Safe Betting Sites

There are countless online betting sites that can be found when searching online. While some of these sites appear to be legitimate, there are some that may not necessarily be trusted. New sites that give you amazing deals should also not be trusted.

In this article, we will discuss the actual steps that will help us determine which betting websites to trust. Learn about the different characteristics of these sites along with specific things that we should do to avoid trusting illegal online betting sites.

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What Makes a Betting Site Safe?

If you browse the internet, you’ll discover literally thousands of sportsbook providers, with many of them looking more than dubious and others totally legitimate. The next stage of this article will take our readers through the steps that we go through when assessing a provider, detailing things to look out for and how to avoid unlicensed betting sites.

Things to Look for on Secure Betting Sites

There are some things we’ll touch on here first that are absolutely essential and are a clear sign as to whether a provider is legitimate or not. A must-have is a solid base of players, which normally goes hand in hand with an established history – though not always.

If a provider has been around for over a decade that’s a safe bet and if they’ve been around for 2 decades, you’re probably looking at one of the top-tier sportsbooks around. Surviving this long will mean they’ve been conducting business in a fair and reliable way.

One of the issues most bettors have is that fact every day we see new sites popping up. These sites offer great rates, competitive odds and excellent deals on first-time deposits. We don’t generally promote sites like this, however, we do promote certain sites that have conducted business with integrity and honesty, which have been around for less than 10 years.

Valid Gambling License

This part is straightforward. Simply visit the site in question and look for a credible authority which is supporting the provider. Something to watch out for is if a site previously had a license and it has since been revoked. That means there have been legality issues and these sites should be avoided at all costs.

There are a variety of gambling commissions globally, though the ones to look out for are split into four main authorities. 

The main gambling authorities in operation today are as follows:

• UK Gambling Commission
• Malta Gaming Authority
• Gibraltar Gambling Commission
• Curacao Gaming Authority

These licenses are normally located near the bottom of the website, generally in the corner. However, if there are no signs at all of one of these regulatory bodies, it’s best to avoid that provider.

There are, of course, other commissions and authorities, but it’s worth working with websites that are supported by these regulators. Take Betway for example, they are supported by the Curacao Gaming Authority and are an excellent provider, with a range of betting options available.

Payout On-time, with Plenty of Payment Options

This may seem an absolute essential for bettors working with safe online gambling sites, but for many players, it’s overlooked. Some sites set up major obstacles when trying to withdraw money; requesting documents and putting clauses in on withdrawals.

Always read the fine print in the terms and conditions when depositing and save yourself the hassle.

Without going into too much detail, the payout must be coming out within 3-5 working days at the very most. Sometimes other payment systems are considerably quicker, or in some cases slower, but this represents the typical timescale.

We touched on it above, but it’s quite normal for providers to request certain documents in order to identify who you are. But, this process should be straightforward and the documents requested should be sensible and do not require users to reveal too much information.

Offer a Range of Betting Markets and Games

There’s no point in depositing money with a sportsbook unless they offer the markets and range of games that bettors want. A reliable sportsbook, casino, poker rooms or a combination of these things are commonplace and often a good sign of safe betting sites.

Using top software for games is also essential, this ensures users get the highest quality and latest games on offer. Games software companies such as NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech, and IGT are some of the top-tier software companies.

For the more experienced bettors, if they see games or software companies promoted on the site that they’ve never heard of, then these are the kinds of warning signs to look out for and avoid. Safe gambling sites will normally just work with reliable game developers.

How to Verify a Sportsbook Before You Deposit

This one rule needs to become the core focus of every single South African bettor. Take note:
1. Look at the bottom of the page. There will be a license number displayed, the name of the provincial board, and the full company name that has been registered. If none of this is provided, immediately abandon the website.
2. Check with the National Gambling Board. The organization holds the list of registered operators. You can confirm the license number by simply visiting ngb.org.za.
3. Look out for gambling safety tools. All legitimate betting sites in South Africa have the following features enabled: self-exclusion, betting limits, and session duration control tools. The platform has to feature the National Responsible Gambling Program hotline, which is 0800 006 008.
4. Inspect the payment methods. Betting sites that operate legally have to accept payments only in South African rand (ZAR). The operators integrate their services with local financial gateways, like EFT, Ozow, PayFast, 1Voucher, and Capitec Pay.
5. Confirm FICA requirements. In accordance with Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA), the operator has to ask for personal documentation such as ID/passport and proof of address, sometimes even a selfie.

Things to Avoid When Choosing a Betting Sites

As much as anything else, this article is designed to educate our readers and give them the tools to recognize safe gambling sites. While we know many of our readers are well-informed on these issues, we want to be clear and ensure they avoid false sites and scam artists.

We’ll keep this brief, but below is a list of all the things to avoid and keep an eye out for when landing on a new provider’s site and are considering depositing.

• Poor reputation – A little bit of research is all it takes to reveal any shady background or legal issues a sportsbook may have had in the past. If they have, avoid at all costs.
• Identity theft – Requiring users to reveal personal information isn’t abnormal. But when providers request specific documents that users would rather not give up, it’s a bit suspicious.
• Excessive fees – If depositing and withdrawing money with the provider seem abnormally high or excessive in any way, move along.
• Forcing users to download software – Downloadable software is a nice addition to have on sites, however, it shouldn’t be mandatory. Downloadable software can be littered with malware and keyloggers.
• Unrealistic or rigged odds – Fake websites often post ridiculous odds to draw in bettors and get them to make first-time deposits. If the odds seem unrealistic, move on and find a new site.