Betting is one of man's oldest hobbies, dating back to the 1500s when Queen Elizabeth launched England's first national public lottery. Since then, bettors have adopted different betting platforms - from betting shops, telephone betting, and now, to online betting sites.
Transitioning from placing bets physically to doing it through a website can be tricky, and some might fall for fraudulent websites pretending to be legitimate betting platforms. Fortunately, there are several indicators that you can look for to avoid getting duped by online criminals.
1. Little, No, Or Negative Reviews
If the betting site you’re eyeing has little to no reviews, we say you think twice before transacting with them in any way. Like in online shops, reviews are also essential for betting sites as the presence of legit reviews can prove the site’s credibility and save you from losing your money. Negative reviews are automatically a red flag, and you have to pay attention to what others didn't like about the site. However, we urge you to be careful about overwhelmingly positive reviews as well. Positive reviews can either be real reviews or written by bots, and the latter can be worse than negative reviews.
While this red flag is a great indicator, it, unfortunately, doesn’t apply to every website. There are freshly-established betting sites that have few or no reviews owing to their newness. Thankfully, credibility-checking groups exist. These groups frequently list the newest betting sites and check their legitimacy and credibility in order to help you make your online betting experience as secure and smooth as possible.
2. Unlicensed And Unregulated Sites
For betting sites in the UK, a good indicator of legitimacy is having a valid gambling license, preferably from the UK Gambling Commission. This commission regulates betting sites and protects players and their funds.
If a betting site claims that they’re licensed and regulated by the UKGC, go ahead and verify if they’re indeed included in the list of licensees here.
3. Limited Payment Options
There are a lot of payment options available online, but it’s best to stick to the most trusted ones. Payment services like PayPal, Visa, and MasterCard are some of the most well-known payment methods in the industry. That said, check what payment options are available on the betting website you’re eyeing. Try to avoid those that use payment platforms you’ve never heard of.
4. Absence Of Contact Information
Let’s say you’ve encountered an error and it involves a huge amount of money. The first thing you’d do is to contact the website or customer service hotline, right? But what if there are no contact details? In a snap, your money’s gone, together with your personal information.
And even if the website is legit, would you like to transact with a betting company that doesn’t readily provide its customers with a way to easily reach them?
5. A Poorly Formatted Website
Betting websites with grammatical errors and generic-looking themes can be an indicator of illegitimacy. With each passing year, online betting is becoming more and more competitive as an industry. It’s not unreasonable for us to expect legit companies to make an effort in setting up a nicely-designed website.
Take note of the best new betting sites on Newestbettingsites.com and try to compare them with the other websites you’re considering. Check if the layout is unique and easy to follow, and if their content’s professionally or well-written. That way, you can easily identify if they’re just copying another site or simply not that serious with their business.
Conclusion
Checking the legitimacy of betting sites can be a hassle, but it’s essential especially now that online transactions are as simple as 1-2-3. As much as we want to enjoy the accessibility of online betting, we are also exposed to risks such as data phishing and fraud.
As with many other things on the interwebs, exercising due diligence is key to avoid losing your money and personal data.