Safest Betting Sites — Ultimate Rating by Superbetting
Published on 15 Nov 2021
Most sports bettors always strive to find a bookie offering many sports and betting markets, generous bonuses, high sports betting odds, and interesting extra services. We won’t argue that such things are important, but what is even more crucial is staying on the safe side of Internet gambling.
TOP-3 Safest Betting Sites
- Online casino;
- Good line on American sports;
- Poker;
- Esports betting.
- A large number of video broadcasts;
- Match center;
- Esports betting;
- Awesome in-play features;
- Good line for the races.
- High limits
- Video broadcasts of matches
- Match Center
- Mobile applications
- Large selection of sports betting markets.
Scammers are literally everywhere on the Internet. Some of them are very easy to sniff out, while the others are very well-disguised and can trick even the most experienced Internet users. Frauds are unfortunately a pretty common thing in the sports betting industry: the popularity of this activity results in a plethora of fake websites, rigged games, and sham bookies that just take your money and go.
As true sports gambling enthusiasts, we consider it our duty to make gamblers aware of possible dangers they can come across, and this is the reason why we prepared this long-read. This article will teach you how to tell a fair sportsbook from a scam, show you examples of sportsbooks you can trust, and give you some basics of Internet safety rules.
Key Criteria to Choosing a Safe Betting Site
The first and the easiest way to find a good online gambling platform is to check out our rating of the safest bookies: they are a sure shot, trust us. However, you may argue, ‘Why should I trust you without firm proof?’ or ‘All of your sportsbooks are dull, I want to shop the lines at some other places. You will be right in both cases, so besides ranking the best safe betting sites, we will give you precise instructions on how to find them in the ocean of digital gambling platforms of all sorts. In fact, this is how we check online gambling sites before recommending them — and we are glad to share these life hacks with you.
License
The first thing you need to check is a gambling license. In short, a gambling license is a permit that allows a company to provide sports betting or casino gaming services (or both) in a particular country according to its local sports betting laws or as an offshore bookmaker. To obtain such a license, a sportsbook must invest a pretty large money amount, go through all verification procedures, enable all required security services at the site, and provide much information about staff experience in the gambling industry, personal details of the owners, and more.
As you see, the process is not that simple, so it’s unlikely that scammers will spend a fortune to enter the legal sports betting market, and even more unlikely, they will stay there for long.
Thus, if you found a mention of a legal license at the site, it is already a good sign!
You can double-check if the license is valid at the gambling commission’s official register online.
What are the top-tier gambling commissions whose license guarantees good service and fair work? Here is a shortlist:
- United Kingdom Gambling Commission;
- Malta Gambling Authority;
- Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner;
- The Curaçao Gaming Control Board (it is comparatively easy to become approved by the Curacao Committee, but many safe sites successfully work with it).
If you prefer betting at the US betting sites, check if they have a license of their local jurisdiction, for instance, New Jersey.
Safe and Transparent Payment Options
The next place you head for after checking the license is a sports betting online cashier: it can give you some hints, too. A typical sign of a rigged bookmaker is a complete absence of any popular payment options familiar to anyone who made online payments at least once: Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, PaySafeCard, ecoPayz, etc.
Suppose you found a very attractive sportsbook with a generous welcome bonus for new customers, tons of casino games, and competitive sports betting odds for your favorite market: you definitely haven’t seen such lucrative odds for college sports point spread betting anywhere! You are a stone’s throw away from clicking a signup button, but a glance at the cashier page leaves you puzzled: why do they accept only Western Union or Bitcoin payments? The answer is usually pretty obvious: they just can’t sign with other systems because they are not licensed.
Don’t think that Bitcoin or Western Union payments are rigged by design. However, it is suspicious when you can’t see any banking methods that imply you are dealing with a registered company that does not hide its bank details. To make it clearer: when an online sports betting site negotiates with big payment providers, they must prove they are reliable enough to be associated with, say, Visa, PayPal, or ecoPayz.
Fast and Reliable Payouts
Finding an online sportsbook with a nice selection of payment options is half the battle: you need to make sure bookies use them properly. We mean, there is little sense in having all possible banking methods on hand if it takes forever to get your winnings.
A brief guide about sportsbook payouts: when you want to withdraw your funds, you request it using a dedicated section of your account. You indicate the amount you want to receive and the desired payment method. Each payment system has its payout period, usually ranging from several minutes to five-seven days. Usually, you should add one or two more days to this period: it is time a bookie needs to check your request and approve it.
