Safest Bet In Sports
It’s crucially important to stay safe when betting online. In fact, it should be priority number one when assessing a site to bet on.
Dec 21, 2016 For a beginner in betting, the safest system is the flat strategy. You learn various rules and regulations of a sport while using it. It gives a chance to learn as you bet, the payouts and odds, understand rules without being distracted. Aug 20, 2020 While it will be interesting to see if the 49ers can maintain their early season form, the safest bet would be on the Saints. That’s not to say that the Packers, Eagles or Cowboys can’t make it. They just wouldn’t be a safe bet. Making the safe bet.
We’ve done most of the hard work for you by searching the web, reviewing hundreds of potential betting sites, and separating the worthy sites from those you should avoid.
Check out the sites listed in the table above. All of these passed our security checks with flying colors.
Betting Site | Bonus | Bet Now | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | up to €30 Free Bet | Go to Site | |
2 | 22Bet | 100% up to €122 | Go to Site |
3 | 100% up to €200 | Go to Site | |
4 | 10Bet | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
5 | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
Of course, we don’t just expect you to take our word on it. That’s why we’ve outlined how we made the decision to include these below if you’re interested.
The safest gambling sites are inevitably found in the countries where it is legal and regulated. These sites have to pass quality checks and comply with strict regulations to get a license from the authorities in these countries. This is one of the factors we consider when assessing a site.
How We Decide if a Betting Site is Safe
There are literally tens of thousands of potential betting sites to choose from. We’ve visited, bet on, and reviewed thousands of them. Over time, we have developed criteria for assessing betting sites.
Each site listed in the table above passed the following tests:
It Must Have a Valid Gaming License
If a site doesn’t have a license issued by a credible authority, that’s a warning sign that it might not be safe. It’s even worse if it once had one but lost it. That means it violated the issuing authority’s rules.
There are lots of gaming authorities in the world, but the following are the ones we rate highest.
This is widely considered the gold standard of casino gaming licenses. The UK is a highly regulated market and there’s a zero tolerance policy towards cheating and scheming. If a betting site has a UK license, it’s almost guaranteed to be safe.
Malta is a Mediterranean island nation and an iGaming mecca. Lots of online casinos and software firms operate out of Malta. The Gaming Authority, therefore, takes licensing issues incredibly seriously and is quick to clamp down on anything considered unfair.
Geographically, Gibraltar lies off the tip of Spain. It’s actually a British overseas territory, though. While it governs its own affairs, gambling regulations stem from the UK Gambling Act (2005), making a Gibraltar license just as worthy as a UK one.
This small island nation in the Caribbean is home to thousands of remote eGaming operations. A Curacao license is generally held in high regard, and although the regulations are a little more flexible than the UKGC’s, for example, a betting site with a Curacao license is still considered pretty safe.
So, that’s a quick look at some of the top gambling regulators. Our recommended sites always have a valid license. You can double check these directly on the websites listed above.
It Must Offer Fast, Reliable Payouts
There’s more than one way for a site to be unsafe, but without a doubt, the most common sort of betting site scam is when you deposit and don’t get your money back.
Some sites also put up major obstacles to allowing you to withdraw, such as by asking for unreasonable verification documents or by putting in minimum withdrawal clauses which far exceed the deposits you have made.
We check the terms and conditions of each site we recommend and avoid recommending those with anything we think is ‘funny business.’
Ideally, we want to see same day payout for e-wallet withdrawals, and we want to see a maximum 3-5 business day wait for credit and debit card withdrawals.
Despite how some players feel, we actually like it when a casino asks you to verify your identity. As long as the process isn’t too complex or time-consuming, this means the site cares about fraud prevention and identity theft. When it comes to looking for safe betting sites, that’s a big plus.
It Must Run on a Secure, Encrypted Connection
Does the idea of advanced encryption make your head spin? Don’t worry, we feel you on that.
There’s no need to have a deep understanding of this issue to make use of it. That’s why they pay IT professionals the big bucks. All you need to know, as an online bettor, is that you want to bet at sites with https:// at the beginning of the web address.
That means the site runs on an SSL encrypted connection. Without getting into boring details, this makes it virtually impossible for hackers and criminals to steal financial and/or personal data on the connection.
If you take a look at any of the sites listed above, you’ll see that they run on secure connections. We don’t take risks with your data safety, and you should avoid any sites which aren’t encrypted.
On most browsers, a little notification will appear beside the address bar telling you if a site is not secure. Pay attention when this happens. It could be a costly mistake to ignore this.
It Must Offer Games from Reputable Software Providers
Whether it’s a sports betting site, a casino site, a poker site, or a combination of things, we want to see software from established, reliable firms.
When it comes to online casino betting sites, for example, we really like to see games from NetEnt, Microgaming, IGT, and Playtech. These companies have a long history and are guaranteed fair.
If we see betting software we don’t recognize, that’s not an automatic write-off. We know this industry is highly innovative and are always willing to give upstarts a chance. However, we need to dig deeper and find out if these companies are reputable, and ideally want to see third-party verification of payouts.
