8 important steps choosing your best bookmaker
Choosing your best bookmaker in 8 steps
There is a lot to take in when you want to find your best online bookmaker. What is most important to you: the odds? The bonuses? The fast deposit method? Or, is the number of betting events most important? Betting advice websites (affiliates) tend to give you advice on a whole bunch of what we at betoptimizr call soft criteria, like payment options and the look and feel of a website. What matters to betoptimizr is whether the bookmaker offers you the best odds available. Are you given the best value possible? betoptimizr uses the below model to help you to pick the best bookmaker.
We have selected the eight most important steps that you need to assess to determine what is essential and what is less important. We have ranked the criteria according to our philosophy. Feel free to make your judgment.
Choosing your best bookmaker in 8 steps
There is a lot to take in when you want to find your best online bookmaker. What is most important to you: the odds? The bonuses? The fast deposit method? Or, is the number of betting events most important? Betting advice websites (affiliates) tend to give you advice on a whole bunch of what we at betoptimizr call soft criteria, like payment options and the look and feel of a website. What matters to betoptimizr is whether the bookmaker offers you the best odds available. Are you given the best value possible? betoptimizr uses the below model to help you to pick the best bookmaker.
We have selected the eight most important steps that you need to assess to determine what is essential and what is less important. We have ranked the criteria according to our philosophy. Feel free to make your judgment.
The eight steps of Betoptimizr
5. The available payment methods
#1 The odds
It is not surprising we have put this at number 1. It is the by far the most important criteria. In the end, you are betting with the aim to win. We like to go one step further: win bigger!
Besides betoptimizr, you could reference an odds comparison website to determine which online bookmaker offers the most odds value. But alas, the odds comparison websites only tell you what the best odds are for one single match. It will not reveal:
- That odds of the Premier League are better than those of for instance the Dutch Eredivisie.
- That bet types such as “1×2 half time” offer much worse odds than “1×2 full time”.
- What the best combination of odds are if you are betting on multiples.
betoptimizr does go the extra yard and tells you everything you need to know where to find the best odds value. End of story.
#2 The reliability
It is imperative that you place your bets at a reliable and trustworthy online bookmaker. We can assure you that all the online bookmakers we have assessed are reliable and trustworthy.
Be aware that online bookmakers do not distinguish themselves by just being reliable. Most of the bookmakers are 100% authentic. But it is essential to know that being trustworthy does not imply that the payout percentages are higher.
#3 The bonus details
Most online bookmakers offer (attractive) welcome bonuses, usually up to the value of your deposit, with a maximum of 100 euro (or equivalent) or occasionally 200 euro (or equivalent). You need to bear in mind though, that it is usually not so straightforward to recoup the bonus. Online bookmakers allocate rewards by using specific betting requirement. So, make sure you read the Terms & Conditions of the welcome bonus requirements. And remember, the welcome bonus is to be received only once. It will not make you rich.
Several online bookmakers will also allocate personal bonuses. Your loyalty to a bookmaker and your average wagering amounts determine these bonuses. Personal rewards usually do not have sophisticated wagering requirements.
#4 The available markets
The availability of many markets (football competitions) and many bet types will no doubt lead to a better betting environment. The more, the merrier! We analyze a lot of online bookmakers, and we can conclude that most online bookmakers offer a vast array of betting opportunities. All bookmakers cover the major football competitions. The standard 1×2 bet is also always available. Almost all online bookmakers offer in-play (live) betting. The majority also provide special bets such as over/under, both teams to score and Asian handicap. But some bookmakers will provide more markets than others.
If you fancy the more exotic bet types, you will need to shop around. Bet types such as the number of yellow cards or number of corners are indeed not on offer by all online bookmakers we have assessed. These bets are in fact, less important to us as these types of bets have a quite bad odds value.
#5 The available payment methods
Nowadays all bookmakers offer more than sufficient ways to deposit funds into your account. You can deposit using all major credit cards, all major debit cards, bank check/bank wire, Neteller, Paypal, Paysafecard, Skrill, and Click2Pay. So, making your payments should not be an issue.
The speed of deposits and withdrawals and the costs involved are however very different among the online bookmakers. Most bookmakers will make your payments to your bank account within a day or two. But there are exceptions either way. A couple of bookmakers will make your payments within a day. A few takes as many as 4-5 days.
The fees for withdrawal can also differ significantly. Some bookmakers do not charge anything for withdrawals; some bookmakers require as much as 12 euro! (or equivalent) for every time you want to make a withdrawal. Make sure you check the T&C regarding payments.
#6 The helpdesk
Is the availability of a helpdesk important? Not for your odds value that is for sure. But if you do have an issue (payment, wrong calculation of winning, etc.), it is comforting if your online bookmaker has a good helpdesk. Several online bookmakers offer a chat feature, which is usually a quick and efficient way to resolve your issues. On the other hand, your winnings will not increase whether there is a helpdesk or not.
#7 The user-friendliness
To our surprise, this is one of the more important criteria that several sports betting advice websites use when they rank a bookmaker. Does it matter what the site looks like? Our experience is that you will get used to it fairly quickly. And it certainly does not generate more winnings for you. However, we have come across online bookmakers that have a pretty awful user experience.
The design of the website
The design of a site is very subjective and in our opinion not very relevant. Everyone will have a different view on it. So betoptimizr does not rate these criteria as much. Apparently, a better-designed website is great for the eye. But a great design does not make you win bigger!
Conclusion
betoptimizr rates the odds value as the far most important criteria. What matters is whether your bookmaker has the lowest betting margin for the competitions where you like to bet. Bookmakers have very different average payouts, and these vary by competition and type of bet. Even the time when you place your bet can matter hugely. In the end, it is all about winning money, saving money, and not about the colour of a website or the presence of a helpdesk. At betoptimizr, we rate purely based on the quality of odds for each market. We do not include any flexible elements in our judgment: it is all about the odds. That is why we can truly claim that we are independent. We do not rate on any subjective elements nor make bookmakers pay us to rank higher.
Handig om te weten …
Je denkt misschien dat het verschil tussen 98% en 92% uitbetalingspercentage nauwelijks de moeite waard is om van bookmaker te wisselen. Nou, dat is niet waar. betoptimizr heeft berekend dat zelfs het kleinste verschil (6% in dit geval) in uitbetalingspercentages tot aanzienlijke besparingen kan leiden.
Doe je eigen onderzoek …
Als je zelf onderzoek wilt doen, kun je onze gratis betoptimizr tool gebruiken om binnen 20 seconden te zien welke besparing je kunt realiseren op je voetbalweddenschappen door over te stappen naar de online bookmaker met de hoogste uitbetaling. Onze gratis tool is and 100% 0nafhankelijk.