How to Tell If a New Betting Site is Legit
I’ll set the scene; a new betting site opens up and you’re tempted by what it has to offer. It’s very different to what you’re used to and promises more promotions and customer rewards, but is it too good to be true? How do you go about checking whether a new betting site is legit? There are many factors to consider when deciding on where to place your bets and it can be hard to know which is the most important, especially if you’re a beginner. Luckily, there is a ton of information on new betting sites on this page which is really useful. We also have some quick tips for you on how to tell friend from foe!
Easy as Being Certified
All gambling operators whether they offer lottery, casino games, online bingo or sports betting are required by law to have a gambling license – a permit which grants permission to offer such gambling services in specific jurisdictions. If your sports betting website is welcomes UK customers, the license will have been granted through the Gambling Commission of Great Britain. Where can you find information on license and regulation? Take a scroll to the foot of the main welcome page and you’ll find all the information relating to who awarded the gambling license.
If you’re under the misconception that gambling licenses are handed out willy-nilly, you’re wrong! Operators are made to jump through hoops to satisfy the governing bodies that they’re legit and not only do they need to show they have their customers best interests at heart, but they also need to provide proof that they have adequate security measures in place to protect player’s sensitive data, as well as the funds to pay winning bets and tools for responsible gambling. And each request for a gambling license costs tens if not hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Alarm Bells
Instead of us telling you what you should be looking out for with legit betting sites, it’s just as wise to tell you what to look out for with a rogue betting site. If any of the following are featured on the ‘new’ betting site, you may want to place your bets somewhere else.
#1 Quality: A suspicious website is there to make a quick buck and doesn’t want to secure a long-term relationship with its customers – they are there to make as much money as they can before they’re closed down, and it’s because of this the website will be thrown together. Search bars that don’t load, games that are poor quality and a website that doesn’t load properly are all indicators of there being something not right.
#2 No Details: If there are no license and regulatory details stamped to the foot of the page (or within the company info page), this is a sure indication that the website is an illegal one and won’t pay out if you win!
#3 No Support: A reputable betting website wants to do whatever it can to help customers and this could mean 24/7 live chat, telephone, email or even a link to social media for a quicker response there, however, a rogue operator won’t offer any of these services and will instead offer an email that isn’t even monitored.
#4 Be Responsible: These days, betting companies are forced by law to offer responsible gambling tools as well as quick links to responsible gambling companies. If your account section doesn’t prompt you or offer the tools you need to gamble responsibly – stay away!
#5 Making a Withdrawal: So, you’re on the new betting site and you’ve made a tasty profit on your free football tip, and naturally, you want to cash out your winnings. If the withdrawal process won’t submit or keeps diverting you to different windows, you’re probably one of the few falling for a scam betting company.
While the online gambling industry is not exempt from ‘scammers’, instances of people being scammed while playing casino games or placing bets is rare. In all the years I have worked within the iGaming sector, I have never come across a rogue website, but this could be because they are usually closed down before too much damage is done. The fact is, there are probably more people trying to scam the betting site than the betting site trying to scam them, and this has been proven time and time again by abuse of promotions and welcome offers. If by some chance, you happen to stumble upon a dodgy betting site, you can report it to the Gambling Commission (or governing body in your jurisdiction), to stop them from scamming other people.