Why does a bookmaker need it? Among other things, for your safety sake: they check your identity and make sure it was you who made a request.
Most modern bookies tend to save your time by requesting your personal information once and then proceeding with your payouts automatically. Anyway, the procedure must not be too long: try to avoid bookmakers that drag it out and can’t even explain why.
Below is the list of legal sports betting sites you can trust: they gained a reputation as the fastest-paying bookies who never make you wait and worry. You will find them in other best online betting sites rankings, too.
| Safest gambling sites in 2021 | Payout Speed | Payout percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Bovada | 15 minutes-48 hours | from 4.9%, the first withdrawal is free |
| FanDuel | 24 – 48 hours | $2.00-$20 |
| DraftKings | 24 – 48 hours | $0-$20 |
| BetMGM | 24 – 48 hours | $0-$30 |
| PointsBet | 24 – 48 hours | Free (payment system fees applied) |
| BetRivers | 24 – 48 hours | Free (payment system fees applied) |
| BetOnline AG | 1 hour – 48 hours | $30 (one free check/month) |
| Caesars Sportsbook | 24 – 48 hours | Free (payment system fees applied) |
User Reviews
Checking out what other people say about a sportsbook is a fire-sure way to collect unbiased opinions and know the truth. Don’t pay much attention to reviews published on sportsbook sites: your main concern is independent platforms.
It is hard to imagine a company, especially a sports betting site, that has never got negative reviews. It is natural for a gambler who’s just lost tons of money to blame a sportsbook and exaggerate everything that happened to him when he made bets. Thus, your main concern is to tell relevant reviews where bettors share facts from overemotional complaints.
For example, ‘I won $1,000 a month ago and am still waiting for a refund’ might be helpful for you, while ‘I lost all my money, they are scammers’ might probably not. Besides, remember that satisfied customers rarely leave reviews, so sometimes, a plethora of complaints does not mean a company is rigged.
A useful tip: it is a good sign if online sports betting brand is promoted by some top-tier TV and Internet platforms like NBC Sports or SB Nation.
Latest Bonuses
Secure Connection
When you deal with funds online, it is essential to use a site that protects your privacy. What does it mean, and how do you know that a site uses security methods? Let’s straighten it out.
All that you do on the Internet is basically data sharing. We can compare it with paper mails: you give a postman your letter and deliver it to your friend. However, nothing protects your mail in this case: a mail carrier can easily open your letter and read it. It won’t hurt you much if it is really a postman and a letter to a friend, but if any third party interferes with your online transaction, it will get access to your card details and thus your fund.
To avoid it, websites use security protocols.
Getting back to our paper mail example, it works like that: you send your letter in a locked safe, and your friend doesn’t have a key from it. So, when he gets your package, he puts another locker on it and sends it back to you. You open your locker with your key and send this safe to you, a friend, again — still locked with your friend’s key. He finally receives your package and unlocks it, and nobody could read what you sent to him, even if they stole your safe when it was on its way.
This is actually how HTTPS work: encrypts and protects your data. To enable HTTPS, a website needs an SSL (or more modern TSL) certificate, containing information of a website’s owner and proving its reliability. To check if a sports betting site uses such a certificate, check its protocol: enter the site’s address using HTTPS instead of HTTP in your browser’s address bar, and if this link opens the site, it has a certificate. Another method is to check it with special online services.
Reliable Software Providers
It may come as a surprise for you, but most sports betting sites do not create their own betting markets and make odds for various events. Instead, they opt for ready solutions from software providers. Not all sportsbooks reveal their providers, but some of them do, and it can be an additional thing inspiring trust in a bookmaker.
Among the top popular, reliable sportsbook providers are BetRadar, SBTech, Pinnacle, BetConstruct, and Digitain. Just like the trusted payment systems, such providers will only cooperate with bookmakers who took care of making their services on online sports betting legal.
Risks Involved with Rogue Betting Sites
We keep telling our readers how essential it is to use safe online sports betting sites and repeat it over and over in our articles and reviews. It’s hard to disagree with it, but most gamblers don’t think through what may happen if they are caught in a cheat’s net. Stolen money is the first thing that comes to mind, but it is not everything that your mistake might result in.
