How To Place A Bet Online

Before placing any type of online bet, be sure you are aware of precisely what kind of sportsbook you are signing up to.

All licensed and regulated online sportsbooks will display their license details at the bottom of their webpage, or it will be detailed in their about us section. If you are struggling to find these details, we suggest emailing their customer service team for confirmation.

If your platform uses SSL encryption, offers a two-factor authentication option when signing in to your account, and is host to reputable and well-known payment methods, we would suggest your online betting platform is secure and legitimate.

Other vital considerations of your chosen platform include its usability and accessibility. Using a site that allows users to deposit and withdraw at the click of a button, build parlay within seconds, or place bets via your laptop or mobile device gets the thumbs up from us.

The last key part of the sportsbook experience is its customer service representatives. When selecting the top sportsbooks, we look to see what methods of contact are available, what are the regular response times and extra points for those who provide a dedicated self-help page with answers to frequently asked questions.

Often, online betting platforms will use lucrative sign-up bonuses to entice new customers. However, before signing up and taking advantage of this, be sure to check all the terms and conditions associated with the platform, as well as the bonus itself – you may find all is not as it seems.

Unfortunately, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. We at Wetten regularly see sign-up bonuses that promise the world but do not deliver. When checking the terms and conditions and paying particular attention to minimum deposits and wagering requirements, users could find themselves depositing a lot more than initially intended to unlock their promotion.

Another consideration for those of you utilizing bonuses is the expiration date. Understanding when your promotion runs out and what markets you can use your bonus on could be the difference between a profitable bonus wager and a losing one… or, if you miss the deadline altogether, a non-existent bonus!

If you are planning on becoming a long-term member of a platform, it is worth diving deeper into some honest user reviews. Here you will be able to spot whether the lucrative bonuses are purely bait for new customers or if your chosen sportsbook repays your loyalty too. VIP programs and loyalty schemes are an excellent way for you to boost your wagers long-term, and it also shows your platform cares about the retention of their customers, not just getting new ones in!

Another critical decision before you begin placing bets online is choosing the right markets. With plenty of professional and virtual sports at your fingertips, it is easy to get overwhelmed finding yourself lost in the Bolivian U17’s league and aimlessly building a parlay.

It seems obvious, but we advise sticking to what you know. If you are a Cincinnati Bengals fan, then reviewing the NFL fixtures or predicting next season’s draft picks could be better suited to your knowledge, rather than trying to select the winner of an MLS matchup.

As well as considering the various sporting markets available to you, it is worth considering the type of wager you will look to place. Below, we have itemized a few common sports betting choices:

• 1/X/2 – A simple bet that requires you to select whether the home team (1) or away team (2) wins or if the fixture ends in a draw (X).
• Over/Under – A wager that requires you to predict the number of times a certain event will occur. For example, over 42.5 points in the NFL match between LA Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
• Totals – Similar to over/under; however, this requires you to predict the exact total of a particular event. For example, predicting exactly eight corners in the MLS match between Sporting Kansas City and New York City FC.
• To win either half – For this wager to come in, your chosen team must outscore their opposition in either half. A prevalent choice if you know one team is a slow-starter.
  

If you know how to place sports bets online, you should know how to do your research into them too. Betting blindly, or betting with the odds alone, can be risky and lead to unnecessary losses.

Although sports betting should be viewed as a fun and enjoyable hobby, an element of research and understanding is needed if you plan to be successful. We mention sticking to what you know when reviewing the markets. However, knowledge is power. We believe even if you aren’t a Holloway, Nunes, or McGregor fan, it may be worth reviewing our how to bet on UFC fights guide, adding to your MMA betting knowledge and opening up an entirely new market for you to try your luck on.

The same applies with all other sports you look to bet on, too, particularly those you may be less familiar with because when it comes down to it, greater research = greater rewards.

Self-assessment is our final point when learning how to place sports bets online.

Some of the top online betting operators will provide you with a running tally of your profit and losses, recent bet outcomes as well as a look at your deposit and withdrawal history. If your chosen platform does not hold this facility, we recommend creating your own.

Looking back over your own recent form could provide you with some critical betting insight, showcasing exactly what markets are proving positive to your bank account and which are proving costly! Are you making profits from under/over markets? Losses from Totals? Understanding your own habits, preferences, and outcomes could be a great way to boost your betting career, remove what doesn’t work, and add to what does!