Things to consider before selecting a bookmaker

Market

The first thing I consider before choosing a bookmaker is the market options they offer. Most bookmakers will allow you to bet on the popular singles, accumulations, overs, handicaps and so on. The truth is a lot of them won’t provide riskier options. Take for instance a home team win or over 2.5 goals option. Some of these bookmakers won’t give you that. They kind of create a limit on what you can bet on. This is not good. I want to be spoilt with options. Having hundreds of options to select, plus both half, quarter lines having tons of options too will give the bettor freedom to choose whatever option he prefers.

Deposit and Payout

It’s my money and I want it in the next 1 hour. Will I be able to get it? This is the question I ask before funding my bet account. No-one wants to be stucked with a bookmaker that takes eternity to deposit or payout. I had a bitter experience with Nairastake. I won a considerable amount of money with them and the payout took like 2 week. I had to write to the Lagos state lotteries commission that issued them license. It was after then that I got paid. I dumped them immediately.

I now use bookmakers that have been tested by people and they pay you your winnings regardless of the amount won.

Support

Back to my Nairastake issue, their customer support is non-existent. I sent mails, made calls to no avail throughout the 2 weeks. The support is zero. This is something you should consider when choosing your bookmaker. You don’t want a case of double charges in your account and you are unable to solve it quickly. What about if your deposit does not reflect or your payout is taking long? You need someone to talk to, someone that will tell you the next step to take.

There are also cases of wrongly settled bet. I encountered that issue before. I placed a bet on Mario Gomez scoring in a match. Mario Gomez was an unused substitute and my bet was marked as lost when the match ended. Normally, the bet should be voided as Mario Gomez never featured in the match. I contacted the bookmaker support and their response was great. They admitted the error and rectified it almost immediately.

A great support system is a must if you want to have a great experience with the bookmaker.

Good odds

You can take a look at some of the popular bookmakers out there. You notice different odds. Some high and some low. As a bettor, this is one of the things you watch out for. You always want the best value. You don’t want to sit with a bookmaker offering you lower odds than others.

Comparing the odds across numerous betting sites will reveal shocking truths. You will see how your bookmaker is ripping you off.

Other things to consider includes downtime and bonus.