So you’ve been following your favorite sport for a while and also have thought about using an great online gambling agency sportsbook to bet on some of the games. You probably went online and did some searches and found a whole lot of sportsbooks, each claiming to be the best, and then become confused and overwhelmed at the sheer number of choices around. You looked at the positives and negatives of each one, and then you probably started getting second thoughts because you’ve heard that you’ll find some companies online that are less than reputable. And also you will be right. The very last thing you want is to bet money with some company that will not pay you if you win.

So what steps can one take to choose a legitimate online sportsbook?

The very first thing is to make sure the company covers the sport(s) you want to bet on. Not everybody offers every sport. This probably sounds obvious, but it’s worth mentioning.

The next thing you want to do is make certain the site you are considering is financially stable. Consider it like this; with all of the money which is being transferred into and out of this kind of organization, you want to make sure they have enough assets to stay in business. Think of it like a bank. Would you get an account at a bank that was running out of cash? In the event the company is public you may check their books. If they are not public, you may still try to see how long they have been in business and speak to people and find out whenever they are honest and prompt with their payouts.

Number three: check their reputation online. In case you are reading this article then you’re probably already comfortable using the internet. Find some active sports betting forums and see what people there have to say. Pay attention to who the reviews are from and try to screen for fake reviews (some companies put up fake positive reviews in an attempt to make themselves look good).

Lastly, start small. You might be used to making big bets, but when you’re dealing with a brand new sportsbook for the very first time, it’s better to work with a small amount of cash just in case something goes wrong. When you feel comfortable dealing with them you can start betting more if you want.

Take into account that betting on sports should only be done with money you can afford to lose, and if you feel like you could have an issue, you can find organizations that will help.