So you’ve got decided to start betting online – or perhaps you just want to locate a new dependable sportsbook – what do you’ll need to watch out for?

Well I am in a position to speak from some experience – I did at one time hold accounts with about sixty bookmakers in Europe, UK, Australia and offshore – the second catering mainly to the us market. I have had at least three online sportsbooks go broke on me – luckily my losses were kept to a few thousand dollars – that will sound a lot but it could happen to be a great deal worse.

It is not that easy finding a reputable sportsbook – partly because the web is populated by website owners that will sing the praises of a sportsbook or casino simply because they earn revenue from signing up customers via an affiliate program. Often these website owners know nothing about betting, don’t hold accounts with the sportsbooks they may be advertising and also have not researched the businesses they may be involved with.

You are keeping your money within an account online. Therefore you should think of the sportsbook you are considering as a bank – an area that you intend to keep funds long term.

Read press articles instead of reviews – reviews are often written by the sportsbook’s marketing team.

Test run the software by joining and playing for free – most sportsbooks offer this facility.

Find out if your funds are insured or separated in ESCROW accounts so that if the sportsbook company goes under – your funds remain safe.

Find out in the event the sportsbook is independently audited.

How long has the operation been online – three to four years will be a good football, read this blog post from dgip.uas.edu.mx, marker as a minimum.

Test out the customer services to find out whenever they meet your standards or perhaps the standards they promise you.

If you know about betting already, then check some of their odds and lines – are they in keeping with what you will expect? Some less scrupulous sportsbooks offer very attractive prices to lure unsuspecting bettors.

Find out should the sportsbook is part of a larger group of companies. Sometimes it indicates added solidity.

What will be the deposit and withdrawal options as well as the associated charges. These vary a great deal from book to book. Options should be available that are ‘free’ or where the sportsbook absorbs the charges. But ask yourself ; “how easy is it to get access to my money and just how much does it cost?”

Not all of the above are critical – but help towards finding a secure book.

Should you have already have an account with a sportsbook watch out for lapses in customer support and slowness of payment – these can be signs that the company could be in trouble.