Safe betting sites will have no problem publishing payout rates and explaining how the software works. If they aren’t willing to be transparent, we aren’t willing to recommend them.
Safest Bet In Sports Hall Of Fame
It Must Have an Established History & Solid Base of Players/Bettors
The longer a betting site has been around the better, in our view. If a site has been servicing thousands of players since 1998, it’s highly unlikely to be unsafe. If it has survived for decades, it’s a safe bet (pun fully intended).
We’re also aware, of course, that there are lots of new betting sites coming online on a daily basis, and plenty of them are safe. In those cases, we look at the management team and company running them. If they are experienced and run multiple safe betting sites, we are happy to recommend them.
If a site is totally new, run by a startup with no industry reputation or experience, it’s highly unlikely you’ll find that site on our recommended list. They will only make it if they’ve done something exceptional to win our trust.
There are some new betting sites which make the cut, but it’s rare, and as you’ll see from the table above, most of our preferred betting sites have been around for a while.
Some of the Risks Associated with Online Betting
Part of the key to staying safe when betting online is education. We don’t mean to be patronizing, but if you’re new to this, you’re more likely to fall into the hands of predatory sites and scammers.
We want to prevent that, if possible. Other than sticking to the sites which have already been reviewed in-depth by our team of experts, it helps to know what some of the common safety concerns are.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the risks associated with betting sites:
- Outright Theft – This is simply a site stealing your money or making it impossible to get it back. It happens all too often but can easily be avoided. Stick to sites with a reputation for fair, fast payouts. Also, take some time to at least skim the terms and conditions, especially the ‘withdrawals’ section.
- Identity Theft – This is the one that really seems to freak people out these days. It’s always slightly unnerving when a betting site asks you to send a copy of your ID and a recent utility bill to verify your account. Again, it won’t be such a worry if you stick to the best-known operators who have licenses requiring them to take data protection seriously.
- Fee Gouging – Those terms and conditions are a treasure trove of information, as we’ve said before. Still, virtually nobody takes the time to read them. This is where dishonest operators can confiscate your winnings for no reason or take back a hefty slice in the form of fees.
- Viruses & Malware – Lots of mobile bettors, in particular, like to download an app from their favorite betting site. However, too many less scrupulous operators install malware, adware, and spyware along with the app. Get a good antivirus program which detects malware, adware, and spyware, and you should be safe.
- Rigged Games & Odds – The crooked bookie or casino run in a smoke-filled room parlor by the mob is long gone. These days, they’ve migrated online. Some unsafe betting sites create their own odds software or casino games, which are designed to rip you off, plain and simple.
Summary
It’s always worth it to take the time to research before deciding on a betting site. You can start by reading some of our in-depth reviews.
We cover each of the points listed above in detail and leave no stone unturned. We’re not saying every site we review will turn out to be right for you, but we are saying you’ll be in a much better position to make a decision after reading one.
You can find our safest betting sites and their full reviews on the table at the top of this page. We wish you the best of luck!
If you are looking for the safest betting sites in 2021, you’ve found what you need. Our experienced team of sports betting experts are constantly analyzing online sportsbooks to determine which are the most trusted options for your real money bets.
As of right now, these are the safest sports betting sites for wagering online in 2021:
Rank | DE Betting Site | Exclusive Bonus | Get Started | |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Betway Sports | Up To€150 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#2 | 22Bet Sports | 100% Up To€122 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#3 | Spin Sports | 100% Up To€200 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#4 | 10Bet Sports | 100% Up To€50 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#5 | Guts Sports | 100% Up To€50 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
These safe online betting sites have proven they can be trusted. They treat their customers with respect and they use the latest security measures on the market to protect them from external attacks too.
Joining any of them will provide a safe gambling experience which is what all of our readers are looking for. And the best news is that you don’t have to sacrifice anything that you’d expect from a top sports betting site. The safest online sportsbooks still offer plenty of other perks like generous bonuses promotions, high odds, and a wide range of betting options.
You can comfortably try to win money from your knowledge of sports betting without worrying that someone might steal from you.
Is Online Betting Safe?
We’ve heard the question “is online betting safe?” thousands of times and it’s a legit concern. There are risks associated with any kind of real money gambling, and that risk is magnified when you’re betting online with sportsbooks and bookmakers that don’t have a physical presence.
The fact is that most online sports betting sites are perfectly safe to use. However, there are exceptions. That’s what it’s important to narrow down your choices when betting online, and stick to trusted and reliable options.
How do you tell the safe betting sites from the unsafe ones, though? That’s not as easy as it should be, thanks to the lack of global regulation of real money online gambling. There are betting sites out there that are unlicensed and unregulated, just waiting to take advantage of innocent bettors.
Don’t worry, though, as we’re here to assist. We’ve been involved with the online gambling industry for many years, and we’ve spent most of this time helping our readers find safe and trusted gambling sites. It’s what we do, and we do it well.
