There’s a new and explosive trend worldwide of gambling and sports betting? Internet sports betting where millions of people enjoy legal online sports betting wagering many billions of dollars yearly. The net offers many opportunities for offshore sportsbook betting and has revolutionised the way people bet. With any new type of betting you’ll find always dangers and pitfalls that you have to look out for. Online sports betting is no exception. Although great online football gambling sportsbooks have made it easier to bet on all of your favourite sports the net is riddled with unsafe and unlicensed sportsbooks that will be only too happy to take your hard earned money and run. It is these cowboys which have made it much harder for the legitimate safe, regulated and licensed online sportsbetting industry to use, and they have given the area as a whole a bad name.

Therefore it is crucial that anybody who might be considering throwing some cash at their favourite team or sport, look closely at the online sports betting site they can be betting with. There are various of aspects to think about when assessing whether to open an account with the online sportsbook.

Is the sportsbook licensed by a government licensing authority? Their website should state the country the book is licensed in. If there is absolutely no mention of their licensing information on their own site then it is highly probable that they can be not licensed by any government agency. Betting by having an unlicensed betting outfit is similar to throwing your money away. Also some countries have more stringent regulations, oversee their licensees more closely, and require more funds for them to use, eg. UK.

Security – Is the sportbook using the latest security mechanisms? Most reputable betting outfits have highly advanced security on their sites to stop personal and banking information being exposed and breached.

Depositing options. The sportsbook must have a range of depositing options and preferably accept 3rd party e-wallets such as Neteller and Moneybookers. Using a 3rd party e-wallet service for example Neteller reduces the need to send personal and financial information to every book you sign up with.

24 hour customer support by mobile device and e-mail. A lot of the reputable sportsbooks offer 24 hour support by smartphone, email and online chat.

Incorporates extensive features offering many different betting types and competitive odds. Some offer a multitude of betting types as well as other features such as statistics on all of their betting products. Some may specialise in betting on a particular sport and may offer the most effective odds for that sport but offer lousy odds on others. Because of this reason many professional bettors shop around and open accounts with a range of reputable sportsbooks to receive the very best deals.