If you’re an avid sports betting fan, you might already have a sportsbook or two that you frequently put bets in whenever you want to bet on your favorite teams in a specific sport. However, there are sportsbooks out there that are out to get your money. They usually disguise their sites as reputable sportsbooks, and at only a moment’s notice, your payouts are gone or inaccessible.
Luckily, most sportsbooks we usually see on the internet are legit. However, that doesn’t mean we should be complacent when checking if a sportsbook is legit. But how do we know exactly if a sportsbook is legit? Fortunately, there are signs that you can look for to check. These signs are easy to spot if you know where to look. That said, here are some signs that a sportsbook is legit.
It Has a License
Before a sportsbook can operate in a state, it must have a license. A license means they are registered and have been checked by the authorities. This also means that the sportsbook was deemed legal, audited, and has no fishy business whatsoever. However, how do we know if a sportsbook even has a license?
Usually, you can see their license at the bottom of their homepage. They usually brandish their license since they see having a license being a thing of pride. Getting a license is quite hard, after all. Suppose you can’t see it in the bottom part.
In that case, you can usually see their license on the “About Us” page, the contact information on their customer service hotline, and additional information about the owners. If you can’t see their license anywhere, something fishy must happen. The most likely thing is that they don’t have a license, which is a huge red flag.
They Have the Usual Payment Options
Suppose you see that the payment options are the usual suspects, like Visa, PayPal, MasterCard, Amazon Pay, or any other popular payment options. In that case, there’s almost a 100% chance that the sportsbook is legit. But why? One thing most companies care about is their reputation. If a company’s reputation is in tatters, you can assume that they have lost a lot of business or will at least lose it soon.
That said, these payment companies are also the same. They wouldn’t partner with scam sportsbooks because it would ruin their reputation. They will usually check if the sportsbook is licensed and not doing anything fishy first before they partner up with them.
With that in mind, if a sportsbook doesn’t have the usual payment companies, then this should ring your alarm bells. If these payment companies haven’t partnered with a specific sportsbook, it’s either the sportsbook is new or doing something fishy.
Reasonable Perks and Bonuses
Most sportsbooks run promotions to entice more bettors to make bets on their site. This is very common, and every sportsbook has them in one way or another. However, you usually have some requirements before having these perks and bonuses. For example, if you’re looking for teams in the MLB with good odds to make the playoffs, sportsbooks usually add more payouts to specific teams.
However, you can assume your deposit must meet a specific amount. That said, if you think that a bonus or perk is too good to be true, like free bets on your first month with the site or a ridiculous amount of money on your first deposit, then you can assume that the sportsbook is running a scam. Scam sportsbooks usually run these ridiculous bonuses to entice more people to deposit on their site.
Good Customer Service
The most legit sportsbook has good customer service. Usually, if you call, somebody will immediately answer, and they will solve your problem in a respectable and timely way if it can be solved in their power. However, if the customer service is poor or nothing, it usually means that the sportsbook is fake. This is their way of dodging questions or having no contact with the people they scammed.
Payout is Fast
Usually, when you win, your payout is immediately deposited in your account, and you can withdraw them anytime at no time. This process usually doesn’t take a day, and with today’s online banking technology, you can get your money in just a few minutes. However, when it takes you at least several days, and there’s still nothing in your bank account, the sportsbook isn’t interested in giving you your money because they want to steal it.
Final Words
Luckily, most sportsbooks you can see on the internet are legit. Sure, scam sportsbooks are the minority, but you should still be very careful when choosing sportsbooks you want to bet in. This ensures that your money is safe and your payout is always accessible. You know what they say, prevention is better than the cure.