- Losing Your Money. The worst fear of a sports bettor is to find that an account is zeroed or blocked. However, most scammers do not usually steal money so woodenly: they can invent millions of reasons why they can not withdraw your funds right now and palm you off with promises. Most of them will let you place a couple of bets, make some more deposits, or top up an account with an amount eligible to claim a very lucrative bonus — long story short, they will do their best to keep you involved as long as possible and make you pay more before they take all customer funds and run.
- Personal Data Selling. Not all scam sportsbooks are aimed at just stealing your deposits: sometimes their fraud business is more complicated. Instead of accepting payments and vanishing, they collect your personal data and sell it for large amounts to other scammers. Remember what we told you about HTTPS and SSL? If a site doesn’t use them, its owners can easily steal your credit card number, e-wallet passwords, and your personal ID copy. The latter is the easiest to get: many safe sportsbooks ask you to send them your passport or ID photo to verify your identity, and scammers can do the same but will use your data for other purposes.
- Losing Your Passwords. Sometimes you can get in trouble even with a fair sportsbook. It can happen if you become a victim of a cyberattack and someone steals your passwords. With your passwords in your hands, scammers can enter a sportsbook and try to withdraw your money — on their cards and wallets, of course. Luckily, a safe sports betting site will quickly clamp down on such suspicious activity. However, your safety is the last thing a scam sportsbook cares about, so you will suffer double fraud.
- Rigged Games. It is unlikely that a single scam sportsbook can organize match-fixing, but there are many ways to cheat on customers other ways. For instance, if a bookmaker has a casino section, it can offer rigged slots that do not work based on the random number generator and never show you the winning combination.
Getting back to sports betting, it can also be rigged: for instance, a scam bookmaker can publish unrealistically high odds for some events to collect as much money as possible — and never payout, of course. Another possible scenario: a bookmaker can purposely delay odds acceptance to prevent you from placing a wager that is very likely to win.
How to Identify Scammers?
You already know how to find a bookmaker you can trust. Below is another pile of tips and instructions: if you are in two minds whether to trust a bookie or not, read the following tips on how to identify a scam sports betting site. It can also help you if you have already joined a bookie and have doubts about its performance: we can’t get your money back, but this information will prevent you from further deposits to a rigged bookie’s account.
Steps for identifying fraudulent sites
Slowing Down of Payouts
If a bookmaker promised you to payout within a couple of days, and there is already a week since you requested a withdrawal, it is a red flag. There might be, of course, some technical issues, and even good betting sites foul-up sometimes, but if nothing happens, and no one is trying to contact you and explain why you have to wait, it is most likely a scam. Sometimes, a sportsbook can cut your limits or ask you to send some extra information, like your personal ID or billing address. It is normal at well licensed sportsbooks, so don’t be afraid to share this information with recommended betting sites: they need your data to protect your payouts, and it may take time to process this information. However, if a bookie doesn’t pay without any explanations, it is very unlikely you will ever see your winnings again.
Customer Support is Unresponsive
Suppose you got confused by some betting terms or want to know more about payout commissions. You asked a live chat agent when your payout will arrive, after all. No matter why you contacted customer support, your messages remained unanswered, or you got some vague and uncertain replies. Needless to say, you came across scammers, is it? Sometimes, a sportsbook doesn’t publish any contact information, so you have no chance even to send a message in the hope they will reply. Still, we hope what we said above was enough for you to avoid such platforms by default.
These Sites are Not Recommended by Us
The safest option is to check if a site can be trusted to check if Superbetting recommends it or not. We regularly publish various bookmaker ratings and reviews and always do thorough research before claiming that we recommend some sportsbook. Of course, we might have missed some decent places. But don’t doubt, we have embraced all top online bookmakers that are worth your attention, and even if a new betting site you found seems to be completely fine, don’t risk and opt for places we know inside out.
Slowing Down of Payouts
If a bookmaker promised you to payout within a couple of days, and there is already a week since you requested a withdrawal, it is a red flag. There might be, of course, some technical issues, and even good betting sites foul-up sometimes, but if nothing happens, and no one is trying to contact you and explain why you have to wait, it is most likely a scam. Sometimes, a sportsbook can cut your limits or ask you to send some extra information, like your personal ID or billing address. It is normal at well licensed sportsbooks, so don’t be afraid to share this information with recommended betting sites: they need your data to protect your payouts, and it may take time to process this information. However, if a bookie doesn’t pay without any explanations, it is very unlikely you will ever see your winnings again.
