Is This Sportsbook Legitimate? How Can I Tell?

The first thing you need to do before making online sports bets is picking which online sportsbook you want to use. You will be giving this sportsbook personal and financial information for your account. Your primary concern when picking an online sportsbook should begin with the question, “is this sportsbook legit”?  Someone should look for many basic things to find out how legit a sportsbook is. However, users should have a working understanding of internet security and fraud prevention measures. Users can do something as simple as paying attention to details on logos or running security applications to help navigate sportsbook legitimacy a little easier.  Once you feel prepared and competent with internet security and fraud protection, it’s time to find what sportsbooks are legit and which one fits you best.

Top 5 Rated Legit Sportsbooks

What Sportsbooks are Legit and How Can You Tell?

Find the Sportsbook License to Operate 

Legitimate online sportsbooks have their License to Operate available for users to review. Different online sportsbooks will have their licenses in varying places on their websites, but all legitimate online sportsbooks will have the licenses available for users without hesitation. If you cannot find the online sportsbook’s License to Operate, you should be able to find a contact link at the bottom of the page.  If you request help finding the license, a customer service representative will respond with a link to the License wherever on the sportsbooks website this info is located. There should be no hesitation for a legitimate, regulated online sportsbook to present a License to Operate. If there is hesitation in providing the license, that should be a red flag about the legitimacy of that online sportsbook.

Validation Methods

State and provincial regulatory officials regulate Online Gambling. Legitimate online sportsbooks must follow state and provincial regulations and laws, including age, identification, and geolocation validation, and will require you to provide this information. It is technically illegal to use VPNs or GeoComply to comply with geolocation restrictions. However, there is no record of anyone being convicted of geolocation fraud for online sportsbooks at present. This is problematic if there are limited to no geolocation or account identity verifications on the sportsbook. A simple guideline is that you should only use sportsbooks with a vigorous but quick identity verification process. This means that you should be able to find all the information about the identity verification process somewhere on the sportsbook’s platform. From here, you should be able to learn about the different services and applications used in the identification verification process (and review their legitimacy independently).  The verification process should be thorough but shouldn’t take a long time. Legitimate online sportsbooks have the capital required to ensure users have the best information security features and fast identification validation services available. You may be registering for an online sportsbook to bet on games as soon as possible, legitimate online sportsbooks know this and have invested in ensuring they use a quick, efficient, and legal validation process to get users to their first bet in as little as 10 minutes.

Website or App Design and Functionality

This may seem petty or inconsequential to some, but website design and functionality can give users hints that the website may not be legit. Legitimate online sportsbooks with capital invested in their platform for safe, robust, and quick validation methods will invest in an efficient website and app design and functionality.  If users first visit the online sportsbooks website and are met with shady or questionable ads (in content or quantity), users should proceed with caution. If numerous bugs or errors are experienced throughout the user experience, users should be cautious before providing any information to that online sportsbook. Legitimate online sportsbooks will not overwhelm users with questionable ads, and their websites and apps will not be littered with bugs or issues.  Legitimate online sportsbooks websites and apps will also feature SSL encryption. If an online sportsbook doesn’t have SSL security and encryption, you should think twice about using their services.

Bonuses and Odds

As of publication, the Los Angeles Dodgers were the best team in baseball. Let’s say found odds listing the Dodgers as an underdog against the last-place Colorado Rockies on the point spread and the money line. You search other online sportsbooks and find that most sportsbooks have the Dodgers as the overwhelming betting favorite. A significant disparity in odds between online sportsbooks can mean more than incoming bets shifting odds: this is a legitimacy red flag.  Odds will vary between online sportsbooks but not so significantly that the odds seem too good to be true. When it comes to internet security and fraud prevention, if it’s on the internet and looks too good to be true, then it likely is.  Online sportsbooks compete for your business and, like many businesses, will have different special welcome offers and loyalty programs to entice bettors to place their bets on the sportsbook. Most legitimate online sportsbooks will have similar odds – varying depending on the betting action on the game – and competitive bonuses and offers to entice bettors to choose them over the competition.  Bonuses and welcome offers can also flag an online sportsbook. Suppose a sportsbook offers welcome deals or bonuses that seem incredible compared to those provided by BetMGM or Caesars Sportsbook. In that case, this should raise a flag regarding the legitimacy of the sportsbook.

