If you’re a sports fan, you’ve probably wanted to dabble into the world of sports wagering. Who wouldn’t? Just the idea of being able to make some extra cash based on your expertise regarding your favorite sport sounds like one of the absolute best ways to make bank. You might be an expert on football stats and have a way to always know what the right picks might be for almost every matchup, or maybe you’re just one of those people that are ridden in luck. Whichever it may be, betting on sports is one of the most entertaining forms of sports fandom, as long as it’s safe, secure, and stays that way for the long run.

Sadly, nowadays, just like with many other online business ventures, scammers and internet criminals are just waiting around in the shadows to be able to find their next victim to fall for one of their many moves. And now, with the online betting industry receiving bigger pushes into mainstream entertainment, scammers are seeing this as a perfect new niche for their wrongdoings. But not to worry, because if you’re a sports fan who either likes to get in on the action of sports wagering or are a sports fan who’s looking to get into it, we bring you a list of some of the best tips to avoid getting scammed in sports gambling sites.

Be Exhaustive When Choosing Which Site To Bet With

When picking any service or business to go into, there’s absolutely no shame in being that one customer that always asks too many questions or goes through every single one of the motions in order to be ensured that what they’re getting into is the absolute best choice. Let’s say you’re an NFL fan and you’re looking to put your football savviness to the test by letting some money ride on your preferred picks. Well, just like with the teams you’re picking, you as well are looking to score a win, in this case, one that will automatically augment your bank account. Now, just like how the teams you’re picking get ready week in and week out to go out on the field and put on their best performance towards securing a win, you should do the same. And what do both of you have in common? Strategizing.

Before you go off and get to betting on the first website that pops up, do exhaustive research on all the available options out there. There is absolutely no shame in looking at all options that catch your eye and basically have them run through an audition process. At the end of the day, these are companies that will be receiving your money and profiting off of it so be picky, be selective, make them earn your business. Looking into opinion forums, especially ones that talk about the security measures that all online sportsbooks offer should be a pivotal part of your research. Call up or write to their customer service departments and grill them with as many questions and scenarios to understand what their reaction logic is like. 

Basically make sure that who you end up going with will cater to you as if you were they’re only customer.

Keep A Keen Eye On Payment Methods And Times

One of the main ways in which sports betting pundits fall victims to online scams through wagering websites is how they handle their payout methods and how long it usually takes for them to deposit a player’s winnings. Now, if you see this from a basic scope, you might think that this might not be such a harassing issue with customers, given that the main purpose of sports betting is to make money and get it back as soon as possible, but then again, you’d be taken aback as to how many people don’t necessarily pay attention to this and how they end up falling victims to money scams through faulty payment methods and practices done by online betting platforms.

If you find yourself playing with a sportsbook that shows signs of payout delays or one that is always in constant moves to offer payment plans, it’s time you get to packing everything and leaving that book as soon as possible. This again is why our previous point of being exhaustive when researching for the best betting company options is key. A lot of new betting fans only think about the thrills, but don’t necessarily think about the ins and outs that should never be overlooked. What many sportsbooks in the industry do is that they focus on paying the smaller players out first while leaving the bigger players last on the payment lists to keep a balance of profitability. It’s not the best practice but it’s something that happens.

One thing you should do, even if you’re a small player who only puts up a couple of bucks here and there is finding out and focusing on how sportsbooks handle their biggest earning clients. If you see that they show signs of payout delays, absent payments, or any other shady activity, that’s not somewhere you should want to be. Sportsbooks that treat their biggest customers with the same top-grade conditions as they do their small players are usually the best place to be at.