Promotions and bonuses are the fuel in the engine of the current sports gambling rocket that has taken off into the proverbial stratosphere. If you’re partial to a bet, you’ll know just how many promotions and bonuses are out there for sports bettors. These range from VIP bonuses and credits for referring your friends, to the more common, such as no-deposit bonuses and free spins on top of your initial sports betting deposit. 

In an industry with such vast scope and thousands of different bonuses and promotions available at any given time, some bonuses are certainly better than others. It can be time-consuming and daunting to rifle through them all to ensure you find those that will bolster your sports wager or give you a bit more value out of your bet. The terms and conditions determine the quality of a bonus – and even those offers that look attractive on the surface might end up having several boxes you must tick before you can access them.

Finding the best sportsbook reviews – tips and tricks

There’s also a balance regarding sportsbook reviews. Digital sports betting is on course to become a trillion-dollar industry, which means that subsidiary markets, ranging from sports betting tipsters to platform reviewers, are flooding into the industry, with all of them trying to claim a small piece of the pie. There are pros and cons to this. 

Sportsbook reviews must remain objective, and if there is a hint of bias or any discreet or even blatant advertising for a specific sports betting platform, that can throw the whole quality of the review into disrepute. By remaining outside and operating as a casual observer, the best sportsbook reviews should examine all aspects of the service. The top reviewers will spend considerable time looking into every corner of the sports betting platform; they’ll search through it in great detail and aim to provide a fair but balanced review of the site.

This should include welcome bonuses, and you want to ensure the review also discusses the bonus in detail. General comments like “you can use your free betting credits to place a wager on your favorite sports like the NBA” might mean that the reviewer hasn’t even used the bonus code themselves. 

A bonus review that details specifics about several of the key points in the terms and conditions shows that the reviewer has considered many different variables and knows what to look for. If you also know what to look for, you can ascertain if it’s a good or bad bonus – and the best reviewers should be able to tell you this. 

Why is detail important?

Reviewers who use a welcome or existing bonus can pass a genuine and authentic comment on it. Welcome bonuses and existing customer promotions make up the lion’s share of any reputable casino brand and its advertising campaign. Clearly, reviewers have different writing structures and styles, but as a general rule of thumb, these are the sort of components you want to see them cover so you can be sure they know what they’re talking about. 

The detail shows that a significant effort has been undertaken, whether via research, intrinsic knowledge or a combination of both. Ultimately, this means the reviewer has at least first-hand awareness of how bonuses work – and knows the variables that attract bettors.

Wagering requirements and max cashouts

Although more common in casino betting, wagering requirements will cover the sports betting bonus you receive. So, let’s say you place a $10 wager with a free bet credit, and the wagering requirement is 30x; this means that you must gamble $300 worth before you can cash out your bet. 

This doesn’t mean you must deposit such a significant amount – it applies to your bets collectively. So, if you place a $10 wager, you win $100 on a 10/1 and you then bet the $100 on a 3/1, this would count as a cumulative 30x wager. Sportsbook reviews that detail this – using specific examples and providing information about the max cashout – are all strong signs that a reviewer has used the bonus as part of their review and can give it a solid recommendation or suggest areas where it might need improvement. 

Expiry dates

Sports betting bonuses are valid for varying periods of time. Some may last only 24 hours; others can be up to 30 days. This isn’t too much of a consideration if you use it on the day you sign up, but a sportsbook review that delves into these specific components shows again that the reviewer has spent plenty of time evaluating what’s on offer.

Available markets

Sports betting platforms cover a wide range of markets, but many of the bonuses they offer might be specific to a sport, a league or even a particular game. For example, an authentic and detailed sportsbook review that covers the bonus properly will enable you to ascertain whether your bonus is specific to one or two particular NBA matches or broader NFL markets. 

While it might not seem like the most important detail, it can save you time, especially if you don’t bet on the sport the bonus specifically focuses on. Suppose a bonus is for soccer only, and you’re a big fan of the sport. In that case, you’ll be able to understand quickly whether the person reviewing the bonus knows what they’re talking about or if they’re skirting over the main elements of the bonus that are specific to the sport.

Objectivity and perspective

While sports betting companies will often look at what the competition offers, the real acid test comes from other bettors and reviewers. Sports betting game designers and advertisers often have a different mentality from those who actually use the bonuses. 

As we have already discussed today, if you can establish from the reviews whether there’s a clear ulterior motive or perhaps a bias toward one or two specific providers, you will be able to pick out those reviews or reviewers who approach their craft holistically – and bonuses are a significant part of that approach. 

Those reviews that exude these characteristics will carry more weight and have an authenticity that many others don’t. Applying this to all bonuses is the way forward – whether it’s traditional sports betting bonuses or other types, such as VIP and high-roller promotions or existing bonuses designed to keep you on board.

Final thoughts

Many commentators and analysts have bemoaned the fact they’re inundated by reviews and don’t know who to trust in such a saturated market, where reviewers may have ulterior motives and be looking to surreptitiously plant the idea of betting with a specific sports betting platform. 

Sportsbook reviews are vital in helping people find the best bonuses. Good reviewers and reviews can cut through the noise and dissect the pros and cons of any bonuses. While there are around a dozen or so of the key bonuses and promotions that you’ll find across a range of sports betting markets, a good reviewer will know which of these are the most desirable. 

They’ll then be able to narrow down the selection further, and identify which ones from that selection have the most beneficial terms and conditions, which essentially means they know how to identify those where you can get the most longevity and not have to concern yourself with the small print in the terms and conditions, which can sometimes lead to a nasty surprise when you go to withdraw your winnings.