Gone are the days where bookies were shady figures with pagers and car phones. With the legalization of sports betting in more and more states, bookmaker websites are the next big thing in sports. Make the most out of your March Madness, Monday night or lazy Sunday afternoon by adding an element of betting excitement to your favorite sports.
Whether you prefer basketball, baseball or football on your online bookmaker platform, you’ll find every major sport (and niche sports). Depending on the season, most attention will go towards football, hockey, baseball, or basketball, but the year-round soccer competitions worldwide are also included in the bookmakers’ offers. Regardless of your sport(s) of choice, there are three tips every sports better should take to heart and that will elevate your sports betting and watching experience.
Keep an eye on the bonuses
With the rapid expansion of the American market, online bookmakers are quick to add a bonus for new players. These bonuses give you a chance to really leverage your knowledge and play with the bookmakers’ money. The most popular of these bonuses is the no deposit bonus, which gives you playing money (and real winnings) without ever using your credit card.
Other popular bonuses include parlay bonuses, where a certain combination of bets gets an increased payout, and a deposit bonus, where your deposit is matched by the bookmaker with a certain percentage. A 100% deposit bonus means your $ 100 deposit gives you $ 200 to play with.
Choose a reliable bookmaker
Perhaps more important than the bonuses you receive is the reliability of the sports betting website you choose. Aside from general security concerns such as handing over your credit card information, bookmakers can have hidden terms and conditions that prey on players. After unknowingly breaking one of the vague rules, the bookmaker will confiscate winnings and your deposit, leaving you with nothing.
There are two main ways to find a reliable online bookie: reading all the terms and conditions and diving into the lawfulness of sports betting in every state, or reading reviews by others who’ve done the research for you.
Only bet on sports that you understand
Although you can bet on every sport imaginable (and some sports sure seem imagined), it’s best to stick with what you know. Professional sports betting players use their specialized knowledge to find a discrepancy in the odds and their intuitive outcome. That gap gives you an edge as a player. If you don’t have the knowledge, you leave the edge with the online bookmaker, giving you worse odds than you even realize.