Is online betting safe?
We get asked this question a lot, and we always give the same answer. Online betting IS safe, so long as you know how to avoid the risks involved.
There’s no denying that betting online for real money involves some level of risk. There are steps you can take to ensure your safety, though, and we’re going to explain all about them right here.
One of the most important steps you can take towards safely betting on sports online is to join a trusted betting site.
There are some safe sports betting sites that we personally recommend. If you’re in a hurry to place some wagers, rest assured that you can join these sites right and be assured of a safe online betting experience.
Should you wish to learn more about the risks involved in online sports betting, and how you can avoid them, we suggest reading through the rest of this page.
Please note that there is ALWAYS going to be a risk of losing money on your wagers. That’s part and parcel of any form of gambling, and not what we’re discussing here. We’re talking about the risk of getting ripped off or cheated in some way, or even the risk of getting into legal trouble.
These risks, among others, are why people worry about the safety of online betting. But, although it’s not a bad thing to be wary of the risks involved, the fact is that there’s not actually much to worry about.
Very few people who bet online have to face any real safety issues, and there’s no reason why you should either. Avoiding the risks and protecting yourself is actually pretty easy.
Not convinced? Then this article is just what you need. We look at each of the most common safety concerns relating to online sports betting, and explain the steps you can take to ensure those concerns don’t become a reality.
Getting Ripped Off or Cheated
This is THE most common safety concern we hear about. Lots of people worry that online betting sites simply can’t be trusted, and we understand why. Over the years there have been several betting sites guilty of some or all of the following.
- Disappearing with customer funds
- Not honoring winning wagers
- Not paying withdrawals, or paying very late
- Offering unfair terms and conditions
The fact that these things have happened at all reflects badly on the online betting industry. It shouldn’t even be possible for sites to rip their customers off or to treat them unfairly.
Unfortunately, it IS possible though, and we’re not even shocked that it happens. There are always going to be people in this world who try to scam or cheat others rather than make an honest living. And in some ways the internet has made it easier than ever to get away with it.
Sadly, it’s not really surprising that some people don’t like the idea of betting online for real money. They’re just not comfortable with the risk of being ripped off or cheated, and who can blame them? We live in a world where these kind of things happen all the time.
The good news is that the chances of being scammed by an online betting sites are actually pretty low.
People do get ripped off and cheated by online betting sites. We’d be lying if we said otherwise. That doesn’t mean that online betting is fundamentally unsafe though.
Actually, we would even go as far as to say that the opposite is true!
While there are SOME shady sites that operate unethically, they’re the exception and not the rule. Most betting sites are perfectly safe to use, and can be trusted to treat their customers in the right way.
A key step towards staying safe when betting online is simply to avoid the shady sites and stick with the legitimate ones. Now, we say “simply,” but how do you do that? How do you know which sites can definitely be trusted?
This is easier than you might think, if you’re prepared to do a little research. Before you join a betting site or online sportsbook, you should look in to them and see if they meet the following criteria.
- Licensed and regulated by a reputable gambling authority
- Established history and proven track record
- Lack of negative reports and complaints (at least recent ones)
- Positive online comments from bettors and expert reviewers
The first item on the above list is especially important. Any site that’s not licensed and regulated should be avoided at all costs, as it’s not obliged to adhere to any kind of guidelines or fair practices. Even though that doesn’t mean for certain that it is a shady site, there’s no point taking the risk.
Licensed sites have to comply with the rules and regulations laid down by their licensor, so they’re typically going to be much safe to use.
Note that we said typically. Unfortunately, even a gambling license doesn’t 100% guarantee that a site is legit. Some licenses are so easy to get that they’re hardly even credible. That’s why you need to check where a license comes from, and how reputable the licensor is.
Having an established history is also a very good measure of legitimacy for betting sites. The shady ones don’t generally last too long, as they are constantly getting shut down for one reason or another. So if a site has been around for many years, it’s likely to be one you can trust. That’s not to say that newer sites definitely can’t, but they have more to prove.
If your research turns up a ton of negative reports and complaints about a site, then that’s obviously a red flag. It is worth nothing, though, that sites do change ownership and/or clean up their act. So if the complaints and bad reports are from years ago, and there’s nothing recent, that’s a positive sign.
Positive comments are, of course, also a positive sign. Especially when they come from people who are actively using a site. Genuine user reviews usually paint the most accurate picture. It’s similar with reviews from legitimate experts, too, but you do need to be a little wary of reviews.