Is Caesars Sportsbook Legit?

Caesars Sportsbook is amongst the most legitimate online sportsbooks available. Names like Caesars or BetMGM have decades of real-world cache as valid and functioning sportsbooks behind their online presence. Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM have all of the features and services that assure bettors that their sportsbook is legit.

Is Unibet Legit?

Unibet is legit! Quickly searching for Unibet news returns recent articles regarding Unibet’s licensing in regions where online betting is legal. This means that Unibet has passed government standards and regulations for licensing as an online sportsbook. Unibet also features the ability to transfer funds via secured financial platforms like PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill, providing users with confidence and security.

My Money! Is it Safe, Secure, and Actually Withdrawable?

The answer to this question depends entirely on the financial transaction methods you choose and the online sportsbook you use. Simply put, the more on the fringes of online sports betting the site is, the more likely your money isn’t safe. Suppose you find an online sportsbook named unclejoesbargainsportsbook.tlv, it would help if you questioned the safety and security of your money compared to the likes of Unibet or Caesars Sportsbook. Suppose you are not using a secure online financial transaction platform and opting for credit cards, eCheck or ACH-type services. In that case, you increase the likelihood of giving your direct financial information to a potentially fraudulent site.  Online sportsbooks should be forthcoming with approximate withdrawal times and provide various financial transfer options for users. Secure financial transaction platforms give users the confidence that their money is safe: deposits will appear in your online sportsbook account instantly after requesting a transfer, while users should expect notifications regarding their withdrawals from the online sportsbook and the financial transaction platform.

Pro Tip: Find the Online Sportsbooks License to Operate and Look for PayPal as a Financial Transaction Method

A straightforward way for potential online sportsbook users to identify the difference between legitimate and illegitimate sportsbooks is to find the license to operate and PayPal as a payment method. It can be that simple. First, ensure that the PayPal logo is legitimate and not a close forgery. Minor changes to recognizable brand logos are a common trick used in online fraud attempts.  Second, legitimate PayPal integration into a sportsbook is a surefire way to ensure that the financial information you provide is safe and secure. PayPal is as legitimate as it gets, and most legitimate online sportsbooks offer PayPal as a financial transaction method. If a website only offers credit cards or cryptocurrency as a payment method for your transactions, proceed cautiously, as their legitimacy should be scrutinized.

Is This Sportsbook Legit FAQs:

Q: I see different odds on sportsbook A compared to sportsbook B. How can I tell if either of these odds is on an illegitimate online sportsbook? A: You will need additional research if the odds aren’t somewhat close. If the odds are reversed or significantly larger on one of the sportsbooks, users can go to numerous sites that compare betting odds on online sportsbooks. If your sportsbook with questionable odds isn’t listed alongside bigger-name sportsbooks or has dramatically different odds than most sportsbooks, it’s likely too good to be true. It would help if you questioned that sportsbook’s legitimacy. Q: This online sportsbook I’ve found lacks geographically specific legal information in its terms and conditions and geographical validation. Should I trust it? A: The easy answer is no. The odds and bonuses might be good, but legitimate online sportsbooks must adhere to state, provincial, and federal regulations where they operate and where you reside. Q: What’s an easy way to test an online sportsbook’s legitimacy?  A: There are many ways to tell if a sportsbook is legitimate. A simple, low-key method to gauge an online sportsbook’s legitimacy is to contact customer support with an inquiry for information. Depending on the time required to receive a response and the information you are driven by, you should be able to get a better handle on how legitimate the sportsbook is. Remember, people attempting to defraud you of your information will go to great lengths to get your information. Please do not give any information to anything online until you are 100% convinced of its security and legitimacy.