Top Online Sportsbooks
There are countless online sportsbooks, each claiming to be the best and most worthy of your deposit.  Sportsbook reviews are easy to find, but most of them are BS. Most of these sites are affiliate marketers that will say anything to get you to sign up and deposit money.  Very few will report slow payouts or list the deposit/payout fees.
Most of us at BettingBrain have moved to using Bitcoin for depositing/withdrawing at most sportsbooks since it’s almost always free and extremely fast. However, it is a hassle to set up (buying bitcoin, transferring it to a wallet, then sending it to a betting site). When it comes to cashing out, we must reverse the process.
Do you want to sign up at one of the most popular sportsbooks but not sure which one? In our comparison “cheat sheet” of BetOnline vs Bovada, we broke down the basics.
Sportsbook Reputation is Important
The reputation and history of a sportsbook reveal so much about a company.  A long-running reputation among sports bettors, can not be bought. Our betting site reviews will uncover if they are slow to pay their players. We also encourage visitors to leave their reviews about each sportsbook.  At the bottom of our review pages is an option to make your comments “a review”.  This will help others find a legit sports betting site without getting scammed and losing money.
Sportsbook Rankings for DECEMBER 2024
Look For Favorable Odds
After making an initial deposit and the excitement of starting to bet on sports at a new sportsbook gives way to business as usual, sports betting becomes a simple exercise in beating the odds set by the books. To do so, it is vital to gain an advantage in any way possible, no matter how slight that advantage may be. One way to gain an advantage against the house while betting on sports is to find the sportsbook that offers the most favorable odds for the sports you like to bet on.
Finding favorable odds can take on many meanings, and which sportsbook is most favorable for you depends on what sports you prefer to wager on and what types of bets you like to place. But you can follow some general rules to gain a relative advantage using some sportsbooks compared to others.
Looking at moneyline wagers, look at the odds of sportsbooks before you sign up for an account with them to see which books make you pay the least to back favorites and which offer more superb payouts for backing underdogs. Win or lose, risking $200 to win $100 is smarter than risking $210 to win $100, both in that it reduces risk and frees up pieces of your bankroll for other wagers simultaneously.
When dealing with spread wagers, find books that offer reduced juice when possible, for the same reasoning as the moneyline wagering example above. If you only have to risk $107 to win $100 in every spread bet instead of the typical $110 to win $100, that can add up over time and make you more profitable in the long term, which is the goal of any sports bettor.
Find Truly Generous Promotions
Online sportsbooks often make their promotions irresistible with free bets, huge bonuses, and other exciting offers. However, it is essential to read the fine print to avoid any obstacles that may prevent you from making the most out of your money. For instance, deposit match bonuses given to new players offer an extra $100 to match their initial $100 deposit, but they come with significant rollover requirements. These requirements prevent players from withdrawing any winnings until they have wagered money that satisfies the rollover requirements. This means you may lose the entire bonus amount before withdrawing any winnings.
To avoid promotions with big rollover requirements, consider looking for offers that provide free bets. Some sportsbooks offer a $25 free bet that is reimbursed after your first qualifying live bet is placed. This way, you won’t be locked into a potentially vicious rollover cycle, but you could still benefit from an insurance policy should one of your existing wagers go wrong.
Regardless of the sportsbook you choose, always read the fine print on any promotions you see. If they appear too good to be true, they probably are.
Does It Pay?
While betting on sports is plenty of fun even when you’re losing, the end goal of any bettor is to win and get paid. So it goes without saying that you should research the sportsbooks that you’re considering opening an account with and make sure that players aren’t posting horror stories online about issues with getting paid. Be sure to read each sportsbook’s rules and terms to ensure they have payment methods that work for you.
Pick One That Is Easy To Use
Favorable odds and promotions that don’t have massive strings attached mean nothing if it is a pain to use the online sportsbook you’re trying to bet with. Does the site you are looking into using have a user-friendly interface? Does it have a mobile site that is easy to use? Are there odds for everything that you want to wager on? Like sports betting, patience is the key to picking out an online sportsbook. If you don’t check off all of the boxes on your list of desired qualities, you could be selling yourself short.