How to go about choosing the best football betting site
It wasn’t so long ago that betting on football meant one of two things. Either queueing up in a smoke-filled bookmaker’s with betting slip in hand or filling out the pools coupon and then waiting to check the numbers when the results were announced on TV on a Saturday afternoon. Simpler days, perhaps, with no laptops or smartphones in sight. But there’s no denying that the internet age has transformed football betting.
The convenience factor coupled with the wider selection of bets, including things like in-play betting options, would have been impossible to imagine back in the 1990s. Then there’s the choice. There are literally scores of betting sites out there to choose from. How are you supposed to know which one to try? Here are some tips to help answer that question.
Get recommendations
Sometimes the simplest answers are also the right ones. If you need a plumber or a car mechanic or a divorce lawyer, you’ll ask a friend or family member for a recommendation. The same applies with anything else, and that includes bookmakers. Check the online review sites too, by all means, but there’s no substitute for a recommendation from someone you know and trust.
Compare promotions
A competitive market places the power in the hands of the consumer. You can afford to be choosy, and the providers will offer all sorts of inducements in the form of special promotions, free bonuses and so on. Just be sure to read the small print, and don’t just be seduced by what looks like the biggest number. It’s the same principle as when you track down a casino bonus with low wagering requirements – better to claim a smaller bonus that you can actually convert to tangible money than some large theoretical sum that is practically impossible to lay your hands upon!
Check the odds
Different bookies work to different margins, so you want to choose one that offers odds that are as favourable as possible. Be careful, however. If someone’s offering 7/1 on a result where all the other bookies are at 5/1, something doesn’t smell right. You sometimes find those odds aren’t available when you try to actually place a bet. In cases like this, it’s worth just trying a small wager as an experiment before you commit to the provider.
Customer service
There’s a downside to everything, and with online sports bets, that can sometimes be customer service. At least when you were in the bookie’s with your betting slip there was always good old Jim or Lorraine behind the counter if you needed some help. Some online betting sites take customer service more seriously than others. The best ones will have cottoned on to the fact that customers love an instant chat facility that operates 24/7. It means that their very own Jim or Lorraine is always around. Others just give an email address, which means you’ll be waiting at least 24 hours and possibly longer to get any sort of response.