What Should You Look for in a Sportsbook?

With only one game left in the NBA season and at most four games left in the NHL season–yes, there are still people out there who watch hockey, there’s going to be little to fill the plates of many mainstream sports fans for the next couple of months. If you don’t like baseball, tennis, golf, auto racing, or soccer, there’s going to be a temporary void in your life. There are, after all, only so many times you can do your pre-fantasy draft planning before you start to look a little loony. On the positive side, however, that leaves plenty of time to finally catch up on all of the projects, activities, and events that have been put off for sports over the last several months.

If you’re a sports bettor with little to bet on for now, this little lull in action offers up the chance to, and it’s also a good time to figure out who you’ll be casting your lots with when football season returns. Now, everyone doesn’t have the luxury of being able to live in Vegas or travel there on a regular basis, so online sportsbooks like Bovada are the only option for most of us.

One thing that should automatically be at the top of the list of being able to feel comfortable that your money’s in safe hands and that you won’t have to deal with any hassles when it comes time to cash out. There are no guarantees when you’re betting online, but there are definitely some books that have the edge when it comes to reliability.

Beyond reliability, there are a few factors that most people look for when it comes to deciding where to bet.

Betting Options: There are some out there who don’t need anything more than spreads, totals, and moneylines and the basic straight and parlay bets. But for others, there needs to be so much more, whether it’s props, futures, teasers, live betting. Currently, mobile compatibility is more of a requirement, with many wanting or opting, whether for convenience or time reasons, to use their cell phone (or tablet) far more than their computer.

Lines: If you’re looking to maximize your potential profits down to the cents, then finding the best lines will be at the top of your priority list. If you’re only going with one book, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with going with book A over book B if book A consistently offers lines that would be, for example, -115 at their book and -125 at book B. It may come out to even just a few dollars less that you’re putting towards a bet or a few dollars more that you’ll be winning on that bet, but if you bet frequently, those few saved or earned dollars can really add up.

Perks: If you like a little extra cushion in case you take a few losses or enjoy a little casino or poker action on the side, bonuses or reward programs can offer you great benefits. This is where a little caution needs to be used, because there are more than a few books out there who lure customers with high bonuses with high rollovers or requirements that aren’t plainly stated or require handing over the rights to your unborn children.

If you’re leery of big bonuses or rollovers but still like perks, many books offer some sort of rewards program that allows you to earn cash back on losses, get free payouts or free bets, or accumulate points that can be redeemed for everything from contest entries, to free bets, to top of the line electronics.

What book you choose will more than likely come down to whether only one of those factors is important to you or a combination of the three is. It’s recommended to have at least a couple of outs for variety purposes, because one book can be better than another for a particular sport or provide certain perks at a certain time that another doesn’t. Ultimately, whatever book(s) you choose, it’s always a wise idea to check out a full list of sports betting sites before making your decision.

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