What makes a good online gambling site?

While everyone has their preferences regarding what bets to make or where to play, there are some general things to look out for to determine if you’re at one of the top online gambling sites.

Below, we’ll talk about where they succeed most, be it the betting options, bonuses/promos, mobile app, or something else. We’ll look at online gambling sites, what makes the best gambling websites the best, and more.

As discussed at the top of this page, there are many general attributes to determine whether a sports betting website is good. While you may prefer one sportsbook over another due to more niche elements, below are some basic guidelines to consider, especially if you’re new to online gambling sites.

Safety and security - PASPA died so we could play

Until May 2018, sports betting was unavailable in almost every state in the United States. You could go to Las Vegas and bet, but online betting was a foreign concept.

However, when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was overturned in May 2018, this allowed each state to make its own independent determination of whether to allow online sports betting.

With this, agencies within each state oversee how they operate. These are either gaming commissions or control boards.

So we’ll only recommend US sports betting sites—nothing that’s based outside of the country.

The online gambling site you’re playing at will have some information at the bottom of the page, whether it’s a written passage or an icon indicating who licensed the site.

Banking methods - There are many options out there

Here’s our mantra for banking methods: The more, the merrier. Below are some examples of banking methods you'll commonly see, but more are getting added all the time.

• Traditional: Debit/Credit Card, Check by Mail, Wire Transfer, Bank Transfer
• eWallets: PayPal, Skrill, NETELLER, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle
• PayNearMe
• Gift Cards
• Cash Cage (in-person transaction)

The methods available depend on the sportsbook and even the state that you reside in. For example, BetMGM could have a certain method available in New Jersey but not in Arizona.

Additionally, we pay attention to withdrawal methods and withdrawal timeframes. There are instant withdrawals for specific types, but be prepared to wait at least a day before retrieving your winnings.

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Variety of bonuses and promotions and online gambling sites

Bonuses and promotions make betting on sports more fun—it’s that simple. Whether you go to multiple gambling sites to get welcome bonuses or play at one site and wait for the new existing player promos, the more options you have, the more ways you have to rack up those winnings.

Once we’ve found the welcome offer, we dig into the weeds of the terms and conditions to uncover the fine print. There could be two sites with the same offer, but the fine print makes it obvious that one's better than the other.

If you decide to explore an offer yourself, look for these parameters:

• Minimum age
• Market restrictions
• Minimum deposit?
• Wager requirements
• Minimum odds requirements.?

Betting markets - Ways to play at the online gambling sites

Whether this is a sport, league, or bet type, the more betting markets available, the better. There’s no victory in keeping players from betting on certain sports or bet types. That can only lead to them seeking out another site.

For example, if a site doesn’t offer player props, some bettors will go elsewhere and likely play there more often.

We recommend sites with the most robust betting markets. And by that, we mean sites that offer the most popular sports and bet types. In the United States, this means the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. These will always be offered at any legal US sportsbook.

Getting started with betting at online gambling sites

1. Learn about the promotions at each site
2. Make a choice or choices
3. Create an account at the site
4. Make a deposit
5. Find what you want to bet on
6. Complete the bet in the betslip
7. Withdraw winnings
8. Rinse and repeat