What We Look For in an Online Sportsbook

At Bet on Aces, we put online sportsbooks young and old through their paces. We examine all the elements that make up a rock-solid online bookmaker, as well as the newest and most innovative bookies on the block.

Our review criteria for the latest sports betting sites cover the fundamentals of a state-of-the-art 21st-century sportsbook experience, including:

Reputation and Regulations

First and foremost, it’s important to check that the sportsbook you like the look of is regulated and licensed to operate in your country. In the UK, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is the main jurisdiction for sports betting throughout Britain. The UKGC approves the operation of online sportsbooks and provides UKGC licenses. Sites with these licenses should give you sufficient peace of mind that your chosen bookie operates to the letter of the law in terms of handling your betting funds and the legitimacy of its betting markets.

Choice of Sports Betting Markets

Speaking of betting markets, you want your chosen bookmaker to make sure there are plenty of markets to bet on for each event. Although some sportsbooks may only specialise in providing dozens of betting markets on marquee matches or tournaments, there are bookies that offer the same attention to detail for obscure games too.

If you are someone that likes ‘specials’ betting markets, also known as futures or prop bets, we can also point you in the right direction of sites that allow you to speculate on anything and everything. Some bookies will even allow you to request odds for specific outcomes, giving you total flexibility to create your own betting markets.

Competitive Betting Odds

The last thing you want is to choose a bookmaker that offers you odds of 10/1 when odds of 15/1 are available elsewhere. Some sportsbooks will operate with massive margins and spreads, giving you extremely poor bang for your buck. Fortunately, we’ll help to pinpoint those bookies that offer the most competitive odds to help maximise those returns from your winning bets.

Pre-Game and In-Play Betting Options

Aside from competitive odds, in today’s day and age, it’s vital that you can be agile with your betting while an event is live. In-play betting is a massive advantage to bettors like you. It enables you to make better-informed decisions on the potential outcome of games based on watching the action unfold with your own eyes or using the in-play data supplied by bookmakers e.g. shots on target, possession, yellow/red cards.

We will pinpoint the best sports betting operators for in-play betting, including those that offer cash-out facilities, allowing you to take partial profits and losses.

Live Streaming

A growing number of online sportsbooks are obtaining broadcast rights to live-stream major sports such as football, horse racing, tennis and American football. Typically, you will be required to have an active betting account with funds deposited to be able to access these streams, but it’s a great way of watching the action and making wise choices in the betting markets in-play. We’ll make you aware of the sports betting operators with the best choice of live-streamed events.

Deposit and Withdrawal Methods

Analysing the banking options of the leading sportsbooks is another major task we undertake at Bet on Aces. Whether you want a bookie that accepts e-wallets or allows you to deposit and bet using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, we will provide you with all the lowdown on deposit and withdrawal methods available with each operator.

New Customer Bonuses and Reload Offers

With all the sports betting operators we recommend in our list above, we do our best to find out the best sign-up bonuses available to new customers. Sign-up offers often give you free bets or bonus funds to bet with, extending your sports betting fun and giving you a chance to increase your betting bankroll further still.

The best online sportsbooks are those that reward their loyal, long-time customers too. We also do our best to pinpoint the operators that offer VIP or loyalty rewards programs, giving regular bettors bonuses and reload offers as a ‘thank you’ for your custom.

Customer Service

If you do encounter any issues with placing bets or getting bets settled, you’ll want a sportsbook that’s transparent and approachable too. That’s why we place a huge emphasis on customer service in our reviews of sports betting sites. Whether it’s telephone helplines, email helpdesks or 24/7 live chat, we’ll make it clear which bookies go the extra mile for their punters.

Experience the Best Online Sportsbooks

With live sport staged and broadcast across the globe today, the avenues to explore in the sports betting industry are greater than ever. Whether it’s Russian volleyball, American horse racing or eSports in China, the leading online sportsbooks will provide you with the biggest choice of pre-game and in-play markets at the most competitive odds.

At BetOnAces, we’re here to give you a helping hand in choosing the right online sportsbook for you, giving you the best possible sports betting experience.