Betting on sports has been a quite popular for hundreds of years. We can go back to ancient Greece and the original Olympic games, where higher society would bet between them on the outcome of an athletic event. It was obviously a hand-to-hand transaction and it continued to be the same until the 20th century, when the technology and the internet really changed the game.
It was no longer necessary to visit the bookie in person, as one only needed a computer and an internet connection in order to visit a sports betting website, check the odds, select their games, deposit with his preferred payment method, place as many bets as they would like, cash out their winnings to their bank account or another digital type of wallet.
How would one know though, if a website is secure? How can you trust your credit card with someone you’ve never met before, have no idea where he’s based and how to look him up? How can you now for sure, that they will pay out your winnings as expected?
Features Safe Betting Sites Must Have
There are many safe betting sites, but there are also many that are either not so safe or even try to run some kind of scam operation in order to take advantage of the punters.
We’ve compiled a list of features that you should look out for and check before registering an account and giving away personal information.
Secure Encrypted Connection (HTTPS)
One of the most important things is a secure connection with the server. HTTPS ensures that your website is the correct site the server is supposed to be talking to. In plain English, it makes sure nobody gets between and can potentially “understand” what your computer is sending out (like your credit card for example).
Valid Gaming License
The online gambling is regulated in most parts of the world and in the UK as well. Each respectable company must have a valid gaming license from the gambling commission of the country it is operating for and from. Websites usually have this information at the bottom of their website. Some exampled of given licenses are from the UK Gambling Commission, the Gibraltar Gaming Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. Don’t be alerted from Gibraltar or Malta, they are valid gaming hubs with loads of online gambling companies, who have moved there from tax reasons.
Good reputation and history
An old and accomplished sports betting provider is always easier to be trusted over a new never-heard-of-before provider. If you’re not sure which companies have been around for a long time, fire up your search engine and check. You should search for reviews of said company, making sure to avoid paid advertorials. In general, sports betting has much less complaints than casino, since they do not control the outcome of the games as they do with their casino slots and RNG products. The bottom line here is to choose sites that have been around for a while.
Responsible Gaming Policy
Sports betting can be fun but there are also cases where punters lose more than they can afford, which subsequently can create many problems. Each respectable licensed bookmaker must have a responsible gaming policy. The absence of such a policy is a big blocker and you should not longer consider using the service of such a website.
What are the safest bets?
As long as you’re a customer of a respectable website, most (if not all) bets are safe. Having said that, it is important to be able to check the outcome yourself from a different source.
If you’re betting on Over 2,5 Goals in the Premier League, you can can easily verify the result from multiple sources. The same applies to all the common bets (who will win, who will score, corners, half time result etc) in the top European markets.
However, if you choose to bet on the 2nd division of Mali (no disrespect), have caution and make sure you have a couple of external sources, especially for not so common markets.
It’s not a surprise that big bookmakers will not give you many options in similar countries, as they do not have full control and resources to double check everything.
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