Customer Support is Unresponsive
Suppose you got confused by some betting terms or want to know more about payout commissions. You asked a live chat agent when your payout will arrive, after all. No matter why you contacted customer support, your messages remained unanswered, or you got some vague and uncertain replies. Needless to say, you came across scammers, is it? Sometimes, a sportsbook doesn’t publish any contact information, so you have no chance even to send a message in the hope they will reply. Still, we hope what we said above was enough for you to avoid such platforms by default.
These Sites are Not Recommended by Us
The safest option is to check if a site can be trusted to check if Superbetting recommends it or not. We regularly publish various bookmaker ratings and reviews and always do thorough research before claiming that we recommend some sportsbook. Of course, we might have missed some decent places. But don’t doubt, we have embraced all top online bookmakers that are worth your attention, and even if a new betting site you found seems to be completely fine, don’t risk and opt for places we know inside out.
How to Stay Safe When Gamble Online
The next set of tips concerns your overall online safety: they are universal for all types of your digital activity and can be definitely applied to your experience with sports betting apps and online betting sites. Scammers know how to take your money and data, but you can be always a step ahead and protect yourself: forewarned is forearmed.
Set a Strong Password
Most modern sites ask you to invent a reliable password, but some still let through very simplified letters and digits combinations. If a sportsbook did not ask you to create a better password than your birth date, take care of it yourself: think of at least 10-symbols pass with upper and lowercase letters, digits, and special symbols. You can use a password generator — but make sure you keep your advanced-level pass in a safe place.
Don’t Forget to Change Your Password
You surf dozens of websites daily, and you can accidentally come across scam sites and links and uncover your password. Besides, some spy programs can copy everything you print on your keyboard and many other ways to steal your private data, so security experts recommend changing passwords at least once in three months.
A useful tip: don’t use the same password at all sites: you risk all your accounts if it is uncovered.
Don’t Follow The Untrusted Backlinks
You can come upon scam links everywhere: in an advertising email that seems pretty innocent or at a sportsbook offering you to open a link to get a sky-high bonus — the list is endless. The tip is very straightforward: don’t follow any suspicious links. To make it simpler, regard every link as suspicious unless you are 100% sure in a person who sent it to you or at a source you found it on.
What are the possible consequences? The same old ones: malicious software installed on your PC and stolen data.
Always Use 2FA
2FA stands for 2-factor authentication. When online betting apps or websites use this method, it means you must verify your identity twice when you log in. The first step of the 2FA is entering your login and password, and the second sends you a verification code to your email or phone. It makes things much more difficult for a potential scammer: it is unlikely that one person can steal your passwords and get access to your phone simultaneously.
Not all sports betting sites offer 2FA, but if they do, don’t neglect this opportunity.
Yes, it is pretty boresome to enter two passwords instead of one, but it is worth it.
Never Download Untrusted Files!
Again, it concerns all sites you ever visit, but speaking about sportsbooks, make sure you can trust it before downloading any software from a bookmaker site. Some sports betting sites give away some betting tools or software for their additional services like casinos and poker rooms. It is absolutely normal, but if you are not sure about the site’s reputation, avoid allowing any downloads.
We hope you remembered it once and forever: suspicious files can happen to be hacker software and a tool for gouging money. For instance, some programs disguised as a simple zip file will encrypt all your data and protect you from using any documents on your PC. To unlock the files, scammers will ask you to send them a particular amount.
Conclusion
The two main principles of healthy and responsible gambling are entertainment and safety. When you play casino games or place college basketball, daily fantasy sports, or whatever bets, you must know you do it for fun, not for profit. However, there is no fun in losing your money at a sportsbook that cheats on you, so we hope our tips will help you to avoid crucial mistakes and deal with trusted and reliable platforms.
Finally, even if you bet on sports online at the best sports betting sites, you will still be in danger if you don’t gamble responsibly. Take care of your online sportsbooks experience and do your best to control your bankroll and sanity. Even the best gambling site will not protect you from problem gambling unless you are aware of the main responsible gambling principles.
FAQ
Definitely, we never recommend scam sports betting sites and always make sure that the site is trusted before including it in one of our recommended sites rankings.
If the App Store or Google Play publishes a sportsbook app, you can be
sure that the app is safe; we recommend you to use apps released by reputable online bookmakers or sites listed in our rankings.
Using rogue sports betting sites, you risk losing your money and personal data.
If a website is licensed by one of the reputable gambling commissions and uses Internet security protocols, you can send your personal ID copy if requested. Avoid unknown new betting sites and try to opt for gambling platforms considered as the best betting sites in many unbiased reviews.
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