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Choosing An Online Casino Or Sportsbook

Get some useful tips on selecting a preferred online gambling site. Learn about important factors to look for during the selection process, such as promotions, licensing, customer support, as well as product and game variety.

Online Gambling Guide:

• Intro
• Safety
• Legality
• Gambling On-Line vs Gambling On-Land
• Choosing An Online Casino, Sportsbook, or Poker Room
• Software
• Payout Odds & Game Fairness
• Banking
• Responsible Gaming
• Summary

Choosing An Online Casino, Sportsbook, or Poker Room

With an increasing number of choices at the hands of online gamblers, how does one go about selecting a place to play?  What are some general criteria to look for in selecting a preferred - or even two or three or several – preferred online gambling establishments?

Reputation is a very important factor.  While new sites are launching all the time, many of which are probably entirely trustworthy and entertaining, sometimes it’s a good idea to stock at least one or two industry titans in one's arsenal.  What this means is a company that’s been in business for at least a decade, and has either a substantial land-based presence or a consistently favorable consensus amongst its players - usually both.

In the sports betting arena, some of the companies might include: William Hill and Stan James. (For a full listing of approved sportsbooks, visit our online bookmakers section).

In online casino gambling, it might include The Gaming Club, InterCasino, 32Red, All Slots, Platinum Play, and Mansion. (For a full listing of approved casinos, visit our online casinos section).

Since there is such a variety of sites available, it is acceptable and also encouraged to try out a few before deciding on a favorite.  This is advantageous to casino bettors in that it allows them to shift their luck, should one's luck be underperforming at a particular establishment at any given time.  It is usually even more beneficial to sports punters, in that they have a greater variety of bookmakers to draw from when comparing odds prices for different matches and events.  This is obviously helpful in not only finding the best value for one’s gambling money, but having accounts at multiple bookmakers is almost a requisite in playing sports arbitrage - or middling - if a player enjoys making those types of bets.

Some other important factors to look for in choosing an online gambling provider include:

• Promotions – Dig around a bit to see if the company provides regular incentives that will create additional enjoyment and interest, enhancing the overall wagering experience.
  
  
• Licensing – This should be the first thing a person looks for when checking out a new site, but is often taken for granted as the majority of industry-players are usually licensed these days.  It can be useful to learn who and what body governs the operator, especially for newer sites.
  
  
• Customer Support – Fire a test query to the email or online chat of a potential new service to see how they respond.  Don’t let it be the ultimate deciding factor, but certainly take it into account in determining if their efficiency (and courtesy) is up to standards.  If a more personal approach is preferable, dial up their customer support number, and feel free to ask any questions about their company and services.
  
  
• Services Offered – This one usually goes without saying, as well.  If a person is looking to bet sports and occasionally play a little poker, do not sign up with a casino-exclusive site.  If a gambler is only looking to play casino games, then maybe they don’t need a site that offers everything (although some of the best casinos may sometimes be part of a larger sportsbook).  Be choosy and do a little research to ensure the prospective casino, sportsbook, poker room, or bingo parlour offers what you are looking for.
  
  
• Game Variety – A good casino operator usually provides at least a list of the games they offer, and often some accompanying game screenshots and background information.  Take a few moments to look over the games and even demo them as a guest before choosing to play for real money.

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