chat operator and, if this is absent, it could affect the relationship with the account holder.
Where in the World?
A sportsbook’s platform will differ depending on which country or region the customer is based in. For example, Australia has very strict rules on advertising and it’s no longer legal to publish a welcome bonus.
Other countries may have restrictions on live betting while in Canada, customers cannot currently place single bets. These must be combined into multiples of two or more selections known as a parlay.
There can be small variations but, in the main, sports betting companies should meet uniform needs. Choice and value are paramount while solid infrastructure helps to build that perfect relationship with the customer.