- 200+ Gambling Sites Reviewed
- Two decades of recommending safe sites to gamble at
- Over 100 years of combined gambling experience between our team
- Independent and unbiased rankings
Safest Bet In Sports
To start placing real money wagers online, simply choose one of the safest betting sites we’ve listed above. To find out more about safe online betting, and how we identify the safest sportsbooks, keep reading.
The obvious goal of this page is to keep you informed about the safest sports betting sites online today. That’s the easy bit, but actually identifying them takes more effort.
There are three main areas we check when assessing the safety of online betting sites.
- Legit Gambling License
- Strong Reputation
- Latest Security Measures
Let’s dive a bit deeper into each of these, so you better understand exactly how we find the safest sports betting sites on the web. That could help you if you decide to look for a safe online sportsbook on your own at some point.
All of the safest betting websites have a license issued by a legit gambling commission and that’s the first thing we establish. The regulators run extensive background checks before they grant the necessary seal of approval and they continue monitoring their trusted bookmakers after that.
Their job is to make sure that the interest of the players is protected properly. The best gambling commissions vary depending on your region, but the most secure betting sites all have a license by a respected regulator. A good example of one of the best is the UK Gambling Commission.
You can check every the licensing of a sportsbook by looking at the bottom of their website. That’s where the gambling commission and the serial number of the document are usually mentioned. If you can’t find them, that’s a red flag.
Betting sites you can trust have that information in a visible place and there are no exceptions to this rule.
Having a license is a good starting point, but not enough of a reason by itself to put an operator on our list of safe betting sites. The next step of our investigation is to evaluate their reputation by running some additional checks.
We carefully explore any complaints from customers we can find. The mere presence of such is not a big deal, as you will find unhappy users of any real money gambling site that has been operating for long enough. The main factors here are the number and the severity of the accusations.
If a couple of people weren’t happy with a particular member of the staff or had minor trouble with the navigation of the page, that’s not the end of the world. If you have loads of customers complaining that they weren’t paid, that’s another story.
We naturally stay away from all companies with a shady past and you won’t find them on our list of the safest real money betting sites.
After we make sure that a site has no intention of stealing your hard-earned cash or messing with you in any other way, we check if it has the necessary measures to protect you from other dangers like hackers.
We carefully explore the security measures used by online betting sites. The most important shield is the SSL certificate that proves all data transfers are encrypted with the latest technologies. Even if someone steals the information, they can’t do anything with it
The easiest way to understand if any website has that layer of protection would be to look at the URL in your browser. If it starts with “http” instead of “https”, you better stay away. That’s only the beginning, though, as we also check the privacy policy and other factors until we are completely satisfied.
The most obvious benefit of using the safest sites for betting on sports is that you’re highly unlikely to get scammed or ripped off in any way. But there are many others. As we already mentioned, security doesn’t come at a cost in this case and there are plenty of additional benefits to betting at the safest sportsbooks online.
Let’s take a closer look at them.
- Large variety of sports and betting markets
- Excellent bonuses and promotions
- High betting odds and limits
- Mobile betting
- Range of banking options and fast payouts
- Useful additional features
- Reliable customer support
All of the safe online sports betting sites we recommend deliver an excellent experience and good opportunities to make some cash thanks to the factors listed above. If you have the required expertise in a certain sport, you can pick the best spots to profit thanks to the countless events and markets offered. If you add the high odds and the promotions at your disposal, the value increases even more.
On top of everything else, the safest sites for betting online make sure to provide a comfortable experience by constantly improving their user interface and mobile versions.
They work on additional features like Cash Out all the time, the payments are fast, and the support is always there to help if you are experiencing any problems. It’s the whole package, so you can have fun betting on your favorite sports and have a solid chance to earn extra money in the process.
Safest Bet In Sports Odds
Is betting on sports online legal?
The answer depends on your country. Betting on sports online is legal in most places, but there might be exceptions.
Make sure to check our page on gambling jurisdictions for more information.
Betting sites are often required by the gambling commission that issues their license to verify the identity and address of their customers to prevent fraud or minors taking part. That’s why they could ask you for an ID or another document.
This is a standard procedure and there’s no reason to worry about it. In fact, it helps to keep you safe from identity fraud.
What are the safest payment options for betting online?
The payment providers supported by our recommended bookmakers and sportsbooks can all be trusted.
Credit and debit cards, e-wallets like Skrill, PayPal, and Neteller, Bitcoin, wire transfers, are secure for both deposits and cashouts.
Is it safe to use betting sites that don’t have a gambling license?
In theory, not all sportsbooks without a license are scammers. But you’d need a really good reason to trust them.
We recommend sticking to the safe betting websites that have the necessary accreditation to avoid trouble.
Finding secure betting websites is a good start, but it doesn’t guarantee the safety of your money and personal information. You have the responsibility to protect yourself following several simple rules that are mostly down to common sense.
Don’t pick easy passwords and don’t share your credentials with other people. Also, make sure to keep your email private and don’t open links or download files from emails that are from unknown senders.
It’s good to know legitimate betting websites won’t ask for your password, so don’t give it to people who pretend to be their representatives.
Simply put, don’t make stupid mistakes and you should be fine.