How to choose a bookmaker: A Beginners Guide

So how should you go about choosing a bookmaker? What criteria should you focus on? We look at several factors that are crucial when selecting a bookmaker.

There is not one unanimous “best” bookmaker decided by our ratings because every individual looks for something different. Some are interested in the fun element of the experience, some are interested in the availability of bonuses and some will be ready to accept certain disadvantages for the sake of higher odds. Each criterion mentioned here will be more important to some than to others, so their order can be considered random.

How do you know which bookmakers are popular? You can always read the reviews on this website. The downside of this method is that negative people tend to write more often and in more depth, which can disrupt (sometimes significantly) the objectivity of the overall experience. However, if the same things are repeated in multiple reviews, you can start to see a trend and then form an idea of the main advantages and disadvantages of the company. 

It is possible to read complaints about bookmakers on their Social Media profiles, such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. It is important to not pay too much attention to the presence of complaints themselves (No company is ever perfect), but to whether or not the bookmaker is ready to listen to them and to make the problem right.

Reliability is traditionally considered one of the main criteria for choosing a bookmaker, but this criterion is subjective: someone can play on the same site for years without any problems, and someone can play with the same bookmaker and almost immediately have issues. The first thing to look for at a bookmaker is one who will pay all honest winnings without any problems, and follow their own rules for calculating bets. They can be considered reliable. 

Note! Every bookmaker has a slightly different system to place bets, and also have slightly different ways to display odds, and stake amounts and confirming bets have been placed.   It is important to familiarise yourself with how each bookmaker you use operates thoroughly...

Quality of the Odds

The size of the odds is important to all players, both beginners and experienced, it is the most important factor in determining will your betting be profitable. Betting on the highest odds possible will make your winnings higher and that is the key to betting. Maximising your returns (choosing high odds) and limiting your losses (pick winning bets more than losing bets). The overall quality of a bookmaker's odds will depend on the size of the bookmaker’s margin (under round). The lower this margin is, the higher and more attractive the odds are for the player. And vice versa.

So which bookmakers have the highest odds? The best way is actually to learn from experience, by comparing the quotes of different bookmakers for the same event yourself. Of course, this process will require both time and effort. In addition, it is worth considering that when betting a bookmaker will vary the size of the margin (and therefore the size of the odds) on different matches and across different sports. 

Note! The wider the bookmaker’s line, the higher the probability of there being an error in odds. Some players try to use this and make bets on knowingly incorrect quotes, but it is probable that if detected the bookmaker will pay winnings only at the industry standard odour even at 1 (ie, returning the stake amount). These errors are known as “palpable errors” and the bookmaker is allowed to do this.

The range of betting options

This criteria is more important for experienced players but may also interest beginners who already want to diversify their game and not be limited to only betting on the outcome of an event (team/athlete win or draw) and its performance (totals). Or those who want to test themselves in betting on less popular tournaments rather than top championships or European football competitions. If you do not know which bets exist (besides the most popular), you can find more materials about them in the “Views of Bets” section. 

In-Play Betting

Live Bets are bets that are made during the match, or after a tournament has started. For those who want to better understand the specifics of these bets, we recommend reading the article “Betting on the course of the match (live)”, because it contains valuable tips for beginners.

The bookmaker that you consider to be the most suitable for “pre-match betting” will not always be the same that you consider for “live betting”. Live platforms on the sites of different companies can vary significantly, as do the quality of the odds they offer.

It should be understood that different players can consider different criteria as being the most important things when selecting a bookmaker. Some consider the interface of the site and navigation on it, some need an infographic or the presence of broadcast and speed of accepting the bet as the most important.

Bookmaker Bonuses

We do not know whether the presence of a bonus can become the main criteria for new players when choosing a bookmaker, but we do know that most people like bonuses, so this option is also covered by us.

Note! Before agreeing to receive a welcome bonus, carefully read the detailed terms of the offer. Accepting a bonus will often entail certain obligations for the player, and to avoid possible disputes, these obligations need to be known in advance. Make sure to look at the terms of the bonus, assess the conditions surrounding the offer and only then join in on the proposed action.