Online sports betting went from an illegal obscure idea to commonplace in just a few short years. Remember sports betting in the United States only became legal in 2018.

That was thanks to a Supreme Court decision that allowed sports betting of all kinds to become legal in the United States.

Now you can bet on a sports betting platform, at a casino, or a retail sportsbook. Online sports betting has the convenience that sports fans love.

You can place bets from the couch, watch games with your friends, or even at the game you’re betting on.

If that sounds great to you, then you need to make sure you choose the right sports betting site before the sports season gets underway.

We have the best of football, soccer, hockey, basketball, baseball, horse racing, and auto racing happening all at the same time.

You better read on if you want to bet on these sports. You’re going to learn how you can choose the best sportsbook so you can have a fun and exciting time betting on sports.

What Do You Want From a Sports Betting Platform?

There’s no doubt that you did a little online research to discover that there are hundreds of online sports betting platforms all over the world.

Where do you begin?

Start with what you want and don’t want in a sportsbook. Do you have goals for sports betting?

Some people decide that sports betting is just a way to get into the sports they enjoy. They have an even deeper sense of pride if their teams win and they win money.

Some see sports betting as a career. They want to learn the ins and outs of betting on sports so they can make enough money to quit their day jobs.

What kind of sports do you want to bet on? Football and basketball are the two most popular sports to bet on in the United States.

You might have lived in Europe or love following obscure sports like hurling, or cricket, or you want to bet at racetracks around the world.

Make a list of the sports you want to bet on so you can ensure that the sports platform you choose has it.

Think about what’s important to you, such as deposit options, fees, payout speed, and the games you want to bet on.

Also, consider what would make a bad sports betting experience. You might want to bet on every soccer match during the World Cup this year. You don’t want to sign up with a platform only to learn that they don’t offer to bet on those matches.

Make a Shortlist of Sports Betting Platforms

You have enough information about your needs to go online and find a list of sports betting platforms that will work for you.

Do a few searches for sports betting platforms and sports betting sites. You can just take a quick look at each site to see if they’re a potential match.

You’ll want to have a list of between 4-7 sites on your shortlist. The next steps will help you narrow down the options to pick the best sports betting platform for you.

Read Online Reviews

There are countless online review sites dedicated to sports betting. A lot of these sites have already been researched for you.

They will cover everything from the best offshore sportsbooks to the best sites to bet on your favorite sport.

They’ll tell you what the pros and cons are of each platform, bonuses, and how long they’ve been around.

You’re likely to see the same sports betting sites listed. You can feel confident knowing that these are reputable sites if they’re listed repeatedly.

As informative as these sites are, you still want to know what other users have to say about the different platforms.

You’ll get a much better picture of how a sports betting site operates.

Read the reviews and look for negative comments. You may find patterns in the reviews that indicate a big problem for a sportsbook.

You could learn that one of the sites on your shortlist has slow and unresponsive customer service. Another site might be slow to deposit funds into winners' accounts.

Check out if and how the sports betting sites respond to negative comments. A site that ignores the comments about poor customer service shows that those reviews are probably right.

Sports betting platforms that respond quickly to customer reviews is a good sign that they care about their customers.

Visit the Sites on Your Shortlist

You probably crossed a few sites off of your shortlist based on reviews alone. Take a closer look at the sites left on your list.

You don’t have to sign up for an account to get a feel of the user experience. You’ll also get a sense of the sports they offer.

If you’re just starting with sports betting online, you’ll want to know how the platform works. See if the sports betting sites offer guides and tutorials.

Good sports betting platforms will have a ton of content to help you feel comfortable with online sports betting.

Compare Bonuses and Odds

You’ll want to look at the different bonuses that each site offers. There are free bet bonuses and deposit match bonuses.

With a free bet, you can place a bet up to a certain amount on any game you choose. You win the bet, it’s like you just won free money.

If you lose the bet, you don’t lose anything. It’s like nothing happened.

The cool thing about these bets is that the threshold is pretty high. You can bet $500 or $1000 risk-free.

Place a $500 bet on an underdog and win. Well, you can sleep well that night with a lot of cash coming your way.

Deposit match bonuses match your initial deposit up to a certain amount. For example, a site that has a deposit match up to $500 lets you deposit $500. You’ll get an additional $500 in the account.

Sites also offer referral bonuses. You could enjoy a sports betting platform and tell your friends about it. You should get rewarded if your friend signs up.

Check the sports betting platforms on your list and see which one has the best offer. You and your friend can get anywhere between $25 and $100 in free bets.

Did you know that sports betting sites offer different odds for games? That’s right, just because one platform lists the odds for a football game with a 7-point spread doesn’t mean that every other site does the same thing.

As you’re comparing sites, look at your favorite sports and pick a handful of games. Look at the odds. You could find that one site consistently delivers better odds than the rest of the pack.

Signing Up With a Sports Betting Platform

By this point, you’ve looked at what’s important to you, reviews, odds, bonuses, and more. You should have a pretty decision ahead.

Pick your sports betting platform based on your research.

Now it’s time to get started with your account.

You’ll need to fill in your basic contact information.

Don’t be alarmed if a sports betting site asks for your Social Security number. If you win over $600 in sports bets, the platform has to report that to the IRS.

You have to report that as income, too.

For the payments, you can select your deposit and payment methods. You can always change them later if you need to.

Placing Your First Bets Online

Only 18% of Americans have placed online sports bets. It’s normal to be a little hesitant about placing your first sports bets.

You want to make sure that you have your bankroll and that the bonus appears in your account.

Before you start betting on every match possible, come up with a simple sports betting strategy.

Veteran sports bettors have a bankroll management strategy, which is like a gambling budget. They spent a certain percentage of the funds available on a bet.

How much should you wager? Start between 5% and 10%. That gives you plenty of room for fun bets and you can make the funds last.

Learn How to Navigate Sports Betting Platforms

Sports betting is the perfect way to take your excitement about your favorite sports to another level. Finding a sports betting platform to help you maintain that excitement is a critical part of betting on sports.

Out of all of the sports betting platforms, there isn’t one that’s the perfect site for everyone. You need to find the perfect sports betting site for you.

Now that you know how to get started on a sports betting platform, check out the other articles on the blog.