While you can just hop onto a sportsbook and start gambling straight away, we wouldn’t recommend it. Not only should you ensure that the sportsbook is the right one for you, but you should also consider whether you’re using the website correctly.
We figured we’d put together a guide to the various factors to consider when using a sportsbook for the first time. Hopefully, this should make things a little bit easier when you’re gambling online. This information will cover both choosing a sportsbook and your actions once you’ve chosen one.
Always Read Reviews for Sportsbooks
There are hundreds of sports books out there. Hundreds. Why waste your time gambling on a terrible one? You’re lucky that in the gambling industry, many top players are happy to share their recommendations and tell you which online sportsbooks to steer clear of. The AskGamblers sportsbook reviews will tell you about the top sportsbooks in the country. Read through them. Trust us, it’ll make choosing where to play that much easier.
This is one of the top factors to consider when using a sportsbook for the first time. Reviews will introduce you to the ins and outs of a platform. You’ll learn the pros and cons, and whether there’s anything special you need to be doing to get the most out of where you’re gambling.
Don’t Go All-in on a Single Platform
If you’ve never gambled at a particular site before, don’t just dump hundreds into your account. Deposit a little, just to test the waters. It is pretty tough to get cash out of an account if you find the website doesn’t agree with you. This is because many platforms limit withdrawals until you’ve gambled with the cash in your account. They’re not a bank account, after all.
Navigating the Website Shouldn’t be Hard
You don’t want to be registering for an online sportsbook seconds before you place a bet for the first time. All websites are laid out differently. So, when you register for a new platform, take the time to explore how it works. Consider that it may be different from the other platforms you’ve used in the past. You should be easily able to place bets on popular games or teams, like the Cleveland Browns, for example.
Always Check Bonus Requirements
Nowadays, sportsbooks always have bonuses. It is the best way for a sportsbook to try and attract people to their platform. However, bear in mind that even if the bonus seems simple (i.e. deposit cash, get cash), it rarely is. There are things to consider. For example
– Do you need to do anything special to claim the bonus? For example, do you need to tick certain boxes, or enter registration codes?
– What can you use the bonus cash on? Many companies will limit the sports/events you can gamble on, prohibit you from betting below certain odds, etc. The terms and conditions for the sportsbook will tell you. Don’t think you’ll be diving into games with a ton of cash to gamble away with for free. You won’t.
– Check the wagering requirements. This will be how often you need to gamble through your winnings from the bonus cash before you can withdraw it from your account. It’ll be very rare for an online sportsbook to have no wagering requirements. It is, essentially, designed to stop you from withdrawing your cash winnings.
So, when comparing sportsbooks (or once you’ve selected a sportsbook), don’t just think about what the bonus is, think about how to use that bonus, and what value you’ll get from it. If a bonus seems a little bit too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
Check the Deposit/Withdrawal Options
Hopefully, this is something that you’ll check before you register for an online sportsbook. But, if you do it after then that’s fine too.
There are a few things to consider here. including
– Some deposit options may be faster than others. Although, thankfully, most deposit options nowadays will be instant.
– Same with the withdrawal options, consider the speed at which each will get the cash out of your account. The faster the option, the better.
– Some withdrawal/deposit options may have minimums/maximums and fees associated with it. You’ll want to avoid the options where there are hefty fees that need to be paid.
You should remember that each time you register for a new sportsbook, you’ll likely need to go through ID checks when you withdraw cash for the first time. So, double-check the sportsbook when you register. Some will let you submit your ID as soon as you register, which should speed up the withdrawal process a little.
Check How the Customer Support Team Works
We’ll be honest, customer support teams can often be quite bad (hence why you need to go through those casino reviews to find out which ones are good). However, we’ve yet to find a customer support team that isn’t willing to give you at least a small chance of getting any issues solved.
Check How to Use Mobile Gambling Options
Firstly, some parts of an online sportsbook may not be fully functional on a mobile device. It is rare, but it happens. So, have a hunt around the online sportsbook to see what works/doesn’t work. For example, in rare cases, you might not be able to livestream any videos the online sportsbook has.
You should also check whether the online sportsbook has a mobile app that you can download. 90% of the time, this will give you a considerably better experience than if you opt to use their mobile website instead.
The Betting Odds Might be a Little Different From Other Platforms
If you’ve never gambled before, you may be unaware that sports betting odds vary from platform to platform. So, when you land on a new sportsbook, you’ll likely notice that the odds they have available are different from places you might have been before.
So, before you place a bet, always consider other sites you might be registered for. Always shop around for the best odds. Now might be the time for you to go back and read a few of those sportsbook reviews we told you about. Register for a few accounts and you’ll always benefit from the best gambling odds.
